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Help selecting cordless drill


chevysoldier

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Ok, my craftsman 19.2v drill/driver that I bought in 2006 has finally shit the batteries. They won't hold a charge anymore. New batteries run about $30 each and I'd prefer to have a spare do that's $60 for batteries.

Or do I buy a new drill with the better lithium ion batteries, or whatever is out now? My drill gets used a bit and fairly hard so I dont want a China pos. What's everyone's recommendations? Craftsman, Milwaukee, Dewalt...? Other than the batteries, this craftsman has taken abuse like a champ.

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I own and we use Rigid 18v Lithium Ion drills and impact guns on the race car and sometimes go several days without a full charge being used almost all day.  They also are just tossed in and yanked out of the tool box, not well taken care of, and not treated like I treat mine at home.  I can 100% say these things take a severe beating and for the price we love them.  We carry 2 drills and 2 impact drivers and 6 batteries with 2 chargers.  Never had a single problem with them.

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I didn't want a giant beast of a drill.  And definitely wanted Lith ION batteries.

 

I went with a Craftsman Nextec 12v drill and 12v impact.  Drill is smallish but has decent power and the impact has something like 800 in/lbs which is more than enough for my purposes.

Edited by Tpoppa
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Good topic. I've been considering buying a decent cordless drill and have been thinking that it would be handy to get one where you can swap the batteries with other tools of the same manufacturer (i.e. says, lights, etc). Since moving to the new house, I've been using the hell out of my drill hanging pictures and stuff and having to grab an extension cord all the time is a drag.

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Mine came with a light but I don't think I've ever used it. Having other tools that use the same battery is definitely a plus, although I'm not up to buying a kit with 6 different tools, I'll buy what I need separately.

I used the drill the other day, not very long at all. I had thrown the other, nearly dead battery on the charger. Today both are dead and won't charge. I've already previously jumped both off a car battery to get them to take a charge, but neither will hold. I'm tired of messing.

Edited by chevysoldier
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"I own and we use Rigid 18v Lithium Ion drills and impact guns on the race car and sometimes go several days without a full charge being used almost all day.  They also are just tossed in and yanked out of the tool box, not well taken care of, and not treated like I treat mine at home.  I can 100% say these things take a severe beating and for the price we love them.  We carry 2 drills and 2 impact drivers and 6 batteries with 2 chargers.  Never had a single problem with them."

 

Not only are Rigid cordless drills reliable they also come with a lifetime warranty, On both the tool and battery.Its  the last drill I will ever have to buy.

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The best drill for the money right now is the 18 volt Kobalt lithium on sale now for $59 dollars 5 year no questions ask replacement guarantee here’s a tip all of the 20 volt lithium drills drop down to 18 volts when you squeeze the trigger. You can also get the drill and a driver set 2 bat and charger and carry case for $139.00 same guarantee

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I've never heard much good about Kobalt, and a $60 price tag makes me a little leerie about the quality.

What's dewalts warranty on batteries?

I've been looking at the Ridgid, and they have a drill and impact and radio for $200. The reviews are great and I'm liking the features. Although I'd rather get to the store and actually handle some.

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I went thru an old Milwaukee my first cordless...  batteries were for shit.  That was '94.  Bought a Craftsman cause I didn't know any better and the price was cheap.  It didn't last two years.  Bought a second Craftsman cause I was sure I had just screwed up the charging cycle and killed the batteries...  That one also didn't last two years.  Noticed the Dewalt 14V at work was still turning after four years, made the jump and bought the 18 V Dewalt kit three years ago.  I won't buy anything but Dewalt cordless products now.  

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What are you using the drill for, Chevy? Like C-bus, my 18v XRP has been solid for years. I only bought the new one because it's way smaller and lighter, making it better for field service duty. I've drilled many holes in 1/2" stainless steel with my DeWalt and it keeps spinning like a new unit. I'm sure the Lowe's brand drill is cute and all... but I think I'd break it in less than an hour if I used it the way I use my XRP drills.

Nothing specific but it needs to be a well rounded drill. It doesn't need to be heavy duty for building houses all day long but needs to be able to handle that sort of use occasionally. Anything from mixing paint to building a deck. I want two batteries because I have used my other one long enough during a job to need a second battery. And it needs to be able to withstand falling off a ladder or roof, which I've been known to do. I've come to appreciate having a light on it which can really come in handy. And I guess my last requirement is that the batteries be able to be used in other tools for later siren the road, sawzall, circ saw, etc.

I've also seen that some have battery level meters which sounds like a nice feature.

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Another thing with the Dewalt XRP is you can buy replacement brushes for the motor. Which is nice because those will wear out before the drill itself breaks or wears out.

If your going to use your potential drill for HD uses or possibly drilling holes that are bigger than you should be with a cordless drill I suggest the XRP with the metal gearcase and all steel Jacobs chuck. Its heavy as hell but is damn near unbreakable.

Now if you just need something to run screws or light duty stuff I used my neighbors 12v dewalt. It was compact and feather light while still having plenty of torque.

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Yup.  I've abused my Dewalt...  It also comes in a sturdy but fairly compact case that holds the drill, an extra battery pack and charger.  Other sets I bought had flashlights.  Cute, but I've got a flashlight or ten already.  The case holds extra bits, handfulls of screws and a set of decent drill bits.

 

One thing I found on the Dewalt over some others was the ease of control on the variable speed trigger.  Smooth.  And quick to stop when you let up.  Battery meter?  pfft...  That's why you have two packs.  If you're worried about burning through packs on a job, just make sure you get a model with a coffee charger.  Although a light on the drill might be nice, I haven't really needed it.  And the bubble levels?  I've had em on other drills.  Never used them.  If I was concerned about 90 degree holes in something, I'd be using the drill press.

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I owned a Ridgid kit and used it professionally and it was a piece of shit. The warranty was a joke. The batteries didn't last a year. As a matter of fact, if you want it, come and get it. It's yours. Needs batteries of course.

I have been beating on the same DeWalt XRP hammer drill and impact for 4 years now and they work great. I recommend a combo kit (drill and impact) as I had no idea how handy an impact is until I had one.

Keep in mind, You get what you pay for in battery drills.

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  • 6 months later...

Well I finally bought a drill. Went to home depot and they had Ridgid 18v 2ah hammer drill, two batteries and charger for $249. Almost got that until I saw a combo kit: the above plus 1/4 impact with 4ah batteries for $20 more. Kind of a no brainer. Salesman said on the displays you can use to screw screws into a board, the Makita he charges every week, another brand, can't remember which, every two weeks. But the 4ah be can't remember, it's been weeks and weeks. The other selling point is the point is the lifetime warranty on everything, including batteries. I'm quite happy.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-X4-18-Volt-Hyper-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Hammer-Drill-Driver-and-Impact-Driver-Combo-Kit-R9200/205141594/

Edited by chevysoldier
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