Dad always used the Milwaukee's on the job sites and we had no issues with those. I've had a Ryobi 18V for 4 years and like it alot. Just recently had to replace the batteries. Haven't tried a Milwaukee 28v yet. Sounds like a beast.

 

i worked at a camp where we had tons of the dewalt 18v xrt (xrp whatever was supposed to be the best) but we had tons of voluteers and stuff, you know thing get all beat up in a hurry. i was talking to my boss one day in sears and we saw the mid lever craftsman 18 volt for $80!!! figured, hey a drill, charger and 2 batteries for what the dewalt replacement battery costs. we tried it and they took the abuse just as well as the dewalt. so i decided to get one personally. i don't use if every day, but i use it a lot. i've had it 3 years now and the batteries are just now losing thier charge in an annoying time frame.
like someone else said i was all about corless, now that i am doing more and more hole saw and hard steel cutting in the garage i went out and picked up a decent drill/hammer drill. i think it was $50 or under and really makes any cordless look like a piece of junk, just not as portable.
for me instead of messing with buying extra batteries for the craftman which has served me very well, since they are still under $100 i will get another in the near future. it's been a great drill and i would reccomend them to anyone.

 

Anyone use one of the new Dewalts with the new lithium ion batteries . They claim to have more power and run 4 times longer between charges .

 

My suggestion is only purchase a cordless tool if you do not have access to 110 volt power.

I currently use a Mikita 18 volt to drill into concrete to insert anchors for unistrut brackets. Often times there is no other power source without long runs of wire. Works fine, just like the other brands but there always comes a time when the battery will let you down when you least expect it and need it the most!

 

ya you could get a 24v dewalt or the new li-ion setups. but there's a happy compromise between weight and power.

it's hard to beat Dewalt 18v drills w/black handle or milwaukee 18v drills. both will take a licking and come back for more.

for the high drain applications like a circular saw, 24v Dewalt or new li-ion pack saws is the way to go.

 

I got the Dewalt 6 pack of tools, and it came with 1 charger and 2 batteries.

it charges in an hour, so if i start a project, i put the fresh battery on the drill,
and the old battery on the charger.

having 2 batteries is the only way to go, but at $79 for a Dewalt 18v, it's best to buy the combo pack.

if i go somewhere on a trip to "work" I pack my whole Dewalt 6 tool kit & both Batt's & charger, and you are pretty much geared up for any task. the 6 pack comes with a Dewalt bag that hold all you can pick up.

 

I myself am considering trying cordless again. I swore off cordless based on the abysmal B&D Firestorm I had and hated.

Then, I went the opposite extreme and got a Milwaukee 8 amp Magnum 1/2" w/keyless chuck. This thing is a wristbreaker (only 850 rpm, so geared for grunt). This is perhaps the best drill on the planet, but it's a little heavy and dangerous for one-hand use (read: not gonna do it).

So, for something a little lighter, I picked up a small IR AIR DRILL. For sheer ease of use and lightweight, air drills rock! This has obvious limitations, but since it was always in my garage, it worked just fine.


Now that the Li-ion tools are here, I'd consider going cordless again. I'd probably go with the Makita over the Milwaukee, since the Makita offers a non-hammer model.

While I've really enjoyed my DeWalt miter saw (DW706 12" double bevel), I can't say I'd really buy any other DeWalt since the B&D buyout. They are cost-cutting and it shows.

I've also had exceptionally good results with Hitachi (circ saw and 4.5"grinder) and they are great tools for the money. Don't be afraid of the "best buy" brands.

Finally, don't misunderestimate the lower-voltage units that are 12V or 14V. Some are pretty good for cheap cost, though it helps to think of them more as pistol-grip screwdrivers than as real no-kidding drill motors. To me, a real drill can operate at full load day and and day out without burning up.

While I've heard that Milwaukee's grinders can be fragile, I'd bet my truck on their drills.

jmo as an amateur..

 

Man, Ill tell u what. I know that Black and Decker gets a bad rep every now and then, but check out the Black and Decker Firestorm line of cordless drills. The got everything from hammer drills, to reciprocating saws. On my days off from my other job, I work on a guttering crew. The torque and power the 24volt Firestorm drills we use are INCREDIBLE; they have adjustable torque like alot of the drills and when you put the drill in hammer mode, get ready to drill thru steel, masonry, and concrete in no time at all.

LOWES always has great deals on FIRESTORM kits and u can spend a reasonable amount of money.
Shoot... I recently bought a 24 volt recip saw/hammer drill kit w/ 2 batteries and a rapid charger, and I paid $139, a helluva deal in my book.

Nice avatar by the way

 

One of the first years the Dewalt had the 18vs out i was drilling somthing i cant recall an i leaned into to it to apply a little more pressure and then it hooked up and spun around an socked me with the battery pack its darn wonder i stayed on the ladder

 

Hohn is correct about the milwaukee magnum corded drills. They are torque monsters, and can hurt wrists really quickly. The holeshooter which is a little weaker is still very strong, those drills will take a beating and keep on drilling. They motors also seem to live longer under severe duty ( when the smoke starts to boil out of the case from overloading for too long). You can let them cool and continue on.

We have always had good luck with the cordless line up also. I haven't found a cordless sawzall that compares yet to there's.

I have found though, that this particular debate is highly opinionated. Some people have good luck with certain brands, and others wouldn't spit on them if they were on fire.

 

I bought a black and decker professional cordless 18V, forget what the model was but it was their top of the line and I have to say, it SUCKS!! I had an old Makita and it was a 7.2V and it had been thru heck and back and it just sounded smoother than the B&D. The B & D batteries have never been worth a darn. Charge them both, a week later put a battery on the drill, go out to drill something, get halfway thru my second hole and the drill dies. Go get the other one off the charger and it's useless too!! So I grab the 1 year old Makita 9.6V out of the truck tool box that has not been charged in about 2 weeks and stick the other battery on the 10-15 minute charger and finish my job. I have another 9.6V Makita for work that hardly gets charged and that flashlight/drill kit is from 1997 and still have the original batteries and work it everyday!!!

So I recommend Makita, I'm so happy with them I bought one of those near $300 3/8 cordless impact wrenches to build bikes with at the toy store and love the heck out of that too!! I think I'm just a Makita man, have a 4 1/2 grinder I bought from a guy in 1998 for $25, don't know how long he had it before I got it, but it is a Makita and still grinds to this day with no problems.

 

I used a 18v milwaukee that was company issued. That thing took a beating from the way we used it eberyday to it bouncing around inside of a truck bin to it heating the ground multiple times. It kept on running.

 

CRAFTSMAN....who makes them.....?

 

Sorry for the long winded post.

I believe Craftman drills are made by the parent company of Ryobi. That same parent company recently bought Milwaukee also..... I wouldn't buy one personally.

I have a lot of drills. Dewalt, Makita, Ridgid, Milwaukee and Hilti. I abuse them all. They get dropped all the time. Sometimes purposely and sometimes not purposely.


-Dewalts are great cause they are easy to fix yourself and parts are readily available. They are strong and pretty much dependable. I use the Dewalt hammer drill 1/2 of the time. Absolutely great drill. Had it for 6 years. Although a bit heavy and not balanced all that well.


-Ridgid are okay. Maybe a great homeowner drill but not that great in the commercial market. The chucks wobble causing some oblong holes sometimes. The warranty they sell you on takes forever to get the drill back.
This is sought of the back up drill and rarely gets used because what I just stated above. Really good shop vacs though.

-Makita used to make some really great drills. I have a old 9.6. drill that is as strong as most manufacturers 12v today. It's kinda of the old reliable, though it sits now more than anything. Today Makita puts out a drill that uses Li-Ion batteries and I haven't heard a bad thing yet. As heavy as a 18v but more power anbd better battery run time.
If I needed a new drill today, they would definitely be in the running.

-Milwaukee makes good stuff or at least they used to. I can't speak for them now that the parent company of Ryobi (I think it's TnT) bought them. They traditionally were great contractor grade tools. Best sawzall I ever used. 10 years old and still running. This is used in the work truck, as the drill to go to when the batteries on the Dewalt and Hilti die and are charging.

-Hilti, what can I say? Great! Light, strong and my favorite drill (gets used the other 1/2 lol). The weight is balanced well when holding it. Mine is a 12 volt and accomplishes all my needs accept really heavy tasks, then I go to the Dewalt 18v. Con: little on the expensive side.

-Ryobi, not a bad drill for a homeowner or maybe a light commercial use. If it is used by employees that don't care for their tools, it's a good buy. You could get 2 commercial grade Ryobis for the price of a "commercial drill".

If I was looking to buy the "best" drill on the market today, I would be looking at Hilti, Panasonic, Milwaukee for the Li-Ion version and the Makita Li-Ion version. I haven't seen to many guys investing in the new Dewalt hunk of plastic. Kinda big and clunky it seems, but I haven't handled it personally.


Couple things extra.
**If price is a concern, usually around the holidays (between the end of November into December) Lowes or Home Depot does a sale of 20% off tools. The other store doesn't know it and you can scam. Example: Lowes does 20% sale, home Depot doesn't know. You go to HD saying Lowes is selling this for 20% less. They discount it the 20% and then beat it by 10%. Bought my 12" compound mitre saw this way. $599 sticker, got it for like $430 plus tax and a HD $75 gift card in the mail. Only problem is there is no rhyme or reason to when they do it. You have to be frequenting them both to know.

Ridgid has a tools forum at ridgid.com and those guys usually post up when they find the sale. It can save you some $$. Also, Lowes accepts HD's Coupons and HD's accepts Lowes coupons. If you goto the Lowes or HD's and say you moved, they send a 10% discount coupon to your email. Print it out and save it to your drive. Print it out again. Now you have a coupon for Lowes and HD

Okay, so I am a little shady and frugal or borderline cheap. It's only with the big companies that are making big$$$ Hope it helps you out.

 

i've burned up a 14v dewalt and a 18v dewalt but i have yet to destroy a ridgid. For the price, you cant beat them. better warrenty also some are 3years (batteries inclued) and some are life time. that makes it a nobrainer