Cordless drill recommendations? (One that will last)

[JonW]

It might be time for me to replace my drill. I think I'd like to get a pretty decent one this time. Something that will last. Just being used for general purpose work, nothing in particular. I want the standard things- cordless, keyless chuck, variable speed. A second battery might be nice, but is not necessary. What drills do you folks like? Thanks.

[JimD]

I have a 9.6V DeWalt, a 9.6V B&D, and a 18V Ryobi. I bought the B&D for more batteries for the DeWalt. For general use, 9.6V is probably a bit low. I love my 18V Ryobi and would recommend it highly. It is heavy but will do most things a good corded drill will. I have drilled 1/2 inch holes in steel and 2 1/8 inch holes for locksets in solid doors. I would not attempt either with my 9.6V drills. On the other hand, the 9.6V drive screws just fine and are lighter. The Ryobi has a bubble level that works nice and a magnet close to the battery that is handy. It is well balanced which helps some with the weight. I bought it with two batteries and a circular saw for about $100. Ryobi makes many other tools which use the same 18V batteries.

Jim

[fischermh]

12V Makita Impact Driver/Drill Combo. I bought mine for 180 at BORG

[Tom Miller]

....Something that will last....

Be careful what you wish for. I've got a 12V Makita that I've been itching to replace, but it just won't die. It's probably 8-10 yrs old.

I wouldn't mind getting that 14.4V Makita. I could kick myself for not picking it up for $125 when they first came out -- now they're $175.

Hmmm, I guess there's a recommendation in there somewhere.

Regards,
Tom

[jziegler]

I have a 12V Ryobi and a 14.4v Makita (with impact driver). The Ryobi is a good drill, but has battery problems. They don't make that style battery anymore, and the aftermarket replacement that I bought doesn't fit as well. Would I buy another Ryobi cordless? Maybe. The Makita is only a couple months old, but so far has been a great kit. It is more powerful, but weighs about the same. So far I'm very satisfied. From theur reputation, it should last well. The only minor problem I've had is small drill bits slipping in the chuck.

-Jim

[lcm1947]

I have the 12 volt Makita also. It came with flashlight which I couldn't live without and the charger and two batteries which in my opinion two batteries is a must. I've had it for about 8 to 9 years and only replaced one battery. I like the 12 volt because of it's weight but if I had to do it all over again I'd get the 14 volt. It's not that much more weight but does have a little more power I assume. You can get the 14 volt combo right now for around $200.00 depends where and it's the one that comes with a impact driver even. That's a heck of a deal. I'm waiting for mine to crap out one of these days but sure doesn't look like it will anytime soon. That's ok I don't really even want another one right now. This baby does everything that this weekend woodworker would want it to do. Now if money was no problem I get the brand new 18 volt Makita but it's pricey but the weight of it may be the same as my 12 volt, I kid you not. It's got their newest type battery which is suppose to be the best on the market and if these old type that I have is any example then they probably are. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

[leehljp]

I would say that two batteries are a necessity. You may want it for general work and you may only need one battery occasionally, but if it runs down in the middle of a project or if you damage it by dropping it, or if you happen to get a defective one, you will need the 2nd one.

Just my opinion.

[maxparot]

Consider a Ridgid good tools great warranty.

[cwsmith]

I was pretty much against "cordless" tools, from the perspective that I see a lot of complaints about batteries and chargers dying prematurely. I figured "corded" tools were the only long-lasting tools.

But that said, I had a chance last November (during the HD inventory clearance), to pick up the Ridgid 14.4 3/8-inch drill/driver and impact driver combo. At $135, it was a great deal. Normally these sell for around $189 and $179 respectively.

At 14.4 volts, there's plenty of power and the batteries recharge in 20 minuts, tops! While I'm a hobbyists and not in the trades, a big benefit to me is Ridgid's Limited Lifetime Service Agreement which will replace anything, including the batteries and charger for as long as I own the tools. I realize that this may take some time for a service center to act, but I my work isn't all that critical and I do have corded drills for backup.

CWS

[Tequila]

I got a 14.4V Milwaukee a couple years ago. It's great.

[sd]

Panasonic makes some nice cordless drills, but they are not cheap. Consider an impact driver if you're going to be driving a lot of screws.

[poolhound]

Having had various 14v options from different manufacturers I wouldnt go for anything but 18v. More torque and seems to keep power longer (dont knw if thats true just seems that way.)

On the cheap and chearful side Costco has one for about $50. I got one there over 2 years ago and its still going strong

Jon

[Tom Slick]

I use and maintain a fleet of cordless drills. Makita makes good stuff, I have them in every voltage and vintage. they are used daily and rarely need repairs. their batteries are a little on the expensive side though. I also like my new Milwaukee 14.4v drill that I got on sale from sears for $150.

[Hellrazor]

If you want to pay for a great drill, get a Rigid 18v. They are the best 18v drill I have tried. We have Milwaukie & Dewalt at work and I would take the Rigid over both.

[os1kne]

My dad had an old 9.6v Makita (with the old stick batteries) for nearly 20 years (about all they had back then) that just died about a year ago. It was well used every weekend, I was amazed how long it lived. He did wear out 2 batteries. If you ask him, he'd say that it was the best $ that he'd ever spent. He even went out and bought a new model stick-type 9.6v to continue using the same batteries.

About 10 years ago, I bought a 9.6v Makita (pod type) that is still going strong. Best $ that I've ever spent. I've been tempted to upgrade to an 18v, but I can't really justify the cost - when I need more power I use my corded.

Whatever you do, go with a good cordless drill - you will use it more often than you expect. I went through 3 crappy cordless drills in 3 years before I was smart enough to just bite the bullet and buy a good one. You pretty much can't go wrong with Dewalt, Makita, Bosch, Milwaukee, etc. (the Ryobi drills may be good too, but I haven't used one). If you think that a cordless circ. saw, recip. saw, or other cordless tools are in your future, you may want to factor that into your decision for battery/charger compatibility.

Good luck!