Cordless Drill. Craftsman or Ryobi?

[Bob151]

My Craftsman 15.6 from 1998-9 has done just fine, but one battery is completely dead, the other doesn't hold the charge for long. I wish to replace the drill. I just got the 19.2 kit with the driver/drill plus the RA drill and two 19.2 batteries for $99. Boy could I have used that RA drill dozens of times in the past. I haven't yet opened it.

I think some people pick on Craftsman, but I'm not sure of the reasons. Mine has done fine. I've rehabed a home and an apartment with it. Just this past summer, it slid off the edge of the ~8' high roof and fell one story to the driveway. Besides marginally scared plastic, nothing was wrong with it.

I have just noticed that my 15.6 is the "Professional" version. I thought Sears called them all "Professional" for simple marketing purposes. I do know that the non-professional version's warrenty says the warrenty is only good for 90 days if used in professional applications. Maybe that means the "Professional" version is really more than the regular version (the new one in the box) and I wont get the reliable performance I have gotton from the 15.6 "Professional" version.

Dewalt is not an option, the price is just to high considering that I am not a professional. We use their products at work and I like the products, I just am not going to pay their price.

My other candidate is the Ryobi 18v product.

Comments on my two candidates, experiences?

 

[keeleysam]

Craftsman FTW

 

[mugs]

I *think* Ryobi makes some Craftsman power tools... so they might be the same thing more or less

I do have that Craftsman 19.2V drill and I love it. (and I've used it a lot... actually I used one every day in a previous job and they held up very well)

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: keeleysam
Craftsman FTW

Of the two you mentioned, Craftsman for sure.

Might check around Home Depot, they have lots of stuff on clearance lately, might be able to find somethign else.

 

[ThisIsMatt]

Some Craftsman stuff is/was rebadged Ryobi, so...all bets off

 

[Bob151]

Yea, I have driven around to the Home Depots in the past when the Dewalt stuff was reported as being clearanced in the HD forum. But I have never found any in my area when I looked.

I even stopped by 2 this week, nothing in their clearance section.

 

[mugs]

FYI, the 19.2V batteries are on sale for 2 for $19.99 on Black Friday if you want some spares... that's a killer deal.

 

[bootymac]

From what I know, Ryobi and Black & Decker = suck

But it gets the job done for the typical person

 

[Bob151]

Originally posted by: mugs
FYI, the 19.2V batteries are on sale for 2 for $19.99 on Black Friday if you want some spares... that's a killer deal.

Wow! Thanks for pointing that out. I hate going out on that day, I wonder if the Sears Hardware brand stores will honor the price. I do want to avoid the malls and big box stores.

 

[Evadman]

You have 3 choices in order of best to worst.
Dewalt
Milwaukee
Porter Cable

Once you use a dewalt you will understand why it is more expensive (but nowhere near the most expensive) By far, it is the best value for the money. If you don't use it professionaly (as in day in day out) it will last longer than you will. the first portable non-cheap drill I bought was a 14.4 dewalt in 96 (I think, not sure) and ti still works great today. It is in my collection alon with like 15 other drills from just about everyone. (from 7.2 to 24 volts) The dewalt stuff has outlasted everything else, even my milwaukee 18v sawsall I got in '97ish.

I have dropped drills off of the top of roofs, out of moving trucks, heck I even used the battery from my 24v as a wheel chock. I have broken exactly one dewalt drill in my life, and it was when someone ran it over with a forklift when I was working on a display at HD. I have broken just bout everything else. B&D, Craftsman, ryobi (total crap!), makita, porter cable, and countless throwaway drills (you know the on sale for $19-$39 ones made by god knows who)

Craftsman is a good brand becauseof the warranty behind it tough, and they are damn good for a homeowner. but if you want it to last forever get a dewalt.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: mugs
I *think* Ryobi makes some Craftsman power tools... so they might be the same thing more or less

I do have that Craftsman 19.2V drill and I love it. (and I've used it a lot... actually I used one every day in a previous job and they held up very well)

Most Craftsman electric tools are made by Emerson Electric.

 

[Googer]

http://www.gotoemerson.com/brands/index.html

 

[Farbio]

Dont go with ryobi - my 18v batteries are crapping out after about 3 years...pretty crappy if you ask me
i'm debating dewalt or one of the bosch sets they have on clearance at hd sometimes

 

[Xyclone]

Between those two, Craftsman, but they're built cheaply. A Black&Decker would be best in my opinion.

 

[TonyG]

I would stick with the Craftsman. I used my Craftsmans 15.6v drill to drill out a piece of a broken bolt extractor and then drill the rest of the broken bolt out. Nothing like a broken alternator pivot bolt.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Evadman
You have 3 choices in order of best to worst.
Dewalt
Milwaukee
Porter Cable

IMHO Bosch drills are even better.

 

[hellokeith]

Ryobi all the way. These people complaining about batteries don'tknow how to charge/use them correctly. Ryobi, best value for the money.

 

[Aquaman]

New Milwaukee V28 Power tools

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Mickey Eye]

The company I work for uses Dewalt for professional jobs, there is much better out there but for the money I'd stick with Dewalt.

 

[Dubb]

yeah, I'd look elsewhere. I got a $60 craftsman 14.4 V drill and I got maybe 15 charge cycles out of each of the packs. didn't use it much so they were out of warranty when I realized they never held more than 5 minues of charge.

get the cheapest dewalt or porter cable you can find. one of these days I'll drop the $500 for that six piece dewalt set. I think those are the best deal.

 

[Colt45]

bosch or dewalt

 

[Analog]

dewalt

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: mugs
I *think* Ryobi makes some Craftsman power tools... so they might be the same thing more or less

I do have that Craftsman 19.2V drill and I love it. (and I've used it a lot... actually I used one every day in a previous job and they held up very well)

This was on tv in the last 6 months,about batteries going to the Moon etc.

Black and Decker used to be great,but they have gotten cheap.

I own some Ryobi stuff,decent,especially for the price.:thumbsup:

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: Farbio
Dont go with ryobi - my 18v batteries are crapping out after about 3 years...pretty crappy if you ask me
i'm debating dewalt or one of the bosch sets they have on clearance at hd sometimes

If I'm not mistaken, nearly all brands of cordless rechargable batteries have a shelf life of 3 years. so that's not really a good reason.

I'd go with the craftsman anyway, 19.2 is bound to have a little more torque.

edit: doesn't dewalt make ryobi's cordless tools?

 

[Mickey Eye]

Yeah, the batteries do tend to go after 3 years. My brother in laws Bosch is on its way out after 3 very happy years.