Redundant drills: WWYD?

[firebox40dash5]

I created an odd conundrum for myself this morning. It's especially odd since it's what I intended to do a year ago in the first place.

I bought into M12 tools last year kinda accidentally. I was replacing 18V tools, and anticipated replacing them with more 18V tools, but the (relatively) low price for M12 Fuel tools and the fact that I happened to need tools while there was an M12 free battery deal swayed me. Well, I bought the regular (non-hammer) drill, figuring that I'd still want a heavy-hitter 18V drill, and that would be the hammer drill.

Except that didn't happen. I found the power to be just fine for my uses, and brushed off the idea of buying a big, heavy 18V drill just because. Until this morning, when it dawned on me that I needed to put a bunch of Tapcons in the wall at work for a weekend project, and we no longer had a hammer drill. After scouring around and finding that no one carried bare-tool M18 Fuel hammer drills, or M12 Fuel drills of any flavor locally, I ended up buying an M18 Fuel with one battery and charger off CL.

I didn't use the M18 much today, but I was impressed with how fast it ran a 1/4" masonry bit into cored block... I actually skinned a finger on the bracket I was hanging because it went through so much faster than I expected. OTOH, it's a bit bigger and a bunch heaver than my little M12. I figure I have 3 choices here: a) buy an M12 Fuel hammer kit, get a couple more batteries, sell my M12 drill and the one I bought today, but keep the dual voltage charger and extra M18 battery I've been needing anyway, b) keep what I bought today, sell the M12 drill bare, or c) keep them both. Well, I guess there's d) buy an M12 hammer drill, sell my regular drill, and keep the M18, but that makes no sense at all.

I normally don't ask such things because I know most people who do are just looking for reinforcement of their predetermined choice... but I really haven't got any preference one way or another, except maybe to just keep what I've got because selling stuff is a PITA. The tool nut in me says keep them both, neither bare tool is worth that much, so why not? The cheap ******* in me says sell one or the other... and is wondering why the hell I spent almost $200 with almost no forethought for something I rarely need.

 

[machine_punk]

I personally like to have a lot of drills. I have at least 4 corded drills and 3 pneumatic drills.

When I am in a project which needs more than one 'process,' (drill a pilot hole, drill the final hole, countersink), I like to have all the bits set up in different drills and move quickly through the project.

I do the same with grinders (especially 1/4" pneumatic grinders). I hate switching bits, burrs, pads, or other tooling during a project (or ever, really). So, I keep several of each.

For me, having 2 of the 'same' drill would be a no-brainer. It just wouldn't be a cordless drill.

Kev

 

[boiler7904]

I'm a fan of having multiple drills and drivers. When I was installing custom wood cabinets a couple of years ago, I a few lined up with different bits for different tasks since I was going back and forth constantly:

18V cordless hammer drill with drill bit for Tapcons
18V cordless hammer drill with driver bit for Tapcons
14.4V cordless drill with drill bit for wood
18V cordless impact driver for wood screws (#3 square)
12V cordless impact driver for wood screws (#2 square)

 

[Bigplum]

Keep em and buy more , I love drills
You will always find work for it , I tend to use two drills 'cos I hate swapping bits over when doing repetitive work

 

[firebox40dash5]

I'm a fan of having multiple drills and drivers. When I was installing custom wood cabinets a couple of years ago, I a few lined up with different bits for different tasks since I was going back and forth constantly:

18V cordless hammer drill with drill bit for Tapcons
18V cordless hammer drill with driver bit for Tapcons
14.4V cordless drill with drill bit for wood
18V cordless impact driver for wood screws (#3 square)
12V cordless impact driver for wood screws (#2 square)

Well, being a mechanic I don't have that problem too often. Honestly, I hardly use a drill at all... I'm generally drilling out bolts or bolt holes, or making <1/2" holes in metal or plastic, which the M12 did just fine at.

But keeping both sounds pretty unanimous. Plus I'm not that strapped for cash, and dealing with CL morons to maybe get $100 doesn't soubd too appealing. Screw it, the weight of the M12 does make it a real pleasure to use.

 

[72Anthony]

I have bought into the m12/m18 system as well. Started with some m12 stuff about 4 years ago. Here is my drill line-up:

M12 drill with the hex chuck (mainly for driving smaller screws or holes with hex drill bits). This is about 4 years old and the batteries are holding up well.

M18 fuel kit with 1/2 drill and impact driver with the larger batteries. Tons of power and fast recharge time. This replaced an older 14v drill that had dead NiCad batteries.

Corded 1/2 inch drill/hammer drill for heavier duty things.

This has served me well for woodworking and general household stuff. My wish list includes a larger SDS hammer drill/demolition hammer.

 

[metaldad]

I do the same as Kevin. Multiple drills, with the different bits for the job at hand, all corded.

 

[Packard V8]

wondering why the hell I spent almost $200 with almost no forethought for something I rarely need.

Yes, there's no such thing as too many drills. However, most here seen to consider battery powered tools as a consumable/disposable and not as a capital investment. Where we have the question is battery versus AC power. I'm old enough not to even think of spending $200 on something I rarely need when there's always a basically free alternative.

I personally like to have a lot of drills. I have at least 4 corded drills and 3 pneumatic drills.

One, that's not a lot of drills. The reason I have so many is AC drills are pretty much cheap-to-free these days. A rough count is two 1/4" high speed, seven 3/8" VS, five 1/2" VS, a screwgun, a Hilti and a Chicago rotary hammer SDS, plus three or four pneus. All these were picked up used.

These are Milwaukee, Craftsman, B&D, Thor, DeWalt, et al and cost me from free to $5-10. Some needed a bit of repair or a new chuck key or plug, but now all are about as good as new.

Just yesterday, at the Habitat store, there was a Craftsman 1/2" VS with a stuck/rusted chuck for $6 and they were having a 20% off, so $5 net. The motor brushes and bearings sounded good, so just because it was there, I brought it home. I absolutely didn't need another drill motor, but a few minutes on the wire wheel, a bit of WD40 down the chuck, it freed up, wipe it off and good to go.

Yes, agree, the battery variants offer several advantages; some applications and locations where only a cordless drill will do the job. But then there's always the downside of considerable first cost, battery life and the charge going away before the job is finished. My AC Hilti rotary hammer has outworked and outlived a half-dozen battery powered versions on jobsites were AC was just an extension cord away. Literally every garage sale I go to will have one to a box full of perfectly good battery powered drills with dead batteries.

The only drill I bought new is the one which let me down; a wonderful B&D Professional 2-speed 3/8"VS 14.4V. It has a cast aluminum gearcase and was a real workhorse for maybe three years. However, today those batteries are NLA and even the rebuild shops are quoting $75-100 to see if they can make their batteries fit the case.

The Thor, B&D, DeWalt, Milwaukee AC drills are older (the Thor 1/4" D-handle is at least old enough for Social Security) and had harder use than the dead battery units but all the AC are still good to go.

With this many drill motors, I've pre-positioned a complete set in the shop, in the basement, as well at my son's and daughter's houses.

Your opinions may vary, but the fact will remain one can fully equip several shops with every type used AC drill for the cost of one of the new-latest-battery-whiz-bangs and they'll be still running long after the batteries are dead or NLA or no longer cost-effective to rebuild.


jack vines

 

[sberry]

I got 4 battery units, they all get used,