marlinspike
Well-known member
I need a cordless drill. I'm willing to pay for quality. It's more likely to be used in the garage than in carpentry, but it needs to do both. What should I get? Metabo? Festool? Something else?
GOOD cordless drill?
- Thread starter marlinspike
- Start date
aaronrkelly
Well-known member
Ive been using Ryobi stuff and so far its very up to the task, budget friendly with tons of tool options if you choose to pick up a few more to go with the "system".
JMSVIDEOPRODUCTIONS
Member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2012
- Messages
- 7
For 20 years I bought the Makita, Milwaukee, Bosch etc. Spent hundreds of dollars every time...Then one day my wife gave me a Ryobi 18v cordless for a stocking stuffer that she bought at Home Depot during the Christmas blitz for $39.95. I thought I would put in the hal closet and use it for little jobs inside the house...well It never made it inside. I used it out in the shop a few times and i swear it's as tough and reliable as most any cordless drill five times the price! the batteries last great for ni-cad type(this is the ********* batteries and the blue drill not the newer green drill with the lithium batts) I honestly can say i was truly impressed and very surprised! So impressed in fact I now have about four drills of various sizes, both 3/8" and 1/2" Ryobni cordless impacts, the 7" circle saw and the Recip saw - all 18 volt cordless and all interchangable batteries. I have bought alot of these units at yardsales and pawn shops and just bought a few new batteries for my collection. i would never go back to the high end stuff - just not worth it to me after working hard with the Ryobi stuff. again - i was very surprised but very happy to save my $$$! just try the basic 18 volt and I think you will be sold...if not - take it back - what have u got to lose?
TheEquineFencer
Well-known member
I've always had decent service from the 18V Dewalts.
OP
marlinspike
Well-known member
Which Milwaukee are you guys recommending? I'm not seeing one comparable to the Metabo BS 18 LT (nevermind, I see it, the 2603)
Last edited:
wild cowboy
Banned
You should decide if your intended use would be more general use or heavy duty type of uses.
Milwaukee makes great drills in the heavy duty area - such as the 2603-22 and the 0726-22 but their general duty drill the 2601-22 is kind of a wuss, and is easily bested by various Hitachi, Makita, Ridgid and other brand drills.
other great heavy duty drills are the Makita LXPH05 and BHP454, the Hitachi DS18DBL and the Dewalt DCD-940KX
the Metabo BS18 LT is a decent impact driver, but not really in the league of the ones mentioned above as a cordless drill - are you looking more for an impact driver?
the M18 Fuel Milwaukee is hard to beat as an impact, the Ingersoll Rand is also very good.
Personally - I would look hard at the Ridgids, as they also perform well and have lifetime batteries! (and a lot of bang for the buck)
Milwaukee makes great drills in the heavy duty area - such as the 2603-22 and the 0726-22 but their general duty drill the 2601-22 is kind of a wuss, and is easily bested by various Hitachi, Makita, Ridgid and other brand drills.
other great heavy duty drills are the Makita LXPH05 and BHP454, the Hitachi DS18DBL and the Dewalt DCD-940KX
the Metabo BS18 LT is a decent impact driver, but not really in the league of the ones mentioned above as a cordless drill - are you looking more for an impact driver?
the M18 Fuel Milwaukee is hard to beat as an impact, the Ingersoll Rand is also very good.
Personally - I would look hard at the Ridgids, as they also perform well and have lifetime batteries! (and a lot of bang for the buck)
Last edited:
OP
marlinspike
Well-known member
What qualifies as heavy duty? The most common use would honestly be extracting stuck/broken bolts. The rest of the tasks are things I'm sure would qualify as light duty (household tasks or at most building a bench using 4x4 legs and 2x4 sides). I just know I hate when I borrow a friend's drill and I get the "giving it all she's got, but it won't budge" noise, but my friend's have really awful tools, so I don't know what the standards are in drills. I also hate things that break in a couple of years.
TOOL FANATIK
Well-known member
I have the Dewalt dcd995 hammerdrill/driver. I could go on and on about it. Im sure its drill driver counterpart is just as Awesome.
TOOL FANATIK
Well-known member
Removing stuck bolts is not what you'd use a drill for, heavy duty or.otherwise. that's the work of an impact wrench or an old fashioned breaker bar socket and some pb blaster. Too much torque for a high speed drill. Even one of the toughest 3/4" chuck Milwaukee super hole shooter with 350 rpm isn't for.that. good luck using a 1/2.
Unless you're referring to drilling it out, you gotta go with the tool for the job. Educate yourself on proper tool usage and application, you can get hurt or break your **** trying the wrong thing with the wrong tool.
Last edited:
OP
marlinspike
Well-known member
I'm talking about after the head has sheared off, using an extractor. Stuck in the sense of I can't get a tool on it, not in the sense of seized. It's 3am, what can I say
Last edited:
wild cowboy
Banned
it sounds as though you want a cordless impact
the Metabo BS18 LT is a decent impact driver, but not really in the league of the ones mentioned above as a cordless drill - are you looking more for an impact driver?
the M18 Fuel Milwaukees are hard to beat as an impacts, the Ingersoll Rands are also very good.
Personally - I would look hard at the Ridgids, as they also perform well and have lifetime batteries! (and a lot of bang for the buck)
what are the biggest fasteners you are looking to break loose? - lug nuts? - or do you need something smaller and lighter?
the Metabo BS18 LT is a decent impact driver, but not really in the league of the ones mentioned above as a cordless drill - are you looking more for an impact driver?
the M18 Fuel Milwaukees are hard to beat as an impacts, the Ingersoll Rands are also very good.
Personally - I would look hard at the Ridgids, as they also perform well and have lifetime batteries! (and a lot of bang for the buck)
what are the biggest fasteners you are looking to break loose? - lug nuts? - or do you need something smaller and lighter?
TOOL FANATIK
Well-known member
Yea I kinda got that after and edited my post. That being cleared up, whew! Lol. Yea I'd say you're safe with any of the leading brands. Dewalt Milwaukee either or. Id say your choice of extractors or twist bits (if you drill them out) will matter more than,your choice of drill.
OP
marlinspike
Well-known member
No, I wasn't clear...or accurate...in my description. I'm talking about removing something like an M8 or maybe an M10 screw after the head has sheared off (though M10 is once in a blue moon, normally it's M8 or smaller that have suffered corrosion and are thin enough to shear with a hand tool).
The only other serious use I can think of is something like building a workbench - this is the task that made me decide I need to buy my own, as the drill I borrowed from my buddy could not put SD10 screws through pine. 4x4s, even though I could do it (slowly) using a screwdriver handle.
The rest would just be household stuff (putting up shelves, curtains, etc)
If there were something that could be a serious impact, that would be great, but I don't think there's anything that does both and in impact-mode can provide more torque than the 600Nm of my Hazet 916Lg breaker bar.
Last edited:
aaronrkelly
Well-known member
I use my Ryobi drill in the garage to drill out busted bolts and screws, drill heads off bolts, drill holes in angle iron for running trailer lights etc.
I probably use the impact driver MORE though......run a 3/8 adapter on it and I use it like most people would use a air ratchet. Zips stuff on and off with ease.....plenty of power for most things, actually to much power for alot of things - you have to learn to use the trigger lightly.
BEST......definitely the M18 Fuel stuff - insanely powerful if price isnt a concern.
The Ryobi stuff Ive got is "good enough" for my uses though, at a much lower price.
I probably use the impact driver MORE though......run a 3/8 adapter on it and I use it like most people would use a air ratchet. Zips stuff on and off with ease.....plenty of power for most things, actually to much power for alot of things - you have to learn to use the trigger lightly.
BEST......definitely the M18 Fuel stuff - insanely powerful if price isnt a concern.
The Ryobi stuff Ive got is "good enough" for my uses though, at a much lower price.
wild cowboy
Banned
for your intended application, I would look at these:
● Hitachi DS18DSAL - $130 amazon
● Makita LXFD01CW $150 amazon ($99 with 1 battery only)
● Ridgid R9600 (comes in kit with additional impact driver and 2 lifetime batteries + a radio $179)
● DeWALT DCD780C2 - $169 with 2 batteries
a heavy duty Milwaukee would be overkill for your uses
● Hitachi DS18DSAL - $130 amazon
● Makita LXFD01CW $150 amazon ($99 with 1 battery only)
● Ridgid R9600 (comes in kit with additional impact driver and 2 lifetime batteries + a radio $179)
● DeWALT DCD780C2 - $169 with 2 batteries
a heavy duty Milwaukee would be overkill for your uses
If you don't mind spending for quality, I have been looking to get this for a bit now. FESTOOL.
http://www.festoolusa.com/power-too...15-hybrid-impact-cordless-drill-driver-564525
http://www.festoolusa.com/power-too...15-hybrid-impact-cordless-drill-driver-564525
I've been using a Dewalt for 8 years now and it's bullet proof. It gets heavy use everyday at work in pretty rough conditions and keeps going. I've replaced the batteries a few times over the years. When it dies I'm buying another Dewalt and hope it serves me as well as this one.
I have Dewalt 18V stuff and I'm quite happy with it.
I'd suggest you take a look at some of the kits available before you commit to just a cordless drill. Often times, for not much more, you can pick up another cordless tool in a set. . . . drill/recip saw or drill/impact driver.
I'd suggest you take a look at some of the kits available before you commit to just a cordless drill. Often times, for not much more, you can pick up another cordless tool in a set. . . . drill/recip saw or drill/impact driver.
M8 & M10 I would consider bolts not screws, unless you mean head size. The designation is used for thread size. The high impact Milwaukee 2763 will deliver a LOT more torque than your breaker bar. A smaller impact driver would be perfect for driving screws. Drills are more for drilling, less for screwing things in like they used to be used.
OP
marlinspike
Well-known member
The impact is the only other power tool I need, and most of the cordless ones I see don't cut the mustard. When it comes to an impact, that will need to be heavy duty - from past experience a minimum of 450lb-ft. Does anybody other than Milwaukee have cordless impacts that will do that?
OP
marlinspike
Well-known member
Then you need an impact wrench and not an impact driver, there is a difference if you're not aware of it.
Techie1961
Well-known member
Bolts for the most part are a fastener that is used with a nut. Screws on the other hand screw into something like a threaded hole. A screw can be used as a bolt and a bolt can be used as a screw depending on application.
Back to the topic. I would stay away from the lower end tools like Ryobi, Ridgid etc. and stay with the premium (Milwaukee, Bosch, Dewalt, etc.) or ultra premium brands (Hilti, Festool, etc.) One of the most important things to consider though is battery compatibility with other tools that you might need.
I thought a bunch but looking closer the list is fairly small.
Snap-On (barely), Bosch...
I would have thought Makita, Metabo, DeWalt, IR, but I can't find any of those that have high torque.
EDIT: really high torque impacts are not useful for so many things around a car. The Milwaukee 2763 has a low setting but it's torque and speed are pusillanimous, and the high setting will easily overtorque most things. I have several Milwaukee impact tools for different applications.
Last edited:
OP
marlinspike
Well-known member
I thought a bunch but looking closer the list is fairly small.
Snap-On (barely), Bosch...
I would have thought Makita, Metabo, DeWalt, IR, but I can't find any of those that have high torque.
EDIT: really high torque impacts are not useful for so many things around a car. The Milwaukee 2763 has a low setting but it's torque and speed are pusillanimous, and the high setting will easily overtorque most things. I have several Milwaukee impact tools for different applications.
I only use an impact to remove really (cam bolts, crank bolts, things like that) , hence the need for high torque.
For general multipurpose use I've had pretty good luck with my 18v makita drill and impact driver. If I remember correctly it came with smaller batteries (I think they make higher capacity li-ion) so it will only do so much before it's out of juice. I ran a 1/2" spade bit through wet pressure treated 4x4's stacked 4 high and would get about 8-10 holes drilled before it lost steam. On the flip side of that, the batteries only take 15min for a full recharge so I wasn't waiting on a lengthy charge and was able to use it steadily.
I'm sure it's similar for all li-ion tools, I think they're a real improvement over the ni-cad. There's a noticeable difference in the ability to hold a charge over time vs draining power if not used up right away.
I'm sure it's similar for all li-ion tools, I think they're a real improvement over the ni-cad. There's a noticeable difference in the ability to hold a charge over time vs draining power if not used up right away.
NorDel Garage
Well-known member
I love my Metabo. It is my favorite , hands down, that I have ever owned. I found out
about Metabos from this site. It is so well built , has great batteries,and power. Plus , it is
German made (batteries are China though).
about Metabos from this site. It is so well built , has great batteries,and power. Plus , it is
German made (batteries are China though).
TOOL FANATIK
Well-known member
They are named loosely by most but in the industry M anything can and does refer to a metric screw, mostly machine screws, socket head cap screws, head size doesn't matter. You might see an M6 20MM, 20MM referring to the length, and any M6 should have same thread pattern. So on and so forth. A little different from their inch counterparts, but in general same classifications.
Milwaukee (and many other well known brands already mentioned in this thread) impacts are excellent. My M12 fuel impact driver will drive 6" deck screws all day long. I recently remodeled a roughly 100 sq. ft. second floor bathroom, including replacing all floor joists, new subfloor, hardibacker on top of that across the entire floor, plus drywall on all 4 walls and the ceiling. By my own estimation I drove approximately 300 screws of various types during this remodel- and I drove them all without needing to replace or recharge the battery on my M18 Fuel impact driver. Single charge for all that, and it wasn't even the big 4.0 amp-hour battery.
If you're using an impact to remove fasteners for maintenance on your car, I don't know where you go that 450 ft-lb from... there are very few (if any..) fasteners on a passenger car torqued that high.
Even if you DID need that much power, current-model electric impacts, especially Milwaukee, Snap-On, and Ingersoll-Rand models, are well above that number. The current crop of li-ion powered impacts from the leading manufacturers are capable of meeting and sometimes exceeding what a 1/2" drive air impact is capable of. Power is not a problem with cordless impacts like it was 10 or even 5 years ago.
When it came time for me to upgrade to new cordless tools, the two biggest factors that pulled me into the Milwaukee black hole were warranty/customer service and tool selection for a single battery type. In my opinion, Milwaukee is the best in the industry at both. They easily have the most tools using a single battery type of any major brand, and more are being added all the time. The 5 year warranty and no-questions-asked service I've experienced up to this point have been excellent.
A lot of people will talk up Rigid because of the 'batteries for life' thing, but read the fine print before you get excited about that. It is VERY difficult to get Rigid to replace batteries, despite the impressive claims made on the box your drill comes in. They bank on the fact that the vast majority of people buying their tools will buy for the 'lifetime battery warranty' but will never attempt a warranty claim. My frustration with Rigid power tools is what led me to put them on craigslist and start buying something else.
Last edited:
OP
marlinspike
Well-known member
There are - crank bolts can have much higher torque specs than that, and cam bolts often need that strong of an impact, not because of how much torque they require when tightening, but (I think) because of how much of the torque you lose to the soft-metal cam wrenches used to hold the cam in place when loosening.
I'll look at IR - I always forget about them. So far though, I've only found Bosch and Milwaukee to have high torque cordless impact wrenches, and they seem to be the about same price when you consider first buying a drill kit and then buying just an impact wrench by itself that can use the same batteries, so I guess I need to look more closely to see how they compare.
IR is an excellent choice. Their electric impacts are very very good.
The W750 is IR's high torque 1/2" drive cordless:
http://www.ingersollrandproducts.co...ols/iqv20/w7150-1-2-20v-high-torque-impactool
I've never owned one, but everyone I've heard talk about the W750 has had good things to say. My air impacts are both IR and they are excellent.
As I said, what pushed me toward Milwaukee is the wide range of tools- in M18 I have drill, hammer drill, 3/8 compact impact, 1/2 high torque impact, 1/4 hex driver, circ saw, caulk gun, recip saw, hack saw, shop vac, light, radio, and leaf blower. ALLLLL that **** runs on the same batteries. I also have a bunch of M12 tools.
IR seems to be attempting to cater specifically to the auto repair market, so they don't have the construction-type tools available. If you don't have any interest in those type of tools, I'd say IR's offerings are just as good as Milwaukee.
bcradio
Well-known member
OP
marlinspike
Well-known member
Other than a drill for the already described tasks, I will also need in the near future an impact wrench capable of 450lb-ft or more. I liked the suggestions someone made for some lower powered drills, but none of those seem to have a compatible high-torque impact wrench that runs off the same battery, and it looks like if you can share batteries it is way more cost effective.
