After 14 years, my Makita 7.2 cordless drill finally puked. Now looking at one of the following: Panasonic 15.6, Bosch 14.4, Milwaukee 14.4. Can you help me make the cut; which cordless drill/driver would you choose?
Regards, dustmonkey
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
From plumbing failures to environmental near disasters, OHJ staffers dish on our worst and best moments.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
I have the Panasonic. I really like it. It is light, fits my hand very nicely and it is compact and gets in some tight spaces.
I am not a pro so it does not get used that much, but I have used it to to drive tapcons and bore through floor joist with a spade bit. I would not recommend it for doing the floor joist all day with the spade bits. But it worked for a couple of holes where the spacing was such that corded drill would not fit.
Monkey, I just bought the Panasonic 15.6v 1/2 inch and it's a great drill. Been using it for the last month then pulled out the old Porter Cable 12v. The Panasonic was lighter and ballanced so much better. Also, it has a one handed ratcheting chuck which keeps bits from slipping. Not sure the others offer the NmH batteries either. Best price at the time was from Amazon, $189 no tax or shipping charge. -Ed
I recently got a Milwaukee 18V, and think a lot of it. Really like the reversible batteries in particular.
Last weekend I was working with a guy that had an 18V Dewalt. We swapped guns back and forth a bit, as one had a square drive bit in it, and the other one a phillips. The guy said he liked my Milwaukee better, and it had more torque.
Never have been around Panasonic..............
Persian Proverb: The drowning man is not troubled by rain.
I would stick with the Makita. I do alot of metal roofing with mine and the 14v is perfect for that . Still have a 9.6v from about 10 years ago , two 14v's that are 5 y/o and a 12v that is 2 y/o.
My 2cents, Dave
Panosonic. Used them all, compared to the Panosonic the rest are second rate. I own 2 Dewalts, 12 volt and 9.6 volts. They are fine but not close to Panosonic. Battery life, torque, and chuck are superior in Panosonic. Very comfortable to use, I am a lefty but with the 15.6 Panosonic I was comfortable using either hand.
Just to stir up the pot and make it more confusing Milwaukee, Makita and Bosch just had new models released in the past month. You might find a deal on the old stock or find an introductory sale on the new stock. I did see the the new M-Force Makita mismarked as a 6333 for $179 at a Home Depot.
Panasonic! I have my older 12v and a 2yr old 15.6v both still run great. I use the newer one almost every day. Panasonic has the best batteries on the market. No one else has a 3.5 amp-hour battery. Alot of them still come with 2ah batteries. Then of course there is weight, balance, size and torque. Buy the Panasonic, you won't be disappointed.
steve
For what it's worth, I too think Panasonic makes the finest cordless drills. I have 3 12volt ones and a 15.6 and they are durable and comfortable, not to mention small & light. Some of my co-workers have the new Milwaukee 14.4's which certainly seem well made, but are very heavy. Just to add another variable, you should try a cordless impact driver, small, light powerful, but you can't drill holes with it.
Any body try that new Pana sonic that has three modes?
Looks like The modes are , impact driver, positive clutch screwdriver and drill.
Saw it in the tool crib catalog.
TDo not try this at home!
I am a trained professional!
I don't see Makita in you choice. Look at what you want, but I am now leaning towards the blue stream.
I am looking at performance and compatibility between tools.
Don't throw the Bosch out with the bath water. Good drill, 14.4, durable and light weight at 129.00 refurbished on the internet delivered to your door.
Actually I think these drills and the Makita are so close in functional value I'd have to say go try them all at a shop and buy the one that you feel the best with.
Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
of the 3 named.. i'd get the Panasonic... just bought a Panasonic cordless trim saw..
however.. when it came to drills.. i bought the 12 v. Metabo... great choice.. BTW.. both the Metabo & the Panasonic came with 2 batteries
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Been usin a Milwaukee 14.4 for 2.5 yrs every day for trim and I sneak in some framing on the side...fits me right, batteries last and charge fast...I've had people use it that hate it, though. Got a couple of 12v dewalts that are good, but not great for me, feelingwise...oh, it's such a personal thang...
Got a new 18v Bosch coming, the one that can take a 2 storey fall...I'm clumsier than most... It's okay, I can fix it!
Why let it just be those three, the only clear choice is a DeWalt 14.4 volt. Toughest drill driver you will ever own.
ernie
I have the Milwaukee and it works great, also if you plan to use any other cordless tools such as a circular saw, recip or other wise Milwaukee probably has the best selection and the easiest to get batteries for
Suggestion...Go to a big box store and see which one feels right in your hand. This works for most brands except Panasonic and Metabo. Both Metabo and Panasonic are top-notch drills, but I think I'll stick with my makita. I don't like the larger grips of the bosch or porter-cables, and I have never heard a dewalt that didn't sound busted right out of the box. Then again, they still seem to work fine for quite some time. Never even gave the Milwakee a thought, and they are my first chioice in almost everything else, to include regular corded drills.
I have a 14.4 Milwalkee and I like it except ......
It's the one that was just replaced by the new tork-lok system and the old non-rachet metal chucks are just no d*** good for hammer drilling. Anything else, fine. Mine was replaced and the "new" one is just as usless.
It's almost bullet proof and I use it all the time. I also have a 7.2 amp electric DeWalt for heavier work and my buddy has a Bosch - it's great too.
The Milwalkee is made in Germany, so it can be the best of both worlds.
At my age, my fingers & knees arrive at work an hour after I do.
Aaron the Handyman
Vancouver, Canada
Thanks all, for the posts. Finally bought that much-need drill/driver; none of original interest, however: picked up a PC 14.4 at Lowes for $139. Great drill - plenty of guts, appears to be well built. It's forums like this one that make choosing a tool much less painful.
regards
Milwaukee is the name to know for Drills,corded or cordless and for sawzalls....
Yes, I own a SuuperSawsall (nothing compares) Hole Hawg - is there any question? On others: I've found the Dewalt drywall guns the smoothest; Paslode or Senco for air nailers; my hammers must be Vaughn or Estwing; McGuire Nichols leather tool pouch; Mag 77 uncomparable (would I buy any thing else by Skil?); Hilti hammer drill etc. etc. There's no way I could own just one brand of power tool. Each manufacturer seems to have its niche.
Again, this forum has invaluable information submitted from many trades that can help ease the guess-work out of a tool purchase. The other resource I use is Amazon's too review from customers who've bought and used a certain tool.
regards
If you have bought anything Bosch, you have indeed bought Skil. Same company.
Ken Hill
True but the two are at opposite ends of the spectrum.J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Ken I see your point about Bosch but thats like saying buying anything by Dewalt is like buying black and decker, they were if not still the same company
Hey dustmonkey, your ok in my book.. Estwing hammers the best have used em for 30yrs.. the Milwaukee super sawzall the best damn recp saw on the market, the Milwaukee Hole Hawg.. I love that drill .. have a few Yuengling Lagers on me....
ToolDoc
Estwing hammers: like a Moen faucet (don't get me started) "...Buy it for looks, buy it for life." Nothing feels quite like a 22oz Estwing framing hammer when spankin' 16's. A buddy insisted I try his Death Stick titanium last week but it just didn't feel right. Had a hard time setting the nail. I see the appeal, however, of such a light striker when swinging all day. But when such occurs, I fire up the compressor . But I digress - this thread was originally intended to help with a drill/driver purchase. When it comes to opinions regarding tools, there seems no end to, and no lack of passion about how builders and DIYers feel.
Now if I can just decide between that Dewalt or Bosch portable table saw...Zzzzzzzzzzz
In regards to cordless drill drivers, I flat out love my Bosch 24V unit. I bought it in a combination deal where the matching circ saw was included. Give it a try. Powerful and well balanced, the weight doesn't bother me at all.
I also have their portable table saw. Amazing! They have deal (I think it is still current) where they include the folding base, and some of the extentions. It does a much better job than I expected. I have used it for ripping 4x8 ply sheets and it was easier than I imagined it would be. The entire unit is nice and light, well thought out, and way more accurate and repeatable than it has any right to be. I recomend it highly.
That said, there are things that could be improved, but the DeWalt is the same. Namely, I wish the table surface was deeper in front of the blade, and the fence longer as well. And it would be cool if they sold drop-in panels that could fill the space between the fully extended extensions and the saw. There's always something, right? Still, after shopping around and looking at all the leaders, I think its the best on the market. JMHO!
Jake
First let me make it clear that I am not a fan of DeWalt in general. That said I`ve owned a DeWalt 18v cordless for aprox. six years and I love it. My first was a makita 9.6 v....I tortured that pup and it never let me down in over ten years. My old boss had a Panasonic...I hated it, I used to refer to it as a toy. A former fellow worker had a Milwaukee, actually several...kept having trouble with clutch....after exchanging it for the third time he went with a Metabo. Never worked with a Bosch, but I love just about everything else they make.(Jigsaw, router, etc.) Best advice is to handle as many as possible and go with the one that feels the best.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"