Anybody know anything about cordless drills

[Saint Nick]

Get a new Li-Ion one that has a good power ratio (450 torque or greater) and you will change you mind.

I do wood working and home repairs and I only had wired drills. My new Li-Ion one with 460tq does everything I need and holds power long enough to do the job.

I feel like they are never strong enough for what I need to do, or the battery dies right when I get going on a project...

 

[Vette73]

I feel like they are never strong enough for what I need to do, or the battery dies right when I get going on a project...

What do you do?

As I said I use to only use corded when I worked as drilling into hard wood (hard maple, wenge, etc...) was to much for a cordless. But my 18v Li-Ion Hitichia does well. Its only rated at 460tq so around average to a hair above average for a good drill.

 

[iGas]

So... Hammer drill is for concrete drilling...

Impact drill is for??? Do people use these for driving wood screws or sockets to tighten nuts via impact?

Does anyone use an impact driver to drill pilots for wood screws?

I use hammer drill for concrete. Impact driver for driving screws/lag bolts, and sometimes tighten nut/bolts (however I can't tell how tight they are, therefore a ratchet wrench is what I prefer for nut/bolts).

I do not care for drilling pilots because the impact driver will make short work of that, unless it is for large deep lag bolt holes (the drill is for that purpose).

 

[iGas]

Electrical and general construction.

I'd say your best bet sub $200 if you're leaning towards the Makita would be the LCT200W (or comparable models). On-sale, you can get it for about $200 and it comes with a Compact Drill/Driver + Impact Driver, 2 compact batteries, softcase, and charger. If you carry the case around, I'd say invest $20 or so into a Makita hardcase off of eBay. The case will get beat to hell outside on a farm because it's fabric.

The alternative would be the Milwaukee 2691-22. It comes with the Compact Drill, Impact, 2 compact batteries, hardcase, and charger.

The reason I use the M12 set is that it's as light as a feather and is damn small. I don't need to use an 18v drill when putting in receptacles, devices, fixtures, short self-tappers, etc. If I do run into a problem where I need more torque, the M12 impact driver has 800+in/lbs.

My question is are you drilling through or driving into these boards/posts? An impact driver is far superior to a normal drill/driver for driving, with the exception of not having a clutch.

LOL, spoken like a true sparkie.

There are a few electricians that I have met prefer the Panasonic or Milwaukee, while everyone else that seriously pushes their tools hard prefer Dewalt or Makita.

<--- industrial & commercial heating plumbing/gasfiting/heatpump.

 

[slag]

Also, avoid Ryobi - their products are generally crap.

I don't know. I have a ryobi 18 volt drill and it works great, just as expected. Batteries last forever also.

 

[Vette73]

I don't know. I have a ryobi 18 volt drill and it works great, just as expected. Batteries last forever also.

Ryobi is the same level, IMO, as B/D. Ok for the home and light weekend stuff but for everyday or heavy use is not well suited.

 

[Saint Nick]

Ranges from wood work to concrete work. Sometimes driving screws into the concrete to hold studs to the floor. All of the cordless drills I used in the past were all pieces of junk with zero torque and no battery power. I haven't used a good one by any means, so I can't say anything about them.

I'm sure the new cordless drills are great.

 

[dougp]

I don't know. I have a ryobi 18 volt drill and it works great, just as expected. Batteries last forever also.

People who say avoid Ryobi are generally professionals who own professional series equipment, or people who think they need professional grade equipment for their weekend warriors projects. I'd never take my Ryobi power tools out to my Dad's property because they'd probably be destroyed, but for something to have around the house, they're great.

But I wouldn't take them on a cattle farm - my Dad sold power tools for 20 years, and I've never seen him use anything besides Makita, despite working in a DeWalt only store for the last few years before he retired. The set you can get at Home Depot is freaking awesome: http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardw...atalogId=10053

 

[Vette73]

Ranges from wood work to concrete work. Sometimes driving screws into the concrete to hold studs to the floor. All of the cordless drills I used in the past were all pieces of junk with zero torque and no battery power. I haven't used a good one by any means, so I can't say anything about them.

I'm sure the new cordless drills are great.

For concrete work I use corded, even today. I am sure there are cordless that can do it well but the cost differance between the 2 is to much IMO.

But for my wood working and building a good Li-Ion 18V works great. Make sure if looking to get one that has a battery rating of 1.4Ah or higher for longer battery life and something in the mid 400tq rating or better. The higher the number the longer the power, but also more weight.

 

[BigJ]

LOL, spoken like a true sparkie.

There are a few electricians that I have met prefer the Panasonic or Milwaukee, while everyone else that seriously pushes their tools hard prefer Dewalt or Makita.

<--- industrial & commercial heating plumbing/gasfiting/heatpump.

Day to day I use the Makita. On the rare occasion I need extra power, the Milwaukee stuff comes out. As far as weight, balance, reducing fatigue, and ergonomics, you can't beat the Makita LXT line for what I use it for.

The M18 system from Milwaukee is a hell of a lot better than the V18 Lithium Ion, which was heavy and weak. The only reason I run dual kits is I managed to make out like a bandit when Home Depot was running an M18 special. They had their 4 piece combo kit for $350, and when you bought $1000 worth of power tools, you got $300 off. The 4 piece combo came with the Compact Drill, Sawzall, Circular Saw, and Flashlight, with the Impact Driver included as a bonus. Milwaukee was also running a special where if you bought their 4 piece combo kit, you could get a free tool via MIR. So I got the 3 kits for ~$810 after tax, sold 2 of the kits for ~$400 each, got 3 free tools (grinder, Hammer Drill, battery) via MIR and kept the 5 piece combo kit. All for about $50 after everything (gas, postage, time, etc).

For circular saw blades, I almost always use Freud. I wound up getting the cheaper LXT Circular Saw (Home Depot clearance sale for about $30), which doesn't have the electronic brake. Just didn't like the performance on it at all, even with the Freud blades.

I also managed to pick up a ton of batteries for the Makita line when Home Depot was clearing out the 2 packs. The 2 pack of 3Ah batteries was $89, with the 2 pack of 1.5Ah batteries at $59. Used some Lowes coupons to sweeten it up a bit.

 

[iGas]

Ranges from wood work to concrete work. Sometimes driving screws into the concrete to hold studs to the floor. All of the cordless drills I used in the past were all pieces of junk with zero torque and no battery power. I haven't used a good one by any means, so I can't say anything about them.

I'm sure the new cordless drills are great.

Wrong application for a drill. What you need are impact drivers, however large lag bolts & concrete anchor bolts are going to be tough going even with impact driver (most 18V impact driver are in the high 1200 in.lbs to low 1300 in.lbs of torque, while 18V drills are in the mid 500 in.lbs at best.)

For non permanent construction I drill 3/16" hole in concrete and insert a bailing wire or two in it before I drive a common nail through to hold it down.

For permanent construction 3/16" hole and concrete nail. It is much faster and save you the aggravation of using bolts or screw.

 

[strep3241]

12V impact driver is okay for most light duty works, but drilling should be left for the 18~36V (unless you have only 1 or 2 wood holes to drill then 12V is fine).

The little 10.8V Bosch impact is my favorite driver for sheet metal work because it is small & light which is great for over head & tight corner works. And, the 18V Makita impacts come out to play went I need continuous work and driving long screws & lag bolts.

For 18V Milwaukees and Dewalts can't hold up a candle to my Makita XLT (there are several models of XLT drills) when we holesaws 1 1/4"~1 1/2" hole through schedule 40 black iron pipes all day long and heavy & bulky drills aren't a welcome in tight places and above head work. Infact the Makita XLT & 3Ah batteries would deliver roughly 8~9 holes on a charge, while the heavy & bulky Milwaukee 3~3.3Ah deliver a paltry 6 holes average per charge, and Dewalt 3 Ah get rougly 7 per charge. Therefore all of my coworkers tend to ask to borrow my drills when it time for them to drill holes in steel pipes.

I have to admit that the Makita sawall is not anywhere near the power of the Milwalkee & Dewalt, but I have to say that Makita 18V circular saw is my favorite saw to drag around for cutting wood or steel.

IMHO, it make absolute sense to get a 18V drill & impact driver combo, because the impact will be the one tool that you reach for 80~90% of the time for putting screws in and the drill is purely for drilling holes (in a pinch the impact can be use to drill pilot holes with hex shank bits but it is a slow process).

18V dedicated hammer drills are great for over head drilling in concrete (1/2" or 5/8" holes for steel anchor inserts), but I have to admit that the 36V is a much better tool for that.

When you say the XLT, do you mean the LXT version? I have been looking at the Makita LXT 18v version. Just didn't want to spend that much. I wouldn't use the hammer feature that much but you never know when it might come in handy. Let's say I would never use the hammer feature, would I be stupid to get a hammer drill? Is there anything that makes the hammer drill more durable or last longer over the regular drill?

Where would be a good place to check drills out? Who would have a better selection, Home Depot, Lowes, or Sears? I don't plan on buying one there, I just want to check them out in person before I buy one online.

 

[iGas]

When you say the XLT, do you mean the LXT version? I have been looking at the Makita LXT 18v version. Just didn't want to spend that much. I wouldn't use the hammer feature that much but you never know when it might come in handy. Let's say I would never use the hammer feature, would I be stupid to get a hammer drill? Is there anything that makes the hammer drill more durable or last longer over the regular drill?

Where would be a good place to check drills out? Who would have a better selection, Home Depot, Lowes, or Sears? I don't plan on buying one there, I just want to check them out in person before I buy one online.

You are right. It is LXT.

I keeps getting mixed up LXT with XLT, because the Dewalt is XRP.

Hit all of the big box stores, because not every store have every make and models. And it would be nice to buy from local distributors if you do look check them out at their stores.

You can save a bit buying online but nothing beat the service & warranty help when you buy at the local mom & pop shops.

PS. Get one with the highest torque at the lowest weight rating as possible.

 

[spacejamz]

Also, avoid Ryobi - their products are generally crap.

For 99% of the people reading this thread who will using their cordless drills as screw drivers and pretty light drilling projects, ryobi drills are just fine...

As nice as Dewalt drills might be, they are probably overkill for the majority out there. Is it really worth spending that much extra on a drill you are going to use how often??

I have gone through my share of cordless drills and primarily use corded ones now because it never fails that you find out that the both batteries will stop holding a charge in the middle of a project...

 

[spacejamz]

Ryobi is the same level, IMO, as B/D. Ok for the home and light weekend stuff but for everyday or heavy use is not well suited.

mmmm...Every day use and alot of people here post from their parent's basement everyday....I sense a conflict 🙂

 

[strep3241]

For 99% of the people reading this thread who will using their cordless drills as screw drivers and pretty light drilling projects, ryobi drills are just fine...

As nice as Dewalt drills might be, they are probably overkill for the majority out there. Is it really worth spending that much extra on a drill you are going to use how often??

I have gone through my share of cordless drills and primarily use corded ones now because it never fails that you find out that the both batteries will stop holding a charge in the middle of a project...

I just want something that is reliable and will last. I don't want to buy a cheaper model and come back in a few years and buy a new one again.

I have been looking at Dewalts on ebay and there doesn't seem to be very many lithium ion versions. I have always heard good things about Dewalt but my experience has not been that good. Not just with the drills but the batteries as well. Right now we have 4 batteries, 2 14.4 volt and 2 18 volt and all 4 of them are bad. The batteries don't seem to last or we just are not taking care of them properly.

I am seriously considering the Makita LXT BHP454. I am currently looking at this one on ebay;
http://cgi.ebay.com/Makita-BHP454-D...288?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c181ef8f8

Seems like a good deal but if I want it, I need to jump on it because it will not last. When I first seen that auction, the BIN price was $200, now it is up to $220 and he has already sold one. The only problem is he doesn't have very good feedback.

I would like to buy one locally but they will most likely costs alot more than online. I definitely want to go and check them out before I buy one.

 

[Doggiedog]

I've had an 18V Dewalt for the last 6 years. The NiCad batteries seem to stop holding charges pretty quickly though. I'd say within 1 yr the batteries were no good. I bought a Lithium battery for it and it's been two years and still holds a charge. Problem was that the battery cost me just as much as a drill. When I was at HD, they had a new 18V Dewalt with 2 Nicads for $200 or a single lithium battery for around $150. I just went with the battery instead.

 

[strep3241]

Yeah tell me about it. I just had to buy 2 18v Dewalt batteries for $90. That is cheap compared to these lithium batteries. I hope I will not be needing batteries for the new drill for many years.

 

[iGas]

I just want something that is reliable and will last. I don't want to buy a cheaper model and come back in a few years and buy a new one again.

I have been looking at Dewalts on ebay and there doesn't seem to be very many lithium ion versions. I have always heard good things about Dewalt but my experience has not been that good. Not just with the drills but the batteries as well. Right now we have 4 batteries, 2 14.4 volt and 2 18 volt and all 4 of them are bad. The batteries don't seem to last or we just are not taking care of them properly.

I am seriously considering the Makita LXT BHP454. I am currently looking at this one on ebay;
http://cgi.ebay.com/Makita-BHP454-D...288?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c181ef8f8

Seems like a good deal but if I want it, I need to jump on it because it will not last. When I first seen that auction, the BIN price was $200, now it is up to $220 and he has already sold one. The only problem is he doesn't have very good feedback.

I would like to buy one locally but they will most likely costs alot more than online. I definitely want to go and check them out before I buy one.

Keep the batteries in their chargers & plug it in if you want them to last, because batteries loses their charge over time. And, it died if you let the batteries discharge to below the point of no return threshold. Li-Ion hold their charge much longer than NiCad or Nimh, but they aren't impervious to discharge during storage (temperature also play a roll of discharge as well).

 

[strep3241]

Thanks for all the help.

I don't mind buying a reconditioned drill, I would rather buy a new one of course. Is there a difference between factory reconditioned and manufacturer refurbished? On either of those, what exactly is done? Is the whole drill completely rebuilt or do they just fix what ever they find wrong with it?

I went to Sears and Home Depot today to check out the prices. Sears did not have a good selection of drills at all. Home Depot had a pretty good selection. The Dewalt dcd970 was the heaviest of them all and it had a 3 speed transmission which I would like better. The rest of them have 2 speeds. The Dewalt was the most expensive drill too. It was $320 and the rest were about $280.

They had the same combo that I have been looking at on ebay, the Makita LXT211 which has the impact driver and hammer drill. The price was the same as most of them online were, $320. But I have found a few kits that around $200 to 250 on ebay.

I have been looking at the Dewalt dcd970 on ebay just to see how much they are and seen this posted on an ad, [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]the Dewalt transmission drills&#8217; Li-Ion batteries are backward compatible with preceding DeWalt Drills and run up to 2000 recharges.[/FONT]

Does this mean that I would be able to use the lithium battery in the drill that I have now which uses the standard Nicd battery?

 

[bruceb]

Yes, as long as it will fit in and is the same voltage as your old battery packs.

 

[iGas]

Thanks for all the help.

I don't mind buying a reconditioned drill, I would rather buy a new one of course. Is there a difference between factory reconditioned and manufacturer refurbished? On either of those, what exactly is done? Is the whole drill completely rebuilt or do they just fix what ever they find wrong with it?

I went to Sears and Home Depot today to check out the prices. Sears did not have a good selection of drills at all. Home Depot had a pretty good selection. The Dewalt dcd970 was the heaviest of them all and it had a 3 speed transmission which I would like better. The rest of them have 2 speeds. The Dewalt was the most expensive drill too. It was $320 and the rest were about $280.

They had the same combo that I have been looking at on ebay, the Makita LXT211 which has the impact driver and hammer drill. The price was the same as most of them online were, $320. But I have found a few kits that around $200 to 250 on ebay.

I have been looking at the Dewalt dcd970 on ebay just to see how much they are and seen this posted on an ad, [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]the Dewalt transmission drills&#8217; Li-Ion batteries are backward compatible with preceding DeWalt Drills and run up to 2000 recharges.[/FONT]

Does this mean that I would be able to use the lithium battery in the drill that I have now which uses the standard Nicd battery?

Dewalt is the only manufacture that design their batteries to be backward compatible.

Yes you can use the Li-Ion on an old Dewalt as long as the battery voltage and pot fit. However there is a catch, Li-Ion batteries can't be charge by older chargers.

Thus buying batteries and charger be a moot point because it would be the same price as buying a new complete kit.

 

[strep3241]

Dewalt is the only manufacture that design their batteries to be backward compatible.

Yes you can use the Li-Ion on an old Dewalt as long as the battery voltage and pot fit. However there is a catch, Li-Ion batteries can't be charge by older chargers.

Thus buying batteries and charger be a moot point because it would be the same price as buying a new complete kit.

Okay so I have a Dewalt circular and reciprocating saw that was bought in the same set along with the drill. Will the lithium batteries work in them as well? This set is about 3 years old and uses the 18v XRP batteries if that helps any

What do you mean when you say pot?

If I would have known this, I wouldn't have already bought 2 regular 18v batteries for the saws. I would just buy a Dewalt lithium drill that would come with 2 lithium batteries and a charger. I never would of thought that the lithium batteries would work in older tools.

If I do get a lithium drill, I hope I would never have to buy new lithium batteries. Those things are expensive, they better last a long time for how much they cost. I am guessing they are worth it or are they?

 

[iGas]

Okay so I have a Dewalt circular and reciprocating saw that was bought in the same set along with the drill. Will the lithium batteries work in them as well? This set is about 3 years old and uses the 18v XRP batteries if that helps any

What do you mean when you say pot?

If I would have known this, I wouldn't have already bought 2 regular 18v batteries for the saws. I would just buy a Dewalt lithium drill that would come with 2 lithium batteries and a charger. I never would of thought that the lithium batteries would work in older tools.

If I do get a lithium drill, I hope I would never have to buy new lithium batteries. Those things are expensive, they better last a long time for how much they cost. I am guessing they are worth it or are they?

All Dewalt 18V tools except Dewalt 18V Li-Ion.

Pot is the battery connection style (some older power tool batteries are slotted design, and some tool batteries are sliding rail type).

Lithium batteries are much lighter and are expensive because it costs 2X as much to make compare to NiCad or Nimh

My 18V 3Ah Li-Ion are $159 each locally. I could get them for less online for less but most of the time I need them right away so it I have to pay for the service.

Excellent explanation on tools Li-Ion batteries: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUVW7C5o89I&feature=player_embedded

 

[strep3241]

I wish I would have known that the lithium batteries worked in the older tools before I went and bought 2 standard 18v xrp batteries.

Yikes, I can get 2 Dewalt 18v lithium batteries on ebay for about $160, they don't say what the amp rating is. I know you said you needed it right away but you could save alot by buying online.

I am beginning to wonder if lithium batteries are worth it. Take a look at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3HEpG0BOO8

The regular battery was a couple of years old and drilled almost as many holes as the brand new lithium battery. From what I have been reading, lithium batteries do better in the cold weather. That is probably when the drill will get used the most. So maybe it would be worth it in my case. The thing is on the Dewalt lithium batteries, every listing I looked at on ebay does not list the amp rating. I would like to have one that is 3.0 rated.

The one I did not realize about the regular batteries is you can not put them on the charger if they are halfway drained, it supposedly damages the battery. We have done that several times, get done with a job and put it on charge so it is ready the next time. Maybe that is why the batteries went out.

Back to the drill decision, I may just look at another Dewalt drill with the lithium batteries just because we have 2 other dewalt cordless tools. I have been looking at the dcd970 drill which I can get for about $250 on ebay that includes 2 lithium batteries, charger case and drill. At Home Depot, the same drill is $330.

Also, while at Home Depot I noticed a Ridgid 18v drill. I can't remember the price but it had a Lifetime warranty on everything upon registration. I wonder if that is through Home Depot or through Ridgid? Are Ridgid tools any good? I would think they are since they have a lifetime warranty on them.