Recommend Mid priced Cordless Drill

[NCTurner]

I find myself in the market for a decent middle of the road cordless drill. Not really being up to speed on the options out there, what do you guys/gals recommend?

 

[tar1heel]

Go with a lithium-ion battery type. I have a regular 12v Hitachi and a regular DeWalt 18v, neither of which will hold a charge for more than a day or two even if not used. I also have a Bosch 12v lithium-ion impact driver which easily holds a charge for about a month even if used every day. My Hitachi and DeWalt drills will soon be replaced by lithium-ion, probably Bosch.

 

[ewingda]

I have had both of the Ryobi 18v drills - the nicad and li-ion. The lithium batteries died quickly. The old nicad has lasted 5x as long through lots of remodeling. It is a good bargain at 89 at Borg.

I have switched to the 12v Porter Cable lithium drill and driver combo for woodworking -135 at Lowes. It is small and easy to maneuver. It can drive 3.5 inch screws no problem....but it is not made to do that all day. Very happy with the price and performance.

I also just purchased the lightweight Makita 18v LiOn drill driver combo to replace the Ryobis. It was 225 at borg. I need something with some power for working on the house. This fits the bill. Plenty of power and light weight. I very much like their feel in my hand also.

I am at the point where I refuse to buy bargains....while they are nice in the short term, experience has shown me that the old saying "you get what you pay for" is 100% accurate. I try to purchae items in the top 3 of the ratings.

My brother is a contractor and has the entire Rigid set....it is also quite good.


So there is my feedback.

Good luck.

Dave

 

[merrill77]

I find myself in the market for a decent middle of the road cordless drill. Not really being up to speed on the options out there, what do you guys/gals recommend?

I really like my Milwaukee 12V drill (lithium ion). It is compact and very lightweight, but with more than enough torque for most WWing purposes (which for me translates to pre-drilling and driving #8 screws). The battery life is not great, but it came with two batteries so I always have the other ready. I have a big Milwaukee Magnum Holeshooter for heavy-duty jobs, but I rarely need to get it out.

 

[bobby g]

Gary,

I really like my Makita 18v lithium ion drill/driver. I bought one new and one reconditioned. Can't really tell the difference. CPO has a combo recon deal. Check out the details here.

bobby g

 

[petebucy4638]

I find myself in the market for a decent middle of the road cordless drill. Not really being up to speed on the options out there, what do you guys/gals recommend?

I would recommend Ridgid cordless tools for the simple reason that Home Depot will warranty them, INCLUDING THE BATTERIES, for life. The batteries in these tool going bad is a common fault. The cost of replacing batteries can cost more than a new tool with batteries.

Ryobi makes a decent cordless tool too. They are pretty inexpensive and replacement batteries are considerably less than other brands.

Pete

 

[JackLeg]

+1 for the Makita! (The white one!) :icon_thum I own several drills and it's my favorite. Lighter than the PC and has a better chuck. PLENTY of power. I also have a couple Bosch drivers which I wouldn't want to be without. Driven LOTS of screws with them. LI is definitely the way to go until something better comes a long. The Makita charger is a "smart" charger also. :wsmile:

 

[Bas]

+1 on the Makita combo kit (drill/ impact driver). Lots of power, light-weight, long lasting charge. If mine died today I'd buy it again.

 

[scsmith42]

Gary, based upon your requirements I think that the Makita 18V's would be my first choice.

 

[kooshball]

Just to beat a dead horse... +1 for the Lithium Ion batter system. Whatever you get, make sure it is Li powered.

I have a cheap, 5-year old Li Hitachi that just keeps going and going; batteries will hold a charge for months...

 

[NCTurner]

So you guys really like the Makita's huh! I'll be looking into those.

Pete, on the Rigids have you had the need to work with the Depot on an exchange? How was it?

 

[TracyP]

Agree on the makita!!

 

[junquecol]

Pete, on the Rigids have you had the need to work with the Depot on an exchange? How was it?

Ridgid offers a "Lifetime Service Agreement", not warranty. You have to register your tool. I have several of their 12V LI drills, and have had battery replacement done twice, at no cost. But remember I use my drills at work, and run the snot out of them. In a year, I put a lifetime of homeowner use on a drill.

 

[Outa Square]

I just bought a Bosch 18v lithium ion drill for my father day's present. I was looking at the dewalt and admiring the makita. I only wanted to spend $100 so I was thrilled to get it for $85. Lowes has them on sell for $99 from time to time. I'll likely get another when that happens as I decided that two cordless drills of the same brand/model would be nice although the makita would be okay two but for the money the Bosch is my choice.

 

[Makinsawdust]

So you guys really like the Makita's huh! I'll be looking into those.

Put me in the Makita 18v Lithium ion camp as well. I've got several other cordless and I reach for the new white Makita everytime. This Makita 18v is my favorite due to weight, balance, power, compactness, and head to handle angle. This one just fits my hand better than any other drill I've ever used. The impact driver is a work horse as well. Also, the batteries charge in just 15 minutes.

 

[ehpoole]

I have had both of the Ryobi 18v drills - the nicad and li-ion. The lithium batteries died quickly. The old nicad has lasted 5x as long through lots of remodeling. It is a good bargain at 89 at Borg.

Your experience is quite the opposite of mine, I could never get the Ryobi NiCd batteries to last much more than a year -- beyond that they will lose all their charge within a matter of hours of being removed from the charger.

On the other hand, the Ryobi Lithium batteries have lasted nearly 3.5-4yrs (I bought my first sets when they first came out) before I had to replace my first and oldest lithium battery. Even so, the battery I replaced still held about 1/3-1/2 its original charge after all those years. I have a total of 6 lithium batteries at present so it isn't exactly a fluke.

My suspicion is that our usage patterns may well be where the explanation lies. If you regularly run your batteries until they are flat dead (or nearly so) then you are really better off with NiCd/NiMH batteries which pretty much thrive on that sort of abuse -- so much so that that sort of abuse literally helps to preserve them. Lithium batteries, though, do not like to be deeply discharged and will exhibit a far shorter lifespan if regularly and repeatedly discharged to their cutoff point. In fact, the Ryobi lithium battery that I had to replace recently is the very battery that is regularly (say once a week or so) run until its internal cutoff in a handheld shopvac, which I routinely use to clean up the shop after a days work.

My general usage pattern consists primarily of lots of relatively shallow discharges - seldom much more than 50% -- with many shallow recharges at the end of each day. Not only do lithium batteries thrive when presented with this sort of usage pattern, but they do not suffer the annoying memory affects that rapidly cripple NiCd & NiMH batteries when subjected to the same pattern (yeah, I know they claim NiMH don't suffer from the 'memory effect' -- total BS). That said, if I were the sort of user who regularly ran my batteries until dead before recharging, the NiCd's (or NiMH's) would truly shine and the Lithiums would tend to come up short by comparison.

Something to consider when choosing a battery technology.

 

[ewingda]

Probably somewhat accurate about usage patterns.

I was referring to overall lifetime. The Ryobi LiOn died - dead in a 2 yrs. The NiCad just died - 6 yrs or so.

I normally dont run my batts to full discharge. I did more on the NiCad because the homes I had needed more work (windows, siding, etc.). Now I just add on here and there (New house). - So I dont discharge as much.


The battery technology is a factor - but 1-2 yrs is ridiculous on either one. I attribute some of this to Ryobi/TTi as being a lower end tool (but if memory serves TTI makes Milwaukee - so what gives?). I rarely hear of this kind of issue about Makita, Bosch etc. Thus my move to "better" tools. But statistically even the best product has problems.

I would assume NiCad will die off soon as LiOn become "standard" and builds a economy of scale. (not that is goo or bad...just economics).

Happy drillin!!

Dave

 

[Russ Denz]

Gary,
A BIG +1 on the Makita Li-Ion drill and driver, too. You know I change tools like socks, and while that doesn't say much for my hygeine, I've had AND USED REGULARLY - another rarity for me - my Makita "white ones" longer than any other tool in my revolving-door shop! If I was to buy another drill, it would be the new Makita lightweight model(s). And that's the truth....(Ruth Buzzie)
Russ

 

[bwat]

Another + for the lithium ion models. Peronally like the Bosch. :icon_thum

 

[jmauldin]

I have a 18v. Grizzly that is in great shape. I really don't need it anymore since I was given a new Bosch 18v. drill AND 18v. driver. It is not lithium, but has plenty of power and holds a charge for a long time. I have an extra battery as well as the charger. I don't recall what I paid for it, but if you are interested I will make you a good deal.
Jim in Mayberry