Drill/Driver

[Rich Stewart]

I am looking to replace my craftsman cordless drill driver as the batteries will no longer charge. I checked on new batteries for it, but it seems they are almost as much as a whole new unit. I was wondering if the new li-ion drill drivers are any better at keeping a charge. I don't use the drill/driver very much and I guess that is hard on batteries. Just for household, occasional use, what would be the best drill/driver to get?

Thanks for any help.

Rich

[David Christopher]

Rich, I have a craftsman 19.2 drill and I bought the li on batteries of it and they will last about 4 times as long as the ones that came with it. IMO they are worth the money difference....if you have the 19.2 its a direct replacement

[David Walser]

Rich,

I'm not sure which drill/driver is best for home use. Seems that a new model is introduced just about every week and it's hard to keep up. However, I can answer whether li-ion is worth the price. Yes! Yes! Yes! Compared to ni-cads, li-ion batteries last longer, take more charges, and produce a more consistent level of power before needing to be recharged. Ever notice how a ni-cad powered drill seemed to be working at 75% capacity when it's battery still had half its charge left? Li-ion devices will still be working at peak capacity when the battery has less than a 10% charge remaining. Not only that, but the li-ion batteries weigh less! An 18 volt li-ion device might weigh as much as a 10 volt ni-cad. That's pretty cool.

It's a big difference and a big improvement in every way except one -- price.

[Prashun Patel]

Oh gosh, here we go!!!

Yes, the LiIon's hold a charge better. If yr just doing light work, a 10-12v will work. If you're doing general wwing, you can use a 12v-18v compact. If yr a pro, I'd get an 18v full strength LiIon.

As for brands, I'm partial to my Makita 18v Li Lion- but only bkz it seems to be the best bang for the buck. Batts are a tad small, but that makes the unit light and compact vis a vis the other 18v's out there.

If you have some coin, then look into Festool and Panasonic.

[Kirk Miller]

Rigid is all I have to say. I bought one at HD on closeout a few years back. I had always heard they made good tools and I believe it now. I used mine on 2 deck projects last summer. One deck ended up being 16'x40', and the second one was just a little one at 16'x28'. Every board on those decks were screwed down. That Rigid drill out performed my neighbors Dewalt hands down. Until they dissapoint me I will buy Rigid from now on.

Keep your eyes peeled and you may be able to find one on a closeout, or some kind of sale.

[Scott Conners]

I'm an electrician, I use 3/4" to 1 1/4" 18" self-feed ship augers most of the time, as well as 2-3" hole saws and large paddle bits. I've used most all of the current crop of Li-ion and nicad tools, and I recently replaced my 18V Nicad dewalt gear with makita 18V lithium. I chose the makita over dewalt and milwaukee for weight reasons. I use the 18v compact drill the most, it has plenty of power for everything up to 1" augers, though not as much as the full size drill. If I need more power I'd rather be using a corded drill anyway, because heavy tourque loads use batteries too fast in any drill, and I want a nice big handle to deal with the torque. I love the battery life and weight, as well as the fact that my drill is still charged after a weekend of not using it.
I suggest checking out reconditioned cordless tools at www.toolking.com (http://www.toolking.com), I've bought from them many times and have always been very happy. You'll pay a WAY less than what you'd pay for a new tool, and it will be a tool that's been looked over very carefully. Usually you can't tell them from new, except for the sticker on the case.

If cost is an issue, you can not go wrong with a Dewalt nicad - they are built like tanks, have tons of power, and are super popular, which means cheap replacement batteries and other tools in the system.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Like Shawn & Scott, I also have the Makita 18v lithium and really like it. Haven't put it to hard use yet but seems to hold a charge longer and sure is lighter and easier to maneuver than my full size 18v nicad Ryobi. Plus, the battery charges in 15 minutes!

[glenn bradley]

I believe Rich's question was "Just for household, occasional use, what would be the best drill/driver to get?"
I use a $19 cheapie from Costco that has lasted for years so far but it is a driver only; very slow. How often do I need to actually drill in the house that I'm not willing to step into the shop for a cordless? Not often. I have several different such tools but these 112203 are really handy for one that is more powerful than most 'drivers' and cheaper than most upper end tools. The twin pack let's you keep one in the house and one in the shop.

[Tom Esh]

...The twin pack let's you keep one in the house and one in the shop....

I just bought the drill/impact combo. The wife says the drill is "so cute" :eek: - a sure sign it will not always remain where I last left it.

[Chris Tsutsui]

Definitely look at Li-Ion since those batterys hold a charge long.

For basic use. Home Depot has the 10.8V Makita li-ion mini drill and driver combo for $129. (Previously $179 since black friday). Don't know if there are still some left...

Just know that the mentioned pair above do not include a keyless chuck. Don't know if you prefer drill bits with a hex shank or not. If you need a keyless chuck then you will have to step up to something bigger.

Actually, costco right now has a durofix screw mini screw driver though this hardly has any torque. It's only $12 though...

I also have the costco sold Durafix drill/impact driver ($40) and it's got a lot of torque and the battery has an indicator of how much power is left in the battery. This feature is nice and not on my Makita or Hitachi drills/drivers. It's pretty heavy and loud.

Heck, I even have a harbor freight drill that was $15, and it still works after 6 years of "household use". Can't beat their prices... just don't expect them to hold up that well to professional use.

Festool is pretty crazy... brushless motors? That's really sparing no expense in the design. $450 for a drill puts the bar too high for me though. :)

[Chris Allen]

Here's another vote for the Makita 18v Li-Ion. I have this 3-pack combo kit. It's only $50 more than just getting the drill alone.
http://www.amazon.com/Makita-LCT300W-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless/dp/B000V2BRM2/ref=sr_1_2/188-8707805-0384959?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1236296332&sr=1-2

I don't know how I ever lived without the impact that comes with this kit. I use it all the time. Great for driving hard-to-drive screws, lag bolts, etc.

The batteries are 18v, but the li-ion makes them very small and light. This 18v drill is about a pound lighter than my DeWalt 14.4v drill.

I highly recommend this kit, and no I don't work for Makita :D

Good luck.

[Craig Johnson]

I have the Makita Li-Ion as well.
Great tool.

[Rich Stewart]

Thanks for all the responses. I was talking to a guy at work and he said he threw out all his cordless tools and bought corded tools. I hadn't even considered that. For the very occasional use I have for them this might be the way for me to go. I use it to hanga picture for my wife twice a year. Screw a faceplate on a bowl blank and remove it. They seem to be much cheaper also. Maybe I could put a 20 ft cord on it for those rare occasions I need it outside. I use a craftsman drill I got from my dad about 40 years ago for sanding bowls on the lathe. No reverse though. And a key which I can never seem to find and end up changing bits with a pipe wrench and a set of channel locks.

Thanks again for all the responses. I will file it for future reference.

Rich

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
You might want to check out the closeout table at Lowes.
I picked up a Dremel LiIon drill/driver for $27.99. - normal price was $69.00.
I've used it a few time in the last week and it's not a bad little unit.
A bit slow for drilling & it only takes hex shank bits, but it does ok for small stuff.