Best bang for the buck. Longevity a plus. My Makita just won't cut it anymore, even with a fresh battery pack. I've abused it for quite a few years now. It used to be nice and torq-ie and last some time between charges. I've heard the Dewalt mentioned as a good one?!?
Where did you find them for $25? I retired my Dewalt 14.4 because the batteries got weak and replacement costs justified upgrading to an 18V Milwaukee.
I will agree the Dewalt 14.4V drill is an excellent tool otherwise.
Bosch, Porter Cable, Dewalt, My favorites in that order.
AZCRAIG
Stick with a brand name and for the most part you wont get burned. It really comes down to how much you want to spend. Its like a car, all will get you there it depends in your style! If you are a home owner and just need a drill for those occasional house jobs an inexpensive ryobi will do just fine, something more heavy duty jump up to a Dewalt, Makita or Craftsman (professional line), want a good commercial tool go for the Bosch, Milwaukee or Portercable
My suggestion is go for an 18V or 24V drill. there is not much difference between the 9 and 12 V drills IMO.
I just bought new batteries off Ebay for my 13 year old Dewalt 12v. I probably should have bought them 2 years ago! Works for me. SH
>
My cordless crapped out years ago. I replaced with a Milwaukee corded drill--amazing quality and rugged and no dealing with battery charges.
If you want longevity battery life, Panasonic is going to be hard to beat.
The 18V and up start getting heavy though.
In the case of DeWalt, the 12V 14.4V and 18V weigh in at 4.9, 5.2, 5.9 pounds.
Panasonic 15.6V is 4.4 pounds. The Metabo is 6.0
The Bosch 14.4V is 5.3
Depending on the use, the extra pound is a lot to handle to drive a bunch of #6 screws. Kind of nice boring holes in concrete.
My new Makita battery held up less than a month. Either I'll look into warranty for it or just chalk it up to the ol' Makita draining them too quickly.
Yup, I don't want to drag a cord around. However, when I need some beef, I pull out my Magnum 1/2". I also have the Magnum Hammer Drill
1/2". Can't beat Milwaukee for corded drills!! I've had and used them for years!
Thanks for the link. I really appreciate it. Hell, if I'd had known about this a couple of months ago, I wouldn't have bought my Milwaukee. At least I can get my Dewalt running again now. A man can never have too many tools.
I bought a new drill about 2 months ago from Harbor Freight.
I had a Ryobi 9.6v...about 5 years old...with 2 batteries that wouldn't hold a charge any more...and it only had a single speed gear box, of course. I used it mainly for screws, etc. It wasn't fast enough to do any real drilling.
I was gonna just replace the batteries...but they were more expensive than getting a new Ryobi drill. And I found myself carrying around 2 drills all the time...the Ryobi, for the screws...and my 14.4 PC with a 2-speed gear box...for drilling. And when I went to replace the battery for my PC about a year ago, it cost me $50 just for the battery.
So I was shopping...and I stopped at Harbor Freight. They had a sale on a drill...that I bought.
18v...1/2"...HAMMER drill...2-speed gear box...keyless chuck, that works...1800 max RPM!!...charger, of course, with a charge-complete light...battery on the handle swings out of the way when necessary...battery status button on the drill...PLUS assorted drill bits and drivers.$29.95!!!
So far, I'm not just pleased...I'm amazed.
Is it junk? How long will it last? Who knows! lol
But I've run the heck out of it...for a remodeling project I've started. And I've only had to charge it once since I bought it...and still plenty of juice left.
Only came with 1 battery...but I think the replacement batteries are under $9. Yeah...I know it SOUNDS like junk. lol
I've only used the hammer feature once...just to see if it worked. And it passed with flying colors. I didn't need a hammer drill...but I wanted something with the speed of this drill.
Anyway...that's my 2¢. You might consider Harbor Freight when you do your shopping.
Good luck.
Have a nice one...
Trent
Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!
If wandered into Coastal Tool the other day and walked out with a Panasonic
15.6 volt. Sure is sweet.I considered others but I found the Panasonic to be a bit more compact and lighter than any of the 14.4 or higher voltage drills. Has MUCH more power than my old Ryobi and better speed control for driving screws.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.