Choosing a drill driver

[Snakecharmer383]

I have a corded Craftsman drill that I use occasionally for jobs. Recently I assembled my U.S. General tool cart and felt like a caveman due to using open end wrenches to tighten everything when a small impact would have saved me a lot of time. Looking at the Bauer at HF for the price. Should I be looking at or choosing something else thats better for the money? Craftsman, Ryobi, Hart, Dewalt? Whats bang for the buck?

 

[ez-duzit]

Don't cheap out. Milwaukee Fuel 12-volt.

 

[kbuhagiar]

I bought this Dewalt 12V impact driver and drill combo kit (DCK211S2) ten years ago:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044DEXPW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Both have become indispensable for my day-to-day chores and even some big projects (such as driving hundreds of deck screws).

 

[Spareparts]

I have Ryobi, got the Drill 1/2" and Drilldriver in a kit years ago, got a couple of 4 amp hour batteries, drill is still going
strong, but the driver gave up during a roofing job. seems in the kits the driver has plastic gears and after several thousand
screws in the metal roof's and several feet of wood fence they gave up. Got the better grade drill/driver with the metal gears
and it has held up well. I have not had a battery failure and they are at least 6 yrs old Right now I have 14, 4ah batteries and 2, 2ah
batteries and a slew of Ryobi Tools. The point is Pick a Brand and which ever you prefer and stick with that platform, keep the batteries
charged and clean and they will last.

 

[tyyost]

Milwaukee M12 has a sweet drill and impact driver kit, Dewalt has one mentioned above that is good as well.

That said, HF seems to be a player now in all things tools, if a Bauer fits your budget go for it. Most of us on GJ worry non mainline cordless brands are flavor of the month like Kobalt, Porter-Cable, Flex, Hercules, Bauer, and others that are subject to disappear without warning leaving users high and dry for new tools or batteries.

 

[tarbellb]

Ryobi all day

battery platform will be around forever
cheap
good enough performance

cant suggest HF, they have never kept a battery platform around

 

[Spareparts]

Ryobi is owned by Milwakee now

 

[M6erfan]

Well, I'll throw Bosch to in the mix. I have their CLPK27-120 12v drill/driver kit that I bought 5 years ago and have used extensively during that time, especially in the last year doing our home remodel. Gets double duty in the shop too working on cars and motorcycles. Still going strong, original batteries still in great shape.

 

[engineer2]

Depends on what you need. You get what you pay for.
For years of trouble-free use, look at Makita, DeWalt, Milwaukee, BUT get their higher end models rather than consumer grade.
Most make good - better - best. The "good" is weekend-warrior grade and the "best" is what contractors use.
Many here like Ryobi, Rigid, Bosch, Euro brands, etc. Whatever you get, you want someone who makes a huge variety of tools and has the batteries available for the next 20 years. That's the main reason I would avoid off brands like Hart, Harbor Freight brands, Kobalt, Craftsman.

 

[mngundog]

I also very much prefer 12v over 18/20v.

Milwaukee M12 FUEL 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver Compact Kit W 2.0Ah Battery and Bag 3453-21 - The Home Depot

The M12 FUEL 1/4

www.homedepot.com

 

[Gebirgekind]

Most importantly go to a few stores and hold the drivers in your hand. Each brand has its own feel and one will fit you better. There's a negligible difference in quality in the big three (despite what some here might argue ) so find the one that feels the best and has other tools in the battery platform you might use later. I'm on the Makita line, my Dad's DeWalt, and brother-in-law is all Milwaukee; we're all happy.

+1 to avoiding the cheaper brands, it's not worth it in the long run. The Bosch 12v line is an awesome option too for general work, 18v is pretty overkill for around the house.

 

[Shiftless]

Another vote for the brushless 12 volt M12 Fuel Milwaukee

I bought the drill driver combo years ago and it’s still going strong.