recommended ('best') cordless drill/driver for home use

[Randy in Maine]

My sister gave me a 20 volt "brushless" cordless Dewalt drill and impact driver set.

I am very pleased with it.

 

[Nineeightyone]

My FIL and a close friend both have Ryobi and seem to like them, especially at the price point they're hard to beat. My best friend and I have both bought into the 20v Dewalt stuff and we're pretty pleased, they do the job well even though they're a little higher cost.

There are definitely differences in the different models for the same tool though... The DCD996B vs DCD985 for example, my 996B seems to live longer on the same size battery (due to being brushless) and carries just as much "oomph". The driver also has differences, DCF885 vs DCF887 I'd opt for the 887 all day due to the 3-speed selector that allows you to select a speed limiter vs in the 885 where it's all in trigger control.

Little things that make a difference, ultimately though any of the big name manufacturers wouldn't be a bad choice.

 

[Mr_John]

I wanted to add that I own both Ryobi and Ridgid tools. First the Ryobi, the One Plus system is ridiculously extensive. I have a Discount Tool Outlet near me that sells mostly Ryobi and Ridgid, but also sells some Milwaukee (believe they're all owned by same parent co). The store sell refurb Ryobi as well, and I was able to pick up a battery powered string trimmer, with battery and charger for $28! The refurb batts sell for $20, and the better chargers are another $20 - $30, so, there are some crazy good deals on refurbs. I own two batt operated pumps, a hot glue gun, and a blower (picked up bare tool for about $15 - $20, refurb). At any rate, the Ryobi tool line is extremely extensive, and if you can pick up refurbs, it's worth buying into the One Plus battery ecosystem.

Now, the Ridgid - I love the LSA warranty, where Ridgid offers a 3 year warranty out of the box, but if you register your tools/batts within 90 days, you get a LIFETIME warranty on the batteries -- that's a fairly amazing deal. I bought an entire 5 piece set that came with a 1/2" anvil that's good for 450 ft lbs of torque and busts nuts like a **** star. It also came with a grinder -- but I was mostly after the impact wrench and the 2 batteries + the LSA, and everything else was just a cherry on top at $259 for the entire set.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Milwaukee was chosen becuase or their tools and their general offerings.
Verizon has lots of money. If you think things like this are micro managed in favor of a few $$, you're mistaken. Do u think we "warranty" tools? Lol
Do u think they don't spend $18,000 in repairs for a vehicle that winds up being sent to auction a month later?

The vendor I that gets me whatever I want buys old trailers we spent $130,000 on new, at auction for 5 grand and then rents them out for $3500 a week.

Micro managing money is not something this company does. Milwaukee has been specializing in tools for utility companies, and we happen to be one. U think our vendors don't carry DeWalt too? U think Verizon's "approved vendors" are cheaper than home Depot? Lol.

Good to know that Verizon gets nothing but the best!

 

[kctyphoon]

Good to know that Verizon gets nothing but the best!

Today’s delivery.. should be 45 pairs of demo gloves in the brown box.. dont forget the hammer drill / impact driver kit hiding behind the sawzall..

Milwaukee’s new ratcheting line wrench, with incorporated hammer face. Just released.

 

[tff]

I'm zero'ing in on either Milwaukee or Ryobi. And after researching things, i really need a drill/driver and a impact WRENCH, not an impact DRIVER. My main hobby is car work and so the impact wrench i think is the way to go. I'm actually not sure why I'd need an impact driver (i'm not building decks every week ).
Unfortunately I have not been able to find a Drill+Impact wrench combo so I may just by a drill and then add later as needed.

The below impact wrench looks really nice. Can anyone confirm whether the M12 tools and the M12 FUEL tools use the same batteries?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...-in-Impact-Wrench-Tool-Only-2555-20/304743439

 

[kctyphoon]

I'm zero'ing in on either Milwaukee or Ryobi. And after researching things, i really need a drill/driver and a impact WRENCH, not an impact DRIVER. My main hobby is car work and so the impact wrench i think is the way to go. I'm actually not sure why I'd need an impact driver (i'm not building decks every week ).
Unfortunately I have not been able to find a Drill+Impact wrench combo so I may just by a drill and then add later as needed.

The below impact wrench looks really nice. Can anyone confirm whether the M12 tools and the M12 FUEL tools use the same batteries?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...-in-Impact-Wrench-Tool-Only-2555-20/304743439

Yes - all m12 tools regardless of type - use m12 batteries. Same with M18. If u want an impact wrench - the type of work u want to do will determine the platform u should pick. M18 fuel impacts will generally be much stronger than m12. Head over to the Milwaukee thread if u have questions.

 

[engineer2]

My 1/4" hex impact driver is my most used tool. I use it for anything and everything from tiny wood screws to lugnuts.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I'm zero'ing in on either Milwaukee or Ryobi. And after researching things, i really need a drill/driver and a impact WRENCH, not an impact DRIVER. My main hobby is car work and so the impact wrench i think is the way to go. I'm actually not sure why I'd need an impact driver (i'm not building decks every week ).
Unfortunately I have not been able to find a Drill+Impact wrench combo so I may just by a drill and then add later as needed.

The below impact wrench looks really nice. Can anyone confirm whether the M12 tools and the M12 FUEL tools use the same batteries?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...-in-Impact-Wrench-Tool-Only-2555-20/304743439

An impact driver comes in handy for a ton of stuff. I would still recommend getting one with the drill combo.

That impact wrench looks nice but the low torque rating may not be able to handle tougher jobs like suspension work and Honda balancer bolts. If you can find an impact that does 700ft-lb or more you would be able to handle anything.

If you have a compressor in your shop an air impact will deliver the most bang for the buck. The HF Earthquake XT air impact will give you about 1200 ft-lb of torque for around $100 with a coupon. My earthquake air ratchet is my go to tool when working in cars.

 

[DFB]

Many people get the usual combo kit of drill/hex shank impact driver for starters and the impact driver used with sockets and a sq. drive adapter can do a lot of small mechanical work. With a brand like Milwaukee the M12 Fuel deal over the years has often been sweetened with added choice of a free bare tool like the 3/8"ratchet, RA drill, Rover worklightlight or an XC battery. Most often around the holidays.

Stubby impact wrench is the most power you can get in the M12 series.

 

[tff]

I've got the following on order:

Milwaukee Electric Tools 2598-22 M12 Fuel 2 Pc Kit- 1/2" Hammer Drill & 1/4" Impact
M12 Fuel Stubby 3/8" Impact Wrench (Bare Tool)

Through Amazon. (Was hoping HD would match the price but they wouldn't).

Thanks to everyones input!