Looking for a new Cordless Drill

[Frank Eppler]

I have a 5-6 year old Dewalt 14.4 drill/driver and it works great. I want add an additional tool to my collection but have heard bad things about "todays DeWalts" because they moved operations overseas or someplace. With that in mind, any thoughts about Makita or Boash in 14.v?
Thanks, Frank

[Brett Baldwin]

I can tell you that I'm very happy with my Makitas. I have a 12V and 14.4V and they both have great longevity and power. I (along with several others here) also bought a Fein 14.4V that someone on the site posted a heads-up about. It was $85 for the drill/2 batteries/charger (now $95 last time I looked at Coastal Tool). I used it for a week of remodeling without changing the battery and the power was more than enough to do screws, hole sawing, and numerous drillings.

[Jim Becker]

about "todays DeWalts" because they moved operations overseas or someplace
Um...the Makita and Bosch tools are really nice, but I'll also point out that they are also manufactured "overseas" relative to North America. ;) Black and Decker owns the Dewalt name (as well as Delta and Porter Cable). B&D is based in MD.

[Doug Jones]

No complaints about my Bosch 14V or 18V.
Not too happy about my Ridgid 12V, its as heavy as my Bosch 18V and the battery doesn't last nearly as long.

[Joe Unni]

Frank,

I've a relatively new (about a year) 14.4 Dewalt and though I like the torque and the different speeds, I hate it because its charge dies pretty quickly. Certainly when compared to my $99 Hitachi 9.6. That thing lasts forever. I even broke one if its batteries and if I plan right, it's a non-issue. The Dewalt seems to run out right at the wrong time.

It's what I have for now, so I don't know what I'd be looking for if I were in your shoes. I'll be paying close attention to this thread.

My two cents.

-joe

[Howard Norman]

I have a DeWalt 14.4 drill/driver that I have had for several years now. Last year I bought the combination drill/driver and impact driver from Makita(14v). I believe that drill driver is a better tool than my DeWalt.

Howard

[Bob Noles]

Frank,

I'm afraid I will have to go against the tide a little. My first D\W lasted (9v) over 8 years and was a real work horse. The battereies finally died and I recently bought the 18v D\W to replace it with. This has been an excellent tool and the charge lasts forever. Very powerfull......

I since learned that batteries could be rebuilt and had the 9v reworked and gave the old model to my son to continue using.

My experience has been..... you simply cannot wear the D\W out.

[Walt Pater]

Frank,

My experience has been..... you simply cannot wear the D\W out.

Bob, I am glad that you have had a good experience with Dewalt, because I certainly haven't. My BSN (Brand Spanking New) Dewalt 18v cordless lasted all of seven work days. I returned it and got the Bosch 14.4. There is a great customer support service, Provantage, in which you enroll when you buy a Bosch cordless. IMO it's the best program of its kind, almost too good to be true (real live people on the phone, 2nd day air replacement of defective parts, return shipping post paid, 2 year battery/ 3 year full warranty...)
But to back you up, Bob, before I went, uh, 'pro,' I did have a 9v D/W that did last a good long time. Wonder what happened to it. I think that I left it at a Marina in Rockland county. Hmmm.

[Bill Simmeth]

Back in December, Mark Singer posted about a deal on a Fein 14.4 volt drill in this thread... http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=27069. I bought one and liked it so much, I bought a second. They seem well made and have tons of torque for a 14V drill. The price is now up to $95, but still a great deal IMHO.

[Cecil Arnold]

I replaced a 15.? Sears with a 14.4 Mikita and couldn't be happier. It has plenty of torque and the battery seems to last forever. My only complaint is the price. I finally found a deal at the BORG last year when they were clearing them out for $129. I think you can find them on sale now for around $150.

[Charlie Plesums]

Makita has a special now... buy a 14.4 volt driver and they throw in a 14.4 volt 1/2 inch drill/driver, two Nickel Metal Hydride 2.6 AHr batteries, a rapid charger, and a job light. Just got mine for Christmas - it seems really sweet.

[Dan Forman]

One of the mags, I think Pop Woodworking had a recent article on drills, it seems the Panasonic 15.6V pretty well smoked all of the competition. That said, I just got the 14V Makita impact driver kit with the free drill and light while on sale at HD, which I bought primarily for the impact driver, as I already had the drill. I now have four of the batteries, so I guess I'm in good shape for a while.

Dan

[Rob Glynn]

Another vote for Panasonic.
Mine is the best drill I have ever owned over a period of 40 something years. They make the batteries for a lot of the other brands and, no doubt, keep the best ones for their own product.

[Hank Knight]

Another vote for Panasonic.
Mine is the best drill I have ever owned over a period of 40 something years. They make the batteries for a lot of the other brands and, no doubt, keep the best ones for their own product.

I bought one of the very early Panasonic 12v drills over 15 years ago. It's still going strong on a third set of batteries. Great drill. The new ones are much more compact, the ergonomics are great and the battery technology has improved dramatically. The 12v Panasonics have as much or more torque than most of the 14v and 15v drills on the market. I find the Panasonic 12v sufficiently powerful for 99% of the work I do in the workshop. For the other 1%, I have a Bosch 14.4v drill - also a nice machine - and several tailed monsters that get the job done. If you're looking for a more powerful drill, look at the Panasonic 15 v. The drill body is the same size as the little 12v, but the battery is larger and it compares favorably with higher voltage drills by other manufactrurers. Panasonics aren't cheap, but they are the best available today, IMHO.

[Joe Lenox]

I have had 2 Panasonic 9.6 volt for over 15 years and they are both still going strong...About a year ago I got the new 15.6 Panasonic and its nothing short of fantastic. I would not consider any other battery drill.
I have had Dewalt, Makita and Sears none of nthem came anywhere near the Panasonic......Just my opinion

[Scott Loven]

I got one (14.4 v Fein) and really like it a lot, well worth the 85$
Scott

[Clay Crocker]

Frank,

I have two Panasonic 15.6V drills and I can say that they are head and shoulders above the Ryobi and Dewalt that I used to own. I have about five years of use on one Panasonic and it is still going strong.

[Bob Johnson2]

Check out the new Makita LXT line, supposed to be better quality and a couple pounds lighter then previous 18V setups. If you beleive in big is good, the Dewalt 36V Nirvana line is due out this spring.

[Allen Bookout]

I have two Milwaukee routers, a large Milwaukee angle grinder and a heavy duty Milwaukee corded drill and I feel that the quality is head and sholders above the other simular tools that I have. I do not have any of their battery powered stuff but a battery powered hammer drill is going to be my next purchase and it FOR SURE is going to be a Milwaukee. If you dicide to go this route would you please either send me a private message or post your impression here.

I know that I sound like a pushy type salesman but I have no connection with any tool company.

Good Luck! Allen

[Dale Thompson]

Back in December, Mark Singer posted about a deal on a Fein 14.4 volt drill in this thread... http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=27069. I bought one and liked it so much, I bought a second. They seem well made and have tons of torque for a 14V drill. The price is now up to $95, but still a great deal IMHO.

Bill,
As luck would have it, my dependable Bosch 14.4v quit on the same day that Mark posted the Coastal Tools deal on the Fein 14.4v. :D I ordered it immediately and am quite happy with it. :) The drill seems a bit lighter than the Bosch and the torque rachet is a bit quieter. The sound level doesn't matter to me. I'm old and deaf and can't hear either one anyway! At least that is what I tell my wife! :cool:

A rather humerous note is that the only thing I disliked about the Bosch was the location of the reversing switch. It was easy to hit reverse or neutral without realizing it. :( The Fein has the switch in EXACTLY the same place! :eek: However, its slightly lesser weight seems to make the problem less frequent. :)

Anyway, I replaced the trigger switch on the Bosch and it works great. I've been using the Fein lately just to get more comfortable with it.

Whatever, my advice for buying a drill would be to grab a number of them with the battery attached and see how they "feel". (CAUTION: When doing this, make SURE that you use a FULLY CHARGED battery. My extensive background in Nuclear Physics informs me that the high "specific mass" of electrons will make a "charged" battery at least three times as heavy as a "discharged" battery.) ;) :cool: :) Anyway, a drill that may feel great to a person with "large" hands may be totally unacceptable for a person with "smaller" hands. :(

Dale T.

[Bob Johnson2]

I have two Milwaukee routers, a large Milwaukee angle grinder and a heavy duty Milwaukee corded drill and I feel that the quality is head and sholders above the other simular tools that I have. I do not have any of their battery powered stuff but a battery powered hammer drill is going to be my next purchase and it FOR SURE is going to be a Milwaukee. If you dicide to go this route would you please either send me a private message or post your impression here.

I know that I sound like a pushy type salesman but I have no connection with any tool company.

Good Luck! Allen

The machinists at work will use nothing but Milwaukee's, both AC and DC. Other dept's have gone thru Panasonics, Dewalts, Grren ones, silver ones, etc. Still the machinists who use them every day all day, will use nothing but Milwaulkee's. I think it'd be a safe bet for a hammer drill.

[Doug Jones]

Ask 15 different woodworkers the same question and get 16 different answers.
Have you come to a conclusion as of yet?

[Alan Turner]

One thing about the Fein from Coastaltools.com is the ratchetting chuck tightening device. It holds a drill bit very tight and is a wonderful feature. Also, it has a 1/2" chuck, not the more common 3/8" one oft found on smallerr cordless units. I bought one when I saw the earlier thread, and then bought a second as a gift. Wonderful value.

[Frank Eppler]

First, thanks to everyone that answered my question. I went to my local Lowe's and decided on a Bosch 14.4 full size ( 1/2 chuck). Great warrenty and expect to have it for years to come.
Thanks again to everybody.
Frank:)

[Hank Knight]

Frank, as I mentioned in my original post, I have a Bosch 14.4 I've had for 4 or 5 years and it's a good drill. I have 4 Bosch routers of different sizes and I like all of them. I think Bosch makes great stuff.

[Dick Heifner]

Hi All,
I finaly got rid of my big, bulky and heavy 18V Dewalt, I got a sweet 12V very light weight Panasonic. This drill is awsome, very easy to control.
Dick.

[Doug Jones]

First, thanks to everyone that answered my question. I went to my local Lowe's and decided on a Bosch 14.4 full size ( 1/2 chuck). Great warrenty and expect to have it for years to come.
Thanks again to everybody.
Frank:)
Good choice, I am becoming more of a Bosch fan myself. Having their 6 piece 18V set, the 3 piece 14V radio box set, and a combo router. Not a single complaint about any of them.
Hope you get many useful years from them.