I have a Ryobi 12v cordless drill which is light and powerful enough for most applications. However, on some drilling jobs, like drilling long screws in hard woods, it will stall.
How much improvement will an 18v drill provide? Currently, for these tough jobs I use a 1/2″ Harbor Freight $30 corded drill. I’ve never stalled it but it is very heavy and after a few holes it feels like an elephant.
Thanks,
Buster
Replies
Depends largely on the brand of 18v drill, some will have less power than your 12v Ryobi and some will darn near break your wrist. For driving screws you might look at the 12v impacts.
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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer (1891)
A quick swipe of the screw threads across a cake of beeswax, or akumpucky will greatly improve any drivers performance.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Rule of thumb: if it doesn't quote a torque figure in the data you can find online, it's probably not high enough.
My 24V Bosch hammer drill/driver will tear the head off a 6mm diameter screw, and has twice torn 1/4 inch hex steel driver tools in half. My ex-son-in-law's 24V nameless equivalent hasn't even enough torque to tighten its own chuck.
Forgive my ignorance but I thought impact and hammer drills were for driving fastners into brick or concrete. I presumed that if used on wood it would smash everything in sight.
They make two types of impacts, one is linear, as in a pounding motion and the other is rotary. The rotary type is excellent for driving screws and other threaded fasteners.------------------------------------
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer (1891)
Can you recommend one for a weekend warrior with no designs on becoming pro? Also budget considerations would be appreciated as well.Thanks,
Buster
I highly recommend the 12v Makita. It has plenty of torque, the batteries have a good life span and the quality of the tool is very good. It is probably the least expensive of the good quality impacts.------------------------------------
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer (1891)
dgreen,
Thanks, I'll take a look.BB
I have the Ryobi 14.4v and my buddy has an 18v. I can drive 3" deck screws as quickly as he can but his lasts longer on a battery.
Give a look at one of the Ryobi "packages" in 18v. I think you'll be quite satisfied with it. The cordless world seems to be going to higher voltages - it's getting difficult to find 14.4v tools and batteries anymore.
Dave,
Are you referring to a "regular" drill or one of the impact/hammer drills? I've been very happy with my 12v Ryobi and would have no problem getting another.On the Ryobi site they have the 18v Torque IV. It says you can switch between driving and drilling. What's the difference?
Edited 11/25/2006 10:01 am ET by BusterBrown
All I have are regular 14.4v drills (2 Ryobi's and a Makita). I've ever used any kind of cordless "hammer" or "impact" drill so I really can't say anything about their differences.
My only experience with a hammer drill was when I had to drill holes in an old foundation to put in some rebar to tie it to some new foundation work.
Around here, it can be difficult to find cordless tools under 18v. The emphasis seems to be toward Li-ion and 18v, or more.
Edited 11/25/2006 12:50 pm by Dave45
Much as I dislike the Borg, home despot has a sale right now, the impact driver a drill and 2 batteries and a charger for $199. It's a good value at that price. Other vendors will probably match it, but there's only a couple bucks room at that price.------------------------------------
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer (1891)
I think you may still be confused about impact drivers and hammer drills. The latter is designed like a conventional drill, but with a "hammering" action for drilling holes -- especially in masonry.An "impact driver" is used only for driving screws. These have become virtually indispensible in the construction trades over the past 2-3 years, and if you have a lot of screws to drive, it's really the best way to go. I own both the Panasonic 15.6v and the 12v impact driver. The 12v won't drill as many screws per battery charge as the 15.6, but for power and speed, it is the equal of the larger driver. I have also used the Makita 12v impact driver, which is every bit as good as my favored Panasonic. Panasonic has many different models of the 12v (different battery types), but here is the cheapest:http://tinyurl.com/y9obk7And here is one of the 12v's from makita:http://tinyurl.com/ynek86Finally, Panasonic does make an impact driver that can also function as a conventional drill (by slipping a drill chuck over the hex head of the impact driver). Kind of awkward, but handy if you want one tool that will perform both functions:http://tinyurl.com/y9rww3********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Thanks for putting me straight about impact vs hammer. I appreciate you pointing me to various impact drills but they are way over my budget.I don't often need this type of power but it would be nice once and a while. Is a drill/driver the same as in impact drill?Thanks
Buster
Edited 11/28/2006 4:10 pm ET by BusterBrown
No, not exactly.The 15.6v panasonic that I linked is, as far as I know, the only tool that can function both as a conventional drill AND an impact driver. A so called "drill/driver" is the label some put on their cordless (conventional) drills, to indicate they can also drive screws. I don't think an impact driver is really of much use to cabinetmakers -- who usually don't need that kind of driving power. It is great for cabinet installations, deck building, and other construction stuff. Any regular cordless drill will do fine for driving screws, especially one with a variable clutch.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Rule No. 1: Drills are for making holes in stuff. Impact drivers are for driving screws into stuff.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
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