What's the best drill? Cordless? Corded?

[Dan White]

I'm looking into Lowes' 20% off sale and want a new drill. The one I have is a rather weak cordless with the small battery (12v?). I've also lost the charger, but that's another story. Anyway I want to be able to drill in/out

3" screws into studs, and drill into concrete with a masonry bit. I found that the 12v drill didn't have the torque to do it. I borrowed a cheap corded drill the other day and it drove those screws like nothing.

What do you guys recommend? If the price is in the $200's US or lower I don't care about the money. It looks like the most expensive one is a Dewalt 18v. Is this going to match up favorably with a corded drill of the same quality? Will the battery last a long time? I won't be using the drill often but I wan't one that can do everything a decent corded drill can do without the cord hassle.

Thanks for any suggestions,

dwhite

[Donald Guzzetta]

If you are driving screws most of the time a cordless 19 -24 volt is a great tool for you. Masonary drilling requires a hammer drill,they do make cordless combo hammer/rotory drills that work great on bits up to about 1/4 to 3/8ths.Anything larger than that they just don't have the juice (I have a

19.2 Porter cable, Top of the line drill) If your doing a lot of masonary drilling you can't beat a good old fashion corded hammer drill.

[woodstuff]

Keep in mind that some of the cheaper cordless critters have plastic gears...

In my humble opinion, I suggest DeWalt. Always been good for me.

Have a nice day, woodstuff

[TaskMule]

Cordless hammer drills are just not up to the task. They may drill several small tapcon holes but anything more is a job for corded. Makita makes a decent corded hammer/regualr two speed/variable for under $200 (cdn)

[Jim]

Dan:

For driving screws, nothing beats an impact driver. We just completed another test of the Makita 6935DWDE 14.4v Impact Driver and it drove 247 3" long deck screws into "fresh" pressure treated 6 x6 compared to only 171 driven by the Makita 6336DWDE Driver / Drill, also a 14.4v unit.We also compared it ot a DeWalt DW953 12v Driver / Drill that we had on hand as a test sample, and it only drove 45 screws. The best news is that Makita has a special right now that GIVES you a Driver/Drill of the same voltage when you buy either the 6980DWDE 12v or 6935DWDE 14.4v Impact Driver. Of course, you have to send back the rebate certificate by January 15, 2005, and follow all the POP rules etc, But its still a great deal. The Impact driver must be ordered by December 31, 2004. Without turning this into spam, the 12v is going to be a bit over your budget $200, and the 14.4v about $15 more than the 12v. Hope this helps.

Truth in Posting: We sell these.

Jim Ray, President McFeely's Square Drive Screws

[J. Clarke]

Really depends on what you want to do. I have an 18 volt Dewalt 1/2" hammer drill from their first generation of 18v tools, and its working fine for me, does just about everything I have ever tried to get it to do, never managed to stall it--on low speed I suspect it's stronger than I am. Haven't tried any big bits in masonry, but it handles up to 1/2" adequately for my use, and the screwdriver clutch has an adequate range. If you're going to be doing commercial construction and need a masonry drill or you're a drywall installer and need a powered screwdriver or the like you'll likely want something a bit more specialized, but as an all-round drill/driver it's fine. The new ones have added a third, higher speed, which answers my one real objection to them.

If you're going 3 inches into studs you really should drill a pilot hole--the deWalt will drive reasonably sized deck screws 3 inches without one _if_ the screw head holds up but even with square drive screws if I try that the driver bit usually torques out of the head before the screw is seated.

Batteries don't last forever on any cordless tool. You can get the deWalt batteries rebuilt but with the 18v tools they have a discounted 2-pack that is cheaper than rebuilt batteries, at least the ones I've been able to find. How long they will last depends on how you use them and on your luck--one of mine seems to have an internal short for example--it will charge up and run as long as the others but if I let it sit overnight it goes flat--the others will hold a charge for, well, I don't know how long they'll hold a charge--I've always managed to run them down before they self-discharged--if you don't use it often then recharging the packs once a month would be a good idea I suspect.

[Bob G.]

=================== I like my Milwaulkee cordless.... 14.4 v.. much better then my sons DeWalt 18 V drill.... and it seems to be more powerful...but that is only subjective...

Neither could compare with any of my corded drills for drilling

7/8 inch holes in concrete to install anchors for a pool cover... even the little 3/8 inch corded drills ran circles around both Cordless drills ...and pulling out my Dads 1950's era 1/2 inch drill that I inhereted..made quick work of that job...no contest between the 3/8 inch corded and that baby...

For general or limited use around the house or shop then Cordless is just fine. I buy by how the drill feels like in my hand...

For heavy duty work... the few minutes it takes to grab an extention cord will save you time and effort in the long haul...

Bob Griffiths

[Leon]

Lets see, 110 volt over 12 volt... Humm I wonder which is stronger... 110 volt over 24 volt... Still the 110 volt wins by a land slide. If you need power get corded. IMHO larger voltage drills used near an electrical source make no since. 110 volts stomps battery operated drills. I have had 8 battery operated drills but all so far all have been 12 volt and less. Those drills and my corded do everything I want a hand drill to do. The advantage to cordless are not having a cord to deal with and they get you out of a bind when there is no electricity to plug in to. The big voltage cordless drills are way too heavy for my liking.

[Phisherman]

For corded drills, Milwaukee is good. For cordless, Panasonic. I tend to favor corded tools whenever possible. I bought an industrial extension cord ($30) for the outdoor jobs.

[Lazarus Long]

I'd use a hammer drill for going into concrete. As others say, it's going to draw lots of power, so a battery operated model may not be the best choice. However, if your use is infrequent, maybe this is o.k.

I just bought (last weekend) a cordless Milwaukee 14.4. My choice was influenced by the 14.4 volt review in the Tools & Shops issue of FWW. I think this tool strikes a good balance of performance & price. Plus, when I got it it came in a kit with a 1 hour charger and a spare battery. And right now, Milwaukee has a rebate going on that allows you to choose a tool belt, a folding knife or another battery. I chose the battery, so now I'll have 3. With a 1 hour charger, for my use, I'll never run out of juice.

Constuction quality of the tool plays a role too - no plastic for me. Milwaukee and the other top brands use metal gears and other quality features. Check the reviews. My previous drill died last week. Not of any heavy use, but because a plastic boss broke off inside and beat the hell out of the armature resulting in a short in the windings. It went up in smoke. Too bad, so sad. :( What's the point? Too much plastic in the construction of the tool in the wrong place is a bad thing.

You might ask, why not 18v? Well, I'm a hobbiest woodworker and just don't want to hoist the weight of anything that large. And more cells in a cordless pack and it's going to take a crane to lift it. Plus, some tools just shouldn't be cordless. At least not yet. Hammer Drills and Routers come to mind.

[HerHusband]

Dan,

A few years ago, my wife bought me a Craftsman 18V cordless drill and trim saw package. I know Craftsman generally has a bad reputation, but I LOVE this drill. It has more power than any of the five corded drills I owned at the time, so I eventually got rid of all my corded drills.

We built a garage and a house ourselves, and the cordless drill got a huge amount of use. I drug it around in the dirt setting up concrete forms (used

3" deck screws for easy disassembly), installed lots of temporary bracing, installed drywall using screws throughout the garage and house, built decks, and thousands of other tasks over the past few years.

The only problem I had was the keyless chuck started binding up at one point, so I ended up replacing that (fairly easy task). I also had to replace one of the batteries, and eventually the charger died. But, the drill just keeps going and going.

I did buy a Dewalt 246 corded drill to bore all the large 2" holes I needed for our plumbing installation. Had to special order it, as most of the stores only carry the higher speed/lower torque Dewalt models. The 246 is

7.8 amps, variable speed, and a 1/2" keyless chuck. It's fairly compact, but has a huge amount of torque. With a 2" bit you have to brace yourself well or the thing can rip your arm off when it hits a knot! :)

I don't use the Dewalt 246 corded drill much, but when I need a lot of torque it's my choice. The Craftsman cordless gets used almost daily.

Anthony

[ddinc]

A corded drill always has more power than a corded drill. New batteries for a corded drill cost about as much as the drill. As a rule (there are usually 20 various drills in my shop) the batteries are not good a little after a year. (except for some strange reason, the 4 Ryobi batteries are 3+years old0

They both have there purposes.

[Steve]

Dan, I've seen a ton of different drills as these are a part of what I sell for a living. The majors all sell very good tools. 14.4V will fill the bill on most any application that you may come across. However, you say that you'll be drilling into concrete ... if this is something that you'll be doing from time to time ... I'd recommend stepping up to 18V. If more regular ... go 18V hammer. If occasional concrete drilling with mostly drilling holes in wood and running screws ... I'd stick with 14.4V. There is no need for the 18V. Quite honestly, I don't see people using the hammers as much as they thought and normally run them in drill or drive mode.Why pay the extra for the hammer mechanism? Most failures of these tools are the gearing, clutch, and switch. Most complaints are the chucks. For my money, I'd go Bosch 14.4V "Compact Tough" .... great package. New design that is extremely tough and you'll love the locking chuck .... no more spinning drills in the chuck on penetration through metal / sheetmaetal. Good gearing and very easily repaired. I've owned most of the majors, and keep two Bosch 14.4's for my workshop. However, mine are the previous design to the "compact tough".

Steve

[Bob G.]

e.

Well The outside shell on my Milwaukee (14.4) is plastic...and yes it will break when dropped off a roof.....I KNOW....

The good news is that a replacement shell retails for about 8 bucks.. Took about 5 minutes to swap it with the broken shell... DAMN the drill looked like new ... lol

Bob Griffiths.

[Richard Cline]

Volts do not mean a lot -- it is the wattage consumption. Admittedly, it is easier for the higher voltage drills to consume the wattage. However many of the cordless have torque that compares favorably with corded drills.

I just do not see all this fuss about the heavy cordless drills. I am no longer a young man (69), I have worked at a desk job all my life, and I find no problem hoisting an 18 Volt cordless.

Dick

[J. Clarke]

I'd put my 18v DeWalt against my Dad's 15 buck corded McGraw-Edison any day.

It's not the volts that count, it's what you do with them.

[sandman]

14.4 Milwaukee 1/2" Milwaukee hammer drill M A G N U M !!!

no need for anything else.

'cept a close quarter drill.

r

[Lazarus Long]

Yeah, can't get aluminum housings anymore. Not sure I'd want one again.

You know what I mean - important parts like gears and such ought not be plastic. Housings - yes, there's certainly plenty tough plastics for cover duty.

When it's dropped off a roof, all bets are off even it's made of all metal.

[Rolling Thunder]

snip

It's likely I'm against the grain with this but I'd suggest both. I use the wired drill for things like using a sanding pad. This is when you need the drill to last quite a while without changing or charging batteries. For standard shop use, a wired drill is fine with all the options like reversible and variable speed, and torque adjust, and hand chucking.

The battery is great for portability. Working outside or putting something in the house, walls, etc. Get the same features as the wired. I'd say a normal home use a 14.4 volt is plenty good with at least a dual set of batteries. They'll discharge just sitting there and you don't want to leave a battery in the charger all the time either. An 18 volt is likely a commercial grade. Costs more but has more umph! If you're a weekend handyman, you can get by with the 14 volt. I'm happy with my Delta.

You can usually do everything you need to with the wired drill in the shop and for things the battery drill can't do, you can find an extension cord for the wired drill.

I'd avoid brands Black and Decker, Craftsman, and such. They say the same about Porter Cable tools as IBM, one doesn't get fired buying either. Or so it's said.

Anyway, make sure you select the one(s) that feel good in your hands for heft, sound and smell. You can sense quality. Checkout Milwaukee (sp) too. I've heard good things about their tools.

Enjoy the shopping,

Thunder

[mp]

Plastic is probably the best material for the shell. Up to the breaking point, plastic will absorb impacts and return to it's original shape, whereas aluminum or other metals simply dent.