Power tool brand to buy for general stuff?

[Red Squirrel]

I recently started buying more cordless tools and decided to go Ryobi, I like that they use the same battery for all tools. It may not be the top of the line or super skookum but for a home gamer it's good enough for the girls I go out with.

 

[rommelrommel]

Boss needs a drill. What would you look for in a professional battery drill?

Go brushless and a premium brand.

 

[BoomerD]

FWIW, I'm still using the Ridgid cordless drill/driver I bought in 2011. I picked up another one along with an impact driver a couple of years ago. The old drill works every bit as well as the new one EXCEPT that the chuck is starting to wear out. (won't hold 1/16" bits tightly anymore) Surprisingly, the cordless drills have more torque/power than an older (1998) Craftsman 3/8" corded drill or a corded (2017) Dewalt 3/8" that I have.

Between the three tools, (2 drills,1 impact driver) I have 5 batteries that are interchangeable, so I have power all day.

 

[Elganja]

my makita set is still going strong 10 years later... battery life is still fantastic and they charge very quickly when i do need to recharge them

 

[Carson Dyle]

Bosch 12v

If he has the money and he'll be building things where he needs to drive screws, be sure to get both a drill/driver and an impact driver. For around the house stuff and smaller building jobs, 12 volt Li-ion tools are more than sufficient.

 

[gorobei]

seriously, 30 posts and the closest to mentioning AvE is redsquirrel's offhand reference.

https://www.youtube.com/user/arduinoversusevil

for those who havent perused all his BoredOfLameToolReviews boltr series: short version, all the brands are all more or less crap(non-skookum) with some critical part designed to fail in serious use. if you only use them a few times a month/year, it doesnt matter. even the big names with longtime reputations are in the race to the bottom. a few gems slip thru but it is all commodity now.

if you want to learn about how and why the sausage is made, he does full teardowns and analysis of tools and their components.

 

[ctbaars]

The shiny one on display ...

 

[Ns1]

super happy with my ryobi collection. I love it so much I'm 8 batteries deep.

 

[Greenman]

You kinda need brand loyalty with cordless, no? It helps a lot to have compatible batteries/chargers.

When you go cordless, you're buying into an ecosystem, so it needs to be what you want. For homeowners, Ryobi and Riged seem to be the best.
I have a very large investment in 20 and 60 volt DeWalt tools and battery's, I won't be jumping ship unless someone comes up with game changing new system.

 

[Greenman]

Go brushless and a premium brand.

Brushless are more sensitive to water damage, that matters sometimes.