What is your opinion for the best rated drill/driver

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Dont know how to set it up but trying to figure the best bang for the buck drill/driver (not tool kits).;)
Looking at as small a package but still has 1/2" chuck, 2 speed, hammer drill, light weight, long run time.:drool:
All opinions gladly accepted & appreciated.
 
I have a DeWalt drill,driver,hammer drill that I had about 6 years still going strong. The only thing I hate about the is the cost of a new battery.

But thanks to e-bay you can rebuild them for about 35.00 lots cheaper than the new battery.

Paul
 
I have the Makita lithium cordless drill (the white body one). Works great. Chuck size is only 3/8" as I recall. For larger stuff I have a 1/2" Rigid corded drill. I rarely need a 1/2"drill (the thing is a monster), but when I need it, it's a great thing to have. It will turn a 3" hole saw all day long, just be careful it doesn't try to twist your arm off.

Makita has a package where you get a drill and a hammer drill with a couple batteries. I can recommend the lithium version, much lighter, and decent run time. Batteries charge fast too, so if you take a dead one off, and put it on the charger, I don't see how you could wear a battery out before the dead one is charged again.

If you are looking to save some money, I have had some luck with the Ryobi drill/drivers they sell at Home Depot (not so much their other tools). We had a NiCad based drill/driver for many years, and it held up great.

As far as the 1/2" chuck, I am of the opinion that you are better of sticking to a 1/4" or 3/8" drill for most things. 1/2" drills are heavy and powerfully enough to destroy most drills 1/4" or under in a flash if you are not careful.
 
I had the dewalt 18v hammerdrll for several years when I was in construction - was working it day in and day out boring +2" holes in 2x4s, and boring holes in metal boxes as well as drilling 1/2" holes in beams, and hammering 1/2" holes into concrete floors and walls for anchors - morning to night. that drill never quit on me... great quality bar none...

until the batteries stopped taking charge :( $$$$$$

today they come with lithium batteries which are much better though.
 
I use a Milwaukee M18 lithium 1/2" drill/driver/hammer drill every working day. Amazing torque. Runs well. The only issue is that the instant stop went out last year. Everything else still works well. I just can't be without it for a couple of days to get it fixed.

They have a good line of accessories that work on the same batteries. I have the Sawzall and circular saw as well. I might get the M18 angle drill if it goes on sale.
 
I don't think you can go wrong withg a Makita, DeWalt, Milwaukee or Panasonic. The latter two are the best IMHO. I bought a Makita set for myself - only 12V - but way outpowers my father's 19.2V Craftsman. We bought a 15.6V Panasonic for my lab at work and it's a dream and half - VERY durable with lots-o-power. Nonetheless my previous 14.4V DeWalts needed batteries early and the gearbox worte out sooner than it should have (although they made by father-in-laws HF look silly). I also have a Ryobi el cheapo and it's surprisingly robust and has some guts too - it's 10 y/o and going strong - even with some original batteries.

Sometimes I think DeWalt is little more than a yellow Black and Decker of old.

So based on my experience I'd rank 'em like this:

1) Panasonic
2) Milwaukee/Makita (tie)
3) DeWalt
4) Ryobi (batteries are cheap)

In general, every Milwaukee tool I've ever bought I still have and they still work like the day I bought 'em. I can't say the same for DeWalt, Craftsman, Ryobi, Porter Cable, Bosch, HF, etc.

John
 
Whatever brand, get the the lithium battery.

It takes a 15 min charge, so you need one battery and stays charged for a long time in the box. I got the Makita 18v recently. The old Dewalt was fine, but the cost of battery replacement wasn't worth it.
 
burnrider said:
Whatever brand, get the the lithium battery.

It takes a 15 min charge, so you need one battery and stays charged for a long time in the box. I got the Makita 18v recently. The old Dewalt was fine, but the cost of battery replacement wasn't worth it.
Click to expand...

I second that. Lithium is the way to go. Much lighter, very little "droop" over time. Only downside is they're expensive to replace. That said, they do last awhile.

John
 
I've had Panasonic and Dewalt. The Panasonic was hands down the best quality drill. It was compact, felt good in my hand and the speed control was buttery smooth. Unfortunately, the nickel metal hydride batteries didn't last very long and were prohibitively expensive to replace. I was able to pick up a Dewalt kit on sale for less than the cost of new batteries for the Panasonic. I've had two Dewalts and while they are good drills for the money, but they aren't nearly as nice as the Panasonic.

If money is no object, buy the Panasonic, otherwise get the Dewalt.

Tom
 
Just a word of caution. Most, if not all of these products are sourced out to the low bidder for manufacture now. Some of the companies have been sold outright to offshore owners, and are not the same quality as they were a short time ago. I have older cordless tools, but having compared my oldies to the same brand currently on the shelf, I find some corners have been cut. What I am trying to say is that if someone tells you that their BrandX tool is the greatest thing, if you go buy a new one today, you may not be getting the same quality of tool.

I can agree overall with everyone so far. Go Lithium, for sure. Just remember the discharge "curve" isn't so "curved". Those batteries give very little warning that they are nearing discharge. It's a discharge "cliff". Full power at the start of a cut or driving a screw, and unable to finish. Well, almost that bad. I use DeWalt pretty regularly that doesn't belong to me that is a new one (several, actually). It handles nicely, has a Li battery that has great power to weight ratio, but has noisy gears and a cheap chuck. Not the same as the older ones, IMO. Milwaukee has a good quality tool, but is no longer Domestic. The quality is not like it was. Panasonic builds good stuff in general, and their tools are no exception. I think they build their own batteries as well, unlike the others. I'd used, and seen worn out the Ryobi tools, and am not impressed, so they would not be high on my list. On it, but not at the top. Makita is good for tools. I worked with some electricians who would use nothing else, and they were terribly hard on their tools. The warranty was used quite a bit. I think the Makita tools stood up to the abuse rather well though.

No one has mentioned Porter-Cable. I will give them a thumbs up for overall quality. They would be high on my list.

I think there is a trend that points to Japanese made tools being superior to Chinese made tools. Just try to determine where the tool of your choice is made. It's nothing personal or political, but cost based bias that I think is going on.
 
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