from an old 15.6v Craftsman so I know I'd like just about anything in comparison. The MXYT has the 1/2" chuck and A LOT more torque. It's not that much heavier, but I wonder if it's overkill. I have a newer DeWalt 1/2" corded impact driver so that would do my "heavy-duty" projects. I just want something that's more portable.
Or any other suggestions for a good higher quality general-purpose drill/driver?
> Upgrading from an old 15.6v Craftsman so I know I'd like just about
I can offer this. I am currently on my 9th cordless drill type tool over a
30 year period. There is nothing wrong with Makita and I currently have a Makita drill and Impact and a 20 year old Makita 7.2 volt right angle drill. Other brands were DeWalt and Panasonic. I have not been displease with any of these brands of drills. All that a side and with the exception of my Makita Impact driver all of them have seemed to lack a "fast" speed for drilling. They will all drill OK but I prefer a drill that spins faster for faster drilling. I do not consider under 1200 RPM fast at all. Of the two that you have indicated I would go with the bigger capacity drill as it has a top speed that 30% faster than the other and it also has a 2.6 amp vs. 2.2 battery. The larger amp battery will last longer between charges. If you drill pocket holes you will appreciate the faster speed.
Or any other suggestions for a good higher quality general-purpose
I have had a standard 14.4V Makita that I bought during a Builder's Square going out of business sale which makes it about 10 years old. It looks like a beat-up stock car but it works well. The batteries started pooping out about 2 years ago and my wife decided it was on its last leg; so she got me a new 14.4V drill and driver set for Christmas.
Bought an aftermarket battery for old faithful and it works just as well as the new drill.
Yep - I'm a Makita fan! By the way, that little driver that came in the kit is a good tool too. I built about 150 feet of cedar fence the spring after I got it. Ran 1,800 to 2,000 screws with it and it held up well. I expect it to be around for a while too.
A pal of mine used to be a Makita sales rep, they supplied him with tools to give away, I suppose they were thinking of hardware store managers and so on. Anyway, when he knew he was going to be leaving the company to pursue his own business he gave me a 9.6v drill and a couple of batteries and a charger. Years later that thing is still boring holes like crazy, I think the batteries might be starting to go as they don't seem to run as long as they used to, but the way that thing has worked it's going to have to cough up smoke and break in half before I give up on it. At that point I'll have to choose a system of cordless tools that all take one battery, and no Ryobi ain't on the list. I'm leaning toward DeWalt, but Makita will be in the running too, not to mention Bosch. Sell me a tool that stands up like that and I'll keep on buying that brand until they convince me otherwise.
> Upgrading from an old 15.6v Craftsman so I know I'd like just about
Between the two, the 1/2" seems to be a slam dunk. A fraction of an inch shorter, 1700 RPM vs 1300, assist handle, more torque, only downside I can see is that it's 0.2 pounds heavier, which unless you're going to be holding it overhead all day would seem to me to be negligible.
I've been impressed with the durable construction of the Bosch. I saw a garage door installer drop one 9 feet to a concrete floor - the drill went one way and the battery went another. He put the battery back in the drill and kept working.
A little word of advise here, batteries regardless of manufacturer do not take well to being dropped. Although they show no apparent damage and continue to work the fall shortens their life.
If you're looking for something light and compact then you might want to look at impact drivers. I was skeptical about them until I got one. Only real downside is that they don't have a chuck for regular drill bits.
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@f10g2000hsf.googlegr oups.com:
I don't know about the newer line of Makitas but I can certainly vouch for the durability of the older stuff. I've got a 9.6V drill/flashlight combo that's probably 20 years old. This drill has been used/abused daily. I literally used it as an impact by spinning up the motor and slamming it onto a bolt to loosen it. I broke 2 gears ($11 each) and it still runs well today. I'm due for another set of batteries and will likely replace it instead.
Without question this has been one of the most durable tools I have ever owned.
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