Cordless drills

[Fadetoblack]

Im looking to start buying cordless tools, starting with a drill and hammer drill. I am torn between the new makita and the new Milwaukee . Herd all bad about dewalt.

What do you guys like?

 

[LGMechanical]

What can I say. I'm a Makita guy. But all seem like good choices. If its for the house, go with the cheapest one of the 3.

 

[mudflap]

MAKITA is the way to go, MILWAUKEE isn't what it used to be, since getting bought out by the same company that makes RYOBI, and RIDGID.(emmerson electric) have you considered BOSCH, Their ergonomics are not as good as some of the others, but definately a quality tool. When looking at the MAKITAS, keep in mind, the white/black ones are homeowner grade, the blue ones are commercial grade.

 

[PCO6]

Im looking to start buying cordless tools, starting with a drill and hammer drill. I am torn between the new makita and the new Milwaukee . Herd all bad about dewalt.

What do you guys like?

I have been very happy with the DeWalt 20V line of tools. I have no complaints at all.

 

[mudflap]

I have been very happy with the DeWalt 20V line of tools. I have no complaints at all.

DEWALT is still cosidered by many to be the best, but that would be their XRP line. The rest of their stuff is homeowner grade junk.

 

[shift_slide242]

i have the dewalt xrp 18volt hammer drill, absolutely love it! i drill out alot of rivets at work and such and its great.

 

[Griff93]

I have a bosch DDS181 drill that I've been very happy with. I plan on buying another one for at work. I have one at home that I use at least several times a week. It's strong enough to use a holesaw on metal.

 

[B18c_tuner]

I have the 2 piece green set by Makita (LXT211). And I love it. It comes one impact drill and also a hammer drill. I believe there's a new set out that is brushless which I am sure is worth the extra dollars. There always seem to be good deals around my way for this 2 piece set brand new on CL. Also stay away from the white and black set as those are junk.

 

[PCO6]

DEWALT is still cosidered by many to be the best, but that would be their XRP line. The rest of their stuff is homeowner grade junk.

Thanks for confirming that for me. I told the DeWalt dealer that I wanted "homeowner grade junk" and he recommended the 20V line. As I said, I have been happy with them so far so imagine my disappointment.

 

[Fadetoblack]

Seems me makita is the winner haha

 

[B18c_tuner]

You can't go wrong with Makita. You'd be amazed by the quality of the LXT line. Not to mention the 18 volt 3.0 ah batteries are interchangeable with the whole cordless LXT line (around 30 or so tools). And the recharger has an musical indicator which lets you know when each charge is done which is a nice touch.

 

[magova1104]

The new DeWalt line it's all the way GOOD! Check the reviews.

 

[Chadwilliam1]

makita and i own deWalt 20 volt and 18 volt. Makita is better.

 

[JASTECH]

I hsd PC then DeFart now Milky M12 and thinking Hitachi is worth a try?

 

[Fadetoblack]

Seems dewalt has horrible batteries, Milwaukee is top heavy, makita has slightly less power but perfect size and everything else. From what I gather from the Internet atleast. I'm debating between the Milwaukee and makita. But from the looks of it I am gunna go makita.

The brushless makita(lxph05 ) makes slightly less power then regular ( bhp454 ) which do I go with?

 

[shoturtle]

How serious of a hammer drill are you looking for, occasion or big boy hammer drill?

If you want the big boy hammer drill the Swiss made Bosch brute. 17618 would be the one if you want to hammer full time.

 

[Fadetoblack]

Serious enough that I don't like buying junk and if I need it, it's there but also not somthin I'll be using frequently . If I had a big job I needed hammer drill for i would prob get a cordedd one at that point.

 

[shoturtle]

Bosch then Milwaukee

 

[Fadetoblack]

Do I go brushless or regular

 

[coolreed]

I have had excellent service from my Dewalt Cordless 18V drill. Love it.

I also love the Bosch small drill/drivers. They are incredible.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

I replaced a 14V Makita with a 18V Milwaukee. I went back and forth between a new Makita 18V and the Milwaukee before deciding on the Milwaukee. Both are tops and you can't go wrong with either one. I lean more towards Milwaukee from past experince which has been all good. I can't complain about any of my Makita experince as well.

I also like Bosh and Hitachi for power tools and would not rule them out either.

 

[mayday0017]

MAKITA is the way to go, MILWAUKEE isn't what it used to be, since getting bought out by the same company that makes RYOBI, and RIDGID.(emmerson electric) have you considered BOSCH, Their ergonomics are not as good as some of the others, but definately a quality tool. When looking at the MAKITAS, keep in mind, the white/black ones are homeowner grade, the blue ones are commercial grade.

Bosch is made by Emerson Process as well... Worked for Emerson for 5 years and got discounts on all sorts of things. Whirlpool, Fridgid air, Ridgid, Bosch, Emerson, Bredford White, and about 50 other brands....

 

[B18c_tuner]

Do I go brushless or regular

It depends on the budget. Now of your willing to spend I would go with the BL over the regular set. You will have a longer battery life in between charges, I believe its a 50% longer battery life over the regular set. And if your gonna be using it everyday under hard working conditions it should last you longer since there are no brushes to wear out.

 

[Fadetoblack]

Just went to store and didn't like the feel of the makita. The milwaukee m18 just felt right

 

[B18c_tuner]

Go with what you feel is worth it.

 

[camaro0991]

Bosch. Great stuff

 

[Chadwilliam1]

Te truth is weather you buy Dewalt, makita Milwaukee or Bosch you will be happy.

 

[BD1]

Whatever you buy check their entire tool line to see what's available so they have what you want.The 1/4'' hex impacts are awesome along with the grinders.
As far as Dewalts, that's all we have at work. Drills, impacts,sawzalls,
grinders,hammer drills, and big *** hammer drill. There's around 100 cordless tools on hand among us all. According to shop tool guy , Dewalt has taken good care of us and stood by the warranty. Had some issues with the first generation sawzall but worked it out.

 

[shoturtle]

Do I go brushless or regular

Right now the brush are more powerful then the brushless options.

 

[Big-Foot]

Makita LXT 18v series here and I have a number of their tools... They are solid workhorses...

 

[tarbellb]

things to look for, considering Makita, Hitachi, Milwaukee, Bosch all have a great product (even Dewalt is suppose):

Battery cost/ replacement
Battery Ah, most cheaper models have 1.5ah, longer lasting have 3.0ah!
LED lights
Clutches and speeds, especially impacts
Weight
Warranty

Hitachi has a 10yr warranty on all their Li-on tools now, Ridgid has a Lifetime but its very specific to how you can actually receive it.

Personally I think the batteries are the biggest issue, how affordable/ popular are the batteries and do they have a warranty? The tools are all very effective at what they do, give you get the top brands.

I have a impact and clutched drill from Hitachi that has been amazing for over 3 yrs heavy use. The 3.0ah batteries are just now starting to loose full charge. Replacements are out there, but Hitachi changed design to a "slide" style, not a traditional bottom snap in battery = hard to find $75+ batteries

check out this site, great prices on Makita, Hitachi, +

www.bigskytools.com

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

I've got one of the newer 18V lithium Hitachi combo sets and like it. Holds a charge between jobs very well, charges quickly, and the batteries last forever (I'm used to NiCad). My dad's used Dewalt, Milwaukee, and Makita regularly for the past 15 years, and he was impressed when he used my Hitachi set over the weekend for some stuff around the house.

On the 1.5Ah vs 3.0Ah batteries, I actually like the 1.5s better because they're smaller and lighter, and still last a good while. May grab a third for the kit, so I can have one in the drill, one in the impact, and one on the charger at the same time.

 

[AndysMBgarage]

I just picked up a Panasonic 18v cordless drill with 2x 3.3Ah batteries for AUS $270.

It's got heaps of grunt [54Nm] and has that solid quality feel with enough weight that it feels like it's well made.

Cheers

 

[granitestater]

I have found 18V DeWalt works well but not for hammer drills. For that I use corded. It seems that the battery operated hammer drills just run out of power after a couple of holes in concrete. But the same drill will run for dozens of holes in wood, metal or plastic.

Good luck!

 

[nev]

White and Black Makita it special addition...NOT "home owner junk"
I would go with Makita. My favourite for maintainance work are the 10.8volts

 

[dr_clyde]

White and Black Makita it special addition...NOT "home owner junk"
I would go with Makita. My favourite for maintainance work are the 10.8volts

While they are not junk, they are most definetly not special edition. The white and black drills are the base model lithium battery set. The batteries are 1.5 Ah and don't last long. I love my makita drill, but it is the better hammer drill with a 3 Ah battery. I woudn't recommend the base model set. The batteries simply don't last long enough.

 

[zosk]

I have had 2 Makita and one Milwaukee cordless drills. The Makita were NiCad, so it seems a bit unfair to compare them directly to the lithium Milwaukee. I went out to some stores and got to put my hands on them when I purchased the Milwaukee and it felt better for me so that's why I bought it. I also knew I wanted a cordless reciprocating saw, and knew the batteries were interchangeable, so that was also a big factor for me. I think you should buy whichever one you like better after handling (if possible) because either one is probably a good choice.
As a bit of a side note, the Milwaukee I have does have the hammer drill function, and while it works okay, if you have to drill a lot of holes in concrete, it's just better to get a rotary hammer (which will allow you to purchase another tool!) Hope that helps.

 

[Vyse]

Mac Tools 19.2 volt West Coast Choppers edition I got used off the truck for a good deal. Plenty of power and the half inch chuck is nice.

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By <a target="_new" href="http://profile.imageshack.us/user/vyse128">vyse128</a> at 2012-07-12

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By <a target="_new" href="http://profile.imageshack.us/user/vyse128">vyse128</a> at 2012-07-12

 

[lestat]

I went through the same a few months ago, felt the need of a solid 18V drill and after much thought I narrowed it down to 2: Panasonic and Hilti.

Now owning a Hilti SFH 18A.

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

I went through the same a few months ago, felt the need of a solid 18V drill and after much thought I narrowed it down to 2: Panasonic and Hilti.

Now owning a Hilti SFH 18A.

Is Hilti as expensive in the UK as it is here in the US? Last company I worked for used it exclusively for the field crews, but it was high-dollar stuff, even for the basics.

Panasonic stuff looks interesting, but I've never seen it for sale over here.