Buying a cordless drill... (1 Viewer)

[Jim_C]

>>Hmmm, interesting on the Panasonic. I've got to say that the name scares me. I wouldn't have considered them before

 

[Philip_G]

the 988k-2 is nice. I worked in a tool store my last semester in college and stocked a lot of them in the warehouse, seemed to be a favorite with the contractors.

 

[Tony G]

I have four. I've always sworn by Porter Cable, and they're very good machines.

However, when I was at Home Depot looking for a cordless circular saw, the "kit" with 4 cordless tools by Ryobi caught my eye. The saw works great, but so does the drill. I paid $199 for a drill, circ saw, recip saw, and mini-vac, with 2 18v batteries.

Their headquarters are here in Anderson, but they don't make their tools here.

Tony

 

[Shane Bos]

Costco will return anything anything they sell in the first year. Usually they'll even return it for a longer period of time. I've seen them return a 5 year old computer because a fan had stopped working. Oh yeah it was for full refund over $4500cdn. So no worries if there is no manufacturer's warranty on the drill you have a better warranty anyway.

 

[Scott Strang]

You've probably already thought of this but have you considered cracking the battery case open and looking for replacement batteries at Radio Shack? Sometimes that can be done in instances like this where you're unable to locate replacements.

It would take some effort but probably would be fun.

 

[John Pine]

Consumer Reports just did a "Cordless Drill Blow-Out" on multiple price points a couple of months ago. I would get a little "unbiased" information before you buy anything!

 

[Ryan Wright]

You've probably already thought of this but have you considered cracking the battery case open and looking for replacement batteries at Radio Shack?

Hey, cool idea. I hadn't thought of that. Might be a fun project...

 

[JayV]

have you considered cracking the battery case open and looking for replacement batteries at Radio Shack?

Be careful!!!

Electrical components actually run on smoke. If you let the smoke out they won't work any more.

-j

 

[Matt Stryker]

Now you just need one of these:

http://doityourself.com/store/9626672.htm

 

[Greg_R]

I'll also recommend the Panasonic drills. They are the only ones that offer max torque through their operating range (other drills only produce max torque at their highest RPM). Panasonic is a major battery supplier to other drill companies (but they wait a year so they are always a generation ahead).

One thing to consider is a smaller cordless drill (12V will still drill / screw almost anything). The smaller drill will be lighter (less fatigue) and smaller (easier to fit into tight areas). If I want to drill concrete I'll bring out a heavy duty corded drill...

 

[Malcolm R]

Electrical components actually run on smoke. If you let the smoke out they won't work any more.

 

[KrisM]

I have used a Dewalt for about six years, two of those as a contractor, and it has been great. I had a problem with the charger, THREE years past warranty, and Dewalt replaced the charger and both batteries. I have never had a company stand behind their products like this for me.

Regards
KrisM

 

[Johnny Angell]

I thought I'd resurrect this thread since I need a new drill. My Milwaukee 14 volt nicad drill is dead. That is, both batteries are done. New batteries would cost me $50-60 according to my online search. I bought the drill and batteries as a set 3-4 years ago. It did not get heavy duty use and I guess I didn't pay enough attention to keeping the batteries charged.

I was looking at this drill: Amazon.com: Factory-Reconditioned Milwaukee 2601-82 18-volts 18-volt Li-ion Compact Drill Kit: Your Store on Amazon, though I could go directly to the merchant. It would be about another 50-60 bucks to buy it new.

The current Milwaukee I have would satisfy my needs but I'm thinking why invest in older battery technology when Li-ion batteries will last longer. I'm also thinking I'll keep the batteries and charger in the house and not the garage this time to prevent exposure to prolonged cold.

 

[DavidJ]

The Li-ion systems are awesome. I would definitely recommend an upgrade, if it fits your plans. Unfortunately I think you've probably missed some great deals by a few months. Many of manufacturers just brought "new" models to market and that led to closeouts on the "old" stuff. Keep in mind the differences were negligible and in a lot of cases just cosmetic. Maybe there are a few of these deals still around.

I was still using my 12 volt Dewalt until last summer. I bought one of the smaller impact drivers by Bosch that was li-ion. It has been awesome and I also got a free driver with it. These 10.8 or 12 volt systems worked better than my Dewalt and my friend's old Rigid 14 volt for most stuff, but they don't have a chuck. After seeing my drivers in action, my buddy bought one of Makita's competing models.

I didn't really need a new drill, but a couple of months ago I started noticing great deals on 18 volt li-ion drills. I actually ended up getting a four tool combo set for about $100 less than some of the drills were going for. The drill that was the impetuous for the purchase was a Milwaukee V18 that has some similarities to the one you linked. I love it.

 

[Johnny Angell]

What's the model number on your drill?

 

[DavidJ]

0824-20

 

[Johnny Angell]

I checked it out. CPOMilwaukee is selling it for $180 and Amazon for $79. Both are drill only, no battery. What a price difference.

What is a hammer drill, anyway?

 

[Greg_R]

What is a hammer drill, anyway?

Hammer drills do not spin continuously like a basic drill. They spin the bit until a certain torque threshold is reached and then transitions to a hammering action. The driver will then spin the bit in short bursts with extremely high amounts of torque (i.e. 2k ftlbs vs 300ftlbs of a normal drill). These units are exceptional at driving screws and lag bolts (MUCH better than a normal drill) and tend to be more comfortable for these applications. Larger hammer drills are often called rotary hammers and actually produce a down/up hammering action (similar to a jackhammer) as the bit spins. These are used for drilling through masonry or rock and are large and heavy (not recommended for driving screws). Hammer drills meant for driving screws do not use a normal chuck that you'd see on a drill (i.e. you can't use normal drill bits) but rather bits with a notch on the end (you've probably seen them before).

 

[DavidJ]

Excellent explanation Greg. The 0824-20 and a lot of these drills have a setting switch or ring to turn the hammer action on or off. The 0824-20 has a setting for driling, driving, and hammer action---if I'm remembering correctly.

 

[gene c]

Speaking of Li-Ion batteries, these from B & D (Black & Decker lithium-Ion kit and 14.4 cordless drill) last a long time on a charge. They're light duty for around the house stuff but I use them constantly.

Also, I have a Skill 12 V drill that I've had for over 20 years on the same batterry. Still going strong.