Cordless Drills

[Ah Pook]

My 14 year old Dewalt 14.4 volt drill is on it's last legs. It might last for another set of batteries but for that price I could almost buy a new drill. Also the battery latch is ridiculously cumbersome.

I don't make my living with tools but they do get used. I break out the drill at least once a week. 3"-4" screws are not uncommon.

I'm liking the Makita 18v and the Milwaukee M18. Always been a Porter Cable fan. The Dewalt line up seems to be on the heavier side.

Not interested in "price point" tools from the big orange box or HF.

Pros? Cons?

What Say ye? http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs32/f/2008/191/3/f/Drilling_Emoticon_by_sheep0creator.gif

[wyome]

dewalt is still tops or ryobi.
i have a drill or two for light stuff, but my go to gear is a porter cable impact drill driver.

[RCCrawler]

For driving screws you can't beat a good impact.

I have 2 dewalt drills and 2 dewalt impacts for at hem and at work and use them both all the time without issue.

[Bailey Guns]

I have a Craftsman cordless that's going on 25 years or so. I'm on the second set of batteries. HEAVY use the last two weeks and it's still going strong.

[StagLefty]

I bought a Ryobi 18 volt multiple tool kit several years ago and it's still going strong. Batteries have had a good life and are affordable.

[LippCJ7]

Dewalt, is the only brand I have bought my crews for the last 15 years 18 volts of pure power I never switched to the Lithium Ion but I hear great things about them, I just couldn't justify switching out 20 drills, the nice thing about having everyone on the same platform was I never had to listen to anyone whine about missing batteries...

[drift_g35]

I have the Makita kit. I love it. Its taken a few tumbles from my roof and doesnt show it at all. Plus being able to charge a battery in 15 min is pretty awesome.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/attachments/fishing-miscellaneous-items/163362d1300885945-makita-18-volt-lithium-ion-cordless-3-drill-combo-kit-combo.jpg

[SuperiorDG]

Milwaukee M18. I'd burn the motor up in the Dewalt in a year. The Milwaukee has lasted 5 times that.

[newracer]

Next drill I buy will be a Ridged mostly becasue of the battery warranty.

[Wulf202]

I use rigid. You have to register them immediately otherwise the warantee is void.

[BigDee]

I have a Dewalt and a Hitachi. The Dewalt cost almost 3x what I paid for the Hitachi and I have yet to notice a difference in performance between the 2.

[Boadie30]

I just went through this looking for the best replacement for my Dewalt Cordless Tool Kit... I did not have any complaints about the old one which was 12 years old I believe. I used for home/work. I wanted to make sure I was buying the best for the money as possible. With viewing all the kits and knowing the opinion of my peers and a many searches on the web. I stuck with Dewalt.. Expensive though.

[BushMasterBoy]

I have had a bunch of cordless, only stuff still running is Makita. Makita 9.6 volt, I don't know about the 18 volt.

[def90]

I have always had good luck with all 3, Makita, Milwaukee and Dewalt. Be sure to get the contractors version, not the model at home depot. The difference is that the contractor models will have all steel chucks while the consumer models at Home Depot and elsewhere have plastic chucks.

[TheWeeze]

I used to sell the hell out of Bosch cordless tools. They're slightly higher cost, but you can drop them hundreds of times, or once from 40', and they'll still keep running. One of the demonstrations they'd do at trade shows would be to let people climb a ladder up to 10', drop the tool, and if it breaks and they can't get it running again, they win a free kit. They'd get between 150-500 drops between breaks. So they'd only give away 1-2 kits the whole show. Great tools, but you can't go wrong with the Makita kits. We used to repair a TON of DeWalt, so FYI, they're not always the most reliable. Stick to the Lithium Ion Batteries, because they're lighter and run better, very even power draw and last through hundreds and hundreds of charges. The old NiCd batteries are heavier and don't draw the same way.

[Goodburbon]

I'm currently running the Makita. Used it for fence last week, 3.5" lag screws for the main boards, 2" wood screws for the planks. The battery only lasted 20-30 minutes under that continuous hard use, but they were charged in 15, so I just kept rolling. Good torque, good speed. I like it, and Costco has the kit.

Last one was a Hitachi NiCd. Didn't take long for the batteries to stop holding a charge, but it served it's purpose for a while. Batteries had to cool before being charged, extending charge time a bit


The problem I have now is finding #2 phillips bits that actually work. I've bought the store brand at the counter sold loose, Ryobi, Hitachi, Milwakee.
The Hitachi were absolute worthless junk, snapped the tip off every bit on the first screw.
The Milwakee weren't far behind, lasting about 4-5 screws (25-30 if I baby the shit out of it) Bottom line, at the first slip, they're done.
The bits that came with the screws weren't much better, but fell somewhere between Milwakee and store brand.
The store brand were a little better at 30-40 screws
Can't remember any other brand because it's been too long.

[TheWeeze]

problem I have now is finding #2 phillips bits that actually work. I've bought the store brand at the counter sold loose, Ryobi, Hitachi, Milwakee.
The Hitachi were absolute worthless junk, snapped the tip off every bit on the first screw.
The Milwakee weren't far behind, lasting about 4-5 screws (25-30 if I baby the shit out of it) Bottom line, at the first slip, they're done.
The bits that came with the screws weren't much better, but fell somewhere between Milwakee and store brand.
The store brand were a little better at 30-40 screws
Can't remember any other brand because it's been too long.

I'd highly recommend finding these kind of bits, they have a square drive as well as the Philips drive, grab on better and last longer, less stripping.

http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/details/0224963?searchMode=productSearch&rfqXref=&rfqKeyword=&rfqId=&rfqLineId=


Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

[hghclsswhitetrsh]

+1 for makita.

[funkymonkey1111]

i have a bosch that i really like. but, that rigid battery warranty is enticing.

[Ah Pook]

Thanks for all the feedback! [Beer]

I still have the original phillips bits that came with the drill. Never had a problem with them. Most of the time I use galvanized hex head screws. Between building a metal garage and re-roofing the house, I have a lot of those left.

I'm liking the Makita drill driver/impact wrench combo. Maybe pick up a third battery for the set.

[Rabid]

I have a Dewalt and a Hitachi. The Dewalt cost almost 3x what I paid for the Hitachi and I have yet to notice a difference in performance between the 2.
Hitachi's are highly underrated and have a lifetime warranty. I have nothing bad to say about any of the Hitachi, Milwaukee, Makita or Hilti tools i have owned.

[bgouker]

I have owned many of the brands listed. I only issue Milwaukee 18 volt now. We have almost all of the tools and they run forever. They get abused, but keep on going. I have dropped them off of roofs with little damage. Dewalt is what we used to use, but te batteries seemed to die out sooner. My 2 cents

[Sparky]

I use all Rigid.

[spongejosh]

I really like my 18V Makita compact. I only use it once every couple months but the batteries hold a charge well and recharge from dead in about 10 minutes.

[Tinelement]

Don't do Snap-on!!!!!!!! I'm on like my 5 replacement in 2 yrs. it's actually a game now.

I'd go Dewalt.

[Stone83]

Was in the same boat as you... I cryed

Got a Craftsman 19.2 volt... she's a purdy sum bitch....does a GREAT JOB!

(It's red though)

[Digi]

I do sheet metal for a living so I use cordless drills about as much as one can on a day to day basis. +1 for Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee, or Hilti. All are very comparable with the Hilti being slightly better + lifetime warranty on battery's but I don't feel the price difference is worth going with Hilti. Tool King has a great selection of bare cordless tools for further down the line when you need another tool but don't need more battery's/charger. Go with w/e you can find the best deal on and definitely get a combo pack that includes an impact drill. They are handy for so many situations.

[Dryfli]

I use dewalt I would recommend going to tool king off of 6th and Simms they have all the major brands and better prices than the box stores. You can also buy reconditioned tools that still have warrantees. If you have a bunch of batteries you can buy the bare tool which I really like because I have 7 batteries and don't need any more.

[ben4372]

Someone touched on it a bit. You need the kit. Bought a DeWalt impact driver last year. Heavy but tough, and I get free DeWalt batteries at work. My Buddy had a Hitatchi and it was the most user friendly tool I've seen. Lasted 8 years till gravity got it. Back to the impact driver. The best thing for driving screws ever. You can sink more deck screws and lag bolts per charge. And it is fast. The Bosch drill/ driver is nice too.

[Richard K]

I've gone through Makita's, Ryobis's and Dewalt's. Went to Home Depot to find a replacement and picked up a combo pac of an 18 volt 3/8" drill/driver and an 18 Volt impact. What swayed me was the lifetime warranty on ALL components, drills, chargers and batteries! I had previously found it cheaper to buy a new Ryobi with batteries and charger than to replace batteries. The Rigid combo pac was $179. With the impact driver I can drive a 6" 3/8" lag screw all the way into/through 5/8" drywall and a 2x6 edgewise (did it as a test) and still have plenty of battery left.

[Graves]

My 18v li-ion makita has probably seen close to 2-300 complete charges (still somewhat new) and I mainly use it for drilling (or reaming) on sheet metal pretty much daily; no problems. I've had that sucker too hot to touch more than a few times.

[Jer]

I was an electrician for a brief period and what I bought and what everyone else had on their belt was a 12v compact Dewalt Impact. Next up was probably Milwaukee and third most common was Hitachi. Do NOT fall for Rigid's battery warranty at Home Depot. I almost did and was SO glad I didn't. The M18 fuel stuff is solid if you don't mind weight and the new 20v brushless impact from Dewalt is the cat's ass! So, in closing, Dewalt 12v compact impact for carrying around and the 20v brushless for large jobs that require more grunt and weight isn't an issue. There are kits with both of those in them and the tools included are probably the best in the business aside from maybe the comparable Milwaukee kits. You would be hard pressed to find a trade that relied on their drills more and anything other than those three brands in the hands of electricians to burnt up within weeks/months. There are a couple others (mostly German made) that are better but they're in a different price bracket than the stuff I listed so unless you're using them all day every day to earn a living it wouldn't be worth the investment.

BTW, having left my 20v at work I used my 12v impact to built this entire bench using 3" screws:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P63Y8XANQxc/UErVcceSh3I/AAAAAAAADgY/9tw3TFTyd8o/s1024/IMAG0649-1.jpg

Chewed up a boat load of batteries (this is where the 20v brushless shines!) but handled it like a champ and went back to work with me Monday morning.

[Byte Stryke]

My 14 year old Dewalt 14.4 volt drill is on it's last legs. It might last for another set of batteries but for that price I could almost buy a new drill. Also the battery latch is ridiculously cumbersome.




answered your own question.

Dewalt... works

doing floors I used a dewalt, I would go through a 50# box of 2-1/2" flooring a day at least 3 days a week for 5 years.
I Still have it.. it still works.

[n8tive97]

I moved up to the DeWalt 20 Volt Li Ion Combo Pack to finish my garage and back deck.....

[jerrymrc]

Don't do Snap-on!!!!!!!! I'm on like my 5 replacement in 2 yrs. it's actually a game now.

I'd go Dewalt.

For our shop we bought all new $5000 sets that included the 18V drill. 4 batteries were DOA. 4 more died in a month and Snap-on has told us to take a hike. I still use my 10yo dewalt at work. Because of that I have Ryobi at home and have been pleased. I am not a pro user but I have not had to break out the spare drill that came with a black friday deal and mine has built a few decks and a fence.

[Richard K]

". Do NOT fall for Rigid's battery warranty at Home Depot" Please elaborate. I've not needed to use it but do they not honor it?

[hobowh]

Ryobi has com a long way, but still home owner quality not heavy use. Porter cable has gone down hill now a homeowner quality brand. Milwaukee, Dewalt are great all around tools, but cost more have had good luck with the new ridgid tool, and the lifetime warenty on batteries, and tools are great. If you want the best get the Mil if you want good all around get the Dewalt (not my fav) or rigid. not a fan of dewalt only because the quality is hit and miss, but the drills always seem to be decent.

[Jer]

". Do NOT fall for Rigid's battery warranty at Home Depot" Please elaborate. I've not needed to use it but do they not honor it?

The batteries are poor quality & you'll be using the shit out of the warranty. In addition the drills themselves are sub-par & the motors crap out regularly. They attempt to fix them at the store but will then send them off for repair. When I reach for a drill I want it to work. I don't wanna have to deal with regular trips to Home Depot. Again, my experiences are from those who use them daily & with heavy use so they may not fail as often but it's a better indication of long-term reliability.

[Ah Pook]

As stated in the #1 post, I will not be buying anything from Big Orange. If I buy a Dewalt, I want a Dewalt, not a pricepoint imitation.

Going to try and make it to Tool King this week. I forgot that I originally bought the Dewalt set from them.

Again, thanks for the info.

[Jer]

As stated in the #1 post, I will not be buying anything from Big Orange. If I buy a Dewalt, I want a Dewalt, not a pricepoint imitation.

Going to try and make it to Tool King this week. I forgot that I originally bought the Dewalt set from them.

Again, thanks for the info.

This urban legend that Home Depot gets inferior tools to supply houses is complete BS propagated by tool houses to keep them in business. I've talked to reps from Dewalt & Milwaukee who say that they cut NO corners in the tools they supply Home Depot with and don't even know what tools are going to what suppliers until long after they've been manufactured. I was actually told this by several reps both outside of as well as in actual supply houses where they're trying to push the very tools I'm questioning. I can't speak for others but it just doesn't seem to make sense to produce inferior products that could/will hurt your image/name and the added complexity for tracking and supply chain just wouldn't offset small savings from cheaper sourced parts.

[Ah Pook]

Interesting. I've heard the opposite from different sources through the years.

Lincoln welders had a "HD" line for a while. The HD was quite a bit less than the non HD welders.

[Irving]

I tried to compare prices between Depot and Took King after reading this thread. It took me a bit to figure out that Tool King doesn't sell Ryobi, but looking at the prices of the drills I saw, everything seemed to be the same between the two stores.

[Jer]

Interesting. I've heard the opposite from different sources through the years.

Lincoln welders had a "HD" line for a while. The HD was quite a bit less than the non HD welders.

You're comparing a different line (HD) to the same model numbers supposedly with inferior parts w/o any external designation to tell customers there's a difference other than where you buy them. That's a pretty big difference.

[Sparky]

The batteries are poor quality & you'll be using the shit out of the warranty. In addition the drills themselves are sub-par & the motors crap out regularly. They attempt to fix them at the store but will then send them off for repair. When I reach for a drill I want it to work. I don't wanna have to deal with regular trips to Home Depot. Again, my experiences are from those who use them daily & with heavy use so they may not fail as often but it's a better indication of long-term reliability.

I disagree. My rigid is awesome and I use it everyday at work.

[Jer]

I disagree. My rigid is awesome and I use it everyday at work.

I considered going down that path (free batteries for life for someone who goes through a ton of batteries is a pretty good selling point) and after researching on several Electrician forums & similar it seems as though you are the exception and not the rule. I'm glad you've had bad luck but based on everything I've heard I couldn't personally suggest others take that chance. Again, your first-hand experience certainly trumps the 3rd party experiences I've compiled but it's very difficult to find electricians praising their Rigid drills.

[tmleadr03]

I was an electrician for a brief period and what I bought and what everyone else had on their belt was a 12v compact Dewalt Impact. Next up was probably Milwaukee and third most common was Hitachi. Do NOT fall for Rigid's battery warranty at Home Depot. I almost did and was SO glad I didn't. The M18 fuel stuff is solid if you don't mind weight and the new 20v brushless impact from Dewalt is the cat's ass! So, in closing, Dewalt 12v compact impact for carrying around and the 20v brushless for large jobs that require more grunt and weight isn't an issue. There are kits with both of those in them and the tools included are probably the best in the business aside from maybe the comparable Milwaukee kits. You would be hard pressed to find a trade that relied on their drills more and anything other than those three brands in the hands of electricians to burnt up within weeks/months. There are a couple others (mostly German made) that are better but they're in a different price bracket than the stuff I listed so unless you're using them all day every day to earn a living it wouldn't be worth the investment.

BTW, having left my 20v at work I used my 12v impact to built this entire bench using 3" screws:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P63Y8XANQxc/UErVcceSh3I/AAAAAAAADgY/9tw3TFTyd8o/s1024/IMAG0649-1.jpg

Chewed up a boat load of batteries (this is where the 20v brushless shines!) but handled it like a champ and went back to work with me Monday morning.

I am in serious need of a work bench at my shop, when can you come by?[Beer]


ETA: As to the OP, I used this set for over a year now and it is really very good. I know it is an impact gun set but if the cordless drill set is anything like it you would be very well served by it. Even now that I have a shop and an air compressor I still use them as my go to impact guns.

http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2696-23-18-Volt-3-Tool-Combo/dp/B003WJRCZC/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1367797682&sr=1-1&keywords=milwaukee+cordless+impact

[Ah Pook]

^That is a nice work space. Too clean though. [Tooth]

[Zman]

Someone mentioned Porter Cable earlier. It was a sad time when they moved their quality manufacturing from TN to overseas.

I have several 15+ year old P.C. tools and they are rocks. My 14.4v is on it's 3rd battery rebuild by CarGo Battery. Even found a new trigger switch on eBay to fix the electric brake.

DAMN!!! I'm starting to sound like my dad! [blah-blah] :)

Z

[Jer]

I am in serious need of a work bench at my shop, when can you come by?[Beer]

Thanks man. I would offer my services but 1) I'm not a carpenter by trade so my work is probably not as good as you can probably get for a lot less money and 2) being as it's not my daily work I wasn't very speedy in the completion of this. That being said if we're ever being bombed I'll run out and dive under this thing before I head to my basement. lol I'm not a carpenter but I am an engineer by nature who has a propensity for way over engineering things. I got up on this thing and jumped up and down to show off how well it was built. haha


ETA: As to the OP, I used this set for over a year now and it is really very good. I know it is an impact gun set but if the cordless drill set is anything like it you would be very well served by it. Even now that I have a shop and an air compressor I still use them as my go to impact guns.

http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2696-23-18-Volt-3-Tool-Combo/dp/B003WJRCZC/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1367797682&sr=1-1&keywords=milwaukee+cordless+impact

While I like Milwaukee stuff I'm not a huge fan of this kit. The light is a good light but it's just a light and we all know where to find more quality lights if we need them. In the same price range I would take a look at the Dewalt 20v kits because you will get more useful tools IMO.


^That is a nice work space. Too clean though. [Tooth]

That was the night I finished it. It's far more dirty already and it bugs the piss out of me. One day I need to get out there with no other projects and just clean the thing up again. I really need some good overhead cabinets to finish it off and help me get organized. I've been watching craigslist for many months now but nothing that fits my needs & budget yet.

[Marlin]

Well, over the past 25+ years I had a few,

Makita - 9.6v drill. Lasted about 4 years until it fell off a ladder and broke. No experiance with the newer ones.

Milwalkee - 18v combo kit. Loved the Sawzal, That was about it though. Drill smoked about three weeks after I got the kit. Turned ito such a pain to get it fixed, I went and got a Dewalt drill. Then the charger died.

Ryobi - Anything beyond light duty, complete junk. Although, I am happy with the miter saw. Smoked three drills and snapped the chuck off a fourth. The recip saw required more coodination to use than I had some days.

Dewalt - Just about the only cordless tools I own anymore. Very happy with them They just work. I have the 950DW drill which granted, could be used as an anchor for a aircraft carrier. But, 9 times out of 10, I don't have to break out the corded drill. I admit, they haven't been perfect, I did get the chuck to go free wheeling once. 35 minutes after I finally got it to the service center, it was fixed. I did go out and get a 20v compact drill as "back-up" Been happy with that one also.

[losttrail]

I have a Dewalt 18v drill and saw that my wife got me in 1992 when we bought our 2nd house. I have replaced both batteries once. It's been dropped from 10', splattered with paint & drywall compound, used to build one house, remodel 3 houses, innumerable DIY projects.

IMHO, one of mankind's greatest inventions.

[tmleadr03]

Thanks man. I would offer my services but 1) I'm not a carpenter by trade so my work is probably not as good as you can probably get for a lot less money and 2) being as it's not my daily work I wasn't very speedy in the completion of this. That being said if we're ever being bombed I'll run out and dive under this thing before I head to my basement. lol I'm not a carpenter but I am an engineer by nature who has a propensity for way over engineering things. I got up on this thing and jumped up and down to show off how well it was built. haha



While I like Milwaukee stuff I'm not a huge fan of this kit. The light is a good light but it's just a light and we all know where to find more quality lights if we need them. In the same price range I would take a look at the Dewalt 20v kits because you will get more useful tools IMO.



That was the night I finished it. It's far more dirty already and it bugs the piss out of me. One day I need to get out there with no other projects and just clean the thing up again. I really need some good overhead cabinets to finish it off and help me get organized. I've been watching craigslist for many months now but nothing that fits my needs & budget yet.

An engineer is it? In that case can you send me over the schematics you drew up before you even touched a screw? Include the 15 revisions please so I can see how it developed...

[ROFL3]

[Jer]

An engineer is it? In that case can you send me over the schematics you drew up before you even touched a screw? Include the 15 revisions please so I can see how it developed...

[ROFL3]

[LOL]

My wife is always amazed at how long it takes me to begin a project... that is until I explain to her what all I'm doing in my head before it starts. I basically do the task hundreds of times in my head to see what all can go wrong and how to prevent before I ever get to it. She can't argue that once I begin I'm methodical and may work slowly but the end result is bulletproof. I'm WAY too cheap to make mistakes along the way. lol

[Ah Pook]

[zombie1] thread is[zombie1]

Had to put some things on the back burner since last year. Now that I am unemployed, there is time for some projects.

Bit the bullet and went with the Dewalt 20v MAX XR brushless. The DCK281D2 combo comes with the drill/driver, impact driver, two batteries and charger.

These things are LIGHT. I wasn't too sure I needed the impact driver but it is turning out to be handy.

Like all operators, I will be wearing both on my belt at the same time. Anyone have a drop holster thigh rig for these?

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL594/13497691/24383796/410457165.jpg
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL594/13497691/24383796/410457166.jpg

[Jer]

I was an electrician for a brief period and what I bought and what everyone else had on their belt was a 12v compact Dewalt Impact. Next up was probably Milwaukee and third most common was Hitachi. Do NOT fall for Rigid's battery warranty at Home Depot. I almost did and was SO glad I didn't. The M18 fuel stuff is solid if you don't mind weight and the new 20v brushless impact from Dewalt is the cat's ass! So, in closing, Dewalt 12v compact impact for carrying around and the 20v brushless for large jobs that require more grunt and weight isn't an issue. There are kits with both of those in them and the tools included are probably the best in the business aside from maybe the comparable Milwaukee kits. You would be hard pressed to find a trade that relied on their drills more and anything other than those three brands in the hands of electricians to burnt up within weeks/months. There are a couple others (mostly German made) that are better but they're in a different price bracket than the stuff I listed so unless you're using them all day every day to earn a living it wouldn't be worth the investment.

BTW, having left my 20v at work I used my 12v impact to built this entire bench using 3" screws:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P63Y8XANQxc/UErVcceSh3I/AAAAAAAADgY/9tw3TFTyd8o/s1024/IMAG0649-1.jpg

Chewed up a boat load of batteries (this is where the 20v brushless shines!) but handled it like a champ and went back to work with me Monday morning.

Thanks for bumping this so I can be reminded of how clean my shop USED to be. Dick.

[Ah Pook]

Thanks for bumping this so I can be reminded of how clean my shop USED to be. Dick.
Anything to help. [Neene1]

[XC700116]

Don't do Snap-on!!!!!!!! I'm on like my 5 replacement in 2 yrs. it's actually a game now.

I'd go Dewalt.

LMAO, I know what you mean, I love Snap on tools in general, but their cordless tools suck balls and so do a lot of their air tools for the price.

[XC700116]

[zombie1] thread is[zombie1]

Had to put some things on the back burner since last year. Now that I am unemployed, there is time for some projects.

Bit the bullet and went with the Dewalt 20v MAX XR brushless. The DCK281D2 combo comes with the drill/driver, impact driver, two batteries and charger.

These things are LIGHT. I wasn't too sure I needed the impact driver but it is turning out to be handy.

Like all operators, I will be wearing both on my belt at the same time. Anyone have a drop holster thigh rig for these?

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL594/13497691/24383796/410457165.jpg
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL594/13497691/24383796/410457166.jpg

Mind if I ask what the price was?? I'm looking myself now as all my Rigid batteries have given up the ghost and they've invoked the "we don't make those ones anymore" BS Clause in their wiz bang BS warranty.

I was thinking of going to Makita this time but those look pretty nice and compact which is handy.

[Jer]

Anything to help. [Neene1]

That natural gas heater on the left side of the photo STILL isn't installed or I could go out there this winter when I have nothing else going on to clean it up. Double dick!

[Jer]

Mind if I ask what the price was?? I'm looking myself now as all my Rigid batteries have given up the ghost and they've invoked the "we don't make those ones anymore" BS Clause in their wiz bang BS warranty.

I was thinking of going to Makita this time but those look pretty nice and compact which is handy.

If you like compact and don't plan to do build any decks anytime soon I HIGHLY suggest checking out the 12v Dewalt impact. It's a friggin' BEAST and the thing does surprisingly well for a 12v to the point where I didn't even own a 20v impact until recently and it did everything I ever asked of it and made other manufacturers 18v/20v stuff look like 9.6v stuff. No joke. I also like the 12v light better than the 20v light and they even have a 12v sawzall now too so you can get a pretty good line-up of tools in the less expensive and lighter 12v line.

[Rabid]

Mind if I ask what the price was?? I'm looking myself now as all my Rigid batteries have given up the ghost and they've invoked the "we don't make those ones anymore" BS Clause in their wiz bang BS warranty.

I was thinking of going to Makita this time but those look pretty nice and compact which is handy.
If you like your rigid tools you can get the batteries rebuilt or you could do it your self.

[Rooskibar03]

Wish I had got the two pack. Those 20v batteries last FOREVER. I swear I go months of use without charging. Didn't think I'd want the smaller on but I could use it.

[XC700116]

If you like your rigid tools you can get the batteries rebuilt or you could do it your self.

I like them alright, but it's just the 1/2" drill and the impact driver and the Drill is on it's last legs anyway. I've kinda thought about buying a new Rigid drill to get the new batteries and charger and then just keep my impact driver. But I'm a bit sour on the warranty issue since they told me Life time, no questions when I bought the stuff, and now it's "Don't know ya". That and trying to get actual info on getting warranty service on them is a total shit show when I tried the first time about 4 or 5 years ago.

[Ah Pook]

That natural gas heater on the left side of the photo STILL isn't installed or I could go out there this winter when I have nothing else going on to clean it up. Double dick!
Nut up and put on a second pair of socks. [Neene1][Neene1]

[Jer]

Nut up and put on a second pair of socks. [Neene1][Neene1]

Haha... It doesn't really get that cold actually I just have a harder time convincing myself to spend lots of time out there when it's cold unless I have to. One of these days I'll get that heater installed and then I'll be more comfortable out there in the winter. I just got an email that Xcel is going 20% rebate on insulation so maybe I'll roll the attic above it first and see how that affects the temps.

[clublights]

I grabbed one of the ryobi 18V one+ sets a couple months ago and am pretty happy with it


Tho I think I need to learn how to use the multi tool thing better ( or just get the right angle impact driver head for it that I really want anyways.. )


52895

[trlcavscout]

When I was a mechanic and then a contractor I bought makita and had no problems, I carried a 9.6 volt for years drilling holes and running wires and loved the power and weight. My employer for the last 8 years has supplied me with dewalt 18 volts, I am on my 3rd drill and who knows how many batteries. The batteries last about a year. The drill I have now was purchased last march and it's slipping already. I am not a dewalt hater but I wouldn't spend my money on them. I drill a lot of holes in wood, brick, concrete but normally it's used for screwing. I don't know what is best anymore I am just glad it's not my money buying these :)

[ben4372]

I had a visit from my step dad, he was still using the 9.6 long handle Makita I pass to him in 95. He used it as a building maint guy too. He replaced the battery five years ago. Really, the drill is 25 years old. That said I only have one cordless Makita product today.

[XC700116]

I had a visit from my step dad, he was still using the 9.6 long handle Makita I pass to him in 95. He used it as a building maint guy too. He replaced the battery five years ago. Really, the drill is 25 years old. That said I only have one cordless Makita product today.

I've still got one of those somewhere too, was working just fine last time I used it. I think it's at my mom's place somewhere. I'm sure the batteries are shot but the drill was still going strong.

That's what's got me leaning toward switching to them again.

[buffalobo]

I use Makita cordless tools exclusively. Nearly 300 kitchens on the drill, impact driver and 3 batteries I have.

[Richard K]

If you like your rigid tools you can get the batteries rebuilt or you could do it your self.

I just ordered the Dewalt package on line. There is currently a promotional price of $148 with free shipping to your home.

[Chad4000]

Another vote for dewalt... got 4 of Em at the shop and I have one personally. Won't buy anything else

[Trout Hunter]

Did a stint where i was over all the tools for the installers for an ADT dealer for a year and i got pretty much every brand drill out of it. The only two i would recommend are makita and bosch. Old dewalts with metal gears last but the batteries are junk. New ones mostly have plastic gears and strip out under heavy use. Hitachi is light and good torque, but the chuck wears out quick. Rigid were decent but heavy. Bosch had the best torque and durability of any of them. Makita has always been top shelf imo. Was gifted a 6 piece makita kit at Christmas last year and they are the lightest of any 18vs ive had. The impact is impressive. Btw ryobi were the worst cordless drills ive ever used, batteries were junk, usually could burn the brushes out by 100 installs. The chucks are garbage on round drill bits too. If you can find porter cable stuff its as good as the makita stuff but not as common. The cabinet show i worked at for a bit used them exclusively and it was great just a high price point.

[Rabid]

I like them alright, but it's just the 1/2" drill and the impact driver and the Drill is on it's last legs anyway. I've kinda thought about buying a new Rigid drill to get the new batteries and charger and then just keep my impact driver. But I'm a bit sour on the warranty issue since they told me Life time, no questions when I bought the stuff, and now it's "Don't know ya". That and trying to get actual info on getting warranty service on them is a total shit show when I tried the first time about 4 or 5 years ago.
Do the new batteries work with your impact driver? If they do i my self would give up on ridged. I would also send them a nice enough email telling them why i felt this way.

As a side note i still thinks the brands i mentioned way before are still good ones but it is still going to be just like who makes the best truck, who makes the best AR, who makes the best 1911, etc, etc. We have members that still are using these tools every day and what they say is a pretty big endorsement i would listen to them.

[Irving]

I've always liked my Ryobi drills but I can see the issues with the chuck. A hole saw ALWAYS ends up loose for me; and; I've only had problems with burning brushes when using holesaws. It's always just been a hole saw or lifting a car on a jack that slows it down.

[muddywings]

I picked up the 20V dewalt 4 pack at Lowes:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_557394-70-DCK420D2_0__?int_cmp=Home:A4:Tools:Spcl_Value:Dewa lt_4Tool_Combo_557394&productId=50102396

I needed my old set from black and decker that was 13 years old replaced. Needed the sawzall more than the light ;)

Already put everything (except the light) through it's paces and very happy with the performance, and the price. I'm sure the light will do just fine.

[Jer]

I picked up the 20V dewalt 4 pack at Lowes:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_557394-70-DCK420D2_0__?int_cmp=Home:A4:Tools:Spcl_Value:Dewa lt_4Tool_Combo_557394&productId=50102396

I needed my old set from black and decker that was 13 years old replaced. Needed the sawzall more than the light ;)

Already put everything (except the light) through it's paces and very happy with the performance, and the price. I'm sure the light will do just fine.

If you don't think you'll put the light to much use PM me your best price and I may take it off of your hands.

[muddywings]

If you don't think you'll put the light to much use PM me your best price and I may take it off of your hands.

I'll ponder if I want to keep it. Will let u know.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[muddywings]

Amazon has the same $250 deal as Lowes does above but it has the circular saw vs sawzall:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/goldbox?tag=hydfbook0e-20&ascsubtag=pfb-NUL-1-2-14174355718034A&ref_=pfb_NUL_1_2_14174355718034A

in case anybody is interested

[Graves]

Don't do Snap-on!!!!!!!! I'm on like my 5 replacement in 2 yrs. it's actually a game now.

I'd go Dewalt.

Bad draw I'd saw. Never was impressed with their nicad stuff, but I can certainly say I've been impressed with their liion gear.

I use mine a little here and there

53463

Note the out of round light; took a 17,000lb truck and still works.

[def90]

This urban legend that Home Depot gets inferior tools to supply houses is complete BS propagated by tool houses to keep them in business. I've talked to reps from Dewalt & Milwaukee who say that they cut NO corners in the tools they supply Home Depot with and don't even know what tools are going to what suppliers until long after they've been manufactured. I was actually told this by several reps both outside of as well as in actual supply houses where they're trying to push the very tools I'm questioning. I can't speak for others but it just doesn't seem to make sense to produce inferior products that could/will hurt your image/name and the added complexity for tracking and supply chain just wouldn't offset small savings from cheaper sourced parts.

When I bought my last DeWalt about a decade ago (I do low voltage work and do entire prewires of homes with my cordless) there was a difference. The Big Box store drills had plastic chucks and the versions from contractor supply shops had all steel chucks. Don't know if there is a difference these days or not, haven't looked for one for a while, I just replace batteries every couple years.

[Irving]

I was talking to a tv repairman once who said that manufactures will buy discounted small electronics parts in bulk and use them for Walmart product lines. So if you buy your tv at Walmart and it breaks, it may have different internals than the same part number tv bought some where else. There is no way I could verify if that were true or not, but the explanation seemed to make a little more sense than going out of the way to run a different product under the same name.

[Jer]

When I bought my last DeWalt about a decade ago (I do low voltage work and do entire prewires of homes with my cordless) there was a difference. The Big Box store drills had plastic chucks and the versions from contractor supply shops had all steel chucks. Don't know if there is a difference these days or not, haven't looked for one for a while, I just replace batteries every couple years.

My first-hand experience was within the last 5yrs or so and the numerous people I spoke with were very quick to discredit this theory and sure in their stance as well. I can't speak to a decade ago or more but the people I spoke with weren't green peas and made it sound like it's just how things always were. I don't know what model you're talking about or using but I asked specifically about the 12v, 18v and 20v lines. It could very well be that back in the day that's how things were done but I know that now it's not how things are done yet people still warn of buying from big box stores versus smaller ma & pa shops and supply houses that tend to charge more money. Common sense would tell you that it's a volume pricing thing which is harder to sell to the consumer when you're on the losing end of that but fear always works quite well and it's a believable story. lol


I was talking to a tv repairman once who said that manufactures will buy discounted small electronics parts in bulk and use them for Walmart product lines. So if you buy your tv at Walmart and it breaks, it may have different internals than the same part number tv bought some where else. There is no way I could verify if that were true or not, but the explanation seemed to make a little more sense than going out of the way to run a different product under the same name.

Not sure I would buy this either because 1) they still have to handle the warranty associated with this product and 2) from what I've seen the larger stores like Walmart tend to require different model numbers from manufacturers as it makes their false returns easier to handle and makes it easier for price guarantees, price matching and other marketing ploys. When you've got the power that that kind of volume brings you don't request inferior products.

[Erni]

I have Ryobi 18v tools. While they are not something I would use day in and out professionally, for a homeowner they are the cats meow. The battery pack is very heavy, but my tools are still going strong and I had to replace my battery packs after 10 years. For professional daily use my father swears by the small Makita drills with the red packs. They are simply indestructible, or used to be can't speak to new products. My dad also swears by the impact drill/hammer without the chuck. Uses it for screws, bolts and drilling daily.

[def90]

I was talking to a tv repairman once who said that manufactures will buy discounted small electronics parts in bulk and use them for Walmart product lines. So if you buy your tv at Walmart and it breaks, it may have different internals than the same part number tv bought some where else. There is no way I could verify if that were true or not, but the explanation seemed to make a little more sense than going out of the way to run a different product under the same name.

Vizio TVs are built this way. They do not offer repair service after the one year warranty is up.

[Trout Hunter]

I was talking to a tv repairman once who said that manufactures will buy discounted small electronics parts in bulk and use them for Walmart product lines. So if you buy your tv at Walmart and it breaks, it may have different internals than the same part number tv bought some where else. There is no way I could verify if that were true or not, but the explanation seemed to make a little more sense than going out of the way to run a different product under the same name.
Hadn't heard that but I do know that walmarts returned electronics that get fixed under warranty used to be sold at SAMs club. First job out of high school was the pick up n delivery guy / dish network installer for a tv/bcr/stereo repair shop. We would do warranty work for the box stores in town as it was a certified repair shop and almost every tv we fixed for SAMs club would have previous warranty work that had been performed and billed for.