Drill / Driver

[moc]

I've been lurking at bt3central for about 6 months and finally bit the bullet and bought a bt3100 (and spent a small fortune on tools I didn't know I needed thanks to the addictive "Bargain Alert" forum).

But this question is about drills / drivers. I never really differentiated between these two in the past. My thought process was: Buy a drill, throw on a screw bit and drive screws.

Now I know better but not enough to make a good purchase decision. For woodworking use, what should I be looking for? What features will make my screw driving experience pure bliss?

General information to edumacate me would be helpful and specific brand/model recommendations would be nice, too. And experience has taught me that if a particular model is posted on the "Bargain" forum I'll have my credit card out before the page finishes loading.

And thanks to everyone who participates on these forums, they're very informative.

[Wood_workur]

There really isn't a difference between the two in woodworking. Get a cheap Sears if you do need to do heavy duty drilling, and a good cordless for most general purpose stuff.

[jackellis]

I picked up a bunch of 9.6 volt Makitas on Ebay and at garage sales. Not the latest and sexiest but they work well enough for me and having three on a recent project saved me a lot of time changing bits. I used one to drill pilot holes, one to slightly enlarge the shank portion and the third to drive screws.

[crokett]

Well lessee...

I have a 9.6v cordless I use for pilot holes and light duty stuff around the house.
I have an 18v Ryobi I use for 90% of the work - driving screws, drilling etc.
I have a Bosch corded hammer drill that is used for the big jobs or where I need to do a lot of sustained drilling.

Personally, I'd go witha 14.4 or 18v cordless if you will only have 1 tool. It will do most of what you want it to do.

Speaking from a purely woodworking standpoint, what about a drill press?

[DUD]

I use my 18v Ryobi almost all the time. It has done everything I've asked it to do. Bill

[jAngiel]

The main thing that I look for is that for driving screws I want the drill/driver to have the adjustable torque clutch and preferrably 2 speeds. If it doesn't, it makes it too easy to just drive the screw way too deep or to just snap it off. Corded drills from what I can see usually do not have the adjustable torque clutch and are meant for drilling holes. You can still put in a driver bit but you have to be more attentive to what you are doing. Cordless will usually do what you need it to do, it helps to have a quick battery charger and a couple of batteries.

As far as brands, most will be sufficient (name brands, not HF). There are many opinions around as to which is better, I take them with a grain of salt. Same goes to the voltage. I personally use a Ryobi 18v for everything. I like that it handles the heavy duty stuff and the light stuff but sometimes it gets a little heavy when using it for a long time. I have been considering getting a 9v or something smaller for the light duty jobs.

[ScottAult]

I have two Craftsman 19.2 (I got the second one because it came with two batteries, a charger, and a right angle drill for the same price as two batteries($89)) that does almost everything I need and does it well; two speeds and torque adjustment. It does get pretty heavy after a while.
I had to buy a corded hammer drill for sustained drilling (actually for using a wire brush) and for putting anchors in concrete. My Craftsman only ran continuously for about 15 minutes.
As far as an actual screwdriver, I bought a Skil ixo screwdriver that I keep in the kitchen drawer. This thing is better than I ever expected! I use it to replace the hardware on all my cabinets, put together toys, and various odds and ends so I can avoid having to go to the shop for a screwdriver. The battery lasts forever. When I read the reviews of it, the only complaint was that it had too much torque. That's how I knew I wanted it. It is certainly not a primary drill, but it is very handy, especially for tight places. My 3-year-old even managed to drill a very nice hole in the kitchen floor with it.

And, of course, a drill press.

If I could only have one, I'd buy my Craftsman again. No question.

[messmaker]

I think that Craftsman combo is on sale right now. $99 plus 10% off if you join Craftsman club. Not a bad deal.

[RayintheUK]

I use a couple of AEG drill/drivers, one 12V, the other 18V and they'll do most any (cordless) thing I need in the shop. I've recently added a Bosch 10.8V Lithium-ion drill/driver as it will work across the inside of a 300mm cabinet with ease, saves using one of those right-angled drive adaptors.

However, one thing that really annoys me with this otherwise excellent little tool is that it's not braked, so will "run on" after trigger release. This can be a real pain, especially if you're used to braked drivers (both the AEGs are braked). There's enough power in the little Bosch that you can overdo a screw-in, even on "over-run" - so it may pay you to make sure that whatever drill/driver you settle on has braking. Just a thought.

Ray.

[cwsmith]

Probably any halfway decent drill/driver would serve most purposes. Generally, a drill/driver has lower speed and better torque capabilities than a regular drill. Big thing with me was deciding whether I wanted to go cordless, in consideration of all the complaints about poor battery life and failed chargers.

So, already having a couple of decent drills, my first drill/driver was the Ryobi D45C corded "clutch driver". It works very well and is now the first corded drill that I reach for.

Then last fall, I bought Ridgid 14.4 volt drill/driver and impact driver combo. Two great tools, and with Ridgid's Limited Lifetime Service Agreement, I'll never have to worry about battery or charger replacement. So, now I don't have to worry about where to plug in. The drill has a 2-position switch (low speed/more torque and high speed, plus the adjustable clutch.

For my particular needs, the 14.4 volt offers the best power vs size and weight. The smaller ones seem a bit too weak for hard driving and the 18 volt stuff is a bit on the big/hefty "gets in the way". Of course, this is a personal preferance, so check out whatever "fits" for you.

Now, the best thing that I can tell you is start using square drive screws. Slotted screws are too difficult for the bit to hang onto, and Phillips drive screws strip way too easily; especially when you're trying to remove them! Actually my beef with Phillips is that other than PH2 size, you have to buy an entire bit set to get the smaller PH0 and PH1 size. (I've been challenged with trying to remove those micro-sized finishing screws that are embedded in all the oak trim used in the kitchen I'm trying to remodel. (It's frustrating as..... well, you know!)

CWS

[Hellrazor]

I no longer buy craftsmans power tools because they can't survive being used by a heavy duty DIYer.

We use Dewalts at work, they are decent. I have Ridgids for my home use and the work I do on the side. I think the Ridgid 18v battery packs last longer then any I have used and charge in 30minutes. I have the 18v Hammer drill, regular drill and impact. The only complaint I have is everyone else stops bringing tools after they use these. Other guy I work with has some ryobi stuff, he stopped bringing them along because of the battery life difference.

[moc]

Thanks to everyone who replied to my question.

After reading the responses and doing some more research, I'm looking at one of Makita's current promotions:

Buy the 14.4 V MXT 1/2" Driver/Drill Kit (model 6339dwde) and get the 14.4V impact driver free via mail (model 6935F).

Amazon has the driver/drill for $180 (after 10% promo).

The free impact driver is $131 at amazon (after 10% promo). That is the kit price so it includes 2 batteries (which don't come with the free impact driver).

There's a similar promotion for the 18V versions, but for my needs I don't think it's worth the extra $.

[Chris_B]

I thought I was safe since this thread is not in "Bargain Alerts" - but nooooooo...

Chris

[leehljp]

Impact driver for screws

I am a couple of days late in getting on to this post. IF you are going to be using it for as much for driving screws or more, - than drilling, Check out an impact driver. It is head over heals better at driving screws than a drill driver. Words cannot explain the difference until you have torqued out / stripped out heads with a drill/driver. An Impact Driver is about 80 percent less likely to do that and will drive with a TON more torque.

I use my drill driver about 1/4 the amount that I used to, since I bought the impact driver last year. I still use the drill driver and cannot do without it, but when it comes to screws, bolts and nuts, I use the impact driver, period.

Impact drivers are lighter weight but more powerful for what they do.

[messmaker]

I am yet to hear the first person say they don't enjoy using their impact driver. If mine quit, I would be looking for a new one tomorrow. The makita is the crowd favorite.