time for a new cordless drill

[lbhsbz]

I was a Makita user for a long time, did HVAC work outta high school and had the last 12V red battery nicad setup that worked great for years until all the batteries died at about the same time. I bought a Ridgid 18V LiIon deal about 10 years ago that sucked *** with the 2Ah batteries...and killed them in a few months. I bitched loud enough that Ridgid sent me 4 4Ah batteries that worked great until they all quit about 2 years ago. I bought a 2 pack of the new-ish 4Ah batteries at home depot a year or so ago and they ****. I plugged in a new battery fresh off the charger yesterday, removed 10 wood screws, 1" long each, and set it down. Tonight I picked up the drill for a honey do project and the battery is flat dead. This happens constantly. I've never been able to pick the thing up a day later and have any charge left in the battery..regardless of how little it's used. I can drive 500 deck screws on one battery, so long as it doesn't sit overnight. I'm tired of it...time for something else.

Is this a characteristic of modern LiIon batteries? Am I better off finding a NiMH or NiCad unit like one from Panasonic?

I'm not a professional user, but it does see more use than your typical homeowner...and sometimes hard use. I use it to drive hole saws, wood boring bits, anything one might use a drill for. My Makita handled these duties 20 years ago, there's no excuse for modern technology to fail at it.

Half of me wants to buy MW or a Makita, but if battery life is no different than Ryobi, maybe I'll do that and get a 10 piece set for $159 instead of a drill for $200.

Help me choose.

 

[WittHay]

So far my DeWalt 12V and 20V batteries have held there charge surprisingly well. They can sit on a shelf for a year and still be fully charged
My Milwaukee 12V and 18V stuff is used hard and on some tools a 5ah. battery can be discharged in minutes. Charge them back up and they are good to go
The Makita 18V batteries are used for specialized tools like die grinders. I just grab 2 batteries as there are no Led charge lights on the pack. Charge up the battery and they sit for a while before next use. No problem holding a charge.

3 different brands, 3 different uses, but all hold there charge good

 

[magicrat]

I've always used Dewalt and upgraded to 20v a couple years ago......zero problems and hold charge great...I'm a loyal customer

 

[losvre]

I have a Metabo SB18LTX and use it very occasionally for the last 6 years. The 3 batteries I have got of 2.6 ah it seems to operate the same as the day one or almost like this.



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[ADSR]

Milwaukee Fuel. Easy choice.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Is this a characteristic of modern LiIon batteries? Am I better off finding a NiMH or NiCad unit like one from Panasonic?

NO



Half of me wants to buy MW or a Makita, but if battery life is no different than Ryobi, maybe I'll do that and get a 10 piece set for $159 instead of a drill for $200.

Help me choose.

When offered free use of newish Ryobi, frustration usually leads to me walking back to the truck for my Milwaukee. Using them side by side, you can tell. If I had yellow or blue I wold not hesitate to get ore of those.
I do have a Ridgid drill, and if your eyes are closed, you won't know its not Milwaukee till you try to sell it.

 

[anndel]

I have Makita 18 LXT and Milwaukee M18 Fuel. I prefer Milwaukee as comfort in my small hands and those Makita batteries are slippery that they slip out of my hands and lands on my concrete garage floor killing them as they don't run and/or able to take a charge. I've lost 4 batteries that way.

 

[gdocktor3]

I use Dewalt 20v and have zero complaints with batteries. The brushless tools are amazing.

 

[jonesg]

Milwaukee here, I previously had DeWalt nicad and they were good.
After trying the new Lithium Milwaukee line I changed over.

I don't think a serious discussion could include ryobi.

 

[MushCreek]

I have Milwaukee M18 tools- built my whole house with them. The batteries are great. They hold a charge forever- I've had some that I know sat for at least 6 months, and still had a full charge. I like the 'battery charge indicator' that MW has on their batteries. My tools are older, and I only have one of their 'Fuel' tools, a 1/2" impact I recently bought.

 

[dsimatt]

I have Milwaukee M18 tools- built my whole house with them. The batteries are great. They hold a charge forever- I've had some that I know sat for at least 6 months, and still had a full charge. I like the 'battery charge indicator' that MW has on their batteries. My tools are older, and I only have one of their 'Fuel' tools, a 1/2" impact I recently bought.

I will 2nd this, my drill can sit for months and unless I put the batteries away dead they are always good to go.

 

[udderlyoffroad]

Wait what?
You had pro-grade tools and worked with them to earn your living. You then bought DIY-grade tools and were surprised they didn't perform as well?

As has already been stated, the behaviour you describe with your Ridgid batteries does not describe the typical LiIon experience.

I'm a home gamer but I've bought once/cried once for a decent drill/driver set. Most other powertools I'm ok with own/no brand as they don't see enough use to justify spending big money.

Do yourself a favo(u)r, do the same

 

[fourjeepin]

I've got a bunch of the Ridgid lithium ion batteries and have never had the experience you have mentioned. Sounds to me like you got a bad batch or something is drawing the power. Have you tried pulling them out of the tool after use? Shouldn't need to, but it might be worth a try to see if maybe the tool has a power draw that it shouldn't.

 

[PearlWhiteGT]

I've had the brushed Dewalt 20V stuff for a few years and never had an issue with battery life with them. Just recently started switching to the new brushless stuff they have and selling off my old Dewalt tools that still worked great.

 

[ryan20021982]

Milwaukee for sure, I do construction with my dad and he has dewalt and he is always trying to steal my drills, and both are the newer models.

 

[Davefr]

What you're experiencing IS NOT a characteristic of Li Ion. You should be able to use your drill many months after it's last charge with close to full capacity.

Given that it's happening with multiple batteries, I suspect your drill has a current leak. Keep the batteries standalone and see if they run down. If it only happens in the drill then replace the drill or buy a new kit.

Milwaukie would be my choice for an average drill due to the breadth of their M12/M18 product offering. However Fe$tool is way better.

 

[Cope]

Milwaukee here, I previously had DeWalt nicad and they were good.
After trying the new Lithium Milwaukee line I changed over.

I don't think a serious discussion could include ryobi.

I agree. I have all DeWalt 20V, but Milwaukee/DeWalt/Makita: Ford/GM/Mopar.

 

[CJM8515]

I think your ok so long as you buy makita, dewalt or milwaukee. Me I have milwaukee b/c they offer all sorts of automotive tools like impact guns. I LOVE my stuff, once you have a bunch of batteries buying a bare tool is the way to go as well.

 

[bcradio]

I have had the same experiences as you with the Rigid Li-On batteries. They were terrible and would never hold a charge. Also, they died pretty quick (within 2 years of being new). My Bosch and Milwaukee have been top notch in every way. I recommend anything from Bosch, Makita, DeWalt, or Milwaukee.

 

[jp828108]

Haven't had that issues with any of my lithium batteries. Sounds like there might be an issue with the tool itself. Have you tried taking the battery off and letting it sit and seeing if it is still discharged? Sorry it's redundant I see Davefr posted something similar.

I have 4 or so year old set of Rockwell 16v drill and impact driver. Work great. They don't have as much power as say a 20 or 18 volt set, but for the money I am very happy. Also have a smaller set of menards brand 12 volt. They are decent, but my typical go to is the Rockwell. I eventually want to switch to Milwaukee, so I have a 4 1/2 inch grinder and a sawzall I picked up cheap. I love the Milwaukee line. They have anything and everything you can imagine. I don't like all the different part numbers of similar tools though. Eventually I will pick up a new drill and impact driver.

If you are looking for a cheaper set my dad and brother both have porter cable. They aren't the greatest, but they are priced reasonably.

 

[6PTsocket]

I was a Makita user for a long time, did HVAC work outta high school and had the last 12V red battery nicad setup that worked great for years until all the batteries died at about the same time. I bought a Ridgid 18V LiIon deal about 10 years ago that sucked *** with the 2Ah batteries...and killed them in a few months. I bitched loud enough that Ridgid sent me 4 4Ah batteries that worked great until they all quit about 2 years ago. I bought a 2 pack of the new-ish 4Ah batteries at home depot a year or so ago and they ****. I plugged in a new battery fresh off the charger yesterday, removed 10 wood screws, 1" long each, and set it down. Tonight I picked up the drill for a honey do project and the battery is flat dead. This happens constantly. I've never been able to pick the thing up a day later and have any charge left in the battery..regardless of how little it's used. I can drive 500 deck screws on one battery, so long as it doesn't sit overnight. I'm tired of it...time for something else.

Is this a characteristic of modern LiIon batteries? Am I better off finding a NiMH or NiCad unit like one from Panasonic?

I'm not a professional user, but it does see more use than your typical homeowner...and sometimes hard use. I use it to drive hole saws, wood boring bits, anything one might use a drill for. My Makita handled these duties 20 years ago, there's no excuse for modern technology to fail at it.

Half of me wants to buy MW or a Makita, but if battery life is no different than Ryobi, maybe I'll do that and get a 10 piece set for $159 instead of a drill for $200.

Help me choose.

I can tell you one thing. One of the advantages of lithium ion batteries is very slow self discharge. You should get a couple of months out of a healthy NiCd but lithiums should last much longer than that. I have some 12V Bosch lithium stuff that seems to hold a charge forever. There is something wrong with your drill or battery. Try it again and take the battery out of the tool over night to see which is causing the discharge problem.

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[buba]

You might want to check out the recent Milwaukee articles over on toolguyd . com. Seems Milwaukee has made some recent battery direction decisions that might make their lineup more compelling to you in the near future.

 

[dwasifar]

+1 on all the 20v DeWalt endorsements. Never had a lick of trouble with mine.

That said, for heavy-use projects, I reach for the corded tools. I've never had a battery problem with a plug-in drill.

 

[Al Borland]

I've got a bunch of the DeWalt 18v with various generations of batteries. The batteries will eventually die, but so far the only fatalities were dropped or let sit for years and won't hold a charge.
The batteries are fine with regular use.
Plus, I'm too cheap to replace them if they still work...sorta...

 

[lbhsbz]

I can tell you one thing. One of the advantages of lithium ion batteries is very slow self discharge. You should get a couple of months out of a healthy NiCd but lithiums should last much longer than that. I have some 12V Bosch lithium stuff that seems to hold a charge forever. There is something wrong with your drill or battery. Try it again and take the battery out of the tool over night to see which is causing the discharge problem.

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None of the other 6 or so batteries I've used over the years with this drill have done this. It started as soon as I got the new batteries with the lights on 'em. I hooked one up with jumpers through an ammeter and saw ZERO draw for about 2 days. Battery worked fine when I stuck it back in the tool. Next day, battery is dead. I don't understand it.

 

[6PTsocket]

None of the other 6 or so batteries I've used over the years with this drill have done this. It started as soon as I got the new batteries with the lights on 'em. I hooked one up with jumpers through an ammeter and saw ZERO draw for about 2 days. Battery worked fine when I stuck it back in the tool. Next day, battery is dead. I don't understand it.

Your test verifies that the tool is not responsible, but you already knew that from your old batteries holding a charge. The discharge path is apparantly internal. The light test circuit is across the battery but the current does not flow through the external connectors. You would see nothing with an ammeter Think of the test circuit and the drill being in parallel. The current through the two paths are independent of each other. That test circuit is a possibility. There is also over charge and over discharge protection required for a lithium battery. Over charge and they catch fire. Over discharge and they cannot recharge. Fussy little buggers. The circuitry is usually in the battery and is another possible source of the problem.Probably an even more likely one. If these batteries are fairly new, I would call whoever you got the batteries from. This is a clear manufacturing defect.


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[lbhsbz]

Milwaukee it is it looks like. After my compact battery experience with the Ridgid..I'm hesitant to deal with anything under 4Ah again, but HD has the deal for a drill and impact that includes 1 compact and one big boy battery, and comes with a free blower. Then I've just gotta pickup the weed wacker, the sawzall to replace my ****** Ridgid with the blade release that jams all the time, the circular saw, the.... ****, this is gonna get expensive.

 

[SilverBulletZ06]

I love ridgid, but the scope of the tools is very limited. Their stuff hasn't disappointed me when it has been used.

Just picked up the HD deal on the M12 drill/driver/battery and I am hoping for the 3/8 wrench for fathers day.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Milwaukee Fuel. Easy choice.

There is a new M12 Fuel drill coming. I would wait for it.

 

[tab2]

My Milwaukee drill and impact combo won't die. I'd love to get new ones, but I don't need them. I keep them in my grab bag in the trunk and they always gave a charge in them.

 

[engineer2]

Makita XPH07 . Just got it and I really like it.
Excellent speed control
Brushless motor delivers 1,090 in.lbs. of max torque
3-stage LED gauge indicates battery charge level

 

[kctyphoon]

Milwaukee Fuel. Easy choice.

Words of truth...,

Pretty sure a lot of guys would give you the "forum guarantee" - if you try it and don't like it, we'll all offer to buy it used at a discounted price

I have m18 and m12 batteries that will sit unused for months and still be fully charged when I finally pick em up..

 

[American Locomotive]

I'd go Makita or DeWalt. They have much better chucks than the Milwaukee.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

BOSCH all the way!

 

[Mrmontebuilder]

I had a large collection of C3 Craftsman stuff with quite a few li-ion batteries of varying capacities and all of them had issues from day one retaining a charge for any length of time.
Sold all them off last Black Friday and got the 9 piece Dewalt 20v set and much happier with the battery life and charge retention all around. Would not hesitate to buy more or recommend them to anyone. My luck usually means if 9 out of 10 people have no problems with an item that I am the 10th who has all the problems but these have 100% been the exception to that.

 

[Local]

You should be able to snag a decent deal on a 1/4 impact and drill combo this weekend at Lowe's or hd. DeWalt , Milwaukee and Makita make good stuff.

 

[LB-1911]

Milwaukee it is it looks like. After my compact battery experience with the Ridgid..I'm hesitant to deal with anything under 4Ah again, but HD has the deal for a drill and impact that includes 1 compact and one big boy battery, and comes with a free blower. Then I've just gotta pickup the weed wacker, the sawzall to replace my ****** Ridgid with the blade release that jams all the time, the circular saw, the.... ****, this is gonna get expensive.

This thread might help ease the pain.

2017 Milwaukee power tools deal thread

 

[Stooge]

BOSCH all the way!

After my last rigid drill finally died, ( the batteries wouldn't hold a charge and the second charger died), I picked up a Bosch 18v and was completely sold on it. Charges fast and holds the charge for as long as I've left it so far and I like the size and weight of it. Has been used almost exclusively on steel at my shop, from sheet to 5/16 and hasn't complained once. I would have no problem recommending them.



....I'll admit I've also knocked it off the table a few times and its fallen off of a car or two and doesn't seem affected

 

[losvre]

You may as well try a Fein drill which would be more than fine with 4 speeds up to 3850 RPM, 90 Nm torque and all internals made of steel with best chuck in class by Rohm.

I believe they will get a new out that works with both 12V and 18V.

Just make sure you get the ASCM model which is made in Germany!

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[gmwelder86]

In this day in age asking what drill to by might as well be asking what pick up truck is the best. Pick which color you like and go from there. All three now offer excellent battery's, good ergonomics and a wide variety of different tools. I myself am a makita man but I have equally abused every color of power tool at work and unless your buying a corded tools for all intents and purposes they are all equal.