Cordless Drill

[Manny]

I decided to upgrade to a quality cordless drill. Problem was I was overwhelmed by the number of choices that are available. The last time I bought a cordless drill was a Makita about 20 years ago. Would appreciate suggestions on buying a new "modern" cordless drill.

Thanks in advance.

[Larwyn]

I have DeWalt and Ryobi 18 volt drills, a Bosch 10.2 volt, and a couple of old DeWalt 9 volt ones. The DeWalts are generally better tools than the Ryobi but in some cases such as the 18 volt impact drivers and the the 18 volt skill saws the Ryobi seems to run smoother, quieter and to have just as much power as the DeWalt. The only lithium ion batteries I have are for the Bosch. The nicads are fine as long as you have spares on hand, especially if you have a place to plug in a charger. I keep DeWalt and Ryobi batteries on charge all the time so there are always fresh batteries. I am also leaning more towards using corded tools in the shop, they are lighter weight, more powerful and less money than their cordless counterparts. The impact drivers are the cordless tools I use most often.

[Don Grubish]

I'd suggest DeWalt too. I got a 14v from my brother Dan, who went to an 18v. I've done my best to beat the crap out of this drill, and so far it's still running great. I do wish the batteries would hold a charge longer, but then this is a relatively old drill. The batteries have pretty much had their day in the sun. If I get a new drill too, it will be DeWalt.

[Jens Jensen]

Is this the 14 v with the long handle?? I also have one along with 18 v but the14 is a good old tool but battery is old and crappy

[Walter_lars]

My vote got for the DeWalt 18 v drill because there are so many differant tools that are powered by the 18 v batt
I buy off ebay as bare tools no batt no charger since I already have them
most multi tool sets have stuff I don't want or need
on ebay I watch the prices if a tool price goes too high I let it go and go find another
I don't like mixing brands or voltage's that adds a lot more weight to carry around

[Kim C]

My two cents... My husband is the luckiest person I know and wins everything at his quarterly manager meetings. As a result of this and what we have purchased, we have about 1 of everything from Wal-Mart to commercial grade. I am not a fan of Makita. Our Dewalt and Bosch 18V I think feel the best as far as power goes and we use them a lot for major projects but seem for me a bit too much for putting furniture together. I like that the Bosch 18V just clicks and locks a bit into place easily. As others said in previous posts, lithium ion battery is best. For drilling pocket holes I use an old corded drill and it stays on the Kreg table ready without having to worry about batteries.

As far as driving pocket screws I find that about anything will work just fine. So I often us what is comfortable for me and not clunky feeling while putting things together. This is good especially when you have dozens of pocket screws in a project!! My son asked for a Hitachi 12V for Christmas. I was hesitant but it looked cool to him and it was small for his hands. Now... I use it A LOT! Shhhh! Don't tell him! It is small and has just enough power to drive the screw. I like the light also.

I highly suggest getting one of those sets (Dewalt or Bosch) that come with and 18V and a smaller one like a 12 V. I saw a lot of them at Christmas. If you are doing a lot with the Kreg jig you will certainly appreciate having two! This point was originally all I was going to say but I guess I am feeling wordy today. hee hee

[Anthony Lanting]

I use a Ryobi 18v but get tired of switching speeds, bits, and torque range (clutch settings). When we were sorting through items when we sold my wifes house earlier this month I found a gray plastic case. When I opened it I found a new 12v Ryobi. My wife told me to use it for driving the screws. It will now be my dedicated driver. Sure it is one more tool and charger to keep up with, but it will speed things up in the long run.

Kim C said:

My two cents... My husband is the luckiest person I know and wins everything at his quarterly manager meetings. As a result of this and what we have purchased, we have about 1 of everything from Wal-Mart to commercial grade. I am not a fan of Makita. Our Dewalt and Bosch 18V I think feel the best as far as power goes and we use them a lot for major projects but seem for me a bit too much for putting furniture together. I like that the Bosch 18V just clicks and locks a bit into place easily. As others said in previous posts, lithium ion battery is best. For drilling pocket holes I use an old corded drill and it stays on the Kreg table ready without having to worry about batteries.

As far as driving pocket screws I find that about anything will work just fine. So I often us what is comfortable for me and not clunky feeling while putting things together. This is good especially when you have dozens of pocket screws in a project!! My son asked for a Hitachi 12V for Christmas. I was hesitant but it looked cool to him and it was small for his hands. Now... I use it A LOT! Shhhh! Don't tell him! It is small and has just enough power to drive the screw. I like the light also.

I highly suggest getting one of those sets (Dewalt or Bosch) that come with and 18V and a smaller one like a 12 V. I saw a lot of them at Christmas. If you are doing a lot with the Kreg jig you will certainly appreciate having two! This point was originally all I was going to say but I guess I am feeling wordy today. hee hee

[Michael Lovdahl]

I have a Dewalt. Only a 9.6v but it has performed flawlessly for a couple of years of hard use. Nice chuck and clutch which helps prevent breaking or stripping screws. Disclosure, I have 3 batteries that I can rotate as they wear down. I think this is a huge advantage, maybe bigger than whatever brand you buy.

[michael pope]

Ive had the same DeWalt 14 v. cordless for over 10 years now,originally bought it for use putting up 1000 linear feet of 8 ft tall board and batten fencing through a strand of woods,So I needed the cordless action..I even ran the charger off a ac/dc power converter in my truck...Being a professional woodworker and carpenter,I cannot tell you how many times the battery has been recharged..granted,its not as long lasting as it originally was,but I use it on an almost daily basis and rarely have issues with battery life..So in my book,I know there are a few brands out there that hold their own against DeWalt..but i'm a DeWalt believer.

[DJL]

I have a Dewalt DC 759 bought it a few years ago 3 or 4 I think , can't even begin to count how may screws it has driven many many 3 to 4" screws , batteries DW9099 last a long time . it have served me well and would not hesitate to buy another. as a matter of fact I just bought the Dewalt impact driver DC 825 with XRP batteries and absolutely love it. DJL

[Larry L.]

When I needed a cordless drill to raise and lower my pop-up trailer I found there's lots of difference in cordless drils.
I tried several only to find many lacking in power I went with sears craftsman 18 volt.
then Last week I wanted a cordless saw Home depot had a "kit" with a saw and a drill both work great.

[T Corey]

Manny: Like most of the others I have an assortment of drills also. I used to sell and build Log Houses and Buildings. (Built 34 houses and a bunch of other buildings) Lately I have been leaning toward corded tools when I can get by with it. That said, I have several cordless Dewalt 18v 1/2" drills , but I have changed batteries about every two years and have rebuilt the clutches serveral times, but I still really like these drills. I also have had Makita, Bosch, and Ryobi and have been satisfied with them also. About two years ago we were installing log siding, with screws, on a new build and I bought at HD some cordless 18v Ridgid 1/2" drills. They came with a charger, two batteries, and a lifetime warranty on all of it. My crews have beat these things to death and they are still going strong without one problem. I haven't had to try any warranty stuff on them yet, hopefully I won't have any problems with Ridgid when that time comes. I only paid $99.00 each for them. I recently bought a Hitachi which I really like. Now for my answer! All the drills I've had were good drills. I think most any one you get will serve you. The next ones I get will be with lithium ion batteries. Good Luck!! Just my two cents. T

[Dwayne Ward]

I have had them all. The best by far is a BOSCH 18v lithion compact