Drills Bad

[Flute Maker]

In the last few yrs I have had 3 drills that were waste of good money.

DeWalt 1/2 corded drill I think the switch is bad…Won’t work when switch is pressed..Im not sure but I’m not good working on them.

DeWalt right ankle 3/8 bearings bad near chuck….You can see the run out which is bad.

Milwaukee cordless 3/8 drill chuck is messed up. Can’t get last drill bit out.

None of these 3 were used much at all. At this point I’m afraid of buying anything.

I’ve read about others buying chucks but no more than I’ve used these they should be good a lot longer.

I know the quality on the power tools has gone way down.

And email Milwaukee is a waste of time. They don’t even bother to reply at all. I sent them several emails

 

[kserdar]

I purchased a $30 battery powered black and decker drill for use around the shop.
For less then half the cost of a DeWalt battery. B&D came with a battery, drill and charger.
2 years later the drill died. Similar new drill is now ~$50.
Still less than half a DeWalt battery and I now have 2 batteries for my drill.

 

[bob vaughan]

In the last few yrs I have had 3 drills that were waste of good money.
.I'm not sure but I’m not good working on them.

I think you just gave three good reasons to practice until you do get good at working on them.

I've gotten to the point that I like working on portable power tools, but I started at zero and made my share of mistakes along the way, but I did get to the level where I had confidence to at least try. So Try. What have you got to lose? If you fail at fixing the three, you're still at where you started but you'll have experience in taking the tools apart and checking out what makes them work.

 

[Martin Roper]

Check out YouTube:

 

[Westpacx3]

I have repaired a few drills, drivers using parts from replacement parts.com. great service and you can shop by name and model number.

I have also had good success from Tylertools.com buying refurbished tools. It seems all refurbished tools have been tested, hence refurbished while new tools are mostly just assembled and shipped.

Certainly tools are oretty much garbage these days. The names have been sold and quality is hit or miss

 

[demondeacon]

I agree sending emails to Milwaukee is a waste of time.. However, Milwaukee offers a great repair service. Go to their website. From the serial number you can determine if drill is covered by warranty. You put in box and send to their repair center which sends back within 8 to 10 days. All you pay is the shipping cost if under warranty. Simple to use

 

[1075tech]

What @bob vaughan said. If they're out of warranty, practice on them. They already don't work. Worst case scenario, they still don't work but you've gained knowledge.

Get a multi meter for at least checking continuity. Pick up a set of the specialty electronics screwdriver tips for the small screws and such.

 

[Stuart Kent]

we use the professional series of Makita drills (not the home center stuff) and have relied on them for many years - not a single issue. ever.

 

[ScottM]

I am another fan of Milwaukee tools especially their brushless cordless drills. I use mine a lot working with a volunteer group that builds handicap ramps. drill has been through a lot and still keeps on ticking.

 

[Michael Mathews]

I've been using the Ryobi 18 volt One+ cordless system for quite a few years now. I've only had one battery fail so far and that was a small pack that probably came with the original drill. I have a bunch of tools and they all work great! I'm very happy with the system overall!

 

[zdorsch]

My cordless 20V dewalt drill has been through a lot since I bought around 2014 (sub $100 box store special). It’s been dropped more times than I care to admit and bored decently large holes and driven more screws than I can remember. Besides getting new batteries I’ve done nothing to it. I’m surprised their corded tools haven’t held up.

 

[bob vaughan]

For corded tools, Harbor Freight can't be beat if CHEAP is your first buying qualifier. For $15.00 one can buy a drill that works. $15.00 wouldn't buy a switch for the better portable power tools.

Below is a 2011shot of me going through my portable power tools. I like the older tools because they were made far better. I still have most of them to this day. My most recent drill purchase was a Harbor Freight $15.00 drill because their drill goes up to 3000 rpm. I only use it for pocket holes. A slower rpm drill bit speed has a tendency to shred the wood fibers.

 

[Oka]

For corded tools, Harbor Freight can't be beat if CHEAP is your first buying qualifier. For $15.00 one can buy a drill that works. $15.00 wouldn't buy a switch for the better portable power tools.

Below is a 2011shot of me going through my portable power tools. I like the older tools because they were made far better. I still have most of them to this day. My most recent drill purchase was a Harbor Freight $15.00 drill because their drill goes up to 3000 rpm. I only use it for pocket holes. A slower rpm drill bit speed has a tendency to shred the wood fibers.

Bob glad you are not a hoarder........ I agree however, these days you need to look a the model and intended application of products these days.

My old Milwaukee drills I can stand on them and use them, My favorite is a 1/2 Milwaukee VS drill from early 60's... love that thing. But, my daily users are my DeWalt cordless XR's for tough work and my 12V Milwaukee's for finer work. Do the research on tools before buying it is easier and lowers the risk of wasting money.

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[jlwest]

My Makita battery powered drills have lasted over 5 years and still on the original batteries.

 

[Melinapex]

My Makita battery powered drills have lasted over 5 years and still on the original batteries.

+1 on Makita- been using their products (the home center stuff) for 30+ years and never had a problem.