Roadking16
Member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2022
- Messages
- 18
I am looking for recommendations for a cordless 3/8” impact wrench and drill. Makita, Dewalt, Milwaukee….etc
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
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Cordless tools
- Thread starter Roadking16
- Start date
BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Milwaukee is my preference. Very powerful tools. Makita would be my second choice. I’m not a Dewalt guy at all. Just haven’t had good luck with them and I’m already invested in Milwaukee so that’s what I go with. Makita seems nice as well.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Impact wrench (for sockets) or driver (for screws)?
Either way, this is a Ford vs Chevy vs dodge thing. I use Dewalt 20v and Milwaukee 12v.
For a compact 3/8 impact wrench, the Dewalt dcf 923 is king of the hill right now, at least in power and size. Lots of good options out there
Either way, this is a Ford vs Chevy vs dodge thing. I use Dewalt 20v and Milwaukee 12v.
For a compact 3/8 impact wrench, the Dewalt dcf 923 is king of the hill right now, at least in power and size. Lots of good options out there
Shadowdog500
Well-known member
+1 on this being a Chevy/Ford kind of thing for the typical homeowner. Once people have a battery type in their garage they tend to buy that brand from then on to take advantage of the batteries they already have. My first real cordless tool was Dewalt and now I have a ton of Dewalt tools. If my first one was Milwaukee, I’d have a ton of Milwaukee.
I hear that Milwaukee may be a better tool for a pro that uses it every day, but either brand will hold up fine in a home garage where they mostly get used for weekend projects.
I hear that Milwaukee may be a better tool for a pro that uses it every day, but either brand will hold up fine in a home garage where they mostly get used for weekend projects.
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If you are just a regular DIY/Homeowner, IMO you can't be the value of the Ryobi One system. They have an outlet called directtools.com that sells the stuff for pennies on the dollar, almost always half off of what it is at the store, many times for about a quarter of the in store price if you play the deals. The tools are very good, have a three year warranty and the batteries are good and priced fairly.
Impact wrench (for sockets) or driver (for screws)?
Either way, this is a Ford vs Chevy vs dodge thing. I use Dewalt 20v and Milwaukee 12v.
For a compact 3/8 impact wrench, the Dewalt dcf 923 is king of the hill right now, at least in power and size. Lots of good options out there
+1 for DCF923, I love mine!
In my opinion, the only real choices are Red or Yellow. Milwaukee has a more diverse line, but DeWalt isn't too far off the mark. I chose DeWalt simply because that seems to be the predominant color in the local trades, therefore there is more availability in pawn shops, on the secondary market, etc. The more I have bought, the less I doubt my choice. If Red had been the more common color, I would have chosen it without regret.
dnschmidt
Well-known member
To me the M12 Stubby has got to be the one. It's not the absolute best at anything but the combination of size and power is nearly impossible to beat. The ability to use the tiny M12 battery when room doesn't exist or the larger XC batteries when it does is also a factor. Power above all else seems like the modern mantra but power is useless if it doesn't fit. To me the M12 Stubby is the perfect compromise.
acer66
Well-known member
Do you have any cordless tools right now?I am looking for recommendations for a cordless 3/8” impact wrench and drill. Makita, Dewalt, Milwaukee….etc
Thanks in advance
finn
Well-known member
I have Bosch, Dewalt, and Milwaukee, all three in both 10/12v and 18/20 v.
All three are quality tools. Bosch has the slimmest selection at the box stores, and Milwaukee has the biggest selection of specialty tools, most of which you will never need or use. Milwaukee is pretty much limited to Home Depot and Ace, plus some online, and is generally poorly represent on Amazon, at least by authorized sellers. Rumor has it that Milwaukee doesn’t offer warranty from unauthorized resellers, but others refute that.
Dewalt is well represented at HD, Lowes, Ace, Amazon, and other online tool stores.
As others have stated, Dewalt is now king among those brands for impact wrenches. I have three Milwaukee current generation and two Dewalt Atomic impacts, and prefer Dewalt for performance and ergonomics. Impact drivers (1/4” hex drive) are a less rigorous application and probably a tossup among those three. I have a Dewalt and an older brushed Bosch. No complaints about either. I also have Milwaukee and Dewalt ratchets. Both are fine.
Milwaukee low end drills had a poor reputation. Don’t know if the later drills are better. High end drills seem ok. I use Bosch and Dewalt.
Don’t discount Makita in your search, either. I am considering adding that brand, as I want to convert my outdoor tools to cordless, and like what I see in the Makita line. I have had good experience with corded Makita tools.
All three are quality tools. Bosch has the slimmest selection at the box stores, and Milwaukee has the biggest selection of specialty tools, most of which you will never need or use. Milwaukee is pretty much limited to Home Depot and Ace, plus some online, and is generally poorly represent on Amazon, at least by authorized sellers. Rumor has it that Milwaukee doesn’t offer warranty from unauthorized resellers, but others refute that.
Dewalt is well represented at HD, Lowes, Ace, Amazon, and other online tool stores.
As others have stated, Dewalt is now king among those brands for impact wrenches. I have three Milwaukee current generation and two Dewalt Atomic impacts, and prefer Dewalt for performance and ergonomics. Impact drivers (1/4” hex drive) are a less rigorous application and probably a tossup among those three. I have a Dewalt and an older brushed Bosch. No complaints about either. I also have Milwaukee and Dewalt ratchets. Both are fine.
Milwaukee low end drills had a poor reputation. Don’t know if the later drills are better. High end drills seem ok. I use Bosch and Dewalt.
Don’t discount Makita in your search, either. I am considering adding that brand, as I want to convert my outdoor tools to cordless, and like what I see in the Makita line. I have had good experience with corded Makita tools.
Any of those will work fine. If you are just looking to own a drill, impact, a couple batteries and a charger then wait for a sale and pick the best deal. If this is the first purchase in a line of tools then pick the battery platform based on all your future needs or wants. These days brushless appears to have replaced brushed tool so look for that.
OP
Roadking16
Member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2022
- Messages
- 18
Older DeWalt drillDo you have any cordless tools right now?
OP
Roadking16
Member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2022
- Messages
- 18
I’m a former auto mechanic with high end air tools but I don’t really want to fire up the compressor for taking bolts off of my motorcycle or personal vehicles. I don’t have access to the tool trucks now but want reliable tools.If you are just a regular DIY/Homeowner, IMO you can't be the value of the Ryobi One system. They have an outlet called directtools.com that sells the stuff for pennies on the dollar, almost always half off of what it is at the store, many times for about a quarter of the in store price if you play the deals. The tools are very good, have a three year warranty and the batteries are good and priced fairly.
jeepinerdeep
Well-known member
If you aren't invested or drawn to a certain battery platform I'd just figure out which one you find the most interest in the complete lineup, or where you'd like to shop at first. And then check torque test channel on youtube to see which model #'s actually perform well for your intended uses. That's it. I can't imagine you'd be dissapointed in Dewalt or Milwaukee.
tyyost
Well-known member
You can’t go wrong with any you mentioned. I have Milwaukee but have been tempted by some of the smaller DeWalt tools lately. Had some Makita stuff early on with Lithium Ion came out, and it was good but not much support or deals on batteries etc as the others, at least in my neck of the woods.
My Milwaukee collection started with a 1/2 and 3/8 impacts, and has grown considerably from there. I would suggest for your purposes to think about what tools you are thinking of and seeing what exists from DeWalt and Milwaukee in that area that fits your needs. I have a Milwaukee 3/8 ratchet too, but that bumped me over into 12 volt stuff, so more batteries. DeWalt makes a 20 volt ratchet so you can stay on one battery type. They also seem to do better in my region with combo deals on kits like you may want.
My Milwaukee collection started with a 1/2 and 3/8 impacts, and has grown considerably from there. I would suggest for your purposes to think about what tools you are thinking of and seeing what exists from DeWalt and Milwaukee in that area that fits your needs. I have a Milwaukee 3/8 ratchet too, but that bumped me over into 12 volt stuff, so more batteries. DeWalt makes a 20 volt ratchet so you can stay on one battery type. They also seem to do better in my region with combo deals on kits like you may want.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I'd avoid getting one of the cheap starter kits. They come with crappy batteries and the bottom of the barrel tools.
Battery size really changes impact wrench performance, so having a bigger, high output one is worth it.
Battery size really changes impact wrench performance, so having a bigger, high output one is worth it.
I have a lot of Milwaukee and Snap On electric tools. I’ve had a lot of Milwaukee batteries fail and die early over the years. The Snap On batteries never seem to die. I have some that are 7 or 8 years old now. Only one has gone bad and it was one of the first and oldest ones I bought.
Lucid Moments
Well-known member
I am with the other guys telling you that Milwaukee vs DeWalt is like Ford vs. Chevy. At any given time one of them will have a slightly better version of the tool you need than the other but either will get the job done just fine. That being said right now DeWalt has the best 3/8" impact. The DCF923 is a beast. I use it to take the lugs off my Ram 2500. It also has some nice features that will limit the torque as well.
acer66
Well-known member
Guess than it does not matter what brand you get but I am also one who is not married to just one battery platform.Older DeWalt drill
alinc100
Well-known member
This comes up often on GJ and I assume other forums. Since you are not invested in any of the new battery platforms/tools you can go just about anywhere. Milwaukee M12 or M18...personally I prefer the M12 line,it's lighter weight,quite powerful, and compact,I have not used the M18 line. I also have Makita 18v,Dewalt 12 and 20V,and even an 18volt Bosch hammer drill. As a professional carpenter/commercial office interiors/display carpenter I've bought into all the battery systems based upon tool need. As a homeowner/DIY mechanic at home I have Makita 18 v impact wrenches in 3/8" and 1/2" ,as that is/was the battery platform I started with. That being said if I was starting from scratch I'd go with Milwaukee M12 ,which you can buy 6.0 extended capacity batteries if needed and see if it fits your needs. I will say my Milwaukee M12 impact DRIVER will loosen the properly torqued lugs on my Honda,and I would not hesitate to use that tool alongside the road . Shopping at HD or online there are plenty of deals/bundles/battery/bare tool promos to get stocked up at affordable pricing.
kbeefy
Well-known member
Whatever offers the best deal when you buy it and has the tools you might add to your lineup in the future.
Dewalt, milwakee, ryobi, makita, even harbor freight is getting good reviews these days.
I have lots of dewalt and bosche tools, they have held up well in professional and homeowner duties.
I would say stick with brushless, they are worth the few extra dollars they cost.
I actually don't mind the smaller, lighter batteries that come with the kits. They don't last as long but reducing the overall tool weight by 25% is noticeable. I usually run the smaller batteries on everything but the 1/2" impact and 1/2" hammer drill.
Dewalt, milwakee, ryobi, makita, even harbor freight is getting good reviews these days.
I have lots of dewalt and bosche tools, they have held up well in professional and homeowner duties.
I would say stick with brushless, they are worth the few extra dollars they cost.
I actually don't mind the smaller, lighter batteries that come with the kits. They don't last as long but reducing the overall tool weight by 25% is noticeable. I usually run the smaller batteries on everything but the 1/2" impact and 1/2" hammer drill.