Cordless Driller for a DIY'er

[Rhyno37]

Hey guys, I'm in need of a new cordless drill. Tasks will range from putting up drywall in the garage and building a work bench, to maybe later building a deck, just some general DIY stuff. I have acually already bought a drill, and am having second thoughts about it so I wanted to get your guys' input. Here is the drill in question:

http://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...t-cordless-compact-drill/p-1629603-c-9072.htm

I'm pretty happy with it other than some slight chuck wobble. Feel like its a great deal too for $119 when everywhere else has it for $148. Besides that, here are my worries:

1. Chuck Size - It is a 3/8" Chuck. For a DIYer, do I need a 1/2" chuck? Is it that common of a use and what kinds of things use it? I have a cheap tool shop corded hammer drill with a 1/2" I figure I could use if needed.

2. Batteries - Not the batteries themself, but rebuilding them. From what I've read you can rebuild Ni-Cad and Li-Ion batteries when they die for good, but never here anyone mention Bosch, only ever hear Makita, Dewalt, etc... I assume you can but have never read it.

Besides all that, what do you guys think of the drill in general compared to other drills and what do you think of Bosch? I have yet to read anything negative.

I just want to make sure I get the best bang for my buck and don't mind spending a little bit more. I have 2 more drills that seem to get good reviews and was looking for some input.

http://www.homedepot.com/Featured-P...Id=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051#BVRRWidgetID

http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hard...Id=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051#.UPXrdif7Kwg

If I were to get the Makita, I assume it'd be worth it to spend $30 more and get the impact driver combo below, but at the same time would I need one?:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...R=100596872&catEntryId=100596872#.UPXrsif7Kwg

 

[StevePgh]

Building a deck is a job for an impact driver, not a drill. I'd see what is available in bare-tool impacts for whatever brand battery series you pick. One thing that irritates me about some drills is the chuck not having enough of a grip on the bits. I'd definitely pick LiOn not Nicad.

I have been quite happy with the Hitachi 18 volt LiOn tools. I bought a large set then some bare tools. I didn't care for the chuck that came on the drill (replaced it with a Jacobs), but the hammer drill chuck was fantastic (and looking at the current drills, they seem to have these better chucks). Lifetime warranty on the tools, 2 years on the batteries, never had to use the warranty for either. I think I am well into my third year with the set, and have used the impact and drill both fairly heavily.

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

If you watch and wait for a sale, you can normally grab a drill and impact driver set for $175-200 from Home Depot or Lowes.

I have a Hitachi set and both the drill and the impact work great. Only thing I don't like is the "pizza box" it uses for storage, rather than a smaller and more compact box (guess Bosch has me spoiled there). I've played with the Milwaukee drivers and they're damned nice, the Dewalt stuff isn't bad, but Makita doesn't seem as well-built as their older stuff I've used. I like the Hitachi enough that I wouldn't trade it for any of those three, but Bosch's drill and impact set is damned nice...it'd be a hard choice for me between the two.

Impact drivers work great for all sorts of things - driving long screws, lag screws, you can even use it for some lighter-duty automotive stuff.

 

[Steevo]

As has been stated above, driving any kind of larger screws (sheet rock, decking, fencing, etc) should be done with an impact driver instead of a drill. Once you try one, you will wonder why you wasted all that time, all those bits and all those damaged screws trying to use a drill.
Second, when you NEED a hammer drill, you NEED a corded drill. No battery powered hammer drill is useful for drilling accurate holes in concrete. For an occasional hole in a cinder block wall, sure, but not for hammer-drilling.
You may never need a 1/2" chuck on a drill. Especially a battery powered hand drill. But sometimes you do. Most mortar mixers won't fit in a 3/8" drill. Large hole-saw arbors won't fit in a 3/8" drill. Most drill bits up to 1/2" can be had in a stepped-down shank that will fit a 3/8" drill. Just don't bury them in hard to drill material, or you will spin that chuck on the shank, or break the shank off.
The best setup for all around is a combo kit with a drill and an impact driver.
Bosch makes a good one. So do DeWalt, Milwaukee and several others.

 

[dirtydogintex]

no Hitachi in the poll?

bahhhh

 

[djjsr]

You say you want the best bang for your buck. Check Ryobi. They're not the super best but they're real good for the relatively low price.

Look at Home Depot's website. The blue ones are nicad, the yellow/green ones are better, li-ions.

 

[John316]

I have an 18v lion Dewalt impact driver that has proven nearly indestructible.

 

[Greatbear]

I have the same Bosch drill I specifically got for light weight for overhead work. It's a decent drill, has yet to let me down. For driving lots of deck screws, you can get away with a drill, but you'll be happiest with an impact driver. Bosch sells a tool-only version of a few worthy units you can get to go along with your batteries and charger.

You can rebuild the Bosch batteries about as easily as other brands. The slim packs you have contain 5 18650 cells. You'll have to pop out a couple factory seals covering the screws to open them up. Bosch packs have an advantage over some other brands in that there isn't a lot of electronics in the pack, most of the smarts is in the tool and charger. Makita and Milwaukee, for example, have chips inside that can disable to charging or use of the packs when they reach end of life, and replacing the cells doesn't make everything new again without some sort of reset.

I have cordless tools from most of the major manufacturers, and Bosch is my favorite. You can't really go wrong with any of them, though.