Cordless Drill Advice

[Ken Robb]

The batteries of my Dewalt 9.6V drill will no longer hold a charge. Replacement batteries are $45- $50 each. The "blue box store" has a new kit for $100. My question is what advantage do the higher voltage drills provide? Does a 14.4v drill have more drilling/driving power? Do the batteries hold a charge longer? What is the best Drill/driver for $150.00 for a hobby workshop & household duties.

Thanks,

Ken

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Ken, the higher voltage drivers produce significantly more torque, but I find that 12V is adequate for most tasks that involve woodworking and normal household repairs.. They also weight less than the 14.4 and 18 volt models. I don't think higher voltage batteries last any longer than their lower volt cousins though.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Dennis is correct, higher voltage just means more cells in the batteries. I have actually found that the higher voltage drill run down faster, because they have so much torque. IMHO, the best size drill for a shop is the 14.4v. I have two 18v drills and they are GREAT for driving big screws, etc.. but they are heavy! The 14.4v seem to be a good upgrade from 12v, but not the weight of the 18.

Also, don't overlook the combo kits with the circular saw. If you do any home improvement work, that cordless circ saw is VERY handy!...

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Ken.

I have had the DeWalt 12V drill for at least 4 years. I purchased it as a refurb. unit at Amazon. I like it, and it works very well for jobs in the shop and around the house. I have not had to replace the batteries, but I do let them run all the way down(the drilll just barely turns) before recharging. One of the WW mags recently did a review of 14V drills, but my teflon brain has forgotten which one :confused:

[Jamie Buxton]

If you like the drill itself, you can get the battery packs rebuilt. http://primecell.com/ rebuilt the packs on my DeWalt 9.6, and the packs are as good as new. It cost $25 per pack.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Hi Ken.

I have had the DeWalt 12V drill for at least 4 years. I purchased it as a refurb. unit at Amazon. I like it, and it works very well for jobs in the shop and around the house. I have not had to replace the batteries, but I do let them run all the way down(the drilll just barely turns) before recharging. One of the WW mags recently did a review of 14V drills, but my teflon brain has forgotten which one :confused:

It was the current issue of wood magazine. The Dewalt, panasonic and one other drill got the best tool. Ryobi got the best value.

Jeff

[Ken Robb]

Jamie,

Thanks for the tip. It turns out this place is only 30 miles from my house & I travel there every other week. I sent them an email for a quote.

Ken

[Byron Trantham]

If you like the drill itself, you can get the battery packs rebuilt. http://primecell.com/ rebuilt the packs on my DeWalt 9.6, and the packs are as good as new. It cost $25 per pack.

Jammie,
Thanks for the tip. I sent in a for a quote for my Makita and Dewalt. :)

[Tyler Howell]

If your shopping consider one of the impact drivers. Almost every maker has one, and it is now my tool of choice,:cool:

[Mike Holbrook]

Tyler knows his cordless drills IMHO. I discovered the Impact Screw Drivers about a year ago. I now have a 12V Hitachi and a 14.4V Mikita. If you want to drive screws to exact distances without stripping the heads you can't beat them. My older model Hitachi has 780 in/lbs of torque, the new 12v has over 1000. Whereas a regular drill with that much power (if you could find one) might very well break your wrist the impact drivers are very safe. My Hitachi is almost a miracle for driving screws the Makita is newer and seems rougher, maybe the 14.4 V is too much for driving screws.