Topic: Best cordless drill

[Yota87Truck]

What cordless drill is the best for battery charge, power, useability, price.

I have a black and deacker that doesn't seem to hold a charge.

I have a co-worker who has a craftsman but the chuck looses the tightness of the bit.

Tell me the pros and cons of different cordless tools, not just drills

[NorCalToy]

my dad as a contractor ran an old makita for YEARS. it finally gave it up, although its possible he just lost teh charger or the battery was just done. but the last few years, probably 4 or 5, hes been using a DeWalt drill without any problems at all, although he has stopped being a contractor so it sees less work than the makita did. so id recommend a DeWalt or makita

[freds40]

I like my DeWalt 18 volt stuff. You pay a bit more but I think it's worth it. The latest batteries they have seem to be holding up really well.

[DTB]

my dad as a contractor ran an old makita for YEARS. it finally gave it up, although its possible he just lost teh charger or the battery was just done. but the last few years, probably 4 or 5, hes been using a DeWalt drill without any problems at all, although he has stopped being a contractor so it sees less work than the makita did. so id recommend a DeWalt

That sounds backwards to me

[DeadlyPeace]

I still have my old Makita after 20+ years of construction. Its not as powerful as some of the ones they have out now, but it's still kicking.

I agree with DeWalt and also Ryobi makes some good ones.

[kneedownnate]

We have a 19ish volt Ryobi at work and it's held up well, but their batteries only last maybe a coupe years of frequent use. 

[toyotanner]

i used ryobi when i was working at a metal fab shop they were pretty dependable i really want to get the new ryobi lithium set

[Cheesemaker]

I'm still using my dad's porter cable drills, which he's had for at least 15 years.  Going strong and they still have alot of torque.  Plus they have a high/low speed setting which is nice.  The batteries have a tendency to discharge faster now.  But they went from being used everyday, all day long, to sitting on the bench and being used for 5 minutes once a week.  But very good drills.

[junya92toy]

I have used many brands, all of them used the ni cad batterys. THey last maybe a few years. I have a craftsman now, 19.2. I might go get a ryobi next. You can get it in the ni cad or lithium. The main reason why I want is, you can buy many different tools for it without buying new batterys or chargers at the same time. Chainsaws, grinders, cutoff tools, skilsaws ect.

[Desertyodaboy]

Go with Bosch. I have had my Bosch set for a few years and use it everyday on the jobsite and it still holds a charge and works like day one

[Straight_Axle_Swap_86]

makita came out with a fairly new one about a year age, they are small, black and white and have a light under the head. i forgot the model. i use makitas daily at work, i have dropped mine from a 130' boom lift and it is still alive.

[Crawler677]

I have had my 18v Cordless Dewalt for almost 5 years now. ive abused the crap out of it on a regular basis and it still works fine. Bosch and Makita are also brands i have had good luck with.

[Stocker]

We had Makitas at work for years.  They were replaced a few years ago with DeWalts, which have a lot more power (higher voltage too).  Mrs Stocker bought me a Milwaukee a few years or so back, and it seems on par with the DeWalts.

[splasher]

Depends on your intended use really.

After using an impact driver, I personally will NEVER use a drill to drive a fastener again. The biggest name brands will generally have the best features and quality, but you will pay for that. Almost every cordless drill out there now is Chinese too, so be aware of that.

None of the bargain brands out there will stand up to hard everyday use and live long. I've had companies hand them all to me, they all suck.

The new DeWalts suck. I had the last generation and loved it, used it up eventually, traded it in on the new model (made in Mexico) and exchanged the drill 6 times in 6 mos. When DeWalt decided to move it's manufacturing/assembly to Mexico they lost a hardcore customer in me. I've had nothing but problems with every DeWalt product I've bought since the change. Their quality control is really poor now.

Craftsman, Milwaukee, and Rigid, are big, bulky, and the batteries just plain don't last.


I personally recommend Makita, Panasonic or Hilti, Japanese or Swedish models only. But those brands come with premium prices too. I avoid ANYTHING made in China like the plague, but I understand that not everybody can afford to be that picky.....

If you can find a German made Bosch, then they're good tough tools too, rare, but good. The Chinese Bosch models are pale imitators of the real deal.

Whatever you do, if you plan to work overhead AT ALL, then pony up for the Li-Ion, you will never regret the decision.

[Crawler677]

^^ x2. thats all good info splasher. my dewalt is one of the older gens and it rocks. but my dad did get one of the new ones and i got to try it out, and let me tell ya that thing was a peice of 

[mudking82]

makita came out with a fairly new one about a year age, they are small, black and white and have a light under the head.

I second this, as I actually have this model and use it daily.  I love it.  I have the smaller 1.5 Ah batteries on it to make it even lighter.  I never thought having the little light on the front could be so handy, I would never buy anything else after using this drill for the last year or so, unless Makita can make it somehow even better.  Compared to my old 18V Dewalt (which I had no problems with) this thing seemed like a feather at first.  The batteries don't last as long with continuous use as most others do, because they are smaller, but you get lots of power out of it while it does last.  And they are 15 min. rechargeable batteries too, so down time is low if you don't have an extra battery.  They are also slightly more compact then most drills.  And if you want the greater capacity, the 3.0 Ah batteries work on it fine also. 

For comparisons, most manufactures list all the specs on their websites for each tool, I know Dewalt and Makita at least are good at this.  And I agree with Splasher too.  If you are doing much driving of even semi large or long screws etc. without a pilot hole, get an impact driver.  Most big manufacturers make one that will work with whatever batteries you already have.  But I give a big thumbs up to the 18V Makita drill/driver that is black/white and Li-Ion.   

[splasher]

But I give a big thumbs up to the 18V Makita drill/driver that is black/white and Li-Ion.

The 2 pack (impact driver and drill motor) can be had for a screamin' good deal too if you wait long enough. If they weren't Chinese I'd own a set.....

[Thomas P]

i am a contractor who has owned several sets of cordless tools and have worked with people with several different types. i had a milwakee 18v set that i recently tossed out the batteries didnt last for , as did my dewalt set. my craftsman set pretty much disintegrated after the abuse i put it through. and now i have 2 sets of ridgid 18 volt tools. the first set is 4 years old and works as good as day one, including the batteries. they are cheap and have a great warranty