Cordless Generation

[Jim McLeod]

Hey All,
New to this site and so far I am really impressed. Lots of useful info. Been woodworking for some 25 years icluding 20 at a jewlry display shop a while back. Pretty well schooled in corded power tools but a little behind in cordless. Owned a Dewalt 12V drill for about 8 years and I am afraid that it has seen better days. Been doing tons of reading on todays cordless and boy has a lot changed. Looking for a little advice on a replacement. Batteries seem to be a big issue these days. Ya have your old stand by NiCd, then the HIMH which might be more here for the environment issues than anything, and then the pricey Li-ion. I guess the issues are Ah, charge time and life expectancy. Can't find to much info on chargers but I guess smart chargers are the way to go. Also wondering if I should look at a hammerdrill/drill driver. Have done some drilling in concrete and not sure how these would preform. As far as size, I guess 14.4 or 18 would probably fit my bill but I have read some good things on Panasonic's 15.5. Also the chuck, 3/8 or 1/2. I'm guessing I should look for a steel one and one that can be tightened with one hand. Almost bought a Dewalt 14.4 XRP last week but another customer said that he had blown through several at his work in short time and switched to Rigid because of the warranties so I thought I better do some more research. My needs cover the whole spectrum of carpentry from light woodworking to construction. Sometimes I'm pretty rough on them. Heard good things about Dewalt, Panasonic, Hitachi {from consumer guide}, Milwaukee, and Makita. But there are just tons of models to choose from. Anyway, would sure like to hear a few tips and suggestions even though that may confuse me even more. Thanks.

[glenn bradley]

Things I consider in a cordless are life expectancy, reputation and suitability to purpose. I've been through half a dozen lessor drills while my Makita continues to run after years of use. My DeWalt is a close second with not quite so many years. My Craftsman that I bought because the price was too good to pass up died after about a year. No 'real' savings on that unit.

If you're looking for one to last well into the future, Lion batts are the new wave. All but the real cheap-o's come with smart chargers anymore. Names that get well spoken of lately are Makita, DeWalt and Bosch (not in that order). There are the Fe$tools and other high dollar guys, of course.

I'm a smaller guy (6 foot, 155 lbs) so weight is a factor up to the point that I sacrifice power. The smaller impacts that are popular now are more screwdrivers than drills although there are a couple exceptions; $$$. Going with either of the Blue guys or the Yellow guy is probably a safe bet. Judge weight and power based on your application.

An interesting article was written not too long ago. Something to the effect of "Does the Average Guy need more than 12 volts". The answer was no but, who's to say what average is to you. One thing I can attest to; if you cut corners, you'll pay later in batteries or all out tool failure. Just my experience, grain of salt, no charge.

Oh! I almost forgot . . . WELCOME!!!

[Mike Heidrick]

I recently bought a Makita LXT202 set that has the hammer drill and the impact. It is a Lith 18V set with 3A/h batteries. It is a great set and the perfect weight. I am loving the new impact - makes short work of lag bolts in 4X4s. Makite also has a 3lb drill in the LXT line as well as a 4n1 drill that is an impact and a clutched drill that is a pretty sweet idea.

Mark owns heavydutytools dot net and he has great prices on the LXT202 set. Check him out after you get you hands on the Makita tools at your local Borg. You will really save lots of money from him. If you buy it for $290 ask him about the battery deal. He frequents woodnet of you want to talk with him. His user id is heavydutytools.

I want to get the grinder they make for the LXT set next. I am loving these Lith batterries. They last and last and can sit for days with no loss of charge.

[Jim Becker]

Welcome aboard, Jim.

The 12v and 14.4v (as well as the Panasonic 15v) drill/drivers seem to have the best power/weight ratio for most people and tend to be the most comfortable in the hand. (Which is the true bottom line, IMHO) I happen to use a Festool 12v TDK these days most of the time, but my Dewalt 14.4 is still a favorite tool. I never preferred the larger ones...way too heavy for what I use them for. I'd definitely look at the Panasonic if I even needed to replace the Dewalt.

[dan moran]

ive owned a hitachi DS18DMR for a little over a year now and it works just as well after almost daily use as it did when i bought it..

i paid $230 for it then, ive recently seen it for $200

its a good driver/drill, but i wouldnt think of trying to drill into masonry or fasten a boatload of deck screws with it, cause thats what corded tools are for..

just for laughs i recently put one of those drill mounted drum sander jobbies in it and cleaned up a curve i cut into some 3/4" oak(with a crappy jigsaw) and i got the 15 minutes i needed to smooth out the shape with enough juice left to drill a couple of pocket holes and drive the screws that went into em..

i like it..

[Rick Moyer]

Can't comment knowledgeably about battery types; but, I wore out a DeWalt 12v. and replaced it with a Hitachi 18v. If you are going to do any construction type stuff I would say go with 18v. I also am very pleased with the Hitachi. It is heavier than a 12v. but I still use it for even small stuff, plus it seems to last A LOT longer. I even got three batteries with it(two with and a mail-in for a third). I've run 4" deck screws, 1/2" lags, etc, for a longer time than the 12v. would do. I don't really find the weight to be an issue, but I don't use it for a living, just homeowner type stuff. One thing to compare though is how it feels in your hand, balance, weight, etc. The more comfortable it is the less the other attributes will matter.

[Randal Stevenson]

When I first got my house, I received a Makita 9.6 volt drill. I shortly thereafter bought a corded drill for the heavy stuff.
Now after having lots of heavy projects, and multiple corded drills, I am back to the point of needing a cordless drill on occassion. My Makita's still work (picked up a second one from the neighbor, who upgraded, as it was his only drill), but they don't hold a charge as long anymore, and the chuck key holder broke off.

So I have been looking and have access to/used Bosch, DeWalt, Ryobi, Craftsman's, Milwaukees, and a Ridgid impact driver (not the same as a drill, but important).

Now I am looking (waiting on personal holiday cash), and wondering about several (especially the Panasonics), however would I be better off with interchangable batteries (here is the reason for the Ridgid impact)? That is a question I am still looking for answers/opinions on (based on personal experience).
Thanks all

[Jason Abel]

Welcome aboard Jim!

I deal with batteries all day long so maybe I can shed some light from a battery aspect for you.

1. The lower the voltage the longer it will last (In years of use). This is due to a lower level of heat produced while being used and will therefore cause less damage to the cells in the battery pack.

2. Lithium is light and strong but will last less years than either a NiCad or a NiMH. This has proven time and time again in the RC world which has been using Lithium for sometime. They are great batteries but won't provide many years of service. Average feedback I have heard is about 2 years. Cost is a little pricey as well.

3. NiMH is a larger capacity battery and in most cases just as strong as the NiCad cells with todays technology. I have NiMH cells capable of putting out 60 amps continuosly :eek:. NiMH is also more earth friendly than NiCad.

4. NiCad cells are the old work horses that keep on ticking. Dollar for dollar you get the most for your money with these cells. They are strong, cheap, and more forgiving than NiMH or Lithium with overcharging.

Chargers are another thing to keep an eye on. Fast chargers are nice but not as friendly to a battery as a one hour charger. The cells used for most power tools are rated for a one hour charge. For example a 3Ah battery would charge at roughly 3A for one hour to fully charge. This will vary slightly based on inefficiencies and loss due to heat while charging etc..

Hope this helps you out some and again, welcome to the creek!

Jason Abel
Battery Builders

[Ryan Myers]

I beat up cordless tools on a daily basis as an electrician. From my experience with Dewalt, they just don't stand up. For everyday heavy use that is. I've burned up a number of them, on average about 1 - 2 a year. Maybe they have changed.

My last drill was a 18v Milwaukee NiCad, which I got 5 years out of it using it everyday. I had five battery packs. All the batteries started failing at once. Drill still has a lot of life left in it, but the cost of the new batteries start to add up. I took this oppurtunity to upgrade to the 28v Milwaukee LI combo kit (driver/hammer drill, sawzaw, circ saw, flash Light) got the free impact wrench too. The lithium ion is the way to go from my experience. The drill will drive the last screw with just as much power as the first.

From my understanding LI batteries can hold there full charge for up to 1 year. You will never get that with a NiCad. I will agree that the 28V (18V NiCad weight) is much too heavy for occasional shop use. But I can testify that I get the same amount of power out of these tools as I would using the same tool with a cord. I also know Milwaukee is offering a 5 year warranty on their LI batteries, as I am sure there are probably others following suit.