decent starter drill (cordless)

[chappys4life]

I need to get a cordless drill for a project I am working on for my motorcycle. I was trying to stay cheaper because I would not be using it for a living and would use it infrequently. I was debating the craftsman 9.6v cordless drill for 34.99. Is this too cheap? Should I wait and by something better or buy this and upgrade when I need it?

Oh btw the link is http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00911810000P?vName=Tools&cName=Portable+Power+Tools&sName=Drills

 

[64merc]

I need to get a cordless drill for a project I am working on for my motorcycle. I was trying to stay cheaper because I would not be using it for a living and would use it infrequently. I was debating the craftsman 9.6v cordless drill for 34.99. Is this too cheap? Should I wait and by something better or buy this and upgrade when I need it?

Oh btw the link is http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00911810000P?vName=Tools&cName=Portable+Power+Tools&sName=Drills

You know, IMO cordless drills aren't too practical if you use them infrequently. When you need to use it the thing is always dead. To make matters worse, the one you are considering only comes with one battery. My personal recommendation is that you spend that money on a corded drill. If you plan on using it as a driver as well, buy one with a clutch.

 

[Stuey]

I'm going to have to agree with 64merc. Unless you specifically need a cordless tool, go cordless. If you use the tool enough that you see a need for a cordless, that would be the perfect time to upgrade.

Not to mention, you get more for your money with a corded drill than a cordless.

If you explained what you need the drill for, we could make more informed suggestions. For example, if you want to drill through steel or large holes in wood, the drill you linked to won't do. However, if all you want to do is drill small holes or driver small screws, the one you linked to would be sufficient.

 

[Norton155]

You can pick up a Ryobi one+ drill for $40 at Home Depot. It is an 18v drill and come highly recommended for the home user. In the future you can buy more tools that will work with the battery and charger that came with the drill. And the Ryobi batteries are less expensive then other brands when you want to add on or replace the original.

 

[nissan_crawler]

I have a bosch 14.4 blucore, and it is most excellent. It can sit for 4 months, and the batteries still keep charge no problem. i would never go back to a corded drill.

 

[PoorOwner]

Please don't get a 9.6V drill, they have no power or capacity..
Go with 18V or more if you can.

I only use a cordless to drive screws and very light drilling.
I use air or electric to drill metal.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Please don't get a 9.6V drill, they have no power or capacity..
Go with 18V or more if you can.

I only use a cordless to drive screws and very light drilling.
I use air or electric to drill metal.

I would stay 14.4v. I've seen several tests that show the higher voltage ones don't produce much more power, the batteries just last longer, and the drill is heavier. Now, if we're talking li-ion, different story.

I used my 14.4 bosch to drill 1 1/4" holes with a holesaw in my air compressor tank, it did it with no problems.

 

[Uncle Buck]

You can pick up a Ryobi one+ drill for $40 at Home Depot. It is an 18v drill and come highly recommended for the home user. In the future you can buy more tools that will work with the battery and charger that came with the drill. And the Ryobi batteries are less expensive then other brands when you want to add on or replace the original.

Me too!

 

[chappys4life]

I know I want cordless. I normally **** around with motorcycles so its nice to have cordless. Mostly it would be to drill carbs (they have a brass plug over air/fuel mixture screw), holes in a frame or metal pieces for bike, maybe use for wire brushing rusted pieces.

I will wait until I have some more loot and look at 14.4v drills.

 

[kbs2244]

I just got a used DeWalt 12 volt set off EBay for $40.00 including shipping.
Drill, battery, charger.
I have been fooling around with off brands for too long.
Must of the pros around here use the 18 volt, but I feel they are too heavy.
If you do a lot of metal drilling 18 volt might be the way for you to go.
If I ever want to upgrade the charger will work on thw 18 volt batteries as well.
I just think DeWalt has their act together on cordless.

 

[boiler7904]

Are you planning any other future cordless tool purchases in the future i.e. recip saw, impact driver, grinder, etc? If so, take a look at each manufacturer's full line before committing to one battery platform. DeWalt has the largest variety at 30+ tools in the their 18v line. Makita and Milwaukee are other brands with a few options. Bosch's cordless line is more geared toward construction with jigsaws, circular saws, etc.

For me, 18v is too much for just doing work around my house. I have a 14.4 and it does everything I need. If I were only going to have one drill, I'd probably get a Milwaukee corded unless I had to take it on the road a lot.

 

[64merc]

If you are set on cordless, I agree with the others - find a good 14.4V, but think ahead and see if you will want other tools on that same line. This will help you decide which brand to choose. (p.s. I am partial to the Bosch line myself)

 

[Mike83]

My first cordless was a Craftsman 14.4V a few years ago. Worked great for drilling holes in drywall and driving screws, but when I went to build a sawhorse it couldn't drive screws worth a damn. More recently I picked up the Craftsman 19.2V drill and impact driver set ($100 on sale) which I like a lot. The drill has a lot more speed, but I haven't used it enough to say it is way better than the 14.4V. I have drilled holes in metal pretty easily. I really like the impact driver - I use it for driving screws and working on my car (its like a poor-man's impact wrench).

 

[Stuey]

Don't look at voltage alone - check out torque specs and reviews. For example, some of Craftsman's 19.2V offerings are less powerful than other brands' 18V and even some 14.4V offerings.

 

[chappys4life]

I imagine I will get a dewalt. Just need to save up some loot first

 

[nissan_crawler]

Don't look at voltage alone - check out torque specs and reviews. For example, some of Craftsman's 19.2V offerings are less powerful than other brands' 18V and even some 14.4V offerings.

Exactly. We were screwing down subfloor in squeaky areas in my parents house. Dad's 18v Dewalt wasn't able to drive some screws in without piloting them. I walked over and ran them in with my 14.4 Bosch. You should have seen the look of disgust on his face.

 

[chappys4life]

Exactly. We were screwing down subfloor in squeaky areas in my parents house. Dad's 18v Dewalt wasn't able to drive some screws in without piloting them. I walked over and ran them in with my 14.4 Bosch. You should have seen the look of disgust on his face.

hmm i like the look of that bosch. The dewalt 18v is just so dang bulky thats more my headache. I might get that instead. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[dxdexter]

I have three Dewalt cordless drills. I have two 12v and one 14.4v and they are all workhorses, but for extended drilling I would not recommend a cordless unit.I would go corded if you do a lot of drilling for extended periods. 18v units are great and have lots of power, but are very heavy in comparison.

If you do choose to go Dewalt watch out for deals at a Factory Outlet Store. Remember that Dewalt as well as most brands produce a consumer line as well as a commercial line. Buy the commercial line.

 

[rsanter]

You can pick up a Ryobi one+ drill for $40 at Home Depot. It is an 18v drill and come highly recommended for the home user. In the future you can buy more tools that will work with the battery and charger that came with the drill. And the Ryobi batteries are less expensive then other brands when you want to add on or replace the original.

I really like my dewalt 18v tools
but if I wanted to get into the cordless scene for the bargain price I would do the Ryobi
we had a couple of these at work that I was really impressed with for the money

bob

 

[64merc]

For whatever it's worth, when I see contractors and maintenance guys working, most of the time I see Dewalt, but often they are using Ryobi too.

 

[48548]

I have the milwakuee v28 set along with the protable band saw and vaccum and impact wrench. The batteries have one of the best warranties and should last a long time and the tools come with 5 year warranties on them. You might want to take a look, I have used the hammer drill a lot and the impact wrench and with more then one battery and less than an hour to recharge and I get a lot time out of them you can use them all day with two batteries!!!!

 

[NSXSOON]

Look at the new Makita 18V (same size as the 14.4V stuff) with the Lithium Ion batteries. They are light weight and very powerful, hold a charge for a real long time and blow away the Milwaukee 18V Ni-Cad drills I still have.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K6ILDW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[chad s]

Exactly. We were screwing down subfloor in squeaky areas in my parents house. Dad's 18v Dewalt wasn't able to drive some screws in without piloting them. I walked over and ran them in with my 14.4 Bosch. You should have seen the look of disgust on his face.

Dewalt have always been overated. I think they have such a good reputation because of the number of construction workers that use them, just for the fact that everyone else in their field does, and not based on a real trial against other (superior) brands. Milwaukee, Bosh, Panasonic, all make better cordless drills for the money.

 

[dxdexter]

Dewalt have always been overated.

Chad, how do you justify this comment? I have had nothing but a great experience with my Dewalt tools. I have many Dewalt tools as well as my cordless drills. My oldest cordless was used daily in my cabinet shop for four years without so much as a problem, screwing cabinet carcasses and face frames together.

I highly doubt that a properly functioning 18v Dewalt could not put screws in a squeaky sub-floor. My 12v has placed literally thousands of screws and the only time it would hesitate is just before the batteries died.

 

[eschoendorff]

You can pick up a Ryobi one+ drill for $40 at Home Depot. It is an 18v drill and come highly recommended for the home user. In the future you can buy more tools that will work with the battery and charger that came with the drill. And the Ryobi batteries are less expensive then other brands when you want to add on or replace the original.

I have a Ryobi 18v 3 speed hammer drill that WILL NOT DIE! And believe me, I've tried. I would recommend Ryobi if you need an inexpensive made in China drill....

 

[hamburglar]

If I were starting over and was going to spend a little money...I'd get.

1) PS-40 Bosch
2) PS-20 Bosch (which is free right now if you buy the PS-40)
3) A big ol' corded hammer drill (I've got a Milwaukee 5387, but I expect that they are all just fine).

 

[brrman]

I have a corded Makita which is ok, but the cordless 14.4 Bosch drill I have has been a workhorse. I swear by it; I was so impressed with Bosch that I went and bought the PS-20 driver which is awesome. But the PS-20 is a driver, and does not replace a drill.

 

[hamburglar]

But the PS-20 is a driver, and does not replace a drill.

Oh well, I suppose you are right. I just hate having umpteen electric gadgets that are just separated by a slight differences in size.

 

[ephotrod]

Makita are always under rated. They are some of the best tools in my opinion. I have a drill, cordless drill and a circular saw by them and they are top notch equipment. Don't pass over them. Note that they are also usually priced less than dewalt, rebuildable and common enough to expand your set.
Josh

 

[boiler7904]

Dewalt have always been overated... Milwaukee, Bosh, Panasonic, all make better cordless drills for the money.

DeWalt does make some good tools like miter saws. The entire DeWalt line has been watered down since Black & Decker took them over in the 90s and turned them into a consumer tool company. The same is happening with some of the Porter Cable and Delta stuff (that which hasn't already been dropped since DeWalt already makes the same product) since B&D bought them too.

Their reputation on cordless depends on how you intend to use them. If you need a variety of tools to work off of one battery platform, you can't beat DeWalt unless you start getting into the ever expanding Makita Li-Ion line.

If you're only going to get a cordless drill, you're right. You can do much better for the money. Milwaukee, Bosch, Makita, Panasonic, etc. all make better tools for roughly the same money. Festool, Metabo, and Hilti are supposed to be pretty good too but the price climbs quickly with those brands.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Dewalt have always been overated. I think they have such a good reputation because of the number of construction workers that use them, just for the fact that everyone else in their field does, and not based on a real trial against other (superior) brands. Milwaukee, Bosh, Panasonic, all make better cordless drills for the money.

Agreed, I can't wait to demote my 9 amp dewalt hand grinder and step up to a 14 amp metabo. There are 500 mechanics at work, and I bet 3/4 of them have cordless screwdrivers. The dewalts are trouble. Gears breaking, batteries don't hold a charge worth a damn and die in a year or two, etc.

I have a bosch 14.4v cordless drill and ps20 driver, and you couldn't get me to trade them for a case of dewalts. I've been down that road before, never again.

Oh, and that 18v Dewalt was function just fine. We were running 3 1/2" screws into old floor joists. It would stall out. The 14.4 bosch kept on trucking.

 

[eschoendorff]

Nobdy has mentioned Ridgid. I have a set of Ridgid cordless tools and they are really very nice... 24v Li Ion (total overkill). The tools, like I said, are really pretty good - but the batteries haven't lasted worth a ****. Now I get to see just how good that renowned Ridgid warranty is....

 

[Stuey]

Nobody has mentioned Hitachi either. I have an 18V hitachi, and it's pretty decent. It's pretty compact and lightweight, yet has a very strong punch, and good runtime.

I previously tried a 19.2V Cman but returned it after a few usages. It was just too big, too bulky, held too little of a charge, and the damn chuck slipped too many times.

If I had to choose again, I'd either go for a Ridgid or Hitachi again, I'd love a Bosch, but it's priced a bit too high for what I'd use it for.

 

[64merc]

Oh, and that 18v Dewalt was function just fine. We were running 3 1/2" screws into old floor joists. It would stall out. The 14.4 bosch kept on trucking.

That's pretty bad, considering I was using my Bosch PS-20 to drive about 20 or so 3" screws into 2x lumber this weekend. I was adding in more material to attach some OSB, since the idiots who framed the in-law's new storage room weren't very accurate in their stud placement. The PS-20 would slow down a bit but it kept driving those long screws. You know, this thing never even got warm under the stress.

 

[dps]

You would find it well worth your time and money to find the most recent test of these done by Consumer Reports. MAJOR differences in the abilities and prices. A $99 Sears beat out several that cost $250+. Not that it was the best there was, either. But price and brand had nothing to do with anything. Fine Homebuilding Magazine also did a similar comparison last year, I believe. It's amazing what the objective tests reveal. Then they also add (especially FHB) subjective observations as well. Really worth a trip to the library to read the tests, especially if you're trying to get the most for the money and do not already have an existing "system" to buy into for battery matching/chargers.

 

[nissan_crawler]

That's pretty bad, considering I was using my Bosch PS-20 to drive about 20 or so 3" screws into 2x lumber this weekend. I was adding in more material to attach some OSB, since the idiots who framed the in-law's new storage room weren't very accurate in their stud placement. The PS-20 would slow down a bit but it kept driving those long screws. You know, this thing never even got warm under the stress.

Agreed, I also have the ps-20, and would say it has as much *** as the dewalt.

 

[dxdexter]

The entire DeWalt line has been watered down since Black & Decker took them over in the 90s and turned them into a consumer tool company.
If you're only going to get a cordless drill, you're right. You can do much better for the money. Milwaukee, Bosch, Makita, Panasonic, etc. all make better tools for roughly the same money. Festool, Metabo, and Hilti are supposed to be pretty good too but the price climbs quickly with those brands.

Agreed, I can't wait to demote my 9 amp dewalt hand grinder and step up to a 14 amp metabo. There are 500 mechanics at work, and I bet 3/4 of them have cordless screwdrivers. The dewalts are trouble. Gears breaking, batteries don't hold a charge worth a damn and die in a year or two, etc.

I have a bosch 14.4v cordless drill and ps20 driver, and you couldn't get me to trade them for a case of dewalts. I've been down that road before, never again.

Oh, and that 18v Dewalt was function just fine. We were running 3 1/2" screws into old floor joists. It would stall out. The 14.4 bosch kept on trucking.

Exactly. We were screwing down subfloor in squeaky areas in my parents house. Dad's 18v Dewalt wasn't able to drive some screws in without piloting them. I walked over and ran them in with my 14.4 Bosch. You should have seen the look of disgust on his face.

Dewalt have always been overated. I think they have such a good reputation because of the number of construction workers that use them, just for the fact that everyone else in their field does, .

Agreed, I also have the ps-20, and would say it has as much *** as the dewalt.

Sorry guys I just can't let your trashing of Dewalt name go unchallenged, especially since my experiences have been so different than anything you guys have written. I decided to perform a little experiment using my oldest 12v cordless and a fresh battery. The drill used was a 6 year old DW974 which at the time of its purchase was $250. This tool was considered commercial grade at the time and has had thousands of screws through it. I actually consider this unit superior to my 14.4v.

For my experiment I used 3" #8 Robertson head screws and piece of solid dried oak. I was going to use maple but I kept breaking the screws off at around 2" to 2.5" in. I charged the battery and proceeded to sink 23 screws without pilot holes into each side of the board. I then removed the screws and then drove 10 more of them and removed them. The screws sockets were to mangled to continue, so using 2.5" screws, I drove 14 into the maple, breaking 3 in the process . I then removed 9 of them before the battery gagged. That is 134" into solid hardwood and removal of 121.5". In my books thats not to shabby.

While I am not saying that the Dewalt is any better or worse than any other brand, I find it unacceptable that they be trashed by anecdotal evidence based on issues with a few tools, especially with the astronomical number in service. Sometimes the problem is with the gunner and not the gun and its a poor craftsman who blames his tools.

While I hope you accept what I say as the truth I have also included photos.

 

[billymade]

Whoa! No more "this *****" without evidence! LOL! Someone start up the lab!

 

[dxdexter]

Whoa! No more "this *****" without evidence! LOL! Someone start up the lab!

It just irks me sometimes how everyone jumps on the band wagon just because someone throws out a comment.

BTW if I said Snap-on *****, you guys would be all over me like stink on a monkey.

 

[64merc]

Well, it may have been said that DeWalt *****, but the general consensus was just that DeWalt was overrated. In other words, there are other brands out there in the same price range that are just as good, if not better. That's it, nothing more.

BTW, if you want to talk about jumping on the bank wagon, I would have to guess that most people who buy DeWalt cordless tools do so because they see all the construction guys using them. Hey, and I can't blame them because we often depend on other people's experiences to help us make decisions when buying tools.