I'm tired of borrowing my friends Milwaukee drill, and he is typically the one to ask in regards to this topic, but he is out of town at the moment.

I want a good cordless for doing jobs around the condo. Drilling into drywall, studs, occasionally metal.

What specs should I be looking at for a drill. Don't want to be spending a ton since I have the wedding etc coming, but I do need something, have some projects i want to finish up.

Thanks.

 

Dewalt 18v.

You might only need a 14v, but might as well go all out.

 

Aside from the obvious :ibmovedtoH&G:....

Just about any drill (12V - 18V) around $100 should be suffcient. If you want it to hold a charge while it's sitting in the closet, then go for one with Lithium Ion batteries, but that will add to the cost.

Edit - Here's a Hitachi for $180
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...DFL&lpage=none

 

I know it will get moved, but I want some input tonight.

 

Well, the question is why would I want a 18V v 14V? just a power dif? Is there a reason where I should get 18V?

If I go 18V I'm looking milwaukee or makita.

 

Honestly, if you aren't going to be using this thing daily, I wouldn't spend more than $100. I got a Ryobi, with a flash light (but more importantly a second battery) several years ago for about $100 and it's worked well.

And while I know batteries have come a long way over the last 15+ years, I had a cordless Mikita that the batteries kept going to shit, so I won't recommend them.

 

18V is for more heavy duty drilling.

All you really need is a 14V for around the house drilling, variable speeds or a dual geared drill comes in handy also.

 

Judging by your requirements, a 14.4 volt NiCad should probably suffice. There are larger and more powerful drills available, such as 18 and 24 volts, but a good quality 14.4 is a nice balance between power and weight. Lithium ion drills are also now available, but these are quite expensive and generally suited to commercial use.

At the farms we generally use 14.4 and 18 volt NiCads. Either DeWalt or Rigid. Rigid is a Home Depot brand that has actually worked quite well for me. Both it and the DeWalt seem to be able to take a fair amount of abuse and adverse weather conditions. That being said, I also have a number of Craftsman drills that refuse to die.

Whatever you decide, it's best to buy a drill of good quality. The cheaper ones do not last very long and serviceability such as battery replacements are often difficult. A good quality drill will often have a good keyless chuck as well, most likely a Jacobs. Try to find one with a quick charger and at least two batteries. It's very convenient to have a battery charging while one s being used in the drill.


Terry

 

thing is 18V is only $20 more.

But this set might be a bit of a deal.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...054+4294924946

 

Thanks terry and moe, these are what I was wondering about.

And a quality name is what I was going to go with, I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for. I'm familiar with Rigid (i know they are home depot brand ), i have one of their shop vacs.

 

Doesn't seem to be a bad drill. Does it come with two batteries?

Terry

 

i bought a used 14v dewalt off craigslist for like $50, came w/ 2 batteries.


it has served me pretty well.
i was looking for something at least 14v, 2 batteries, variable speed, keyless chuck, and I just like dewalt

 

I think only one.

WHat do you think of this one for $100 cheaper? Does craftsman have the same great warraty on their power tools as they do on their regular tools?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...000P?adCell=A3

 

One really minor detail the Ryobis have which is really cool is a magnetic area at the base. Thought it was a total gimic, but it's reat for screws or bits.

 

man this thread has me

 

I don't see how this thread is any funnier than when we blabber on about lenses.

 

Doesn't look too bad, but I think I would lean more towards a Rigid, Dewalt, or Milwaukee of the same voltage. Craftsman power tools don't carry the same warranty as hand tools such as wrenches or sockets.

I'm not sure if all Home Depots have identical policies, but I have had great success with purchasing Home Depot "returns" when I've been looking for power tools. It seems as if on occasion someone will purchase a good quality power tool such as DeWalt or Rigid, use it for the weekend, and then return it claiming it doesn't work correctly. And of course it does. And Home Depot knows this as well, but they take it back regardless. I've bought a number of drills, saws, and other speciality tools in this manner. Might be worth while to ask your local Home Depot to see if they have anything they may want to get rid of for substantially less than a new one.

Terry

 

I'll check that out...considering there is HD quite literally across the street from me it's where I end up going to look first.

 

I don't know much about drills, but if you are going to be occasionally drilling into metal or very thick wood I'd recommend getting something with dual speed regardless of the voltage. The lower gearing/speed will help a lot since you'll have more torque behind the screw. If that makes sense...

 

I bought a corded as I do not use it often. With a cordless, the rechargeable will not last if you do not use it alot... just something you may consider.

 

Admittedly, I am not really a power tool guy, but I picked up a 19.2 volt Kawasaki rechargeable with two batteries and a charger from Costco for about $45. It rocks the casbah. I have drilled wood, drywall, sheet metal, plastic, used a hole saw, etc... and it does a great job.

 

Id get a dewalt, just what i was raised on and never had a problem with em ever, every other drill ive used (cordless) has always had some type of battery problem

 

The only reason I never really trusted kawasaki drills is that I always felt like it was a cheap drill made by a small company (alltrade), painted bright green, and slap some name brand on it. Haven't done much research into the quality of stuff that comes out of alltrade, it just seems like they are hiding something

I've heard decent reviews on them, some better than others, and they seem to be priced very good. Although I think there was some big recall on the kawasaki drills coming out of costco? Something about the batteries blowing up . I just wonder how much they are paying kawasaki to use their name.

I wonder what kinda return policy costco has on their tools. I know they used to have the best return policy on like all their products.

 

I've got the 18v dewalt with two batteries, cost about $200 or so a couple years ago. The things a rock, I love it.

If you're just doing small jobs, you can probably get away with 14v, but same as cars I always try to get the bigger engine.

Definitely get one with two batteries, or pick up a spare. As mentioned, having one charging while you're working is invaluable. The down time waiting for your battery to charge in the middle of a job is a pain in the ass.

 

FWIW.

I have a cheapie corded makita that I paid $60 that I keep in reserve. A cordless is great to have, but when you are working on a project with a lot of drilling/screwing where you are draining your batteries faster than they recharge you suddenly wish your cordless had a cord. Also the keyed chuck on the corded makita has been a lifesaver for some metal drilling projects. Keyless chucks just don't have the grip you need for metal drilling - especially on the cheaper drills.

 

I bought an 18v SKIL cordless drill at Home Depot a year ago. It came with two batteries and some other stuff and I've been happy with it. I don't remember it being more than $100.

 

Dewalt 18v is what i would purchase (after having owned Craftsman and Milwaukee) I much prefer the Dewalt. The Rigid line is supposed to be pretty good.

 

Wow.... Just wow.

 

I would pick up a Dewalt on Craigs List.

 

They had this, too. 2 speed 18V drill, two batteries, soft case, flashlight, etc. The guy at home depot said he would actually get that one over all.

Part of me says maybe that is what I should do, the other part of me says since I have Milwaukees a lot and like them, and should I have need a more capable drill I should just spend the money.

gonna look up some shit online tonight

 

I think I might just end up ordering this:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...3+90401+500054

14.4V drill, 2 batteries, clip, flashlight and case.


Seems like the best deal. 10 bucks more gets me the 18V but no light or extra goodies. The 14.4V has 390 trq...the 18V has 400.

The hilti is actually a 15.6V with only 300trq so boo for the money.

 

Seems to be a nice package. A good quality 14.4 will probably fulfill your requirements nicely and last for a very long time.

Terry

 

Oh Amazon.com How do I love thee!!!

home depot this drill is 185 plus 40 for the a drill bit set, plus shipping and tax...

amazon.com gets me this:



and this:



for $150...no tax, free two day shipping!

I love you amazon prime!

 

Nice that little drill set will be invaluable. Canadian tire usually has those nice sets for 10 bucks on sale about once a month, even if it's cheap I figure for 10 bones if I break each bit everytime I use one it's still worth it.

And I believe that Ryobi makes Rigid tools, actually they are under the Umbrella of a company called TTI, that owns Milwakee and makes Ryobi and Rigid some I'm sure there's some parts sharing.

 

I've been really happy with my 19.2V Craftsman. I think it may be crafstman club week, so if you have that discount card, they are running some specials. They have also come out with a lithium battery pack for that drill and it looks like they will be supporting the form factor for a while so you'll be able to get new tools and batteries for a long time.

For concrete drilling, you'll really want a hammer drill. No regular drill is going to work that well - you'll just burn up the bits. When I finished my basement, I just went and got the hammer drill version of my cordless drill and it worked great for securing the walls to the floor.

 

i enjoy my 19.2V craftsman as well. got mine pretty cheap when i was working there part time at sears during high school.

 

i love my 18V Dewault!!!

 

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/h...ol-kits-ov.htm

 

I guess you've already made your decision, but for anyone else that's curious.


For all the years I was an Electrician, we all used Dewalt 12V drills for hours on end each day, as well as other Dewalt stuff (18V drills, Hammer drills, etc). IMO the quality of them can't be beat.

I still have my 12V drill that I've been using all this time and it still works perfectly even after countless drops and one drop from the top of an 18-foot ladder and down a flight of stairs. And it still gets almost daily use from me and/or my Dad and we never have trouble with it.

 

DeWalt