Straight Dope on Drills & Drivers

[theoldwizard1]

First, get a dedicated impact driver. Milwaukee M12 Fuel. If you do a lot of auto consider buying a 3/8" square drive and then get the hex adapter. That is what I have and I love it !

Second, I believe it is a mistake to get a big 1/2" 18V drill right off the bat. Get a smaller (3/8") drill, probably 12V.

Best bang for the buck on bits is Drill Hog on eBay. LIFETIME WARRANTY ! You can find this set occasionally on an auction for $10-$15 less.

It you run into a big project, and need some big holes, shop for a CORDED, triple gear reduction, 1/2" drill. My son's 18V DeWalt ran out of juice after drilling some big holes in PT 4x4s. My old Craftsman triple gear reduction corded powered right through and kept going the rest of the day.

 

[Fender1325]

Funny, but I don't see this at my local stores. The tools are easier to see at Lowe's, and neither has good help.

Lowe's doesn't carry Milwaukee, Makita, Diablo, etc. They can keep Kobalt. Junk mostly. But then again, so is Husky.

 

[bushmechanic]

Thanks for the tip and good point. In terms of budget this feels like one of the items worth investing in so I'd say interested in qualitative judgements from folks on what is the best out there along with their experience, and then maybe what is the best value as well. But all opinions and views welcome regardless of budgets.

I personally saw the value in a massive ecosystem of tools that all use the same battery. With both Makita and Milwaukee, there's something in the line for everyone.

I went Milwaukee, but I honestly don't think it matters much. If you go this way, I'd personally choose the brand that offers other things you might need.

The competing drills are all going to be more than good enough for what you need, so in my mind, it comes down to the other tools.

 

[bushmechanic]

Lowe's doesn't carry Milwaukee, Makita, Diablo, etc. They can keep Kobalt. Junk mostly. But then again, so is Husky.

Husky hand tools are pretty darn good for the price. I've got a bunch I bought years ago; with the black finish. I don't know who was making them at the time, but if they still are, it's a good value proposition.

Don't know the first thing about any of their power tools, though.