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Thread: Cordless Drills Recommendations

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
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    Porter,TX
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    1,518

    Cordless Drills Recommendations

    Guys for yrs I have alway been provided a cordless drill at work but no longer in that position,so I am out on my own.
    First off I cannot afford a Fastool, so any suggestions other than would be very helpful. The purpose for this is right now I will be building myself a retirement home/shop Pole Barn. So there will be drilling and screwing,and for awhile will not have power till I get that work out. I believe that I will need couple extra batteries and I know that quality batteries is going to cost but I am all in, within normal means Guys since I been out of the market on these kind of tools I really don't know what out there,what is the latest & greatest and what the cost is. So any suggestions on what you have or what not to get will be big help,thanks .

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Lancaster, Ohio
    Posts
    1,346
    I have been with DeWalt for the last 25 years and finally stepped up to the 20v at home. Running all DeWalt at work
    Considered the Milwaukee line and still not certain if that is the way I should have gone instead of the 20v DeWalt
    comes down to Ford or Chevy, both good
    good luck
    Ron

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    71
    I use a Milwaukee 18V drill in my day to day work. I'm on my second drill in 10 years, but to be fair, I've subjected them to quite a bit of abuse, drilling with large diameter hole saws and fly cutters, 1" auger bits drilling through wall timbers, drilling tough materials like stainless steel, etc.

    I have yet to have a battery fail on me, and I did replace the motor in my first drill after about 7 years; the motor cost $28.00 to replace. These drills have a lot of torque and are well built; I wouldn't consider using anything else.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Alaska
    Posts
    711
    Suggest you go to a store and handle all the drills. I use cordless drills frequently, including roof work. After a solid week of running roofing screws on a 9/12 pitch roof, how the drill feels in the hand is pretty important. Balance and size, ease of bit change and grip on drivers, single handed speed change and reverse/forward change....... Find the tool that feels the best to you, because the cordless drill tends to be the first in a string of cordless tools you'll get, and it's nice to have one brand. You don't need a bunch of different chargers and batteries. For what it's worth, I use Milwaukee M18, and the drills take a lot of abuse and just keep working. I'm not sure if the M18 is the best cordless line though. And the high capacity batteries are pretty expensive.

  5. #5
    I have DeWalt and Makita and both are very good. You also can't go wrong with Milwaukee.

  6. #6
    I started with Makita, and have stuck with them mostly to keep the battery system the same. I have been happy with them though. I now have a right angle drill, small leaf blower, bigger two battery leaf blower, and small circular saw. Each ecosystem will have the same basic tools, but some may have unique features that you find really attractive (flexvolt batteries that can power higher and lower power tools, portable 'generator' that can use a set of batteries to convert to 120v AC, etc.)

    I would echo what others have said, and find a set that fits your ergonomics best.

    I also would say that depending on the variety of your work, to consider getting two sets of drills - one that has the high power and torque for the bigger jobs, and then a lighter one that is easy to use over your head without being fatiguing. Most impact drivers are fairly small, but same thing for those if you do a lot of overhead work, as well as hefty lag bolts, etc.

    Actually, I would say that if you need to do some huge lag screws or bolts with a lot of torque, to consider getting an impact wrench in whichever brand you choose, as the impact wrench with proper sockets can apply a lot more torque than the standard impact driver and drill.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    10,301
    I'd get the Bosch 5-in-1 drill. Those extra capabilities occasionally are very useful. https://www.boschtools.com/us/en/bos...cb22-187544-p/

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Arlington, TX
    Posts
    452
    If you have other cordless power tools that you are happy with, I would stick with the same line for a cordless drill, if just to share batteries/chargers.

    I have Milwaukee M18 and a few M12 tools and I like them a lot.

    I had Ryobi cordless power tools in the past, and was not satisfied with the quality, robustness, or the performance, so started switching over to Milwaukee on the recommendation of a trusted friend. I am starting to change my battery powered lawn equipment over too. Huge difference in performance between M18 brushless and even 40V Ryobi! Most of my Ryobi tools had problems with the rubber grip panels coming loose. I've not had that problem with any of my Milwaukee tools. The power tools are stored in the attached garage/shop, where it gets hot, but the batteries are stored and recharged in the air-conditioned house.

    I have used DeWalt cordless drills and impact drivers they had in the lab at work before I retired, and they seemed good too, but we were just assembling racks of computer equipment, cable raceways, etc. for our simulation server farm, and I didn't really have a chance to use them for anything challenging.

    Makita has an excellent reputation too, but I have never tried them.

    Brushless tools will outperform brushed tools, all else held equal. They will use less battery capacity and/or deliver higher performance. Typically >20% of a brushed tool's power is lost in the brushes, dissipated as heat.

    If all else fails, go to Home Depot (Lowes does not carry Milwaukee power tools), and try the different brands out, and see what other cordless tools you might eventually want to acquire. Most of us end up primarily using one brand (batteries!), so you are really picking a line of tools, not just a single tool.

    Also consider other things like flashlights/worklights, USB chargers, radios, etc. available in a given line.

    -- Andy - Arlington TX

  9. #9
    Milwaukee has some amazing cordless tools. Who would think to need a cordless caulking gun? It empties a tube of liquid nails in 3 seconds.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Dickinson, Texas
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    Don't over think it. Go to Lowes, Home Depot, and all of your hardware stores, pick them up, and before long you will make a decision. I have a 20 volt Ridgid and it is my favorite drill. I have several drills.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Palm Springs, CA
    Posts
    1,085
    I used the older generation 14.4V DeWalt cordless drills for many years without problems. I decided to try a newer 18V drill and purchased a Festool about 2-1/2 yrs ago, mainly because of the interchangeable heads. I'm not impressed with that drill other than the versatility and it hasn't been worth the cost (to me).

    Two years ago, I purchased the new Bosch Flexi-Click 5 in 1 drill and now use it for 90% of the work I do. It is only a 12V drill, but the light weight, compactness and surprising power have really been far better than I could have hoped for. The 90° chuck adapter and the offset driver are super handy and are very useful, especially if working in or with cabinetry. I rarely use the 18V drill unless I absolutely need the increased power.

    I'm liking the compact 12V platform so much that I recently added the Bosch impact driver and that has all but eliminated my need for the larger drill which only gets used for large or heavy drill driving situations.

    IMG_4108.jpg
    Last edited by Dick Mahany; 08-23-2020 at 3:40 PM.
    Dick Mahany.

  12. #12
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    Apr 2013
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    Don't under think it either. It's nice to stick with one system, so you need to chose based on the tools you need now as well as the tools you'll want to buy in the future.

  13. #13
    just had my second Makita battery go bad. Sales guy didnt care when I talked to him about the first one. Ive had Milwaukee stuff longer and worked harder and the batteries are fine.

    Probably had over 20 Makita tools at one point but Im likely done, even to use the power planer now I have to buy batteries.
    Last edited by Warren Lake; 08-23-2020 at 11:55 PM.

  14. #14
    I bought a Festool cordless drill and was not impressed. Sold it. I have DeWalt and have been satisfied. Milwaukee gets good reviews.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    N CA
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    1,277
    I have had most brands over the last 20+ yrs and now am in the Milwaukee Camp. I really like the M12 drill/driver sets. They are very convenient to carry and hook on a belt or pants pocket. I also have the M12 sawzall which has been incredibly useful. Also the M12 grease gun making it much easier to service the tractors. A couple months ago I picked up the M18 Fuel drill/driver set and it is terrific. I do not think you will be disappointed going Milwaukee.

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