So many models of Cordless Drill / Drivers, help!

MikeCh

MikeCh

Active member
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
1,961
Location
Colorado
I need to finally replace an old and beat SKIL cordless drill / driver with a decent unit.

Seems the standard now is 18v Lithium Ion technology which is fine as it provides ample power and lighter weight.

My needs are 100% general use. I don't need a specialty combo pack that might include a hammer drill or impact driver or recip saw. 3/8" or 1/2" chuck is fine. All the current models / brands appear to have clutch drive adjustment and two speeds which are needed.

I prefer Makita or Milwaukee brand as I've used them over the years and they just feel right but am open to other suggestions too.

What do you recommend either from discontinued models that are "must have" and might be found NOS or from current model offerings?

Thanks.
 
My Makita drills are more reliable and durable than my DeWalt's. But I do like DeWalt tools best overall though.
 
Can't go wrong with Makita.
Ryobi has improved a good deal over the years. So you might look at them.
Might look at Craftsman as well
 
I have two DeWalt 18V drills. One has a hammer drill and the other doers not. They are both very well balanced and have a comfortable grip and LOTS of torque.
 
Having worked in an industrial setting for years, certain brands stood up better.
Makita, DeWalt and Bosch were always reliable. Milwaukee was about 50/50, and Ryobi, while getting better, was good only for casual use.
I use DeWalt primarily at home. Price to performance is great and availability is better than Makita in my area.
 
My eight year old DeWalt 18 volt battery hammer drill is still performing well. I had to buy fresh batteries (2) a couple of years ago, but that's it. Great battery drill.
 
Thanks guys.

I think I'll stick with my original plan and go with Makita (Dewalt feels too big for my hands). It also appears that pricing for a drill / driver + two batteries + charger and case is about the same price as a combo pack of the same drill / driver, batteries, charger and case with an additional impact driver frame. I do admit, using an impact driver to remove old and impacted screws does have it's merits. Heck, in that regard it allows a nice driving method option too.

Now to find a sale!

Thanks again.
 
After years of dinking around with one offs, one year I finally broke down and bought a lot of dewalt stuff, which has done well for me over the past 12 years or so. Dewalt is upgraded skil brand stuff as far as I know. Never the less, has my recommendation as well for others. Makita is also a good brand that we used at work, and we did not see any flaws in it.
 
I love my Ridgid drill. I did a lot of research through reviews and actual testing at stores before I purchased it. It has been dropped from ladders and put through the paces and keeps going and going. It also has a quick charge time.
 
A Delwalt 20volt and a Makita 18volt hammerdrill resides in our garage. Both have always been reliable, not to mention their customer service is pretty nice. Of course the drill only does some of the work, it's a quality drill bit and the speed of the cut that does the cutting.
 
I run a sheet metal shop and we use corded & cordless drills day in & day out. We use Dewalt, Makita, Hitachi and Bosch power tools - all have been very reliable. Years ago, previous management used to buy the cheap Black and Deckers, they did not last very long - they break long before warranty period is over. For me, the Dewalts offer excellent bang for buck, especially when purchased on sale. We still have to break a Dewalt, we just replace the carbon brush when it wears out. Some 18v models come in small & light package but packs a lot of torque, I almost injured my wrist when I squeezed the trigger half paying attention to what I was doing.

Bosch & Makita are generally more expensive, but are considered among the best in the industry. We have a corded Makita in our shop which had been in use for more than 25 years. I recently purchased a Hitachi cordless drill and power shear because I refused to pay $700 for a Bosch wherein a very similar tool made/sold by Hitachi sells for $400. Hitachi's are well reviewed and so far has performed flawlessly. The specs were very similar to Bosch, and surprisingly lighter too.

One thing to consider too is the availability and price of replacement batteries - and this is where I think Dewalt shines.

If I could find tools of similar specs and in the same price range, I'd pick up Makita first. Based on my experience, Dewalt tools and batteries go on sale (and with steeper discount) more often that's why we end up it more Dewalts.

I have a friend who is a professional mechanic, he use a cordless Makita impact wrench.. cool to see a little cordless tool that packs 210 ft-lbs of torque.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top