Help me pick a good cordless drill

I have had others and liked them,
but my current set up is a Craftsman 19.2V Nicad.
i have the impact gun and drill, mini circular saw, handy light
that all run off the same batteries. i have 6 batteries so i hardly ever run out!!
i got em cheap on sale at my local Orchard Supply Hardware store.
i got the batteries on promotional deal 4 batteries came with it and the other 2 batteries, i got for $24 each.

they are pretty tough and the batteries for being NiCad are really long lasting
they charge up in about an hour or so.
i haven't advanced to LiION yet but i'm considering one when the Craftsman die out

i would recommend the craftsmen stuff, coming from a daily user:))
 
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compsurge said:
If your batteries ever fail, be sure to check out eBay and Amazon for rebuild kits. You can get a new pack of cells that are a drop in replacement for around $30-35 or solder your own cells for around $25. I plan on doing this to 4 Dewalt 18V XRP batteries that don't hold a charge any more (they are about 8 years old so they had a good life). I also picked up some new brushes for the Dewalt drills for $8 from eBay as well. Drill runs great now and no longer smells like it's on fire.
Click to expand...

I've also heard that some guys will buy a HF battery, remove the cells, and install them in their name brand drill battery.
 
Go Milwaukee. I used to be an avid Dewalt fan, but they have relied on their reputation too long and many other manufacturers passed them up innovation-wise. Milwaukee's 12 volt line has really impressed me.
 
In my previous reply I stated that some of my tools were reconditioned. CPO Reconditioned Tools mentioned above is where I have bought mine. I had one tool that went south and they were excellent at swapping it out. The rest of the tools have worked like new.
 
I'm really partial to the Makita brand of 18v lithium ion cordless tools. I use them everyday in my carpenter trade. I've had Milwaukee and ryobi, nothing comes close IMO. they're not cheap, but if you want something really good, the Makita lithium ion is the way to go.
 
If you aren't going to use the tool for extended periods I would suggest that you go with LiIon for a couple of reasons. Way back when the really good nicd cells were made by Sanyo and Panasonic. Pana dropped out of nicd, so now it is Sanyo for high end professional tools and the chinese 2nd and 3rd tier suppliers for nicd and Nimh. Main issue with the chinese suppliers is the variability in the manufacturing process. Nicds also have fairly high self discharge rate, so if the tool hasn't been used for an extended period you will find it dead or almost fully discharged when you want to use it for a quick job.

On the other hand the LiIon have very low self discharge rate and are made by well known first rate suppliers. I am not a tradesman but have been very happy with my 18v LiIon Porter Cable cordless tools, especially the impact driver.

One more thing. If the LiIon battery packs aren't being used for extended periods, I recommend removing them from the tool, and every few months putting them in the charger to top them up.

David
 
I am a 25 year construction professional and use cordless tools every day. I have tried them all from A to Z. My latest experience is that all the tools are about the same quality wise, it comes down to ergonomics and weight. I prefer a lighter weight tool with a Lithium Ion battery. DO NOT BUY A NICAD BATTERY! The are old tech and only last a couple of years. Now is the perfect time to buy. I would recommend the Dewalt 20volt Max drill with the brushless motor or the Makita 18 Volt combo pack (drill and an impact driver) I own both right now and am happy with them. Run time is great, they are light weight and the batteries charge in under 30 minutes. I only get 1 1/2 to 2 years out of a tool before it is too beat up to be functional. The get dropped, run over... Do not get the Rigid Tools they are absolute )(@*&^%#!%(. IMO They have to give away batteries for life because anybody who uses tools professionally would not touch them. If you are just using them for home use I would go with the Makita. CPO has the set for $179.99 right now. Good luck!
 
+1 on Makita 18v LiIon drills. I've owned one for several years, been using the heck out of it (though NOT to the extent a pro like Brooks would use it). Battery charger is very fast, so with 2 batteries you never run out of power. And as for power, it's hold-on-tight strong. (That said, most modern LiIon drills will have lots of power and good charge times.)

HD sells the set - LXFD01CW - drill/driver, 2 batteries, charger, case. Used to be $200. I think I've seen it for around $180 in their stores recently.

PS - Right now, this set is $170 (free shipping) from HD on line:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-1...-Cordless-Compact-Drill-Kit-XFD01CW/205169875

Also available from Amazon for $186:
http://www.amazon.com/Makita-LXFD01...18331694&sr=1-2&keywords=makita+18v+drill+kit
 
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+ 1 on the Makitas, 18v Lion's are excellent, used (not abused) every day, heavy works & never let me down. Batteries getting tired now, so will be looking to change the drill to another makita. Can't fault them; the only point I would make is go for the metal gearbox one, can't remember the exact model now, but XT comes to mind, they're a lot more solid. Dewalt had them before, found they didn't stand up the the hype, wouldn't have another.

Dave
 
No one mentioned Bosch....I love their corded tools, but not familiar with any cordless offering they have. Any comments?

I use DeWalt, but these days they aren't what they used to be. The 20v series seems decent, but I don't have the hours on them to judge. Milwaukee, in my experience, has good cordless tools. Pricey but good. When I am out on a construction job, like I am right now (building a college campus), I have DW, mostly because just about everyone has them and they aren't a likely to walk. I see a lot of Mil, Mak, and even some Hilti stuff....but these are all tradesmen, depending on their tools for their livelihood. Notably absent are Ryobi, Rigid, Craftsman, Porter Cable. Quite a few Makita, but still majority is DW. Most upgraded to LiIon.
 
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