Recommendations on a new cordless Drill

[buildintechie]

Hey all-
I thing its getting time to retire my 10 year old Dewalt 18v XRP cordless drill/driver. I've had the batteries refurbed once, and the clutch is really starting to slip when it bears down under alot of torque, no matter what the torque adjust collar is set on.

I'm intrigued by this new Li-Ion fad...and the kits I see that now include both a drill and an impact gun. Anybody have any recommendations for a product? I'm thinking about asking for it for my birthday that is coming up.

I've seen, and played with both the Makita brand and Hitachi brand...but I've always loved DeWalt.

Anybody have recommendations, comments, thoughts?

Thanks

 

[Bas]

I've been very happy with the Makita 18V combo kit. Plenty of power for both woodworking as well as DIY, and the batteries have lasted very well so far. The best part is the low weight, it makes a big difference.

 

[Canuck]

Jeff.

Bas introduced me to the Makita 18V Lithium-Ion VS drill and impact driver set a couple of years ago and it is still going strong. (Mine came with a flashlight as well however it hasn't impressed me much!)

Really like the light weight, balance and lower profile for the tight spots. Has an LED to light the way as well. The impact driver is great for 2" screws in the rough stuff ...like framing. I don't generally use it to drive screws in furniture builds (ie pocket screws etc.). It is too easy to overdrive the screw. I prefer the clutch on the drill/driver.

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-LCT200W-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless/dp/B000V2DSE2/ref=pd_cp_hi_1

Recharge time is pretty quick however the batteries do maintain a long life unless they are being worked real hard. (Have not run out of battery life on a project yet!

Wayne

 

[bobby g]

+1 on the Makita. Been pleased with mine too.

bobby g

 

[Phil S]

Makita for sure. I use them every day and they are great. Make sure you get the new brushless version, it has only been offered a few months and many vendors have the old style still on their shelves. This new style motor is much better and uses less power so your batteries will last longer.

 

[SteveHall]

My opinion? You pretty much can't go wrong with any of them these days.

The Feb.2011 Consumer Reports buying guide is a good read. If you have a subscription you can check out their individual model ratings. (They put all these near the top: Hitachi, Panasonic, Makita, Ridgid, DeWalt, Craftsman, Porter-Cable, Ryobi.)

Makita is the class of the field. I first used their cordless models on job sites in the 80's! But I don't think you can go wrong with Bosch, DeWalt, Ridgid, Milwaukee, or Hitachi. Some other brands are more for home owners or as low investment contractor tools: Ryobi, Craftsman, Skil, Black&Decker, Porter-Cable.

It all gets a little more ambiguous once you realize that many of these are the same company. TTI makes Ridgid, Craftsman and Milwaukee. Stanley owns Black & Decker, DeWalt, and Porter-Cable. Bosch owns Skil.

I did a bunch of research a few years back and settled on the Ridgid 18v Li setup because it had a decent form factor, lifetime warranty on batteries, and was on sale for a kit also including an impact driver, reciprocating saw, and an extra battery. Plus I live close to a Home Depot. Given that most buyers consider these ancilary factors as important as basic reliability or power considerations, you can tell the market is crowded with similarly capable models. And that most consider Makita the lightest, smallest, and most powerful by a whisker because they are a little more expensive than the rest. (Basic law of economics: price is indicative of demand, not quality!)

 

[bwat]

I've been very satisfied with the Bosch drills as have several co-workers. Never owned the Makita drills but I have their circular saw that has been a gem. Lots of reviews online as well. As others have stated, there are many good choices out there today and the technology continues to improve.

 

[cpw]

Steve gave a pretty good run down and I cannot argue with his assessment that you really can't go wrong with any of the top brands.

I have a Ryobi One 18v drill that came in a combo pack that LOML bought for me several years back when the line was still new and the One+ line had just been introduced. I have upgraded to Lithium batteries and that has made all the difference. They run longer on a charge and with more even power, and they hold a charge for months. I don't get into the shop regularly, so it's great knowing that when I do, I don't have to think about charging batteries before I can get anything done. I have abused that drill, including drilling multiple holes in concrete block, and it still runs great. I never touch my corded drill. I don't need to.

I also love the variety of tools that Ryobi offers that run off the same battery. I have the drill, 5 1/2" circular saw, reciprocating saw, work light, and the string trimmer, which they discontinued and reintroduced in the One+ line.

If I was going to do it now, I would strongly consider the Ridgid line because of the lifetime battery replacement.

Cheers,
Charles

 

[Bill Clemmons]

I have the 12v combo set from Porter-Cable and have been very satisfied. Previously I used a 12v drill/driver by DeWalt, and debated whether to upgrade to a 14v or even the 18v. But the 12v has always done everything I asked it to do, so I stayed w/ that. No regrets.

Bill

 

[morgantm]

I have both the 20v Li-Ion Dewalt set and the Ridgid 18v Li-Ion Driver and Drill and they are both fantastic. The Dewalt has a little narrower grip than I would prefer but thats a minor complaint. I'm not a huge fan of the separate trigger to activate the light on the Ridgid set but it works well enough. I would buy either set again

 

[Gofor]

I have DeWalt. both 12 and 18v. I have been very happy with both. If you already have DeWalt 18v, realize the 18v nicads and the Li-Ion batts are interchangeable. Not so with the new 12 v compact line they introduced. You may have to pick up a charger for the Li-Ions if they don't come with one. The new chargers will do the old batteries, but not necessarily vice versa.

IMO, you will want the 18v for the impact driver unless you are using it just for small wood screws. I use mine with sockets on equipment and driving lag bolts, etc, and need the extra umph.

Before you buy, you may want to check out customer satisfaction with the particular brand's Li-Ion batteries and chargers. Some brands seem to have had a lot of problems with the chargers giving false indications or refusing to charge good batteries.

JMTCW

Go

 

[DanR]

I have the 12V Hitachi driver and drill. They have been great. I bought them at Big Sky Tool (refurbs). I always try to buy the "Grade C" refurbs as they are very cheap (C stands for Cosmetic, so they have a scratch or two).

Big Sky:

http://bigskytool.com/

For the other brands CPO is having a sale:

http://www.cpooutlets.com/shop-our-...outlets-summer,default,pg.html&ref=em20120807

 

[sawman101]

Used a 12v Porter Cable or years, until the batteries went to Heaven. Limited budget caused my wife to buy a Black N Decker drill/driver for Christmas. The drill expired after driving less than 50 screws. Bought another Porter Cable Li Drill/Driver combo and pleased to death with them. Holds charge a long time and recharges very rapidly. It was also the best buy that day.

 

[bluedawg76]

Personally, i prefer a corded drill. i'm rarely far from an outlet and don't have to worry about charging. Plus I prefer the extra hp when needed. I think i've grabbed my cordless too many times to find it dead or have it die in the middle of a project. I grew tired of replacing my drill every couple of years b/c the batteries (non-li ion) died. On the last round, I wasn't willing to splurge for a Li-ion type which are supposed to be better (and I don't need another flashlight). So now I have a compact Dewalt 3/8" corded drill (8amp) that is my go to. It was about half the price of a cordless and about the same weight and size. While it is variable speed i.e. how hard I pull the trigger, it does not have a clutch, nor is an impact driver, which can be a nice features. just my $0.02

Sam

 

[Mad Dog]

Just to add to Dan's comment, BigSky is having a 20% (!!!) off moving sale today:

http://bigskytool.com/Grade_C_Reconditioned___c488.aspx?source=email120807

Use this coupon code at checkout:

SAVEONC98

For example, 18v lithium driver/drill reconditioned (maybe w flashlight) $65.60

Cheers!

 

[Don Alexander]

having used in the last few weeks( for installing casework, 1 1/2" solid maple wal caps etc) the new Makita brushless 18v , the Rigid 18v and the new Milwaukee 18v brushless
i will give you my impression of all 3 : Makita - slightly lighter than the other 2, good power, size and balance
Rigid - (the set that HD currently has on sale for $179) just slightly longer than the Makita, a bit heavier but also a bit better power (525 in. lbs of torque as opposed to 500) it is noticable on long screws into heavy material but not a deal breaker IMO , price for this is attractive and performance will not disappoint also if you play the paperwork game they have setup lifetime warranty on all parts including batteries , good balance
Milwaukee brushless - on par with Makita price point , 650 in lbs of torque is definitely noticable compared to the other 2, excellent battery life per charge , just slightly longer in length than the other 2 (about 3/4" longer than Makita and about 1/4" longer than Rigid)

big plus for the Rigid is the lifetime warranty and battery replacement and the price point , BIG minus (for me at least) is lack of a complete line of other cordless tools such as a jig saw , multitool, etc which both Makita and Milwaukee have covered in spades

i went with the milwaukee because of the extra power and wide selection of tools to go with the same batteries to expand my setup , if all you want is a drill, hammerdrill, impact driver it would be hard to beat the Rigid don't think the Makita would disappoint anyone either hope that helps

 

[JackLeg]

:thumbs_up Makita!

 

[ScottM]

I can't tell you how screws I have driven with this but it is well into the 1000's. I am talking deck and shop building so not light weight stuff. BIL also has one. Around the holidays they normally sell for under $100.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_185475-70-D...uctId=3108421&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1

 

[Jeremy Scuteri]

I have the Makita LXT and I have been happy with it.

 

[eyekode]

Jeff,
I have dewalt 18v XRP. My last set if batteries lasted 10 years but I don't use my drill every day. If it were me I would just buy a new drill to go with the batteries you have. Or pick up a used drill. Lots of people pretty much give away the drill if their batteries die. If you end up not needing your old batteries let me know .
Salem