After 15-17 years, my dewalt cordless has finally crapped out. Now with Lithium being king and my beloved dewalt made like total ****, i need help picking out a new 14.4 or 18v cordless drill. don't need a hammer drill as I use my electric for that. Just a solid built cordless drill. Will use the impact driver for screws, so just drilling - both wood and metal.
New cordless drill time
- Thread starter Sticky
- Start date
-B-
Well-known member
Do not look at the volts look at the amps my vote Hilti
GrantMLS
Well-known member
i love my bosch.. but cant go wrong with anything Hilti..
skeletonizer
Well-known member
I was in the same boat until last week. I went from a 15 year old DeWalt 12 volt to a Ridgid 14.4 Auto-Shift.
I have hung quite a bit of OSB inside my garage (cieling too
) with it so far and I love it. The Auto shift seems to work well and the battery life is pretty good. It is a 20 minute charge.
I bought the kit with the fuego saw and radio. It was only $20 more than the drill only.
Lifetime warranty on the tools and the batteries!
I have hung quite a bit of OSB inside my garage (cieling too
) with it so far and I love it. The Auto shift seems to work well and the battery life is pretty good. It is a 20 minute charge.I bought the kit with the fuego saw and radio. It was only $20 more than the drill only.
Lifetime warranty on the tools and the batteries!
rsanter
Well-known member
buy another dewalt, it seems to have served you well
a low cost option is the riobi
bob
a low cost option is the riobi
bob
He deserves an upgrade after using the brand of caution so long. Metabo or hiliti will be great.
Art From De Leon
Well-known member
I sincerely doubt if the new DeWalt would be anywhere near the quality of a 15-17 year old DeWalt.
The new DeWalts are sold for the wannabees and weekenders who want to impress their buds with their 'professional' grade tools. Kind of like wearing the Snap On gloves they got at the hardware store, or their Caterpillar work boots.
The new DeWalts are sold for the wannabees and weekenders who want to impress their buds with their 'professional' grade tools. Kind of like wearing the Snap On gloves they got at the hardware store, or their Caterpillar work boots.
skeletonizer
Well-known member
Not sure, did you register your purchase either on line or with the mail in card. Mine is brand new???
A buddy of mine owns a overhead door business and swears by the warranty. He has replaced a few batteries and had one drill (bent shaft from dropping off a scissor lift onto concrete) fixed. I'm not sure where he takes them but I do know they have a service facility in MI near the dirtyD.
I will ask him the next time I see him and post it up.
I am also in need of 2 new drills.
My 9.6 Dewalt that I have had 13 years or more is starting to have battery issues.
My Makita 12 volt will not even charge the batterys any more.I only bought that one in 1999.
But both of them have been to hell and back.I used them both real hard when I remodled my house.
My 9.6 Dewalt that I have had 13 years or more is starting to have battery issues.
My Makita 12 volt will not even charge the batterys any more.I only bought that one in 1999.
But both of them have been to hell and back.I used them both real hard when I remodled my house.
I had just about forgot about this.
You can bring your batterys back to life.
As I have not tried it yet I have a good feeling that it will work.
Here is the info I read over at the Hamb sometime ago.
At the bottom there is a link to how to do the zapping.
OVER AND OVER!
I ran accross this on another website and some guys I know say it indeed works. We all have a cordless "something" and if you screw up a "dead" battery you haven't lost anything, worth a try anyway.
Welcome to the ******** Battery Surge instruction manual. I have researched Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) Batteries and developed this method for Re-Conditioning old NiCad Batteries to charge like new!
IMPORTANT:
Please note, this procedure is for NiCd batteries only and does not work on NiMh batteries which look similar. Be sure to check on the battery that it says NiCd
SOME BACKGROUND INFO:
NiCad batteries are found in most cordless power tool brands like Skil, Makita, Ryobi, Ridgid, Hitachi, Craftsman, Milwaukee, Bosch, Dewalt, Porter Cable, Black and Decker etc. and are used in cordless drills, saws, hammer drills, jig saws, flashlights, sawzalls and demolition hammers.
NiCd batteries fail naturally if they do not undergo periodic maintenance. Battery manufactures don't tell you how to properly maintain them because they would rather you purchase a new one every few years.
The Nicd cell is very reliable, and has proven to be effective for many years. That's why they are used by so many tool manufactures! When these Batteries are properly maintained they can last up to 20 years! This manual will show you how to repair, and also show you a proper maintenance technique, so you can prevent this problem in the future.
Re-Conditioning a NiCad battery is a simple process and has a 98% success rate with thousands sold! It's very easy when you follow my instructions. You'll wish you tried it sooner.
Nickel Cadium (NiCd, NiCad) batteries have a tendency to grow internal “whiskers” called “crystal dendrite” growth. Those whiskers eventually discharge the battery completely. This often happens due to overcharging. Be sure to remove your batteries and not leave them in the charger. This growth can be blasted away with a quick jolt from car batteries, DC power supplies, or even a welder will do the trick. The process revives the cells or batteries by the injection of a short-duration high-magnitude current pulse through them.
THE PROCEDURE:
The procedure for most tool batteries is basically to quickly arc it across two 12 volt car batteries (or four 6 volt dry cell batteries, 24 volts total). One caution: do all this rapidly. Follow the guidelines below depending on your particular battery voltage. Safety first, folks. Use goggles and gloves.
For under 9.6 volts, one car battery or a 12 volt equivalent is sufficient. A car battery charger will do as well.
For 9.6 to 24 volt batteries, you’ll need two car batteries to generate enough
of a jolt. Some car battery chargers have a boost or “start” mode that will work all alone. A welder will work also, though probably not too many of you have a welder at your disposal. How long you hold the surge depends on the voltage of the rechargeable. A chart is shown below for surge times, but the proper wiring of the batteries is dealt with first.
FIRST: Wire your two car batteries in series (see figure below).
This can be done, if you prefer, without removing the batteries from the cars (be sure to remove positive leads to the car). You can use common jumper cables if desired, or use lamp chord and a couple of alligator clips. Series wiring is where two or more batteries are hooked together in series (i.e. positive terminal of the first battery is hooked to the negative terminal of the second battery). The resulting voltage is the sum of the individual battery voltages - if two 12V batteries are hooked together, the resulting voltage will be 24V. Use lamp cord thickness wire or larger and always use safety goggles!
Next hold the stripped ends of your wires to the rechargeable in the following pattern. It is best if the negative side can be fixed to the rechargeable using an alligator clip or in a comparable way. Tap the positive lead to the positive side of the rechargeable for about 10 seconds at a rate of 2 or 3 times per second. Follow the chart below for approximate surge (tapping) time so as not to burn the battery cells.
SURGE TIMES USING (2) 12 VOLT CAR BATTERIES in series (or a 24 volt equivalent):
9.6 volt 5 seconds (about 12 taps)
12 volt 7 seconds (16 taps)
14.4 volt 9 seconds (20 taps)
18 volt 10 seconds (25 taps)
24 volt 12 seconds (30 taps)
Then charge the battery as usual. If the voltage is not as strong as desired, repeat the process. This can be repeated up to 25 times.
Maintenance:
Crystals primarily grow larger from over charging. Over charging is the enemy of a NiCd Cells so remember to leave your batteries on the charger for no more than the required charging time! This is usually an hour or less for rapid chargers or 2 to 4 hrs for standard chargers. It is also best to only charge your batteries immediately before you use them.
Storing your batteries with a full charge encourages crystal growth. Storing your batteries on a low charge, but not dead, is best. To keep crystal growth under control, you must also perform the surge process above once every 3 months to keep you NiCd battery at its peak. Follow these maintenance techniques to insure years of dependable use.
VIDEO:
Below is a link to a video of the zap process using a welder for the power source. It’s a bit more dangerous, but interesting. Copy this link into your address bar:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Revi...with-a-Welder/
You can bring your batterys back to life.
As I have not tried it yet I have a good feeling that it will work.
Here is the info I read over at the Hamb sometime ago.
At the bottom there is a link to how to do the zapping.
OVER AND OVER!
I ran accross this on another website and some guys I know say it indeed works. We all have a cordless "something" and if you screw up a "dead" battery you haven't lost anything, worth a try anyway.
Welcome to the ******** Battery Surge instruction manual. I have researched Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) Batteries and developed this method for Re-Conditioning old NiCad Batteries to charge like new!
IMPORTANT:
Please note, this procedure is for NiCd batteries only and does not work on NiMh batteries which look similar. Be sure to check on the battery that it says NiCd
SOME BACKGROUND INFO:
NiCad batteries are found in most cordless power tool brands like Skil, Makita, Ryobi, Ridgid, Hitachi, Craftsman, Milwaukee, Bosch, Dewalt, Porter Cable, Black and Decker etc. and are used in cordless drills, saws, hammer drills, jig saws, flashlights, sawzalls and demolition hammers.
NiCd batteries fail naturally if they do not undergo periodic maintenance. Battery manufactures don't tell you how to properly maintain them because they would rather you purchase a new one every few years.
The Nicd cell is very reliable, and has proven to be effective for many years. That's why they are used by so many tool manufactures! When these Batteries are properly maintained they can last up to 20 years! This manual will show you how to repair, and also show you a proper maintenance technique, so you can prevent this problem in the future.
Re-Conditioning a NiCad battery is a simple process and has a 98% success rate with thousands sold! It's very easy when you follow my instructions. You'll wish you tried it sooner.
Nickel Cadium (NiCd, NiCad) batteries have a tendency to grow internal “whiskers” called “crystal dendrite” growth. Those whiskers eventually discharge the battery completely. This often happens due to overcharging. Be sure to remove your batteries and not leave them in the charger. This growth can be blasted away with a quick jolt from car batteries, DC power supplies, or even a welder will do the trick. The process revives the cells or batteries by the injection of a short-duration high-magnitude current pulse through them.
THE PROCEDURE:
The procedure for most tool batteries is basically to quickly arc it across two 12 volt car batteries (or four 6 volt dry cell batteries, 24 volts total). One caution: do all this rapidly. Follow the guidelines below depending on your particular battery voltage. Safety first, folks. Use goggles and gloves.
For under 9.6 volts, one car battery or a 12 volt equivalent is sufficient. A car battery charger will do as well.
For 9.6 to 24 volt batteries, you’ll need two car batteries to generate enough
of a jolt. Some car battery chargers have a boost or “start” mode that will work all alone. A welder will work also, though probably not too many of you have a welder at your disposal. How long you hold the surge depends on the voltage of the rechargeable. A chart is shown below for surge times, but the proper wiring of the batteries is dealt with first.
FIRST: Wire your two car batteries in series (see figure below).
This can be done, if you prefer, without removing the batteries from the cars (be sure to remove positive leads to the car). You can use common jumper cables if desired, or use lamp chord and a couple of alligator clips. Series wiring is where two or more batteries are hooked together in series (i.e. positive terminal of the first battery is hooked to the negative terminal of the second battery). The resulting voltage is the sum of the individual battery voltages - if two 12V batteries are hooked together, the resulting voltage will be 24V. Use lamp cord thickness wire or larger and always use safety goggles!
Next hold the stripped ends of your wires to the rechargeable in the following pattern. It is best if the negative side can be fixed to the rechargeable using an alligator clip or in a comparable way. Tap the positive lead to the positive side of the rechargeable for about 10 seconds at a rate of 2 or 3 times per second. Follow the chart below for approximate surge (tapping) time so as not to burn the battery cells.
SURGE TIMES USING (2) 12 VOLT CAR BATTERIES in series (or a 24 volt equivalent):
9.6 volt 5 seconds (about 12 taps)
12 volt 7 seconds (16 taps)
14.4 volt 9 seconds (20 taps)
18 volt 10 seconds (25 taps)
24 volt 12 seconds (30 taps)
Then charge the battery as usual. If the voltage is not as strong as desired, repeat the process. This can be repeated up to 25 times.
Maintenance:
Crystals primarily grow larger from over charging. Over charging is the enemy of a NiCd Cells so remember to leave your batteries on the charger for no more than the required charging time! This is usually an hour or less for rapid chargers or 2 to 4 hrs for standard chargers. It is also best to only charge your batteries immediately before you use them.
Storing your batteries with a full charge encourages crystal growth. Storing your batteries on a low charge, but not dead, is best. To keep crystal growth under control, you must also perform the surge process above once every 3 months to keep you NiCd battery at its peak. Follow these maintenance techniques to insure years of dependable use.
VIDEO:
Below is a link to a video of the zap process using a welder for the power source. It’s a bit more dangerous, but interesting. Copy this link into your address bar:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Revi...with-a-Welder/
skeletonizer
Well-known member
I was wrong on the voltage of the kit I got. It is an 18volt not 14.4. I thought 14.4 and 18 was the two main voltages and I had the lesser, it is 18 and 24 volts.
The transmission has two settings; high and auto. It has downshifted on me a couple of times while hanging 7/16" OSB with 1 5/8" drywall screws. I assume the screws encountered knots in the studs. It is very powerful for what it is but it's not a Hole Hawg that will throw you off a ladder.
It has an LED in the front of the battery perch that comes on with a little pressure on the trigger. A gimmick?... No, very useful as I found out allready.
As noted in my previous post the kit came with a saw and a radio. The saw uses standard sawzall blades and I have used it to cut angle iron for my garage door tracks and for scabbing out some 2x4 blocking that was in my way. It is perfect for quick little jobs instead of dragging out the sawzall but it certainly won't replace it.
Also has an LED.
The radio is what it is and works.
Has a spot for an i-Pod, used it and it works well but I like broadcast radio for when I am working.
The transmission has two settings; high and auto. It has downshifted on me a couple of times while hanging 7/16" OSB with 1 5/8" drywall screws. I assume the screws encountered knots in the studs. It is very powerful for what it is but it's not a Hole Hawg that will throw you off a ladder
.
It has an LED in the front of the battery perch that comes on with a little pressure on the trigger. A gimmick?... No, very useful as I found out allready.
As noted in my previous post the kit came with a saw and a radio. The saw uses standard sawzall blades and I have used it to cut angle iron for my garage door tracks and for scabbing out some 2x4 blocking that was in my way. It is perfect for quick little jobs instead of dragging out the sawzall but it certainly won't replace it.
Also has an LED.
The radio is what it is and works.
Has a spot for an i-Pod, used it and it works well but I like broadcast radio for when I am working.
Thedroid
Well-known member
I talked to a contractor at work using a hilti cordless the other day, and he said they are torquey as all hell but the batteries ****. The older dewalts were very nice, not sure about the new ones. I like the look and feel of the Milwaukee V18, but haven't used one yet. I think I would buy the Milwaukee V18 if I were looking for a drill. I have an old Hitachi that I just can't kill. The chuck *****, but it just won't die.
Panasonic is the best cordless drill I ever used, but there just too expensive. I’ve had Makita for 20+ years and never had a problems until three years ago I bought an 18v 1/2" cordless drill and after 6 months the clutch went out. Had it fixed under warranty, and 6 month later it went out again with no more warranty. I bought a CM 19.2v combo kit two years ago on sale during x-mas, and I haven’t had any problems with the set.
Last edited:
great adventure
Well-known member
LXT Lithium-Ion provides longer run time, 5x lower self-discharge (for use any time) and 16 firm holding contact terminals (for constant high power)
45-minute Optimum Charger and battery communicates throughout the charging process using the built-in chip in the battery and built-in CPU chip in the charger. The Charger also uses "Active 3 Control" for current control, thermal control & voltage control
45-minute Optimum Charger has a built-in fan to cool the battery to produce more lifetime work
Two built-in L.E.D. lights for more illuminated work
3-Speed design produces 25% faster working speed with more efficiency in a wider range of applications
Shift-Lock? drive system quickly shifts from "hammer drill" to "driver" mode with one touch
Two-piece armature and field along with externally accessible brushes for serviceability and longer motor life
3-year warranty on tool and 1-year warranty on battery
http://www11.0zz0.com/2009/04/13/09/565232530.jpg
if you are looking for long life cordless drill I recommend you this one...
I've already got one... amazing drill
45-minute Optimum Charger and battery communicates throughout the charging process using the built-in chip in the battery and built-in CPU chip in the charger. The Charger also uses "Active 3 Control" for current control, thermal control & voltage control
45-minute Optimum Charger has a built-in fan to cool the battery to produce more lifetime work
Two built-in L.E.D. lights for more illuminated work
3-Speed design produces 25% faster working speed with more efficiency in a wider range of applications
Shift-Lock? drive system quickly shifts from "hammer drill" to "driver" mode with one touch
Two-piece armature and field along with externally accessible brushes for serviceability and longer motor life
3-year warranty on tool and 1-year warranty on battery
http://www11.0zz0.com/2009/04/13/09/565232530.jpg
if you are looking for long life cordless drill I recommend you this one...
I've already got one... amazing drill
ultgar
Well-known member
These are my new favorites -Festool T12+3 and T15+3. We just redid our kitchen the cabinet guys loved them. A lot lighter than the Panasonic's and DeWalts they were using and they seemed to never run out of charge. The 12v weighs only 3.3 lbs and the 15v weighs 3.6 lbs.
ultgar
Well-known member
Drill comes with 4 chucks (centrotec, standard keyless, right angle and eccentric).... here's a video of the T15 drilling through oak with a very large bit....
see
see
skeletonizer
Well-known member
No, but I think they make one that is. The radio runs off an 18v or 24v pack.