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What is the best cordless drill?

50K views 72 replies 48 participants last post by  Designed2Fail 
#1 ·
What are best drills?????
 
#6 ·
I am in the market for some new cordless tools since my trusty old Makita drill is dying, starting to make some bad noises.

Can't decide between the Makita 18 volt LXT's or the Milwaukee M18's. Figure I'll get a 4 piece kit since they both have some good promotions for a free tool with 4 piece kit.
 
#8 ·
I had been a DeWalt customer since they came out with their cordless tool line and especially liked the 24V, 1/2" hammer drill. Recently all 3 of my drills and batteries started to puke out...4-5 yrs most of them. I went to get the replacement batteries and it was gonna cost me $300+ .I decided to look around a bit for a new setup.

I remembered a few months prior, on a trim-out, I saw a sleek little Makita snub-nose 12V that a cabinet installer left on the counter.......I had to check it out while noone was looking...man what a dream tool. Fast, agile, easy to see w/LED helper light, and too boot it had the new flashy Lith Ion batts in it.

It was an impact driver though, wasnt too sure that was the right tool for me...being just for screws.

When the time came I dipped into the emerg fund and wrapped my paws on the 4 pc bundle in the bag.. was about $420 then. I never had much of a use for the sawzall.. I thought, but after getting this set of wonder drills / sawzall / flashlight (use that the most) and the charger I am urged to find new uses for these starlets. I bought another setup for the home use.. I do alotta stuff around the palace.

Cant tell you enough, this set does it all for me.

Makita 4 pc combo
3000 rpm 1/4" impact driver
2 speed 1/2" drill/driver hammer
sawzall
flashlight
charger w/2 batts

and no....I dont work for Makita or own any or their stock
 
#10 ·
For battery operated. Get an 18v 4pk or another combo kit.

IMO if you are using it for Cabinet installs only, look at an 18v 2 pk with an impact driver and a hammer drill. It's nice to have the hammer feature for the occasional "what ifs".

My preference always has been DeWalt.

Got to Lowes, HD or wherever you buy your tools and hold them up to each other for weight and compactness.

If you keep away from Ryobi the rest is just personal preference. They all have pros/cons and the occasional lemon.
 
#11 · (Edited)
#17 ·
I have never had a problem with my dewalt's. Not that I wouldnt use another brand but all my cordless tools are dewalt 18v. So I have a bunch of batteries and seems silly to buy a different brand drill that wont take all these batteries
Thats the problem when you wanna change. Esp when so many tools use the same battery.
 
#22 ·
A year ago my DeWalt 12v drills started to need their second set of batteries. Not a happy camper about that. I was looking and I needed 3 of them. At $65 a pc I decided that $200 for a new Compact Makita with 2 batteries, charger and a case was a good trade up. After a week I went out and bought a second kit. Well worth it. Later on I got the 6 1/2" battery saw and 2 - 3AH batteries. Got more batteries than I will ever need for a single day. I figured the light on the drill would be more of a gimmick. But it is a real help inside cabinets.
 
#24 ·
I bought the black and white 18 volt Makita two years ago with the intent of replacing my aging 14 volt Milwaukee set. However just after my purchase Milwaukee recalled and replaced all my batteries so I had a virtually new set of tools and so the Makita sat on the shelf only to be pulled out when everything else was busy.

Just last week I plunked down 500.00 for the four piece set plus the circle saw and couldn't be happier :notworthy.

The smaller batteries from the black and white fit the drill and impact, but not the saws just a fyi.

And the lights at the end of the tools are a real Godsend for this aging carpenter's eyes.
 

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#25 ·
The smaller batteries from the black and white fit the drill and impact, but not the saws just a fyi.

And the lights at the end of the tools are a real Godsend for this aging carpenter's eyes.
That explains why I could not use my batteries on one! I just assumed Home Depot was selling defective saws after trying two of them.
 
#27 · (Edited)
OK I'm in the market for replacing my old tired Dewalt's. You guys are selling me on the Makita's. I click on the link left by a poster, great.
Look at the three piece set and I see two useful got to have drills and a flippin' flashlight. Is it just me or am I the only guy that throws that flashlight in a deep drawer and never see it again. It's like buying a work truck with built in curb feelers as a standard option. :wallbash:

I have absolutely no use for that flippn' flashlight but why do all the tool company's add them to the set?

www.phbconstruction.com
 
#29 ·
OK I'm in the market for replacing my old tired Dewalt's. You guys are selling me on the Makita's. I click on the link left by a poster, great.
Look at the three piece set and I see two useful got to have drills and a flippin' flashlight. Is it just me or am I the only guy that throws that flashlight in a deep drawer and never see it again. It's like buying a work truck with built in curb feelers as a standard option. :wallbash:

I have absolutely no use for that flippn' flashlight but why do all the tool company's add them to the set?
:laughing: I used to think that way but I use mine ALL the time; my favorite is hooking up a light fixture in a dark room: turn the flash light on, set it on the floor/countertop/washing machine/wherever, pivot the head so the beam shines on the box and work away.

We have a couple of Milwaukee 14 volt lights in the house, my wife uses them to let the dog out at night. :laughing:
 
#30 ·
I use only DeWalt cordless now. I have my Dad's (retired Contractor now) 18V Dewalt that he bought in 85 and it still works great and has been dropped MANY times. You get what you pay for and if I could afford it I would buy the Milwaukee Lithium Ion 18v's but wow the price is WAY up there. When I think Makita I still think of the old green screw guns from the 80's that had the Paslode looking batteries. (I still have 2 of em)
 
#32 ·
I have to give dewalt credit for making the lithium batts compatable with the older tools. Everyone else decided to make their batts incompatible with the old tools (Thanks Makita). Had alot of money invested in Makita cordless, and its pretty much down the drain.

I went Hitachi because I struck a fantastic deal on refurbs and got 5 tools, 4 Lith-ion batts and 2 chargers for under $500. Pretty happy with them so far, plenty of juice and battery life.
 
#34 ·
I have an old Makita's 9.6V-12V stick drill that still works to this day. I can't remember when I got it, but it must have been the late eighties.

I have an old 18V DeWalt set that still is on it's first batteries. Probably bought that in 1998-1999. Replaced the brushes, though. The circ that came with it is junk, though. I have another smaller 12V DeWalt that can't hold a charge past lunch, whether I use it or not! It just sits in the shop taking up space. Been meaning to throw it away, but I'm a pack rat when it comes to tools.

DeWalt has been getting a bad name lately, but I don't know if it is generally warranted. I have a buddy that services lifeboats offshore who swears by his DeWalt 14V that he has owned for 3-4 years. This thing sees some temperature extremes, as he works from Alaska and Canada in the north, to the Gulf of Mexico. And the salt environment doesn't help either.

I have a V18 Milwaukee kit that is my current go-to for heavy stuff, and the M18 Compact drill/impact for lighter tasks. I have really enjoyed the Milwaukee tools, but the V18 stuff is a bit heavy.

I like the Bosch equipment. I have several of their 10.8V/12V Max tools that are fantastic for assembly work.

Overall, though, I think I would lean toward Makita or Bosch for heavy duty stuff. I wish I had bought the Makita LXT line. Or the Bosch. Can't decide. Makita has a bigger lineup.

I really want a Festool with all the Centrotec system. I see you are a communications installer, and this might make a lot of sense for you. The Centrotec system allows you to get into tight spaces, and the drills are probably the best I have tried. Plus, it comes with a great case, and you can get other cases that clip to the bottom of it to hold your other gear. Depending on how you work, these can be great. Just spendy.
 
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