coming out of lurkdom to ask if there is such a thing as a GOOD cordless drill. i’d like to buy one for my husband for his birthday, if anyone here knows of a brand that is not a wimpy toy drill (which is what we have now, of course. basically useless…). thanks for suggestions!
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Welcome to Breaktime. Or at least POSTING at Breaktime.
(-:
I'm a big fan of Milwaukee tools all around - Cordless included.
Wondering what you might have that classifies as "wimpy toy". Most any cordless at a big-box home center, or a major brand, is "good". It depends on what you're doing with it. I have Ryobi, Bosch and Hitachi, all have their strengths.
"Good" brands on my list would be Bosch, Hitachi, Makita, Panasonic, Milwaukee and maybe DeWalt. If you're only using it once in a while to hang pictures or put together the kid's toys, something cheaper like Ryobi or Black and Decker would even work fine.
If I had to go out right NOW and buy a new cordless drill, I'd get a Bosch 12v or 14.4v Brute. Only because they're reliable and fit my hand well.
For most, cordless tools are so good, so powerful and useful, that they have taken the place of their corded counterparts.
I would rec. getting your husband a drill/impact driver kit as many are sold that way now. The impact driver is a tool that's much better for driving screws and whatnot than the drill. The two work verywell next to each other, one for drilling operations and one for driving screws.
What's your budget?
I really like the 18V Makita lithium-ion, but I didn't get it because I leave my tools out when I'm on the job and I didn't want to worry about losing it.
If it were for my home, I would definitely get a lithium-ion at least because they hold a charge much longer than nicads.
For the bad press its gets around here, I have to say my 18v Dewalt Drills kick butt. I run these drills very hard and they always come through for me.
wow, you guys are terrific! thanks for the suggestions - i'll have to do a bit of research, i see. but it's so helpful for a non-tool person, such as i, to have your recommendations. i knew i'd get the answers here! and the impact driver (totally unfamilar to me at the moment) sounds just the ticket - thanks for that idea!!
(budget? what budget -- oh, you mean i need to have one? hmmmm)
and thanks for the welcome, Boss!
"Good" brands on my list would be Bosch, Panasonic, Milwaukee....
Hitachi - Makita not faulting the tool so much as I am the companies... 'specially when it come to CS....
Rigid and DeWalt are asking for a tuff boat to row...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Festool C12 anyone? This is by far my favorite drill of all time. I have 1 each of Porter cable, Milwaukee, Bosch, and DeWalt. My Milwaukee is the most powerful but the Festool is the most versatile. Expensive though, with all the heads and the NiMH batts, it was $540.
"It is what it is."
how often do you think the drill will be used?
cordless tools don't do well sitting and waiting. The Batteries die faster when they're not used and charged on a regular basis.
for the occasional tool ... one that'll spend more time in the tool drawer than being used ... a corded tool is better.
the dewalt corded drills are some of my favorites.
btw ... amazon.com has a great tool selection for the average user.
you can compare models, check user reviews, see what they all look like, etc.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
thanks, Jeff ~ good comment on how much use it would get, which is minimal at best in this case! guess i'll re-think the corded part... and thanks for the Amazon.com tip, too.
rox.........have a look at Reconditioned Tools Inc .........Hitachi authorized recon center ........Fair warning the tools are uglier than sin ..........green and black tennis shoe trans former looking.
I bought a combo for a $179.00 plus shipping $12.00 , got a frouresent light with LED .....don't know what you would use it for except power outages , lights for 5 hrs I tested it .
Sawsall wierd shape , quick change blade does the job better than my Dewalt .
1/2 in hammer drill driver heavy but you can't stop it .
Now the most important part , as the tool generations advance new technology becomes desirable for most HO's and pros. the combo is 18v lith-ion with 2batteries and a charger and it's 3.0 Ah the 3.0AH is no joke stuff
As an old carpenter I have from the begining a 9.6 Makita pistol grip first gen and milwaukee. Porter cable , Dewalt and Bosch. I don't think you can find a better deal at the price and you get a tool bag with the combo that you can drive yourself goofy trying to figure out how to put the tools back in the way they came. :) good luck and welcome
Makita - I'd say the 14.4 (not Li-Ion) would be fine. I have this one, and have swung a 5" holesaw through old yellow pine sheathing in low gear.
http://www.tylertool.com/ma631mxtdrki.html