Corded drills not keeping up with the times?

[# Fred #]

I have about a half a small closet full of cordless tools waiting to be transported to the dump if battery prices don't get reasonable. Looking at the tool section in Amazom.com, I see the number of cordless drills far if excess of the corded models. Doesn't seem like much effort is placed in research and development on corded drills. Except for the big brutes, will we see corded drills anymore in ten years? It would nice to incorporate some of the cordless features like keyless chuck, adjustable clutch, articulated head, compact design, built-in work light, level, storage for bits, multi speed and so on. A good corded drill last 20 or more years while the cordless perhaps 2 to 5 years before you decide to purchase a new set of batteries of just buy the next new cordless innovation so there is little profit in corded drills in particular and other corded tools in general. So will we be buried in exhausted batteries and discarded cordless tools?

[Eugene]

Stop buying your cordless with a bunch of silly features and buy ones that last, mine are over 10 years old and still used all the time. .Articulated head, compact design, built-in work light, level, storage for bits are gimmick features you find on toy cordless drills that are throw away quality.

[dpb]

What he said except... :)

Keyless chucks and clutches/hammer drills _are_ readily available cordless.

Articulated head _may_ have some special purpose advantage, but agree it's a specialty tool item.

I agree w/ most of the rest of the list of gimmicky features although certainly bit storage isn't much in the high-tech realm and has a high return. Quite a few tailed drills do have level bubbles or depth stops, etc., as I have a couple that do. No really big deal, but useful on the rare occasion.

For OP, unless these are really of the Wal-Mart/Harbor Freight/etc. variety, it is normally quite cost-effective to get battery packs rebuilt at a local battery rebuilder/supply. If they are the "cheapies", then they may indeed be nothing but throwaways...

I agree also w/ you, Fred -- my Milwaukee's have been going a long time already and I have no expectation of them not continuing for quite some additonal time.

[George]

Strange, but my corded has a keyless, a bubble, is as compact as a universal motor of appropriate power can be. Believe they make add-ons to take care of all but the light. Might I suggest duct tape and a penlight? Or perhaps one like the powerful one I strap over my head like a cap when I have to cut someone out of a car in the middle of the night. Works well for cross-country night skiing, too.

[CW]

articulated

[resrfglc]

Welcome to Capitalism and the disposable society. Where ya been?

[<marierdj]

A good corded drill last 20 or more years. I agreed with that. I have a electric corded Rockwell 3/8. It was purchased in 1964 for $ 29.99 CAD. It does not have variable speed, reverse, high RPM or keyless chuck. But its still working. The electrical cord is pure rubber and it is in good shape. It does not get used as before because it does not have all the new features. I also have a corded B&D bough in 1972 for about $11.00 CAD. This B&D will soon have to be retired as its starting to make strange noises and lite sparks. I already purchased a 6.25 A to replace it. FWIW

[Phisherman]

My cordless drill bit the dust 10 years ago and I replaced it with a corded Milwaukee. I prefer the corded drill--lots of endless power with a slight inconvenience of a cord.

[Greg O]

My experience is like the OP's. I have bought B&D commercial, back when they made good tools, Makita, Milwaukee, and lately, DeWalt. Using the drill daily I rarely get more than 3 years from batteries. Then what do you do? Two batteries cost almost as much as the drill. Even rebuilding them in not a real cheap answer. The last corded drill I had I tossed in the garbage one day. My neighbor happened to stop by and picked it up and asked what it needed, just batteries. He brought it home and I noticed it in his garbage a week later! I buy corded, or air powered for use in the shop, all of them are over twenty years old and still good as new. Luckily for my job the boss provides a cordless, other wise I may not even have one! Greg

[Pete C.]

"Strange noises and little sparks" probably mean it's just due for a trip to the motor shop for a commutator cleaning and new brushes. Cleaning and relubing bearings and gearbox probably wouldn't hurt either.

Pete C.

[<marierdj]

[# Fred #]

I don't have any cordless lasted over 5 years including the Panasonics. The drill may last forever but the batteries won't. I didn't think my Panasonics were a throw away quality but if you factor in the price of batteries and the depreciation of the drills, it will just be.

Maybe gimmick to some but when I was high up on a ladder, for example, trying to screw in an exhaust fan in a recessed space that is both dark and tight like the other day, a drill with a compact articulated head and built-in light would be nice. You cannot throw enough light into this recessed space as my drill and hand will block any useful light on the work area. Anyway, hanging up in the air, leaning toward one side of the ladder and trying to keep balance at the same time with a flashlight in one hand, a corded in-close-quarter drill in the other, keeping the fan from falling with my elbow of whatever spare body part I'm not using at the time, is not an experience I like to have too often. I agree they put articulated heads on cheap cordless but if that feature plus the compact design is incorporated on a good corded drill than I don't have to carry three different corded drills with me.

I can't count how many times I'm up on the ladder, or even worse in a tight crawl space, that I needed to change bits and that I forgot to put extra bits in my pocket. Bit storage in the drill would be a time and frustration saver. The level would be nice too when the use of a drill press is not practical. Its gimmick most of the time until those features are needed.

[Leuf]

Ryobi has a keyless corded drill with clutch, levels, and storage for a couple driver bits. Pretty comfortable grip too. Not going to last

20 years though.

-Leuf

[Old guy]

I have a cordless drill with no battery problems whatever. Keyless chuck, light weight, seldom needs recharging. Just a few simple hand motions drills the hole. Made by Miller Falls, many years ago.

Got another for bigger holes, made by Stanley too.

Old Guy

[CW]

Got a couple of those myself. Wouldn't be without them.

[Larry Bud]

I would recommended seeing if you can open up the battery cases to view the individual cells. There are several online battery sources that you can replace the cells instead of the whole pack.

I'd done it for my UPS unit, and for my robot lawnmower. The mower battery back was something like $120, and it was $40 for just the cells.

[Richard]

I have a 3/8" Craftsman Professional drill thats strong, strong, strong. Its big and heavy, it takes a while for the chuck to stop spinning. If you are driving a screw too fast and it bottoms out the drill may unscrew your arm for you. Good keyless chuck, two speed ranges, nothing fancy about this brute. It runs, its reliable, the balance is pretty good. I know the Craftsman brand may be getting a bad name but they do make some good stuff.

Richard

[Richard]

I have a 3/8" Craftsman Professional drill thats strong, strong,

Oh yes, I almost forgot. It has a good, long cordl- gives you plenty of reach. Richard

[Peter Huebner]

Metabo corded drills were, for a while, coming out with good speed control, and a hexagonal hole in the shaft so you could take the chuck off and stick your driver bits straight in the spindle. Don't think they had a torque limiter though, not the ones I saw (but that was Quite Some Time ago). All metal gearbox, 2 speed mechanical, plus electronic speed dial and in some models an additional electronic high-low ratio. I haven't kept up with the latest models, but I expect they still have those features. Two of mine died not long ago, one at 25 yo, the other at 34 yo. One survivor is going strong and sitting in the drill press in the shop right now. Also older than 20 years by now...

-Peter