which power tools are most reliable?

[luv2liv]

i have been using Milwaukee battery drills. performance is excellent but reliability is awful. i dont have the exact model number these look similar to the ones i have https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2691-22-18-Volt-Compact-Impact/dp/B001F7BIMG/
recently both of them failed on me. the motor and drill bits would spin. BUT as soon as i apply the bits onto the surface, such as wood, the bit stops spinning immediately while i can see the motor still spin. cost of repair is exactly the same as buying brand new. i didnt even use them that much and i never abuse the drills either.

what portable drills are most reliable in your experience? are Dewalt any good?

 

[snoopy7548]

I guess it's not really portable, but for drills (and all power tools, really) I prefer corded over cordless. I bought a used Dewalt drill off some guy on Craigslist for like $20 and it works flawlessly - no need to ever worry about batteries. Maybe you should try one; worst-case, you're out $20.

 

[herm0016]

the Milwaukee stuff is usually very good, better than many other brands. is the chuck spinning? seems like maybe there is more to this story.

i have Rigid battery tools and have been very happy with them. i am not a contractor, but do use them a lot, we do all our own work on our house and often help friends. i do agree, that you should have a simple corded drill, they have more power and they are dead simple machines. we have a dewalt and it works great.

 

[lxskllr]

Boss has had two Milwaukee impact drivers die, both replaced under warranty. It was part of a kit. Brushless fuel cell. Dunno the exact model.

 

[Greenman]

I've had good luck with DeWalt. I stick with them now because I have a thousand bucks worth of batteries. For a homeowner Ryobi is hard to beat.
Keep in mind that all brushless tools are more fragile than brushed.

 

[BoomerD]

the Milwaukee stuff is usually very good, better than many other brands. is the chuck spinning? seems like maybe there is more to this story.

i have Rigid battery tools and have been very happy with them. i am not a contractor, but do use them a lot, we do all our own work on our house and often help friends. i do agree, that you should have a simple corded drill, they have more power and they are dead simple machines. we have a dewalt and it works great.

I also went with Ridgid for most of my cordless power tools. Maybe not the best on the market, but their "lifetime service agreement" makes up (for me) some of the difference.
I have 2 Dewalt 20v tools...a small chainsaw for use when "beach logging," and a cordless weed whacker. Both work well enough.

My experience with Ryobi is that it's pretty much junk. i picked up a couple of sets back in the NiCad battery days...most worked OK for a time...until the batteries wend to shit, but the small 4-1/2"?)circular saws both "exploded" fell apart in my hands the first times I tried to cut some 2/4" plywood with them.

 

[bigi]

Makita 18V. /thread

 

[mindless1]

TLDR; I disagree, you must've been doing something wrong.

Milwaukee is considered by most to be one of the top, contractor grade brands and are very reliable, but no matter what you get, you must operate within the limits of what that tool can do, not push it too hard. Using that strategy, more and more pros are even using homeowner grade brands like Ryobi or Craftsman.

I wouldn't call Ryobi junk. I used the Craftsman version of a drill (both CMan and Ryobi have been very similar lines from TTI until the recent CMan line from Stanley B&D) dozens to hundreds of times a day in a trade years ago, and they have only gotten better since then, especially their current generation Li-Ion tools, BUT you need to consider how heavy duty and expensive a model you need, as Ryobi as well as the pro brands, offer different tools at different price points.

My ancient 9.6V Craftsman drill still works. My slightly less ancient 14.4V Dewalt drill still works. Neither of them still make batteries for these models (except 3rd party junk generic batt packs) so I've rebuilt the battery packs on both, but could not justify doing it again (due to being NiCd) so I went with Ryobi because they've kept the same battery pack format for far far longer than anyone else.

I currently have a few Li-Ion powered Ryobi tools including some that're brushless and am quite happy with them, yet I still use a corded hammerdrill for masonry, a big, slow, electronic drill for high torque mixing/etc, and a drill press any time I can take the work to it.

There are so many different TYPES of drills because each has its virtues for a particular job. You didn't go into depth enough about what exactly failed on your Milwaukee but if you stripped the drivetrain out, odds are you were trying to use too much torque and in that case if you want to go cordless you should use an impact driver or impact wrench.

Yes Dewalt are good, if you get their upper tier models. Their lower tier aren't much better than homeowner grade (sometimes worse if comparing a low tiered Dewalt to a higher tiered Ryobi/etc), but have fairly expensive batteries.

The same is true of Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, but paying a premium for a high end tool is not a good substitute for using the right type of tool for the job, and yet on the other hand what you linked is one of Milwaukee's low end drills so you'd get a more robust Milwaukee at a higher price point.

Drill Drivers, Hammer , Magnetic and Right-Angle Drills | Milwaukee Tool

Shop heavy duty drilling power tools including drivers, hammer drills, magnetic drills, right angle drills and more.

www.milwaukeetool.com

If your drills are no longer under warranty but are compatible with their current generation battery packs, then I would get another, but higher tier Milwaukee drill as a bare tool and reuse the batteries and charger.

 

[Greenman]

Makita 18V. /thread

Makita is pretty good. One of my guys has Makita cordless tools, they work. My Dewalt impact driver is stronger than the Makita, though not enough to matter unless we're driving a bunch of SDS screws.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I guess it's not really portable, but for drills (and all power tools, really) I prefer corded over cordless. I bought a used Dewalt drill off some guy on Craigslist for like $20 and it works flawlessly - no need to ever worry about batteries. Maybe you should try one; worst-case, you're out $20.

I agree! But sometimes where you are working demands a battery over a corded!

 

[luv2liv]

Milwaukee hammer drill model 2602-20 and impact drill model 2650-20 failed within months of each other.
both failed while driving through wood (those fake ikea wood type). in fact, the 1inch spade bit is still stuck to my impact driver. no idea how to get it out.

 

[bigi]

Makita is pretty good. One of my guys has Makita cordless tools, they work. My Dewalt impact driver is stronger than the Makita, though not enough to matter unless we're driving a bunch of SDS screws.

There are MANY Makita 18V impact drivers.

There is the XWT08Z which will kill anything in its path. There are a few of the smaller caliber 18V as well.
We really need to compare similar models to get meaningful results.

 

[Greenman]

There are MANY Makita 18V impact drivers.

There is the XWT08Z which will kill anything in its path. There are a few of the smaller caliber 18V as well.
We really need to compare similar models to get meaningful results.

Fair enough.
I don't get emotionally involved in one brand over another. I buy what works. Some years back Makita had an issue with battery failure, I had about a quarter of my batteries fail. At that point I switched from Makita to DeWalt. They have since corrected that issue, but I have so much invested in DeWalt batteries that there has to be a really compelling reason before I'll change brands again.
It's unfortunate that you always end up locked into one system because of the cost of batteries. That investment can far outstrip the cost of the tools I use.

 

[luv2liv]

Fair enough.
I don't get emotionally involved in one brand over another. I buy what works. Some years back Makita had an issue with battery failure, I had about a quarter of my batteries fail. At that point I switched from Makita to DeWalt. They have since corrected that issue, but I have so much invested in DeWalt batteries that there has to be a really compelling reason before I'll change brands again.
It's unfortunate that you always end up locked into one system because of the cost of batteries. That investment can far outstrip the cost of the tools I use.

if only there's an adapter for batteries to be used on other tools...
a little off topic, i got this Milwaukee adapter so i can charge usb devices using my tools' batteries https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-49-24-2371-M18-Power-Source/dp/B008PTP0SK/ got from ebay for $15

 

[bigi]

if only there's an adapter for batteries to be used on other tools...
a little off topic, i got this Milwaukee adapter so i can charge usb devices using my tools' batteries https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-49-24-2371-M18-Power-Source/dp/B008PTP0SK/ got from ebay for $15

There is one for my needs. Even though I am a Makita user, their nailer BLOWS. I bought a RYOBI one and has been excellent. I got an Makita to Ryobi adapter and use Ryobi with my Makita batteries.

 

[mindless1]

Milwaukee hammer drill model 2602-20 and impact drill model 2650-20 failed within months of each other.
both failed while driving through wood (those fake ikea wood type). in fact, the 1inch spade bit is still stuck to my impact driver. no idea how to get it out.

Is it a spring release chuck that won't move to release or is the bit or chuck hole deformed?

I'd try vice grips on the chuck if it won't release or on the bit if the latter deformation, tapping the VGs with a hammer. A shot of penetrant or light oil couldn't hurt.

 

[luv2liv]

There are MANY Makita 18V impact drivers.

There is the XWT08Z which will kill anything in its path. There are a few of the smaller caliber 18V as well.
We really need to compare similar models to get meaningful results.

this one? https://www.amazon.com/Makita-XWT08Z-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Cordless/dp/B01CA04RH4/
how to tell if model is high or lower end from Makita?
this is very confusing for people buying the lower end model without knowing. when that breaks down too easily, then off course the company will get bad rep.

 

[mindless1]

^ Let's back up a bit. Greenman was referring to a Dewalt Impact Driver, then bigi mentioned XWT08Z which is instead an Impact Wrench. Besides the 1/2" drive instead of 1/4" chuck, they are meant for different purposes since that impact wrench is much larger and heavier to support much higher torque, higher torque than you could ever use with a 1/4" bit.

Most 1/4" bits fail below 100lb-ft torque, but I'd still rather have a tool built capable of it and use it within the limits of the bit... just don't loan such a tool to your neighbor to try to get his lug nuts off with your bit or it may come back sheared in two, while that 1/2" impact driver bigi mentioned, would have no problem using 1/2" drive to an impact socket to do far higher torque than any passenger vehicle lug nuts.

I'm sure there is someone out there that uses an impact driver for their lug nuts, but it is the wrong tool for the job, and similarly you wouldn't want a 1/2" drive impact wrench then use reducer adapters for 1/4" bits if you didn't have to because of the size, the wobble of using an adapter, risk of breaking fasteners, etc.

 

[Greenman]

^ Let's back up a bit. Greenman was referring to a Dewalt Impact Driver, then bigi mentioned XWT08Z which is instead an Impact Wrench. Besides the 1/2" drive instead of 1/4" chuck, they are meant for different purposes since that impact wrench is much larger and heavier to support much higher torque, higher torque than you could ever use with a 1/4" bit.

Most 1/4" bits fail below 100lb-ft torque, but I'd still rather have a tool built capable of it and use it within the limits of the bit... just don't loan such a tool to your neighbor to try to get his lug nuts off with your bit or it may come back sheared in two, while that 1/2" impact driver bigi mentioned, would have no problem using 1/2" drive to an impact socket to do far higher torque than any passenger vehicle lug nuts.

I'm sure there is someone out there that uses an impact driver for their lug nuts, but it is the wrong tool for the job, and similarly you wouldn't want a 1/2" drive impact wrench then use reducer adapters for 1/4" bits if you didn't have to because of the size, the wobble of using an adapter, risk of breaking fasteners, etc.

I believe Bosch makes an impact driver that's 1/4 and 1/2 inch. Regular 1/2" drive with a 1/4" hex hole in the middle. Not sure who the target market is.

 

[mindless1]

^ Someone who is too cheap to buy both (or wants to keep their options open), or maybe climbing a cell tower/etc where they need both types of tools and # of tools and weight is an issue. At the same time, if the anvil is strong enough with the 1/4" slot in it, more options isn't necessarily bad if you know how to make best use of them. Recognize the limitations of the size drive/bit/quality you're using and you're golden.

The next evolution I hope for is a (roughly) accurate adjustable clutch on a 3/8" impact driver, and of course a proliferation of 3/8" bits. It's seldom that I would use an impact driver yet find that the shank diameter is too big for the available hole/recess diameter with 3/8". I imagine it could "almost" completely replace 1/4".

Then again, I'd convert to metric in a heartbeat and settle on 10mm if there was industry support.

 

[luv2liv]

i think i will buy this Makita drill hammer https://www.amazon.com/Makita-XPH10Z-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Driver-Drill/dp/B01AD1007I/
sometimes the bits i use are not hex but round. thanks everyone

 

[Torn Mind]

Buy Harbor Freight's Lithium-ion cheapo drill unless you actually need more. 27 bucks after their usual 20% discount.

 

[Greenman]

Buy Harbor Freight's Lithium-ion cheapo drill unless you actually need more. 27 bucks after their usual 20% discount.

The problem with harbor freight is that it's bottom end stuff. They do have a few decent tools, but they also carry a whole lot of garbage. I had an HB concrete vibrator that died within 5 seconds of turning it on the first time. Picked up an HB 1/2" drill one day because I needed one right now and they were close, killed that within two weeks. Turned it in for a new one and it lasted another month or two under light use. The whole trick with HF is finding out what's good and what's trash.
They do have a top notch pocket screw jig, solid aluminium casting with steel inserts, quality tool.

 

[Torn Mind]

The problem with harbor freight is that it's bottom end stuff. They do have a few decent tools, but they also carry a whole lot of garbage. I had an HB concrete vibrator that died within 5 seconds of turning it on the first time. Picked up an HB 1/2" drill one day because I needed one right now and they were close, killed that within two weeks. Turned it in for a new one and it lasted another month or two under light use. The whole trick with HF is finding out what's good and what's trash.
They do have a top notch pocket screw jig, solid aluminium casting with steel inserts, quality tool.

Harbor Freight provides the same China experience as Milwaukee, but for less performance and cost. It also is basically a Ryobi with a more strict return policy, since Home Depot can still give store credit after the 90-day return period. Like with all made in China products, heavy stress testing can expose the bad apples in the sample. Judging by the reviews, it seems that the HF works adequately for non-professional use. Electric motors are the one thing that's hard to screw up.

The particular drill I'm talking about is the Warrior Lithium one they have; I do not own it.

My mom actually bought the old school blue Drillmaster and the batteries are from neglect, but for drilling basic things, it does that task and could still keep going if the batteries weren't shot. It can drill for a little bit. Since Harbor Freight obsoleted the old Drillmaster, I suspect that it became too good to keep selling because people just started swapping batteries and returning.

 

[mindless1]

^ Can't agree with that, The HF $27 drill is just straddling the fence between generic junk and major brand tools. Ryobi's low end is at least two shelves higher quality and their upper tier current generation, closer to three shelves where Milwaukee starts but then Milwaukee finishes another shelf higher.

Maybe for very light hobby use the HF drill would cut it, but if the budget were that tight and the jobs that undemanding, then I'd sooner recommend a corded drill which will probably last for around 50X as many uses, providing it is a 3/8" major brand drill to hit a similar price point instead of a HF or generic, or get a 1/2" used major brand from a pawn shop or garage sale. I mean 50X as many uses right away, not a factor of whether the battery craps out later, which it will.