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hose lengths, and drill prices?

BerninicaCO3

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Jul 6, 2007
Messages
164
Hi,

Two separate questions here.

First, since I'm wheeling my compressor out to the job, and given that my tool is far, far louder than the compressor is anyway (such that I'm already wearing ear muffs), I only really need a 10' air hose. A 50' hose came with the compressor. Worth buying a new, shorter one; will I see significantly more pressure reach the tool?



A second unrelated question-- as a college student, I spend less and less time at home, and will move out altogether in 2 years on my own. Time for my own drill, and possibly circular saw. My cheapo $35 circular saw has cut 2x4s just fine, so I won't need anything else. But our $40 drill isn't so good-- it often lacks enough torque, the batteries run down easily. It's 14V.
Now, lots of people here have insisted upon buying american, or at least, first-world. I just want the best value. There are 18V drills for $30 (ollie's discount, ebay, etc.), there are 18V drills for $300+, there are drills in between. And corded ones too. What's a good value? One that's powerful for driving just normal screws or even heavier ones without stalling? Well made, longlasting?

Unfortunately, for the ignorant general buyer --which includes me on the subject of drills-- we see only packaging and prices, so it's hard to know what the guts or made of. And even when advicsed by price (you get what you pay for) and hearsay reputation, we're skeptical-- there are ripoffs aplenty still. A $5000 rolex is a $500 watch and a marketing campaign, for example; but there are $5000 watches out there that really do have the handmade workmanship to justify it.

What makes the difference between a good drill and a bad one; which brands are worth the hundreds, which are hype, and WHY? I know only that my $40 black&decker cordless fails often on torque, and its batteries will assemble maybe half a picnic table before running down noticeably. But looking at all the pretty plastic drills lined up at the store, all encased in the same plastics, what should I look for to know that the next one will be better?


Well, ultimately-- can you recommend a good, high-powered corded drill for me? Something with real torque to it.

Actually, if there's a drill that can take side loads very well without burning the bearings out, I'd use it as a low-rpm rotary tool for cutting undercuts in my marble carving. I'm looking into other options too, though; main thing is that 800-1000rpm is plenty and much more overheats and risks damaging the stone, so many 18k or 30k rpm rotary tools meant for grinding are way too fast :-/



thanks for the advice!
-Bernard
 
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eschoendorff

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Feb 6, 2005
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8,991
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Michigan
For teh $$$, check out Ridgid. I have a Ridgid cordless drill and am very happy with it.


Also <sheepishly> I have a Ryobi 3 speed hammer drill tah WILL NOT die. Cheap and effective.

Both of these are available at HD.
 

CarpenterJC

Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
18
Location
St Cloud,MN
I dont think a shorter hose will give you more volume..the length usually isnt the issue its the I.D of the hose..usually in Auto shops construction sites you see 3/8 Hose..where as in a Truck Tire shop that runs big 3/4 & 1" Air guns you'll see a 1/2 or 5/8 Hose..plus if I am right Air tools are designed to run on a certain Pressure effectively. As far as Drills I've always had Porter Cable or Bosch Drills I have a Bosch set I've had for a few years now and it got used daily and I loved it Good power and batts held a good charge..I always ran them all the way down once a week and re-charged them. Circualr saws..assuming your looking at Corded Models...Porter Cables are top Notch availible in either r.h or l.h blade with or without brakes...I believe HD carries them too. Also..if you cut the hose to make it shorter or leave the long one home..you'll always run across a situation where you'll wish you had the 50ft.

JC

Oops..just saw you were looking for "Corded Drill"..sheesh I gotta pay more attention..I 'd still go with Porter Cable or a Bosch for corded as well..I have always had excellent luck with Both brands.
 
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Major Ramifications

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Fast Orange

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Aug 27, 2005
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861
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Hightstown,N.J.
When it comes to corded tools,drills,saws,grinders or routers,I recommend Milwaukee.I've worked in various trades using power tools all of my adult life,doing everything from welding and fabricating to electrical contracting,and the tools that have performed the best and taken the most abuse have been the red and silver ones.The only area that differs is hammer drills-Hilti makes the best of those.
As an example,I have a 20+ year old Magnum 1/2"drill that just won't give up.It's on about it's third cord,maybe second set of brushes and a couple of switch assemblies,but it still has plenty of torque and works great.It's worn out quite a few wire wheels,so I don't think side loads are a problem. It wasn't a cheap drill when I bought it,but it was worth the money.I have newer saws ,grinders and a router that have simular histories.If you want good quality tools that will give great service,spend the bucks and go Milwaukee.
I wish I could say the same for Milwaukee battery tools.I only have experience with the 12v battery drills that Milwaukee made about 15 years ago,not with the ones they make now or the V28 tools,but the older Milwaukees were junk.Plastic gears,cheap design and motors that didn't last as long as a set of batteries were the problems with the early ones.I've been using DeWalt 18V battery tools with mixed success.With hard use,if a battery drill lasts longer than the batteries it came with,you might as well buy a whole new kit instead of replacing the batteries.In the case of the DeWalt 18V drills,the batteries go for about $90 each,the whole kit is only $50 more than a pair of batteries.I've heard good things about the Milwaukee V28,Ridgid and the Ryobi stuff,but I haven't tried them myself.
 
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Rickster

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Jun 26, 2005
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6,218
Location
SE PA
I've got to tel ya, I've had the same Craftsman 3/8 variable speed corded drill for almost 30 years. It's got a huge black body with a small rear mounted pistol grip and a chrome snout, I have used and abused this thing as my my main homeowner drill (cars, decks, ...) and it's still every bit as strong as always. I see them at garage sales all the time ($15-20), bought two of them for my sons and have a back-up for me. The only thing I replaced was to put on longer cords.
 

wilbilt

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Aug 17, 2006
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NorCal
You are probably best served by a longer air hose and leaving the compressor where it is. The very slight advantage in lower friction losses from a shorter hose will be more than offset by the voltage drop caused by running the compressor on an extension cord.

As for cordless drills, a lot depends on the intended application. I have several, and have favorite uses for them. When doing a lot of work on a ladder, for example, I will grab one of my trusty old 12V BD drills, as they are lightweight and easier to hold overhead. They are several years old and just won't die, are made of DeWalt parts and use DeWalt batteries.

I also have an 18V DeWalt hammer drill. It is a large, heavy beast and I don't use it very often.

My favorite is the Milwaukee 14.4V I bought on clearance at Home Depot for $100. Lots of torque, a very nice 1/2" chuck and a reversible battery for tight spots. I use it most often.

In a corded drill, I think the most important to have for a single tool would be a 3/8 VSR. I have both a 70's Craftsman and a newer DeWalt. They are both more than adequate. If you are using large hole saws or bits, a 1/2" corded drill would be a good addition. Mine is a Milwaukee Magnum and generates enough torque that the use of the side handle is a must.

By all means, stay away from the cheap HF-type units. My boss buys a lot of them at work, and they generally don't last more than a month or so before dying when they are needed most.
 

boiler7904

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Apr 4, 2006
Messages
3,414
Location
NW IN
For a corded drill, you really need to check out Milwaukee. Lots of power and torque that will try to break your wrist if it stalls.

I'd also look at Milwaukee for a corded circular saw if you're looking for a sidewinder. If you're looking for a worm drive, go with Bosch 1677 / Skil 77 which are essentially the same saw.
 
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