What is your drill?

[Steven Croney]

I see almost everyone here has a portable drill.

I used to have a Black&Decker 9.x volt.. BLAH..

I am now looking for a new one.

What kind do you guys have?

 

And also, does the drill being 18volt make a difference in the strength and power output that I REALLY need?

[TOMBOY]

I just recently picked up a Bosch subcompact driver, it is a 12V li-ion but, I really like it.  It is perfect for tight spaces, has the soft case, built-in worklight, 2 rapid charge batteries, and the charger included and I picked it up for around $50.00 at Lowe's on sale.  It is a real workhorse so far...we'll see how it holds up:-)

[Austinedc]

The voltage AND chemistry of the battery make a difference.  Li-Ion is the way to go in my opinion.  Li-Ion gives you full power till the very end of battery life, not a slow drain like older Ni-Cad battery packs. If you are looking to build a cordless tool set from scratch,  consider a brand where one battery is interchangeable between many different tools.  I use the Ryobi One Plus 18 V series.  I have both the drill driver and the impact driver and couldn't be more satisfied with them.  I also like the fact that I can use the same battery on most Ryobi tools.  It even powers my weed trimmer and hedge clippers.  Pick a brand who's price range is in your budget and needs.  Personally, carpentry/woodworking is just a hobby so I only use my tools on weekends, so Ryobi suits me just fine.  If I did it for a living, I may invest in a Dewalt, or Rigid or a higher end model.  All depends on what you want to spend and how often you will use the tools.