looking to invest in a good cordless drill
 

hey guys looking for input on what drill i should invest in. I dont need a really high end one but id like input on a good hobbyist level drill for general use.

any input on vet diyers is welcome.


Thanks!

Trust me buy once and be done with it. Dewalt 18v is my personal choice, had it now for 4 years and treated like crap, but still works like new.

My dad loves dewalt. Only thing hes used to powertool anything.

I have a Porter Cable I've used since they first came available with Lithium batteries. Whichever brand you choose, make sure it uses Lithium batteries.

The secret to maximizing life of the batteries is to store and charge them at room temperature. Above room temp is ok but don't store them in a cold garage.

my vote is for Ridgid. Lifetime warranty on hand tools and batteries.

Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt, Porter Cable, they're all great brands and tools but one thing is a guarantee, the batteries will fail and no brand (that I know of) other than Ridgid guarantees them for life.

Even if the other drills have better specs always buy Ridgid. Nothing beats that lifetime warranty, which I have used and never had an issue. You buy a tool and it is fixed for the lifetime you own it...how do you compete with that? The other's can't.
I've bought Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita everything and as those tools slowly go I have switched out to a full line of Ridgid. Cordless drill, cordless impact wrench, 7" circular saw, 4" angle grinder, 7" angle grinder, shop vac, orbital sander, wet saw, jig saw, router, that I can think of off the top of my head that I have...all Ridgid and all covered forever.

Is this based on a deeply held belief that Ridgid is superior, or have you actually tested the Ridgid up against all other models and have evidence based on facts?

Because to believe that Ridgid is superior without having facts would be considered an opinion.

My opinion is that the Makita 18V Lithium is the best drill (screwgun) that I have ever had:

http://www.toolbarn.com/images//makita/bdf452hw.jpg

http://blogs.toolbarn.com/2006/11/ma...white-vs-blue/
It holds a charge for months.

But my sample set is very limited as it is essentially the only one I have ever owned - it has yet to fail me.

I have 12 dewalt cordless tools and 8 chargers. Love them all.

It's based on using power tools, including Makita, every day on the job for the last 16 years I have been in business. When power tools fail, they need to be fixed. It is silly all the tools I have been through and I think they all would have filled a truck bed. So much money thrown away. You either pay for it out of your pocket or have it covered by a warranty. I like tools that are faster, last longer, stronger etc, but I like not having to fix them with my dollar better. Ridgid tools are not the best tools but they do have the best warranty that trumps any small differences on the specs on them compared to other tools. Like I said, I have been through countless other tools and since I switched out to Ridgid, I no longer am buying new tools. It is hard to pass up better tools but if you are in it for the long run, you'll buy the better warrantied tool.

Every tool fails no matter what you pay for it and how great it is if you are actually using it. I can't even recommend buying a non ridgid tool for simple home use. The fact is any tool will fail eventually and need repairs at some point. If you barely use a tool and baby it, then maybe buying a cheap $20 Harbor Freight tool is the way to go. The difference of a superior/expensive tool over Ridgid is so small that you will never notice it but you will notice the difference when the warranty period ends on the other tool. Besides Ridgid tools are usually priced competitively with top brands so other than if you have a disdain for the color orange, they are the best bet.

I used to buy all Ryobi power tools from home depot, just because they were cheap, relatively durable, and you could always find a replacement within miles (nearest HD).

I had a 4-1/2" angle grinder that I had had for ~2 years but hadnt even worn through the first wheel when the switch quit working.
I took it in to HD, and said I just want the switch and I'll replace it myself.
They (Ryobi-corporate) absolutely refused to just provide a replacement switch - even though the exact model was currently being sold on the shelves.

Therefore, they do not have a replacement option for a simple switch on a currently sold model.
That pissed me off enough that after they agreed to replace the grinder for free, I immediately turned that new unit back in for credit and bought TWO new Dewalt grinders.

Ryobi will never see a penny from me again.

So also look for a tool vendor that provides easy replacement parts.

I love those Dewalt angle grinders. I still have two of those small 13a ones that keep going. In fact the Delwalt angle grinders are the only tool that I keep on buying that aren't Ridgid because I like the small size/weight and power they have. I think I've been through maybe 6 or 7 of those but it's like a kid and their old blankey, I just like them.
That Ridgid lifetime warranty is just nuts though. They got themselves into it though and they can't back out of the warranty. I guess enough people don't use the tools enough to have them repaired so Ridgid makes out in the end. My Ridgid spade handle mud mixer drill is so covered in cement/acrylic that when that finally goes, and it has been going for a while, they will have to use a jack hammer to get inside the guts of it but I'm not worried as it is covered!

Lithium batteries. Brushless motors.

In my opinion, everything else is subjective.

Most of them are made in the same factories overseas anyway. I work in the electrical department for a large manufacturing company. I do a lot of parts ordering and repairs to welders, grinders, drills, rivet guns, etc. In my experience, new technology trumps build quality. I work with a crotchety old materials engineer who is always trying to save money by buying older German and American products, but the guys out in the shop just want a lightweight tool with good battery life. And keep in mind that you're likely buying a Chinese product anyway if you're under a certain price point, regardless of the brand. If you've got the money to buy German, American or Swedish or whatever, by all means go for it, but you'll likely be overtaken by battery technology before you've worn it out.

All that said-I think I bought a Lithium 12v Black&Decker from WallMart for $40. I'm only drilling holes in drywall and running wood screws... :(

He stated in his post it's because of their lifetime warranty. Not because of superior(however competitive I'm sure) performance

I've only ever used Ryobi and been very happy but I don't use my tools enough to really wear them out so take that for what it's worth

I use only Dewalt 20V Max stuff, the batteries are all interchangeable and there are different amp hour ratings on them so you can get higher capacity. The line is pretty expansive so it's a good long term investment if you want other things. I have a 1/2" chuck standard drill, 1/4" bit impact driver, and a 1/2" drive XR impact wrench. They are all amazing tools.

I've had some Ryobi stuff in the past, tool worked well, but batteries were very flakey over time. Replacing the batteries is almost as expensive as buying a new drill.

This is an argument that will never be over, Dewalt or Makita... Just get which ever is cheaper. Both of those brands will lasts many years for a diyer.

I've got a Makita set, including a drill, impact driver, and flashlight, because it was on sale at costco. I've had it for about 5 years and everything still works like the day I bought it. That doesn't mean a Dewalt wouldn't do the same.

Have you considered a manual drill over an automatic?

Be willing to bet that the batteries, motors, chucks, etc are all made in the same place anyway. Like cars, the components are not made by the company that assembles them anymore so components are made side by side in the same plants. The only difference may be the number stamped on them at the end of the line.

Hilti is by far the best cordless drill I have ever used. But, they are easily 4x the price of any other brand. They leased them at my old job.

That said, for home use they are way overkill. I have used DeWalt for the past decade or so with virtually no issue. I just bought a new 20V a month ago to replace my 10yr old 18V. I've abused the hell out of them and they keep going. Makita is also a good bet, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of those if the deal was right.

So I looked into Rigid last night. Every one on google says the warranty is a joke. Looked up it specifically and it doesn't cover wear and tear, only manufacturer defect. So if your drill goes out in 2 years they can just say it wore out, instead of being defective. Take this info however you want but apparently some research needs done on warranties before you purchase

i've had my makita since 08', dropped and beaten to hell, but still works awesome....i've also used it for small car jobs (taking wheels off, strut bolts, etc) and its done it pretty well....for the last few months or so, i've been using it more around the house.

Got a Dewalt 18v XRP drill DC988 12 years ago, beat it to hell and the clutch/torque plate finally went out so I rebuilt it rather than buy a new POS. There are $139 dewalt drills but stay away if you want longevity, @NWFRS said it best, Lithium ion and brushless motor will get you a drill that will last and will allow you to repair it, not just replace.

I've already had a worm drive circular saw and a cordless battery charger unit go in and no problems. The charger is over two years old for sure and the circular saw is well 4-5 years old. I use the saw to cut concrete and it was covered in concrete dust. It was not babied and when I brought it in they looked at it funny but gave no problems. Maybe each Home Depot will decide differently what "wear and tear" is? Luckily there is usually a Home Depot every 5-10 miles so.... I'm not worried as I made sure to ask the hardware employee at the store I most frequent and he said they are covered for "everything". I asked about the batteries and they said that too so if they cover a battery which is 100% guaranteed to fail, they should cover most anything else unless it was abused on purpose. If the day comes where they deny a warranty claim, I may just show them my monthly bank statement with all the Home Depot purchases and tell them they could all be solely Lowes purchases instead.

That is directly from the Ridgid site and it does seem they can deny pretty much every claim with that statement. I guess I will cross that bridge when I get to it but so far everything has been fine.

Nickosport mentioned Hilti. They have a warranty that claims "lifetime with wear and tear". If Ridgid ever gives me a problem I guess I may have to start getting Hilti products.

My 2¢...

First, figure out what you want to do with the tool. Drilling the occasional hole and installing a few drywall screws around the house? Building and installing kitchen cabinets? Building houses or installing plumbing? Setting climbing anchors on El Capitan? That will tell you what size (voltage, capacity, etc) and general beefiness of the tool you want.

I buy a lot of tools. Kind of an addiction of mine. My wife has a Ryobi 12V screwgun that works great for little jobs around the house, weighs nothing, fits in a drawer in the kitchen and fits her hand but it doesn't have the torque to drive a 3/4" bit through a 2x4 stud. I have a 12V Li drill and impact driver set at the cottage that are great for everyday use, cabinet making, etc, but I wouldn't expect them to last too long if I were using them for rough ins all day. I also have a 20V Li drill and impact driver set that can do just about everything, but they are a bit heavy and chunky for small jobs or tight spaces. 14.4 V Li might be the sweet spot, but there aren't many around.

Incidentally, impact drivers are awesome and capable of driving fasteners much larger than the equivalent drill/driver. I.e., a 12V drill/impact driver set is much more capable than just a 12V drill alone.

As far as brand goes, I'll echo the wise and wonderful Tcoat. Many of them come out of the same factory (e.g. DeWalt owns Porter Cable) and none of them are made of materials as robust as tools were back in the day (molded plastic vs cast aluminum). That said, the top line tools used by pros are very well designed these days.

So, if you just want to be able to drill a hole to mount a picture, buy any tool that you like the feel of. If you want a "do nearly anything" tool for around the house use, get a mid-size (12-14.4V Li) drill and impact driver combo. If you build houses for a living, you're posting this question on the wrong forum.

Bet you wish you never asked...