My Dewalt 12v cordless is not doing good. Part of the chuck broke. So, at some point I may need a new drill. What's recommended? Another Dewalt? Milwaukee?

 

I have a Milwaukee 18V. Works great, got great reveiws when I got it last year. The only drawback that people cite is that it's a bit heavy...doesn't bother me though.

 

I've had a bunch and they all work well.

Porter Cable
Milwaukee
Ryobi

I like the Ryobi gear the best since you can buy just the tool without a battery (a lot cheaper that way)

 

Makita

Hitachi

Panasonic

 

I have a 14.4v Makita and its great. It has plenty of power for most stuff until you try turning 12" x 1/2" bits through wood then it gets a little slow. Its pretty tough too. I dropped it probably 12" off a ladder onto concrete and and still works great. Can't say the same for the 5/64" bit it was holding.

 

I walked into Home Depot 6 years ago to buy a Porter Cable 18 volt. The salesman said he was a contractor and talked me into buying a Milwaukee 14.4 volt drill/driver. It turned out to be the best tool I have ever purchased. Not one single problem thru 6 years of use and sometimes abuse. I use it all the time and love the dual battery packs. It survived my 1200 sq ft finished basement project from wood studs to drywall and everything in between and still has alot of guts left.

Be careful when looking-the higher the volts, the heavier they are.

 

Get a cordless impact driver. It is light and pack a punch.

 

I have owned both dewault and makita, my makita 12v is close to as powerful as my 8 year old dewault 18v. Both brands are durable, and my dewalts have lasted through everything.

Also, my makita came with an impact driver all for 200 bucks.

 

Dewalt fan here.

I have their cordless hammer drill it works wonders, survives drops. Not a terrible price.

 

I have a 18v dewalt hammer drill, works well. Also have a 14v regular for light work.

I've used all the other companies as well. The major brands all seem to be reliable. You get what you pay for with tools. Learned that from purchasing my first craftsman drill.

 

Considering it was a Dewalt drill and a part of the chuck broke on it, I'm not so sure I'd totally agree with that statement. It wasn't dropped or abused either.

 

Makita for almost 8 years. I'm still using the same batteries that came with the tool.

 

Ive Never had a problem with any of my dewalt products.They have fallen off roofs, off scafolding, dropped and just keep running. Hell my 12V is still on its original batteries from like 7 years ago. they are well beyond the life expectancy. Upgraded to the 18 V and love themCraftsman and Milwaukee on the other hand have been crap.

 

I have an 18V Dewalt that's currently in for warranty repair (chuck), and a 19v Craftsman. Both get abused... both are fine... I consider the Craftsman a better buy.

The only thing I prefer about the Dewalt is it will grip smaller bits than the Craftsman.

Otherwise, they're both plenty powerful.

The Craftsman was alot cheaper and has lasted longer.

 

I killed 3 19.2v craftsman batteries in less than a year. Maybe they were all defective?
I used the tools a lot, maybe the craftsman just can't handle heavy usage?

I still have the tools, just no batteries.

 

Did it fall under warranty?

I"m not even sure mine would be worth fixing...

 

I've spent the last year doing renovation work nearly every day, I've been rotating the same two 19v craftsman batteries throughout.

Do you charge mid-use or something?

I always drain the battery completely using my 19v flashlight before charging.

 

Yes.

 

I have 5 Hilti Drills and I think thats the best drill. I have 2 SF-180 and 3 SF-150s. I'm not just an average homeowner however, i do this for a living. I find that the 15 volt Hilti's have just as much if not more power then the Dewalts and are much more lighter. Dewalt has a very heavy battery. I've owned, DeWalt, Rigid, Makita, Ryobi, they all suck. I think Dewalt is next in line.