Who makes the strongest cordless Drill?

[Nealcrenshaw]

I'm looking for a Cordless drill with some serious power behind it.Any Suggestions?

 

[DHCrocks]

I've had my Dewalt 18v XRP for a few years now and it's done everything I've asked of it. I've used a 3" hole saw into MDF (which is killer on blades), 1/2" masonry bit into concrete slabs, 1/2 bits into stainless steel... it's never let me down. It's a bit heavy but the metal gearing is top notch. Get the nano setup, I've replaced my batteries with the nano and it's lighter, lasts longer and I swear it spins faster.

 

[nissan_crawler]

I holesaw steel all the time with my Bosch 14.4. I bored 5- 1.25" holes through my air compressor tank with it, no sweat. Hell, I was running a 4" holesaw on it through 5/8" T-111 for vent line. It gets used behind bits up to 1" in steel.

 

[chammyman]

dewalt 18v here as well.

 

[Printer Mike]

Not the most powerful for sure, but I really like my compact and lightweight B&D VPX 1212. Lithium batteries, so it's always ready to go....

 

[eschoendorff]

Probably the DeWalt or Bosch 36v systems....

 

[Chief]

i am going to go with the c-man 19.2 hammer drill. i've used it on everything, masonry, railroad ties etc. it has never let me down. just make sure you have enough batteries.

maybe its time fore me to step of to the lion battery for this unit

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Regular cordless? Hammer Drill? Lightweight (use on a ladder) or buiding rough construction all day?

There is no one fixed answer. I use my Panasonic (rated as one of the better batteries) 15.6v Nimh all the time, since I could use it on a ladder, or helping build a deck. For anything heavy I switch to a corded drill (hammer drill, boring holes for plumbing or electrical, etc). Their Lithium Ion drill/impact driver set was out at the time, but I wasn't paying $400 for my limited use. I already have a Ridgid impact and I recommend looking at an impact (although I wish mine had longer battery life) driver as well.

If your doing heavy construction, have the budget, and need the strongest, look at something like the 28v Milwaukee tools, or the 36v Bosch/Dewalt/commercial tools.

 

[Major Ramifications]

I just want to add that the Dewalt 36V Li-Ion hammer drill is only 0.7 of a pound heavier than their 18V hammer drill (yes, that includes the batteries).
Their whole 36V line is surprisingly lightweight. Heavy duty, but not heavy.
The price on these has come down to $480 for the 4 piece combo.

Also, look for the price on the Bosch 36V to come down really soon. I just ordered a bunch this morning because Bosch has slashed the price. I'm talking major price reduction.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Bosch>Dewalt

 

[Mr_fixit]

i am going to go with the c-man 19.2 hammer drill. i've used it on everything, masonry, railroad ties etc. it has never let me down. just make sure you have enough batteries.

maybe its time fore me to step of to the lion battery for this unit

Have the Craftsman stuff, now I have the 28v milwaukee, Milwaukee is much better,

 

[Quiksilver]

Another vote for the 18V Dewalt series.

 

[l_bilyk]

I have/had cordless drills from bosch, dewalt, ridgid, makita, and milwaukee. If I need a hammer drill or something with alot of torque i use my dewalt 18v. If it's something small, i use the little 12v bosch. The bosch is swiss-made and probably the highest quality power tool I have. You can tell the dewalt isn't as well built... there is some runout on the chuck, the gear switch sticks sometimes, sides don't line up as perfectly as the bosch. Still, the dewalt is pretty impressive considering it will turn some really big ship auger bits without breaking a sweat.

So if you want some serious power look at the dewalt 36v/28v/18v. Dewalt offers alot of good cordless tools, especially in the 18v line so if you plan to have alot of cordless tools other than the drill, that would be a good choice. Milwaukee also makes some really powerful drills, but some of their other cordless tools are second rate IMO... in particular the impact driver. Bosch makes a really nice drill as well but their reciprocating saw is not as good.

My point is, if you need just the drill, then I don't think you will be disappointed by any of the major brands. However, if you plan to buy more cordless tools then you should shop around because some brands are better than others at making different types of tools.

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

Sound good!! I see Dewalts everywhere.so i think i narrowed it down to the big Four DEWALT,BOSCH,MILWUAKEE,MAKITA

I REMEMBER a little while back my grandfather brought over his makita drill with the long handle,noy sure of the volt size,man that bad boy packed a punch.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Sound good!! I see Dewalts everywhere.so i think i narrowed it down to the big Four DEWALT,BOSCH,MILWUAKEE,MAKITA

I REMEMBER a little while back my grandfather brought over his makita drill with the long handle,noy sure of the volt size,man that bad boy packed a punch.

That Makita is most likely a 9.6v. You can still get batteries for them and I have five of them. Makita's quality went down after them, although I have heard it has greatly improved now.

Everyone I know that has had one, wishes they were built like that, with today's power. I recieved one as a housewarming present. Got my second from a neighbor who was forced to upgrade (long story), then received three more and a reciprocting saw, from a friends estate. Don't use them since I have my Panasonic 15.6v, just haven't got rid of them yet. (getting too many tools, to the point of tripping hazzard lately, trying to organize them)

 

[dxdexter]

Not sure who makes the most powerful, but I have two 12v and one 14.4v Dewalts and have never had any problems and recommend their products. That's not to say there are not other comparable products.

My brother has a 18v Dewalt and that bad boy has some serious torque, but I have no other brands to compare it .

 

[TheToolMan]

anybody have the snap-on drill?

 

[audi noroad]

I'd have to agree with l_bilyk if you going for other tools be careful. I went DeWalt in hopes to expand my cordless tolls eventually. I bought an 18v Drill and Reciprocating Saw package, two batteries, and charger, I couldn't be happier.

When we moved into our current house I got a Black and Decker, it was ok it got the job done but after I started to do some long drilling with it the thing just wasn't a happy camper. It got the job done but you could tell it was complaining the whole time. At that time I wished I had bought something like the DeWalt my dad bought, he has had it for 12 years now no problems built a shed all screws for the break in. Of course typical mother's not quite understanding tools no matter how hard I tired to talk her into replacing it with a DeWalt she wouldn't budge. We bought yet another Black and Decker, and would you guess what the battery/charging system failed 2 years later. So I finally bought the DeWalt when I saw it on clearance during one of my shop for mom trips at HD.

Just in case that paragraph was confusing with all the mom dad references, parents are divorced and since I'm living at mom's house my rent is working on the house.

Good luck on the drill hunt, let use know what you get.

 

[rickairmedic]

Iam a huge fan of the Ryobi 18 volt tools . I am a contractor and do have some Dewalt as well . I will say my Robi drills work just as well as the Dewalts and the batteries are much much cheaper . I have picked up several sets at home depot that were marked REFURB the reality was somebody baught them took them home took out the tool they needed and returned them saying a tool was missing so they had to sell them as refurb . I have et to let the magic smoke out of one and I use them . I have no problems putting a 4" holesaw on my hammer drill and I have enogh batteries now that I can go all day without having to charge bateries which means I can let them recharge overnight while I am sleeping .

Rick

 

[KraftwerkMk1Jetta]

My Craftsman 19.2 volt cordless has held up great for the past 4 or 5 years since I've had it. Plenty of power and it's taken all the abuse I've dished out. My battery's are on their way out though, they don't last as long as they once did.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

My vote is for the Craftsman C3 line. Great bunch of tools and several selections for drills...

 

[a390st]

Ingersoll Rand is pretty good.

 

[picshooter]

Strongest? Why? Not the most important thing in my opinion. I have an old 9.6 Makita I use for smaller jobs, a Dewalt 18 and a Milwaukee 18. The Dewalt delivers the most torque, but the Milwaukee feels better in my hand. My next cordless drill will most likely be a Hilti or Festool.

 

[chad s]

anybody have the snap-on drill?

I have the current 18 volt snap on. Its very very nice. I borrowed mine from my dealer for a week, and had to have it. Its far better balanced than any dewalt, and when tested side by side with a panasonic 18 volt (also a VERY nice drill) running a 2" forsener bit through a wood 2x4 (a big task for a cordless drill), both drills did well, but the snap on clearly plowed through easier, and even at a slightly higher speed (which usually means less torque).

Its pricey, but I think its well worth it.

 

[duke5572]

I've used darn near every kind of cordless drill that's available in the U.S. I keep coming back to my old favorite Makita 6213, 12v. The thing is a beast, and I've done horrible, unmentionable things to it. It's on battery pack #3, but that's not bad considering it's ten years old. I've also replaced the brushes once, which made it sound like brand new. It has perfect balance, which is something you don't appreciate in a drill until you use it every single day.

DeWalt seems to get all the attention lately...my local Sears barely carries any Makita anymore, just Craftsman, Dewalt, Milwaukee, and a little bit of Bosch...I did see then newer 18v Makita at Lowe's though. Personally, I have not had the best luck with DeWalt...but if you're bound and determined to have one, just buy a B&D, I think they're the same thing. (Correct me if I'm wrong!)

If you're looking for heavy duty, I recommend a Hilti. I used to use a 24v Hilti hammer drill to pound through concrete block on a regular basis. It required very little effort. That was the first 24v cordless I ever saw, and it was already old in 1999.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Dewalt =

 

[chad s]

Dewalt =

I agree 100% !

Dewalt is just a successful marketing ploy. The quality tools is a total deception. I'd take a Milwaukee, makita, Panasonic, snap on cordless drill any day over a Dewalt.

The Panasonic line is IMO the absolute best bang for the buck, one of the best cordless drills out there. Our company has maybe 5-7 f them, and they get used hard, and just keep going strong. But they are a better drill right out of the box over a dewalt, not just in their longevity, in how well balanced they are, how smooth, chuck quality, batter quality, all characteristics blow any dewalt out of the water.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

I agree 100% !

Dewalt is just a successful marketing ploy. The quality tools is a total deception. I'd take a Milwaukee, makita, Panasonic, snap on cordless drill any day over a Dewalt.

The Panasonic line is IMO the absolute best bang for the buck, one of the best cordless drills out there. Our company has maybe 5-7 f them, and they get used hard, and just keep going strong. But they are a better drill right out of the box over a dewalt, not just in their longevity, in how well balanced they are, how smooth, chuck quality, batter quality, all characteristics blow any dewalt out of the water.

Most of my DeWalt stuff, is from when it was spelled the way I just did it. (old RAS). I also have a few corded Dewalt tools (reciprocting saw, and an inexpensive 3/8" drill, and a hammer drill). From my personal experience, the corded tools are ok, still not everyday all day construction grade like Milwaukee, but good enough for a solid DIY'er. Their cordless, I would agree with you.

Festool was mentioned previously. To my knowledge, the Panasonic and the Festool both use Universal motors in their drills (Bosch did in one model, but that was the only one I had access to). The Panasonic though is a LOT cheaper, for similar specs, unless you need the multiposition use of the Festool.

 

[Vinko]

That Makita is most likely a 9.6v. You can still get batteries for them and I have five of them. Makita's quality went down after them, although I have heard it has greatly improved now

I have one of those Makitas. Pretty much every guy in my family has one too. Those are great. Definitely the drill I use the most.

 

[1320stang]

I've still got my 12v DeWalt I bought in '92 with the old long style battery. On it's second set of batteries (actually, only one of that set left, one didn't last and I threw it out before I found out about all the rebuild places). Occasionally I'll pull the trigger and nothing happens, pull it two or three times and it works fine. No idea, never took it apart, soooo......

I bought a 18v about 6 years back, pretty torquey, snaps drywall screw heads off with ease (12v didn't do that so much, easier to feel), one of the batteries wouldn't hold a charge very long, I never marked it, nor could I tell which one, I mentioned it to the wife, last Christmas she had both rebuilt (was supposed to do the 12v and the one bad 18v, but it's the thought that counts).

I don't use them for work, but I do enough stuff on the side to justify them. Right now I'm adding onto my house, most everything I have is a DeWalt, the two drills, 12" compound miter saw, 14" chop saw, 4.5" grinder, 1/2" impact and a B&D Quantum circular saw, which is basically a green Dewalt, the motor specs the same and the plastic housing is the same, the buttons and guide are even DeWalt yellow, but it was about $80 cheaper and I was in the middle of a garage conversion that I was running up against my margin in when I burnt up a old Skil.

 

[jcs_in_ky]

I really like my Milwaukee 18V drill / hammer drill. I've had it about 7 years and the only thing I didn't like about it was the poor ni-cad performance. With the lithium-ions it's great. Mine is was made in the Czech Republic. I've got one here I bought in a set last year that was made in China. I haven't used it except just to test it so I'm not sure if it's as good as the old drills or not. If you are looking for a lighter weight drill try one of the Makitas.

 

[Major Ramifications]

Look for the price on the Bosch 36V to come down really soon. I just ordered a bunch this morning because Bosch has slashed the price. I'm talking major price reduction.

The price war on these has begun. I am seeing them advertised at $175 brand new online.

 

[rsanter]

dewalt 18v here
I belive they also have a 24V if you really think you need more

bob

 

[Patz]

Yeah, i'll have to agree on the Hitachi one. I have that myself and the torque is damn right amazing. Also the chuck is of very high quality.
Only thing is that 2-speed switch; it is not actually a electronic switch, it just a device prevents the trigger button to going all the way in

 

[a390st]

I had a DeWalt. It was good. It lasted through some pretty serious use and abuse. I also liked a Hitachi I tried. The IR I tried out was stronger than the Hitachi, though. It was also stronger than the 18V DeWalt I had. The batteries were pretty cool on the IR, too. I saw some good work out of a Panasonic, but I just wasn't crazy about it. They seem to be pretty close to tops on battery life, though. I haven't used a Hilti cordless drill, but they do make some serious tools.

 

[Pedro-snapon]

i like the snapon cdr4850
http://image.snapon.com/sotin/pdf/cdr4850.pdf

 

[duke5572]

No gimmicks, no gimcrackery....just the baddest drills ever:

This should cover most of your "light" projects...say, boring a hole in that lignum vitae sculpture you picked up in Africa...

Of course, that might not cut it if something "heavy" comes up. Sometimes, you need a real drill:

Of course, just looking at that picture with no context, you might think is it really big enough? I need something with real power! Feast your eyes on this:

Yeah, it's corded. In fact, you have to plug it directly into an electrical substation. It requires a minimum of 110,000 volts. It may be sentient.

You might ask: "How much could this much bad-assed-ness cost?" Well, you're in luck. Hilti tools cannot be purchased per se; they just "show up" in your life. For many, it goes something like this...

You're relaxing at work. "More power!"you dream.

But dreaming is not enough. Acquiring a Hilti requires a vision quest. This is often accompanied by long periods of fasting and water deprivation.

Just one more dune! You can do it!

Finally, it will simply appear in your hands. You also get a free puppy.

And that, in a nutshell, is how you go about getting yourself a Hilti.

 

[StephenKellyHunt]

I was also surprised it took someone so long to mention Hitachi drills. I have a 12v that I use for automotive applications, and it is absolutely PERFECT. Incredibly smooth, an incredibly reliable clutch (very important to an Automotive Technician). It is the most frequently used tool in my toolbox. I would buy another one without question.

 

[Vinko]

Where are Hilti made?

 

[chammyman]

Duke5572 awesome