Battery Powered Drill

[pepaw]

Is DeWalt the only type I should consider for weekend small projects?
I was thinking a 14.4V, but really have never shopped for one.
Total money is a consideration, but value is more important.

Thanks for any advice.

pepaw

[Altjaeger]

Is DeWalt the only type I should consider for weekend small projects?
I was thinking a 14.4V, but really have never shopped for one.
Total money is a consideration, but value is more important.

Thanks for any advice.

pepaw

I would say it depends on how often and how hard to use it. I may use it 4-5 times a year for a dozen screws each time. For that a little $35 Skill 14.4V bought on sale at Lowes works fine for me. If I used it a couple dozen times a year for heavier use I would go DeWalt. My major power tools are all DeWalt so you know where my loyalties lie.:)

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

I have the Ryobi 18V set. I use the Impact more than the drill. #1 son gave it to me for Father's Day two years ago. It has revolutionized the way I work on everything. The little impact wrench is blazes on nuts and bolts on the truck to drywall screws (which I stick everything together with these days).

When I go to the ranch to work on deer blinds I take the whole bag and two charged batteries. It's got a Sawzall, Circ saw, drill, impact, flashlight, and a vacuum cleaner. I used to think I was it with a power inverter and my hand tools. Now I am really mobile.

The whole thing costs more than I would spend on myself but easily costs less than that boy has spent in one night on the town much to my dismay. He is his father's son. Sometimes payback is great!

Alan


Alan

[Renegade]

I have an older model DeWalt 12v that is pretty useless. Granted it's probably 15 years old and the batteries don't hold a charge too long. I have a B&D Quantum 14.8v that isn't too bad for around the house. I've had that for probably 8-10 years. Two years ago I got a Craftsman 19.2v and I love it. It's got the power and the charge lasts a long time. It's my workhorse. Milwaukee makes a good cordless drill too. I've used them but don't own one.
Like Alt said, it depends on how often you'll use it as to what one to buy. Watch for the Fathers Day sales.

[AK-49]

Is DeWalt the only type I should consider for weekend small projects?
I was thinking a 14.4V, but really have never shopped for one.
Total money is a consideration, but value is more important.

Thanks for any advice.

pepaw

Perhaps an hitachi with lithium ion battery

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&rlz=1I7DKUS&q=tools+for+less+hitachi+cordless+drill&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=fps2SqqRN6aGNZeKjIgK&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title

[Altjaeger]

DeWalt makes a package similar to Alan's I have used that is excellent, but then Hatachi's and Ryobi's reputation are equally strong despite my loyalties.:)

[Sidekick]

I've been using a DeWalt 18v drill weekly for about ten years. The battery is starting to not hold charges very well anymore but the drill works fine. We used DeWalt impacts last summer to build a 70x100 arch frame shed. They worked great and held their charge for most of the day which was good because there was no power where we were. I'm a huge DeWalt fan.

[AK-49]

Is DeWalt the only type I should consider for weekend small projects?
I was thinking a 14.4V, but really have never shopped for one.
Total money is a consideration, but value is more important.

Thanks for any advice.

pepaw


DeWalt makes a package similar to Alan's I have used that is excellent, but then Hatachi's and Ryobi's reputation are equally strong despite my loyalties.:)

Ryobie is crap... I have a few disposable tools and can honestly say ryobie is junk.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Send all crappy, junk, Ryobi tools to:

P.O. Box 135
Goliad, Tx 77963

c/o The Junk Man

Of course since it's junk y'all won't mind paying the postage just to get rid of it. :)


Alan

[Altjaeger]

Ryobie is crap... I have a few disposable tools and can honestly say ryobie is junk.

Can you say Chevy and Ford?:)

[ncboman]

:)

DeWalt will likely prove satisfactory but the top line cordless drill is

Bosch (http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductCategory.aspx?catid=8).

ncboman

[AK-49]

ncboman. bosch makes some good tools and I own a few of them... Have you tried makita or hitachi... how do they compare to bosch?

Hard to go wrong with dewalt, milwalkee, bosch, makita, dewalt, hitachi... panasonic also makes a great rechargeable drill....

I stay away from home depo's house brands, namely ridgid and ryobi... buying junk doesnt save money in the long run

[Renegade]

I refuse to buy anything Bosch! Simply because of their automotive spark plugs. I've had 2 friends a couple years back that had their plugs electrodes break and cause major engine damage. Neither time did Bosch assume responsibility. I forget what their excuse was but it was something bogus claimed by some lawyer for them.

[Altjaeger]

ncboman. bosch makes some good tools and I own a few of them... Have you tried makita or hitachi... how do they compare to bosch?

Hard to go wrong with dewalt, milwalkee, bosch, makita, dewalt, hitachi... panasonic also makes a great rechargeable drill....

I stay away from home depo's house brands, namely ridgid and ryobi... buying junk doesnt save money in the long run

This gets about as rich as your claims that a Savage action was a hand grenade waiting to explode in the shooters face, inaccurate, unsuitable for building a rifle on, etc. When enough of us pushed with enough evidence to belie your proclamations you could document nothing. Your only defense was that it was ugly in your eyes.

I have noticed you have a strong attachment to name brands be it rifles costing thousand or high priced fishing rods. They may be high quality, but return on the dollar may be diminishing by then.

Ryobi is not a Home Depot house brand and they are not the only distributors in the United States. They are owned by TTi which also owns Milwaulkee Tools, AEG, Hoover and many other well known brands. Now I recognize that Black and Decker is owned by the same people as DeWald but are entirely different in quality, but see no evidence of the same being true of Ryobi and Milwaulkee. If you have an old consumers report I would be glad to see it.

Until then I will write it off as another of your unverifiable opinions.:eek:

[ncboman]

:D

I don't buy expensive hand tools (other than nailguns) because in my trade they are much more likely to die from falls/abuse/misuse than from anything else.

The local TrueValue has 18v B&D cordless with a studsenor thrown in for $30 after a $20 mailin rebate. I'm considerin one. :rolleyes:

naaaa, the cords on my DeWalts have saved them from falling many times. :D

ncboman

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Easy Alt, it's just getting daylight up there in Alaska. Sunlight deprivation is a terrible thing. Right now I'm suffering from Shade Deprivation!

Alan

I didn't know Savages were all that bad stuff! Perhaps we are getting our info from different sources!

[AK-49]

This gets about as rich as your claims that a Savage action was a hand grenade waiting to explode in the shooters face, inaccurate, unsuitable for building a rifle on, etc. When enough of us pushed with enough evidence to belie your proclamations you could document nothing. Your only defense was that it was ugly in your eyes.

I have noticed you have a strong attachment to name brands be it rifles costing thousand or high priced fishing rods. They may be high quality, but return on the dollar may be diminishing by then.

Ryobi is not a Home Depot house brand and they are not the only distributors in the United States. They are owned by TTi which also owns Milwaulkee Tools, AEG, Hoover and many other well known brands. Now I recognize that Black and Decker is owned by the same people as DeWald but are entirely different in quality, but see no evidence of the same being true of Ryobi and Milwaulkee. If you have an old consumers report I would be glad to see it.

Until then I will write it off as another of your unverifiable opinions.:eek:

I said that the savage action is not suitable for a 338 Lapa... I still stand on that.. I also think that if you can find a back issue of ruger's magazine publication then you will find an article about how a stainless savage rusted beyond use on a 10 or 14 day hunting trip. Buy what u wish.. it matters not to me.

I also think that you distort things that were said to your own advantage on these discussion boards.

Why don't you start a thread resembling the one about the 338 Lapu on the appropriate board and other topics on the appropriate boards... I stand by my opinions

[Altjaeger]

I said that the savage action is not suitable for a 338 Lapa... I still stand on that.. I also think that if you can find a back issue of ruger's magazine publication then you will find an article about how a stainless savage rusted beyond use on a 10 or 14 day hunting trip. Buy what u wish.. it matters not to me.

I also think that you distort things that were said to your own advantage on these discussion boards.

There was plenty of evidence provided of Savages being chambered in propietary high intensity cartridges by both the company and individuals to put your claims about the Lapua in serious question.. They were chambered in Lazzeroni catridges which give approx 154 more FPS with the same weight bullet and operates at 55,000-56,000 C.U.P.

As far as an article by a RUGER magazine about a competetor there is no vested interest any more than if Ford wrote an expose' on Chevy.:D

[ncboman]

I didn't think the Makitas were worth the money. ... at all.

ncboman

[pepaw]

Well, I went with the 18v DeWalt. Only time will tell if it was a good decision for me.
But I don't expect any issues with quality or performance.

Wish I had been buying another Savage instead. After the new bits and drivers, I could have been almost into another Stevens. ;)

Thanks for the good advice and comments.

pepaw

[Altjaeger]

I didn't think the Makitas were worth the money. ... at all.

ncboman

I have had experience with one Makita product, a reciprocating saw. I was not impressed feeling it was quickly falling apart. I cannot bad mouth it too much based on a sample of one, but I would not recommend it.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

I bought a 4" Makita hand grinder in 1982. I have used it for a lot of things and for some things I shouldn't have used it for. If it can make it through me and my three boys it's probably worth keeping. Not saying that any other one might not be better.

I think you'll be happy with the DeWalt especially the 18v. I don't see a lot of them in the pawn shops but I do see lots of ................ well ..............Ryobi. That could mean one of several things. Ryobis last long enough to pawn, Ryobis are good enough to steal to pawn or that DeWalts are so good no one ever parts with them or that When the DeWalt breaks the owner throws it away.

Me? My wife says I never throw anything away. I've got a DeWalt band saw, 10" planer, 4" jointer, and a 10" Radial arm saw. Been real happy with all of them. Been real happy with all the Ryobi products I have too. Dang it I'm just REAL HAPPY! Glad you are too!

Alan

I'mago cook some pork chops!

[Altjaeger]

Pepaw, I think you will be happy with it.

I had a co-worker that had a DeWalt 18V drill, circular saw combo. and through hard abuse took a year to wear it out. I would guess he used it 200 days, 8 hours a day to cut treated 2x6 lumber and drive 3" deck screws. He problably went through 2-3charges a day of hard commercial use building decks. Even then it was not the tool, but the batteries that gave up. They were just too expensive to replace given the "age" of the tools.

Alan, tonight was chicken fajitas done in a cast iron skillet here. :)

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Smoked pork family style ribs, Pork-n-beans and sliced homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers.

Alan

[ncboman]

baked potatos with cheeze topping, steamed broccoli, ... steak. :)

ncboman

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

I pulled a deer ham (haunch, hind quarter, whatever) out of the freezer this afternoon and put it to thaw. As soon as it is thawed I'm going to start injecting it with Cajun Butter injectable marinade. I'm going to do that for several days (refrigerated of course) and smoke it on a slow mesquite fire early next week. This one still has the bone in and I will wrap with bacon and string again like last time. #1 wife has asked (told) me that I will be cooking this weekend as well. Brisket, and Pork Ribs. #1 and #3 sons have Birthdays this week and Father's Day is sometime so we're going to eat well on Saturday night.

I may mount a brush on my Ryobi cordless drill to spread the BBQ sauce!!!

Alan

[Altjaeger]

I have to conclude that we all eat pretty good for po' folk! :D

They all sound delicious. Alan, I still have two whole hams of that fawn and your method sounds perfect.
However, I pulled left over brisket from the freezer today and sliced it. There about 2 meals worth of it to finish first.:D

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

As long as I can pull a trigger every Winter, scratch the dirt every Spring and run a line or two in between, we will eat well.

Alan

[StringJumper]

Well, I went with the 18v DeWalt. Only time will tell if it was a good decision for me.
But I don't expect any issues with quality or performance.

Wish I had been buying another Savage instead. After the new bits and drivers, I could have been almost into another Stevens. ;)

Thanks for the good advice and comments.

pepaw


Good choice. If you were to look at my workshop you might mistake it for a DeWalt showroom. :D I like to keep my tools clean and ready to work so the storage case like DeWalt provides is a real plus for me.

Having said that...like someone else on this thread I bought a Craftsman 19.2 drill a couple of years ago on a 1/2 price sale. I paid something like $50 for it and expected it to perform accordingly. Wow, was I wrong. I have used it extentsively on projects around the house and the battery life and power never fails to amaze me.

Without question it's the one tool that I use the most of all my tools, except maybe a tape measure.

[ncboman]

That 19vCraftsman is a very good tool. Friend of mine has one and it's always up to the job.

ncboman

[purple heart]

I've had an 18 v DeWalt cordless for a few years now and really like it.
I had a craftsman years ago and it wasn't very good.
My girlfriend kept borrowing my DeWalt so I got her a 12v DeWalt. It fits her
hand much better than my 18 v. She loves it.
That's what's nice about those country girls. Not only will they help you skin and cut your deer they appreciate getting tools for gifts. :):):)

[pepaw]

Thanks for the DeWalt endorsement. That rascal was expensive for someone who doesn't plan to use it everyday, but figure we will use it more if I have it.

My wife said the only reason I married her was because she had her own camo already. Not true, but I love country girls.

pepaw

[Rock Chuck]

I've been through a couple Dewalt 14V's over the years. I also have a 14V flashlight that lights up the neighborhood. I need new batteries now and a couple of them cost almost as much as a new drill. That leaves me in a dilemma of whether to throw out a really good drill and buy a new one or to buy new batteries for a drill that's 5 years old but not all that hard used. It's hard to move to a more powerful one when you have very good batteries and/or the drill of a smaller size, although the 14v has never been under powered for my needs.

[M99ER]

Pepaw, you made a great choice.

I have DeWalt 18v tools and the Craftsman 19.2 as well. They are both well made.

The DeWalt is a bit more versatile because I bought the 12V cig lighter socket battery charger so I can be anywhere without AC or a generator and still use any 18V tool they make. Flashlight, recip-saw, circ-saw, impact driver, drill, hammer drill, etc.......

I won't go near Ryobi nor Makita junk. Rigid has gone downhill and Milwauki's aren't that great either. Swamp likes the Panasonic drill but I haven't seen any and I don't know what other tools they make.

Amazon dot com has the batteries and 12vdc to 18 volt chargers for the DeWalts. Stick with the DeWalts and don't look back

[Rock Chuck]

Be careful buying Dewalt batteries. They make a bunch of different ones that don't all have the same power even though they fit the drill. Be sure to get the right one. You might pay less but get one with only half the amp-hrs. I started looking for one for my 14V and found them at 1500, 2000, & 2400 amp-hrs.

[Altjaeger]

I've been through a couple Dewalt 14V's over the years. I also have a 14V flashlight that lights up the neighborhood. I need new batteries now and a couple of them cost almost as much as a new drill. That leaves me in a dilemma of whether to throw out a really good drill and buy a new one or to buy new batteries for a drill that's 5 years old but not all that hard used. It's hard to move to a more powerful one when you have very good batteries and/or the drill of a smaller size, although the 14v has never been under powered for my needs.

I can say with confidence that is what "wore out" or "broke" every DeWalt cordless tool I have seen or heard of. But to be honest I am trying to think if I have ever heard a first hand account of any cordless tool giving up the ghost for other causes. Almost never has an owner been willing to pay the price of a new battery for an old tool.

After that they almost always sit in the corner gathering dust for an extended period until the owner finally decides he is never going to get a new battery and tosses it. I have no idea how many sets of batteries a DeWalt could go through before the tool died.

[Bayrat]

Almost never has an owner been willing to pay the price of a new battery for an old tool. Alt.


I just ordered two new batteries for my old 9.6 volt Dewalt. With shipping, they were just under half the price of a new Dewalt cordless.

Got it over 10 years ago. My employee and I used it alot to the point of just about fighting over it on a daily basis even though I have four corded drills and a drill press in the shop.

I've used the newer Dewalts in 14 and 18 volt. Just heavier with more wrist torque, and tougher to get in tight places.

As the rappers say, I love my 9 ! :D

Bayrat.

[Altjaeger]

Sounds like you got a good price on them and I hope they outlast the tools also. Most of my experience is with the larger ones, but that power was often needed and space seldom a problem. Seems you found the right tool for the job.:)

[LampLighter]

Find out before hand where the factory authorized repair center is . Choose the brand whose Fac. Auth. repair cntr. is close to your town.

That advice comes from experience. When the battery registers defective, as one of two will, you can run right over and get a warranty battery free. You must bring tool, charger, and all batteries.

I like Rigid, but the closest auth. repair cntr. is past New Orleans on the West side of the Ms. I ain't going way over there for a battery. Right here in town is a big center that is authorized for many other brands, but not Rigid.

[Bayrat]

Alt,
Yup, just under $40.00 each. I thought it would be more so I went looking at new Dewalts. The cheapest I saw was a 14 v compact on sale for $140.00. With tax was gonna make it just over $150.00. The price and the weight of other models just get heavier from there.

I use it alot in some tight places on cars, so compact is good. After looking at the new ones I figured why have two that work, but only batteries for one, so I started searching internet tool sites for new batteries.

Dewalt says the new replacement battery packs have 20% more power. Internet tool store prices ranged from $37.00 up to $59.00 each pack. The $37.00 one wasn't actual Dewalt, but some knock-off, so I went with the next price up that was Dewalt.

Home Depot had one of the lowest prices on them, in the low $40's, but their website is out of stock.

Bayrat

[Rock Chuck]

Dewalt says the new replacement battery packs have 20% more power. Internet tool store prices ranged from $37.00 up to $59.00 each pack. The $37.00 one wasn't actual Dewalt, but some knock-off, so I went with the next price up that was Dewalt.
Bayrat
I did the same shopping. In my earlier post, I mentioned that batteries come in different power levels. In my internet shopping, I found that many of them aren't the XRT version but are rated for fewer amp-hrs. Be sure of what you get because some sites are very deceptive.

[Bayrat]

Rock,
Thanks for the heads up.

Yeah, the cheapest site didn't use any Dewalt number, just the voltage, so that got me looking.

Dewalt doesn't list my original battery number, just the new extra power battery number.

The other websites all used that new Dewalt number, so hopefully they aren't pullng a bait-and-switch.

We'll see when they get here.

Bayrat

[Bayrat]

Well, the two 9.6 volt Dewalt batteries I ordered arrived today, and they are indeed made by Dewalt. Brand new, not reconditioned, or seconds - they came in Dewalt blister packs. Packaging says they have 25% more power. I noticed the bottom battery section is 1/4 inch taller than my old ones

In case anyone is looking to replace theirs, this website had the best price for real Dewalt batteries. $37.00 each, plus drop shipping. Half the price of a new Dewalt 14 volt.

http://www.powertoolsinc.com/cart/index.php?p=product&id=555&parent=67

Bayrat.

[Hi Ball]

Rock Chuck.......I have several of the DeWalt power tools! Great when you can't get a power cord to reach the work site and don't need a generator to drill a couple of holes etc.:)

[Wismon]

I have the Ryobi 18V set. I use the Impact more than the drill. #1 son gave it to me for Father's Day two years ago. It has revolutionized the way I work on everything. The little impact wrench is blazes on nuts and bolts on the truck to drywall screws (which I stick everything together with these days).

When I go to the ranch to work on deer blinds I take the whole bag and two charged batteries. It's got a Sawzall, Circ saw, drill, impact, flashlight, and a vacuum cleaner. I used to think I was it with a power inverter and my hand tools. Now I am really mobile.

The whole thing costs more than I would spend on myself but easily costs less than that boy has spent in one night on the town much to my dismay. He is his father's son. Sometimes payback is great!

Alan


Alan

Alan, based on your endorsement I bought that set up, plus an additional power tool. I'm just a weekend warrior so I don't need the professional grade
stuff but I do expect it to work when I tell it to. I've been quite pleased so far so thanks for the tip.

[dave-t.]

I got that Ryobi set last Christmas, or the one before, and it is darn handy. I'm not in construction, but I am the on call handyman at home.

Does anyone use the light with it? I skipped getting the light.

[greenjeans]

I own an 18 volt makita drill/driver/hammerdrill and impact wrench i got for 250 at the home depot that works great, was tempted to get the ryobi but the shrek green color discouraged me. Also got a milwauke same set up just as good as the makita.

If your going for a corded power tool go with the milwaukee.