Replies

1. 
   user-83153 | Mar 15, 2008 03:10am | #1

   Frosty,

   I use cordless drills every day at work and have used most all of them. The one I like the best and the one I own is this one...http://bosch.cpotools.com/drills/all_cordless_drills/32618-rt.html  I share the drills at work with many ham fisted construction workers who treat them like, well, like they didn't pay for them. I have yet to see a Bosch drill stop working for any reason.

   If you look around the site I linked you can find both new and factory reconditioned drills of various voltages and types. I bought the one I linked (the compact tough 18v) because I didn't think I would need the brute tough model which is more solidly built, but also quite a bit heavier. Unless you are in the habit of dropping your drill from the top of a step ladder onto concrete every couple of days, you will be happier with the lighter model. It is still a very solid drill and for the price of the factory reconditioned one ($129), you can't go wrong.

                       Rob

2. 
   Quickstep | Mar 15, 2008 03:17am | #2

   I have the Makita 18v Lithium models and I love them. I have the hammer drill, the compact drill and the impact driver. I got all of them from Coastal Tool. Their customer service is excellent!! http://www.coastaltool.com

3. 
   user-172496 | Mar 15, 2008 03:38am | #3

   Well Frosty I have a Porter Cable 12 volt 2 speed, cordless drill/drill. Man I have had this unit ( forever ) for about 10 or 12 years now. One of the batteries went on it about 4 years ago. I sent to Battery Builders, and its been fine ever since. Lots of them out their to choose from, But I am very happy with the P/C I have.

   Jack

    

1. 
   9michael9 | Mar 26, 2008 02:06am | #30

   How do I send my battery to battery builders?

4. 
   Ejc | Mar 15, 2008 03:44am | #4

   Well for what its worth,

   My experience has been that the panasonic drills Ive owned are the best Ive had.

   I work in construction, have used the 15volt and 18v models, I drive three inch gutter screws and 1.5 inch # 10 self peircing  and drill holes, even masonry, all day everyday with it.  I have used milwaukee, Dewalt , bosch in the past, and either burned out, broke,  or threw off the roof ( that was the dewalt, I was feelin a little testy that day!) all of them.  For my money, the panasonic  is what I will buy again when the one I.m using now finally quits.

   my.02

   Eric

5. 
   saschafer | Mar 15, 2008 03:52am | #5

   As far as drivers (as opposed to drills), I have fallen in love with my Bosch PS40-2 impact driver. It's noisy, but it appears to be able to drive anything through anything. And the battery lasts a looong time.

   -Steve

    

   
   

   ---

   Edited 3/14/2008 8:59 pm ET by saschafer

6. 
   mousejockey | Mar 15, 2008 04:19am | #6

   I've got an online subscription to Consumer Reports and they rate the Panasonic EY6432GQKW, 15.6V NiMH the highest, it's a $200 unit @4.8 lbs, they list another Panasonic 11th that's a $300 Li-Ion model @ 3.6 lbs. Surprisingly the second rated one is a Ryobi P813, 18V Li-Ion for $170.

   Rated on,

   Speed, power, run time charge time, handling and noise.

   mousejockey

   Over the Hill? What Hill? I didn't see any Hill!
7. 
   tuolumne7 | Mar 15, 2008 05:41am | #7

   I had a DW 14.4 for years and years, so when it went like yours I bought a new one.  Then I got a Makita 18V Lion for free with a miter saw I bought.  The dewalt feels like an elephant next to the Makita.  Also, the makita is a lot more compact for fitting in tight places.  The dewalt may last forever now because it doesn't get used much.  To be fair, the dewalt 14.4 still seems to have more torque than the Mak 18V, and the battery lasts longer.  Then again the makita charges in 15 minutes.  The batteries that came with the freebee are 1.5 A/hr, and I think the retail models have something better than that...someone else will know better.  I guess they give away free drills to get folks like me out of our ruts!  That's my limited experiance.  By the way, my drilling is mostly construction, not furniture.  That means 3" screws, lags, large drill bits etc.  When its time to buy again I will consider an impact style screw gun for the fasteners.

8. 
   ChicagoMike | Mar 15, 2008 07:33am | #8

   I have the Festool C12 with the NIMH batts. I absolutely love it. A bit pricey but worth every penny.

    

   "It is what it is."

1. 
   Jfrostjr | Mar 15, 2008 03:51pm | #9

   Wow! What a great gang. Lots of suggestions - I'll take all into consideration. Many thanks.Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

9. 
   Pondfish | Mar 15, 2008 04:26pm | #10

   I too have an ancient DW that keeps going and going, albeit it goes slower each year.  It's been such a trustworthy cordless that I may just get another DW.

   My impact driver is a Bosch, and it's great.  I'd be inclined to look into a Bosch CD.

   Recommending the use of "Hide Signatures" option under "My Preferences" since 2005
10. 
    Dave45 | Mar 15, 2008 05:09pm | #11

    This may be the time for you to upgrade to Li-Ion tools.  They give you more power, longer run times between battery charges, and lighter tools.  IIRC, the black and white Panasonic tools are Li-Ion.  The Ni-Cad's were great, but they're  going the way of buggy whips. - lol

    Early last year, I bought the little Skil 7.2v Li-Ion driver ($30?) for a "one time" job installing drawer glides in a tight space.  That little driver is now my "go-to" driver for almost all of my small screw driving chores.  It doesn't have the power or speed to do much drilling or run large screws, but it's great for the little stuff.

    Last Xmas, Santa Claus (cleverly disguised as my daughters, SIL, and SWMBO) got me the Ryobi 18v Li-Ion four tool combo package.  So far, it's been great stuff.  The circular saw has the guts to make multiple cuts without bogging down (I haven't had to get out my corded circular saw since January) and the drill is lighter and much more powerful than my old 14.4v Ni-Cad's.

    You'll probably get all kinds of advice about which brand is best, but IMHO cordless tools aren't something you buy for the ages.  They're commodities and evolving technology will make today's tools obsolete in a few years.  Ni-Cad batteries replaced Alkaline, Li-Ion is replacing Ni-Cad, and who knows what will eventually replace Li-Ion. - lol

1. 
   Jfrostjr | Mar 15, 2008 06:05pm | #12

   That's what I have been reading and hearing. I think that will be my top parameter. Thanks.Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

1. 
   [email protected] | Mar 15, 2008 09:25pm | #14

   Frosty, Popular Woodworking has a review of the 18-volt, lithium ion battery drills, in the current (April) issue. 

   For what it is worth, they rated the Makita, as their editors choice, and the Ridgid as the best value.  But based on some of the threads here, their reasoning on that choice may be bogus.  The warranty isn't serviced by Home Desperate, but through Ridgid's service centers, which aren't all that easy to find.  They didn't test a Dewalt drill, testing a hammer-drill instead so they didn't rate it.  And, being a 3-speed hammer-drill, it cost half again what any of the plain drill-drivers cost. 

   Dewalt, and Ryobi have both introduced 18-volt lithium batteries that will retro fit onto their previous 18-volt tools, to replace the Ni-Cads as they wear out.  So far, I haven't seen anything similar for the lower voltages coming out. 

   I use Dewalt 18-volts, and like them.  But I bought them mostly because I got a bargain on a hammer-drill and impact driver combo set, and am opposed to having a bunch of different batteries and chargers, so I stayed with the Dewalt.  The fact that there are dealers selling bare tools on ebay, so I didn't have to get more batteries and chargers, also drove the decision. 

   When you make the choice, I would recommend looking at the breadth of their line up.  I ended up owning lots more of the Dewalt tools, than I ever intended, (seven so far, ten if you count the lights and the radio-charger).  If they offered a trim router similar to the one Porter Cable makes, it would definitely be eight. 

   As an aside, if you own Dewalt 18-volt stuff look for bargains on the batteries the two weeks before Fathers Day.  Traditionally that is the best time to buy the batteries as both Lowers, and Home Desperate have them in two packs for $90. 

   Edited 3/15/2008 2:33 pm ET by Jigs-n-fixtures

1. 
   Syma | Mar 15, 2008 10:46pm | #15

   C12 hands down.

1. 
   phil_d | Mar 16, 2008 12:49pm | #16

   Frosty

   Chris may be right.  Many options out there are good, and the folks responding have serveral good experiences.

   I replaced my DeWalt 14.4 for all the same reasons you did, with a Milwaukee 18.0 Driver, with the li-ion batteries.  It is a great tool, lighter and better balanced to me, than the DeWalt it replaced. 

   Just one more postive vote for another brand.

   Phil D

2. 
   Jfrostjr | Mar 16, 2008 03:23pm | #17

   It's great to have so many choices - but it sure doesn't help the decision process.Thanks for all the observations.Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

3. 
   Henley | Mar 17, 2008 12:36am | #19

   I just went through this myself, tough choice for sure. Well to make it easier you can expect a recall on the
   18v Makita charger any time now. A search over in Breaktime
   will show you a bunch of guy's having problems with the chargers. Other then that I went with the compact Milwaukee. Only 1.5 amp
   hour batteries. But let me tell you after my 14.4 Porter Cable
   (Which I loved) this thing is light, powerful and balanced. It was kind of a leap of faith that something so light and small
   would have the power, but 18v is 18v.
   I am very happy. And I drive 3" screws all day.

11. 
    flairwoodworks | Mar 15, 2008 09:05pm | #13

    Frosty,

    Given the range of drills on the market today, you have many drills to choose from and you can't really go wrong with any of them provided you stay away from the cheap off-brand ones.  Ratcheting chucks are becoming standard and 1/2" chucks seem to be more and more common.  As you know, lithium-ion tools cost more but wiegh less.

    I love the feel of that 14.4V Lithium Ion Panasonic.  The battery makes it feel like a much smaller drill.  I'm also a fan of Makita's tools.  Their Lithium Ion series also has great balance and a great feel.

    That said, when I bought a new drill a couple months ago, I bought Bosch's 14.4 NICad -   http://boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=33614-2G.  Price, at $150 was a deciding factor - almost an impulse buy.  While it is heavy compared to LI, it is certainly a good drill.  I wanted a drill with a 1/2" chuck as only my drillpress can manage large-shanked bits.

    Chris @ flairwoodworks

     - Success is not the key to happines.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

12. 
    CHARTER | Mar 16, 2008 04:08pm | #18

    When I decided to replace my old, 1980s era Porter Cable cordless drill, I went right to FWW.  I bought the Milwaukee that was rated "best overall" and never had another regret.   Two speeds, an adjustable clutch and enough torque to to anything I ask of it.  Great Tool -- comes in a kit with a large box and extra battery. 

    http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/toolguide/toolguideproduct.aspx?tab=_editor&id=5673

    Be Safe, Ken

13. 
    terrylee86 | Mar 17, 2008 05:02am | #20

    Frosty,

    I have 2 Panasonic 15.5V NI-MH and I really like the drills and use them for everything, but I have found they are losing their charge when they sit around in the case about a week and they are dead with no use.  I always keep a battery in the charger so I can use one of them.  I bought the Makita LTX (not the black and white one, their blue one) 18V 3.0 amp hr. and it is a great tool.  If you hands are smaller you might like the B&W one but my big meathooks grab the LTX just fine.  Panasonic Li-Ion is too small for my hands.  Li-Ion does not seem to lose a charge either.  I have one of the Bosch PS-20 up north at our cottage and I used it last week after sitting since September.  Buy what feels good in your hand, but I would buy Li-Ion.

14. 
    Woodman41 | Mar 17, 2008 08:03am | #21

    I'm a big fan of my Makita impact driver but you specifically said drill so I'll suggest Milwaukee's 18v LION.

    Interestingly, I bought a new one recently for the sole reason that the new batteries work on the older 18v nicad tools and I needed 2 batteries so it was only a few dollars more to buy up to the 18v lithium ion drill. Now I have 2 lion batteries that work super in my trim saw!

    After having this drill I have to say it's well designed and feels good to use. Having said that, 18v is always bulky and heavy so if you are doing light work with it then it's probably just too much. That Panasonic has been top of the pile for a lot of years, very well designed and well built.

    You might also look at the Ridgid tools that HD sells. Some of the tools in that line are actually made by Metabo in Germany (look for "made in germany") and they are pretty well built. Plus, Ridgid is running another battery-for-life promotion which means you'll never have to buy replacement batteries.

15. 
    daveinnh | Mar 23, 2008 01:50am | #22

    I had a Bosch 12v drill-driver that lasted ~ 10 yrs. When it came to replace it, I reviewed:

    •  Bosch, of course - had the smaller units and BIG 24V units, no happy middle product
    • Milwaukee reportedly had battery problems
    • Makita 18V lithium unit - I bought w/ driver, saw, impact driver and light combo pack - works fine.

     

1. 
   twalkman | Mar 23, 2008 04:38am | #23

   I have one of the LI Makita. The battery life is great, but I haven't had the drill long enough to tell how durable it is. The Makita impact driver is great. Very powerful, light and not nearly as loud as I was expecting.I have a Festool cordless drill too. The adaptor heads are the reason to buy it. I think their nicad batteries are lousy & my main complaint with the tool. They never had long lasting power, and 1 of them pretty much died after a year. Also the drill has the most ear-splitting clutch on a drill I've ever heard. I'm surprised it's not against some European workplace regulation.

2. 
   Jfrostjr | Mar 23, 2008 03:21pm | #24

   Last week I 'pulled the cord' and bought the Panasonic 14.4 Li Ion drill/driver. It is light, small and has all the power I need for furniture work. Thanks for all your input.Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

1. 
   bww_maryland | Mar 24, 2008 04:37am | #25

   i have a 3 speed DEWALT 18V XRP Ni-CAD. I just picked up a 18V Lithium Ion battery for it. What a huge difference the lighter battery makes.

2. 
   jointerman | Mar 25, 2008 09:51am | #27

   Hi Frosty,Congrats on the drill/driver. I love my Panasonic 12V NiMH, its a solid performer. Here's another really good site for battery care:http://greenbatteries.com/

1. 
   Jfrostjr | Mar 25, 2008 03:39pm | #29

   Thanks for the info Jointerman.Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

16. 
    LB | Mar 25, 2008 08:21am | #26

    Make sure you understand the limitations of "Li-Ion" chemistries. Check out wikipedia for more info but in a nutshell current Lithium Ion batteries degrade substantially in cold weather. Dewalt has the most robust Li Ion chemistry with its Nano Phosphate battery however, Nicad batteries is still the king for cold weather performance. JLC forums are littered with stories of contractors whose new fangled Li-Ion toys crapped out in cold weather.

    LB

1. 
   gofigure57 | Mar 25, 2008 01:41pm | #28

   Great information LB , thanks.

17. 
    Mackwood | Mar 27, 2008 02:39am | #31

    Frosty,

    I have a DeWalt 18v that's almost 20 years old and it too is starting to go; same gripes as yours.

    I was in HD a few months ago shopping for a new one.  I ended up buying a Ryobi 18v with two batteries for about the price of one new battery for the DeWalt.  I know that Ryobi is not (or at least is not "supposed" to be) a professional grade unit.  I like it!  I've used it extensively (for me) over the past couple months and it has performed admirably!  Plenty of power and charges last a very long time.  I figure with how much I use it, it will probably last me 10 years at least!  I also figure that with the money I saved I can get both the batteries for the DeWalt rebuilt.

    If you're like me and DON'T use the unit day in and day out; this may be a viable and low cost option.

    Regards,

    Mack

    "WISH IN ONE HAND, S--T IN THE OTHER AND SEE WHICH FILLS UP FIRST"

1. 
   Jfrostjr | Mar 27, 2008 02:45pm | #32

   Thanks for the suggestion but I've already pulled the trigger on a Panasonic. You should have seen the excitement as I gave the DeWalt items to my son/grandson after Easter brunch.Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

18. 
    johny5 | Nov 23, 2019 11:14pm | #33

    DEWALT DCD795D2

    The DeWALT cordless hammer drill features a smooth running brushless motor. It provides 57% more run time than the standard motor. It is an excellent hammer drill for the price.

19. 
    user-7063600 | Nov 24, 2019 08:58am | #34

    You should look at Milwaukee's 12v Fuel tools. They will out perform most of the tools out there. there are dozens of tools that use the same battery. There is no down side. Small, powerful. I have sold tools for more than 25 years. This is one of best tools I have ever seen, Panasonic makes an ok tool, but they are hard to find batteries, part and they don't have the variety of other tools.

20. 
    _mj_ | Nov 24, 2019 03:08pm | #35

    Guys, those tools were not available when this thread was started in 2008.