Your first cordless drill?

[ATC]

Milwaukee M12

It took me a looooong time to warm up to battery powered stuff. They were **** compared to corded stuff until recently.

Dad had some older craftsman and black & decker stuff though…

 

[FloorPaint]

I had a 12V Elu (now Dewalt) drill.

 

[Graysgarage]

Svtride brings back memories!! I still have my dads old Makita… batteries went out and the charger had a short but still have it.

 

[david3921]

An old Ni-cad. 12 V DeWalt very similar to this (internet pic). Still have it, batteries are dead. I got them replaced/rebuilt once, but they didn't last but a year. I went with 19.2 V Craftsman L-ion and those have been OK for my hobby use.

Mine was like this except it was 9.6 volt. Got it from a friend who's wife worked for Dewalt/B and D. He told me I could use higher voltage batteries by shaving the tabs at the top. The tabs on the Dewalt batteries (9.6, 12, and 13.2 volt) at the time were located at different spots allowing them to go only into the correct tool. There was a Dewalt/B and D repair center nearby that sold batteries of the higher voltage for pretty cheap and I ran them in that drill until the direction lever broke. I used the **** out of that drill, mostly running screws into deck boards and hanging drywall. The higher voltage never seemed to bother it.

 

[WWheeler]

Black and Decker Firestorm, 18V, and I still have it and it still works even after about 30 years now.



I was using it for at least a couple years before I went with Dewalt's 18V NiCad platform in the mid 1990s, and then the 20V platform tools that followed that (FWIW almost all of those old 18V Dewalts have survived also), but I kept the Firestorm because Dewalt's 18V batteries also work in it. The 18V Firestorm batteries that came with it have long since worn out (the one I just pictured here nxt to it needs to be tossed) but I have an adapter that'll let me use a Dewalt 20V batteries with it. TBH I don't ever have a need to use it because I have several better newer drills but just haven't parted with it just because it still works and I just don't get rid of tools that aint broke.

 

[hans109h]

Black and Decker versapak....sometime in the late 90's. I was a kid, it was awesome.

 

[bonneyman]

Still have mine, guessing mid 80's, I added the keyless chuck.

My original Makita 9.6 volt from 1990 drill got sidelined when the batteries started going cheap. I started using a corded drill for most A/C work. After a few years I donated it to someone on the forum who had their tools stolen. Mine was sitting unused anyway, and I figured I'd go for one of the newer cordless drills. Fast forward a few years - I never got around to upgrading. But by then the new drills were starting to show their disadvantages. New voltages every few years, battery packs would typically not fit older drills, and having to buy a whole line of tools to use the new batteries. And the older packs were typically not available anymore. It turned me off. It made me miss my old Makita.

The style I like is kinda rare. Finally found one about 5 years ago. And I finally found a metal carry case a few weeks ago. Totally rusted and dented, but only $4. So I was off
Here's the "duplicate" of my first cordless Makita. 9.6 volt, without the clutch or drill bit switches. Direction reversing switch on the back near the top. 32 years later and I have my old cordless back!

 

[AA/FC]

Black & Decker 9.6 univolt

This is this same as my first Cordless drill. Man, I thought this thing was great! lol

 

[David1811]

Black & Decker 7.2v drill, part of a Versapak combo set. Underpowered by today’s standards but it was nicely built and I finished a lot of small household DIY projects with them. Still have fond memories of the set.

 

[Dig Doug]

My 1st drill I bought was this makita set
1988-1990 I think….

 

[Dig Doug]

The most important drill I EVER got was a Panosonic

My girlfriend bought me a 12v kit w/ 2 batteries for my birthday and you had to go to the Professional Tool store not a box store to get it

I was stoked and I knew I had a keeper ….. been married 21 years ! 8-11-01 a month before 911…. Time has flown by

 

[Dig Doug]

Panasonic, possibly the first generation. It was an amazing tool in its day.

This is NOT my actual drill---my shop is not that tidy!

They were really “ The Best “ for their time
battery and chuck system was great!

I eventually bought the bigger 15.6v but it was heavy kinda klunky & off set and it fall out if my nail bags. I hung a lot of Commercial doors and was always swapping from a #2 to a #3 Phillips and a Vex bit for pre drilling pilots.

Finally ended up with 2 -12v #2 & #3 bits and the 15.6 for the vex bit….

thought I was styling not having to swap out bits

 

[Dig Doug]

I’ve had almost every cordless drill

Hatachi
mikita
panisonic
bosch
dewalt
rigid
no ryobi to homeowner ish

cordless drills really made HUGE improvements when they went impact

now I have some

rigid leftovers ( you could buy a 5 tool set for $250 after Christmas) skillsaw, Sawzaw , flash light, drill & impact w/ 3 batteries & dual charger

but Today
I use RED all day every day

m12 and m 18

 

[calheif]

I have a massive collection of the old DeWalt 14.4 stuff. I love the heft. Pictures are on reddit at my profile caliscool1413. One shot is below. I have added more from ebay recently. I don't know why, but I just like them over lithium options. I do have the 8V MAX screwdriver and 12V MAX screwdriver as well. I am always hunting for more of the 14.4 volt line. I do try to have one of each model with a few exceptions. And yes, I do use them often.

 

[danski0224]

Makita 9.6v, no keyless chuck.

Still have it.

 

[rancherbill]

My first a was a Canadian Tire Mastercraft it was made by Ryobi in the US. My BIL used and recommended them as this is what they used as work as plumbers. Ryobi made great tools and were the OEM for some of the Craftsman stuff. It was the equal of Makita which was really popular here in the trades at the time. Mine last right up to the point when it hit the concrete from 10 feet up.