Dewalt or what drill should I look at getting instead ?

[Armed Bear]

I already have 2 old drills, a Craftsman and Porter Cable both made in USA, but I'm lookin to upgrade to something new in the future....the Dewalt looks reasonable priced, are they good or what else is a good drill that I should look at?

 

[compyello]

I have a dewalt 3/8 corded and an 18 volt cordless and I like them both

 

[Chadwilliam1]

corded or cordless?

I use the 20 volt at work and at home. I like them a lot.

 

[Armed Bear]

corded or cordless?

cordless

 

[LSU]

I picked up a Rigid Cordless Drill and Driver package at HD for about $99.00.

I also have a corded Rigid 1/2" that is a beast.

If you mail in the warranty card Rigid will replace the batteries as they died.

So far my batteries are holding up.

I do DIY and light commerical with mine and I've been happy.

 

[MattPersman]

would say li-ion powered something like dewalt 20v, milwaukee fuel brushless, ridgid. depends what your budget it. nice to get an impact driver with it as well

 

[geojag]

I recently picked up the Dewalt 12v max drill. They had some special where you got a third battery for the same price. To be honest, it outperforms my old 18v Dewalt cordless and is a heck of a lot more pleasant to use. I plan to get their impact driver as well.

 

[RCStocker]

For an Electric drill Milwaukee makes the best drills on the market and always have
For my liking Milwaukee and Bosch are the two best cordless drills on the market with Mikita close behind. All others are a notch or two below these.
I have 11 cordless and over 20 drills. I have talked to the tool repair mand and some reps through the years and they all say that Milwaukee and Bosch are the best and I agree with them after using them for years.

Dewalt is over price and just not as good. Ridigid is a home owner line. There are good ones out there and I know they cost money but the two I like hold up where the others don't. I have seen them all used in constuction with heavy use and most just do not hold up. Besides I hate Black and Decker and they own Dewalt. LOL

There are plenty of good used ones on Craigs list or Flee Bay all the time. The tools are very cheap to find. There are after market battery companies that make great batteries for half of the price. I always buy after market replacement batteries.

 

[shadow745]

For an Electric drill Milwaukee makes the best drills on the market and always have
For my liking Milwaukee and Bosch are the two best cordless drills on the market with Mikita close behind. All others are a notch or two below these.
I have 11 cordless and over 20 drills. I have talked to the tool repair mand and some reps through the years and they all say that Milwaukee and Bosch are the best and I agree with them after using them for years.

Dewalt is over price and just not as good. Ridigid is a home owner line. There are good ones out there and I know they cost money but the two I like hold up where the others don't. I have seen them all used in constuction with heavy use and most just do not hold up. Besides I hate Black and Decker and they own Dewalt. LOL

There are plenty of good used ones on Craigs list or Flee Bay all the time. The tools are very cheap to find. There are after market battery companies that make great batteries for half of the price. I always buy after market replacement batteries.

Opinions vary. Tool repair guys and reps can easily be biased as well. Their opinion is no better than what others have to say IMHO. I've used Dewalt, Bosch, Makita, Milwaukee and still favor my Hitachi cordless over any of them.

To the OP, look for the features and build quality YOU want in a drill regardless of name.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

I like Milwaukee the best, but would recommend looking at Bosch, Hitachi, and Makita as well. They all make quality products and I would not hesitate owning and using any of these four.

 

[Davefr]

cordless

Panasonic is the best but you'll have to open your wallet pretty deep. You won't find them on promo at low end consumer stores like Home Depot or Lowes.

 

[bcradio]

For an Electric drill Milwaukee makes the best drills on the market and always have
For my liking Milwaukee and Bosch are the two best cordless drills on the market with Mikita close behind. All others are a notch or two below these.
I have 11 cordless and over 20 drills. I have talked to the tool repair mand and some reps through the years and they all say that Milwaukee and Bosch are the best and I agree with them after using them for years.

Dewalt is over price and just not as good. Ridigid is a home owner line. There are good ones out there and I know they cost money but the two I like hold up where the others don't. I have seen them all used in constuction with heavy use and most just do not hold up. Besides I hate Black and Decker and they own Dewalt. LOL

There are plenty of good used ones on Craigs list or Flee Bay all the time. The tools are very cheap to find. There are after market battery companies that make great batteries for half of the price. I always buy after market replacement batteries.

So you can pretty much take this with a grain of salt. I think the 20v DeWalt will suit you great. Any of the top brands will do you well in their Lithium tool offerings. I have had troubles with Rigid though in their Lithium batteries. The warranty is too much hassle and not worth it. Took almost 6 months to get my warranty and ended up begging HD to replace both of my batts.

 

[GortonsFisherman]

By all means, do not go the Ridgid route. The tools are decent, but, as mentioned, the lifetime warranty isn't nearly as great as it sounds. Recently told by the nearest authorized repair that the batteries are a 2-month plus wait. I'll be going to Milwaukee, as their line is very extensive.

 

[IslandOlds]

I sent a rigid drill, charger and battery in to the repair shop for testing and had the new battery in a week. No questions asked. That was in June 2012. I have used Dewalt, Rigid, Milwaukee, Makita and Bosch. My father had a Walmart Powermax 18 volt for almost 10 years before the charger gave out. Find a drill that you will be comfortable using, that fits your needs either home owner or commercial, and what fits your budget. People tend to promote what they have a lot of times. Repair depots included. For me, I chose the Rigid combination kit, as I felt it is what I need and I'm happy with it. If it is treated right it will last a long time. Once again, do the research and try a few out at places like Home Depot and Lowes etc. A lot of times they will have a spot set up for you to try them.

 

[IndyGarage]

I agree with Davefr - Panasonic makes the best cordless drill - and has for 20 years. The gap between them and everything else used to be huge - now it's small. I think they still make the best cordless batteries and chargers.

My Panasonic 12v drill/driver was way better than any other tool I've owned up to 18v - they had the best motor control, the best ergonomics and the best keyless chuck I've used, and their batteries lasted longer and charged faster than all the others. Stupidly I gave it away when I bought my Milwaukee V28 tools. I wish I still had it.

It really depends on where and how you'll use it. The Pocket sized 12volt tools from Bosch, Milwaukee and Makita are all good if you have light duty drill/driving to do. They are not as good as a Panasonic 12v (which is true 12v, the pocket tools are 10.8v)

If you have heavy duty drilling, the 18V tools are better and the newest ones are compact. I like the M18 fuel tools from Milwaukee or the 18v from Makita best.

If you are driving screws, an impactor is better than a drill. I have the pocket impactors from Bosch, Milwaukee and Makita, as well as an 18v Milwaukee impactor. Of the smaller ones, the Bosch is the best - although the other two aren't bad. None of them compare to the 18v Milwaukee. I've heard the 18v brushless Makita is really great too, but I haven't used one.

The other consideration for tools is what other tools can share the batteries and chargers. I have not moved to the M18 Milwaukees because the batteries won't charge on my V28 chargers - which will charge everything Milwaukee from my 12v cordless caulk gun to the V28's . Not sure why they made M18 incompatible.

 

[woody 73]

I own a ton of drills from dewalt to other brands and I am not sure if my two cents on this topic will buy me a cup of coffee ,but I have been reading GJ member Stuey's comments about all the new brushless tools and how they will generate less heat and the battery will last somewhat longer.

If I did not own so many older tools with the older technology I would be looking into buying the new brushless technology drills that they offer today.

 

[Chiefron]

I prefer the newest DeWalt 20v cordless. Had a 14.4 for 17 years with no problems. I also have the Milwalkee 28v a great drill/hammer drill but it's a beast. Well over double the size and weight of the 20v DeWalt. I like the ability to fit the drill in tight areas (like between studs) and it's light weight, long battery life, makes working over your head much easier. IMO.

 

[RCRGarage]

I have owned Delwalt drills for 5 years, no problems. Interesting about Panasonic, always thought they were homeowner junk, will check it out next time I see them.

 

[Engineer61]

Actually, Milwaukee is bringing out their new 18v 4.0 and 2.0 WH batteries soon replacing the 3.0 and 1.5 WH batteries they (and everyone else in the 18v Li-ion batteries) sell now; so you may want to wait two months before buying your drill if you don't have to have it right now. Milwaukee already has their "fuel" brushless drills out so you'll have the latest technology available.

 

[Trey T]

Go with Milwaukee M18 Fuel line with brushless motor - it's the new stuff and it's small lighter and more powerful.

When buying it, make sure you get battery that cells are made in either Japan (Sanyo, Panasonic, or Sony) or Korea (LG or Samsung). Don't get li-ion cells made from Canada bc they don't last long.

Battery is the most important criteria in selecting cordless drill and I'm trying to educate people here on this. Milwaukee has the best battery setup, bar-none!

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

deffinately milwuakee. I was going to get the new fuel 18 line up. but im an aircraft mechanic and seeing how they have really grown there 12v im getting some of those when they come out. because they have 12v xc batteries. i want them so bad.

 

[Monte]

Bosch will have 4 AH batteries and a line up of brushless tools too in the close future so maybe wait a little bit....

 

[IndyGarage]

I have owned Delwalt drills for 5 years, no problems. Interesting about Panasonic, always thought they were homeowner junk, will check it out next time I see them.

Nope they were by far the best for a long time. I believe they invented the impact driver about 15 years ago.

Panasonic had good keyless chucks before anybody. They had 15 minute chargers before anybody. They had motor brakes on their drills before anybody else and they still have better low speed power and control than anyone else. Panasonic had 3.0 AH and then 3.5 AH batteries for years before anyone else.

Seriously their 12 volt drills were better than anyone else's 18volt. The problem is nobody believed it. I had two of their drills and they were tough as nails. I used them for years.

The only problem with their tools is the availability and the price.

I've noticed their latest ones look very similar to Makitas - I've wondered if they aren't making them for Makita or vice versa.

I think Panasonic, Makita and Milwaukee are the only ones out with brushless at this time - Panasonic has had them for awhile, Milwaukee and Makitas are relatively new.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

I have a Dewalt 18v. Have been using it for about 7 or 8 years. On my second set of batteries. Love it.

 

[Monte]

I've noticed their latest ones look very similar to Makitas - I've wondered if they aren't making them for Makita or vice versa..

Panasonic and Hilti work together.

I think Panasonic, Makita and Milwaukee are the only ones out with brushless at this time - Panasonic has had them for awhile, Milwaukee and Makitas are relatively new.

Festool...The first company with brushless motor drills....
http://www.waterfront-woods.com/festool/EC-TEC_Review.pdf

 

[Neiller1989]

Dewalt aint bad but panasonic in my opinion

have always used panasonic and have just recently upgraded and bought a kit of there cordless tools and hada say there great!

 

[jhelrey]

I have Dewalt 12V Lith, and 18V Reg. No complaints about either

 

[Davefr]

Seriously their 12 volt drills were better than anyone else's 18volt. The problem is nobody believed it. I had two of their drills and they were tough as nails. I used them for years.

Yep!! This has been my "go to" drill for the last 10 years or so. It outperforms almost any other drill regardless of voltage and has the best feel in your hand.

The Ni Cad batteries just won't die.

I bought the Bosch 18v Lithium Ion drill/driver kit last year when Amazon had the price mistake but the Panasonic is better.

 

[shadow745]

Nope they were by far the best for a long time. I believe they invented the impact driver about 15 years ago.

Panasonic had good keyless chucks before anybody. They had 15 minute chargers before anybody. They had motor brakes on their drills before anybody else and they still have better low speed power and control than anyone else. Panasonic had 3.0 AH and then 3.5 AH batteries for years before anyone else.

Seriously their 12 volt drills were better than anyone else's 18volt. The problem is nobody believed it. I had two of their drills and they were tough as nails. I used them for years.

The only problem with their tools is the availability and the price.

I've noticed their latest ones look very similar to Makitas - I've wondered if they aren't making them for Makita or vice versa.

I think Panasonic, Makita and Milwaukee are the only ones out with brushless at this time - Panasonic has had them for awhile, Milwaukee and Makitas are relatively new.

Panasonic the best by far for a long time? LMAO on that one. Simply your opinion and that's fine considering what works for you. I'm brand loyal, but unless I had used every single drill from every manufacturer for 10+ years in all drilling circumstances I wouldn't try pushing that brand down somebody's throat.

I hope Panasonic makes a better drill than they do batteries, as they have been behind Sanyo for a LONG time in the battery market.

Pretty much every manufacturer is involved with brushless technology. BooHoo that Panasonic didn't do that first, lmaoa. Kind of surprised it took SO long for any companies to bring out as brushless has been the rage in R/C for quite a few years now.

 

[coolreed]

Fine Woodworking rated the new Dewalt Lithium Cordless Drill/Drivers their Top Choice.
I owned Dewalt 18V Drill/Drivers and they have performed flawlessly. That is probably my next purchase for a cordless replacement.
I also have Makita, Bosch and (don't let anyone know) Ryobi. The Bosch Drivers are just awesome, Makita OK, Ryobi are not worth the investment at any price.
As far as corded drills. I like Dewalt, Bosch and Ridgid. They are all good.

 

[PCO6]

I've used DeWalt 20V tools for the last year and they've been great. No concerns with the drill at all. Good power, light weight, nice feel, etc. My only complaint is that they've been a little slow in coming out with bare tools. There's still some to come yet if you compare them to what's available in the 18V line up. My guess is that they will come out with the 20V equivalent of the 18V job site radio / charger in time for Christmas ... hopefully.

 

[shovelhead91701]

I use Dewalt 18v stuff daily on service calls and I have found that the battery life has been excellent with these tools. I do pool and spa repairs so they get wet, muddy, etc. constantly and I love them. That being said, every two years I replace all my tools and sell my old ones on CL just to keep reliable tools on the truck. I always wait until I catch the tool set special around Christmas time where I can buy the whole set with extra batteries all at once. This time I am going lithium ion though. They are much lighter than my NiCad set I have now.

 

[kngelv]

You have to first figure out if you plan on buying other cordless tools. I think it's better, and less of a headache to stick with one brand unless you want a bunch of incompatible batteries and chargers lying around. Personally I like the DeWalt 20v line. That said.... Milwaukee, Bosch and Makita are equally as good and have a large selection of tools.

James