You have GOT TO try this one
Its a Makita 12 volt 2 AH driver. The thing is, it “hammers” the screw in or out. It’s not a hammer drill or an impact driver but something in between the two. I don’t strip screwheads and I almost always get them out. I don’t need much pressure on the tool and it even works on an angle. Nicad model is #6914DWAE / NiMH model is #6914 DWBE. These models are several years old and slower than other drivers. There may be newer, faster models with the same “hammer” feature.
Ryobi
makes a decent drill. I have two of the 18 volt models. They’re dirt cheap, so if you’re gonna’ abuse it, or even if you want some extra money in your pocket, my experience says: “Go with the Ryobi!”
specifics
Having sifted through all this info, I’m narrowing down choices. A number of sources liked Ryobi, but I’m not sure which model folks are talking about. What Ryobi do you have, from where, and how cheap is dirt?
Cordless drills are way more pricey than I expected. I had no idea they cost multiple hundreds of dollars. Now that I think of it, the two cordless drills I have gone through were both gifts, so I guess I didn’t have a baseline for what they should cost. But I just did a little survey of what you can buy for under $100, and I have to think my needs can be met at that price level. I’ve only done a couple jobs in my life that involved “production” level drilling of hundreds of holes / screws, and if faced with that, I can always fall back to corded drills for those jobs.
Looks like crapsman is gonna win this beauty contest with this entry: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00911870000P?vName=Tools&cName=Portable+Power+Tools&keyword=16+volt+drill
There appear to be nicer drills to be had, but to significantly step up takes a big jump in price to around $200.
enough dithering. Time to buy. My mailbox is falling off, it needs a few screws, and I don’t have a 300 foot extension cord to get out to the street.
Thank you p-netters for all the advice, not to mention the entertainment value! You folks are the greatest.
~~Chip
Ryobi
– Last Updated: Jan-29-08 11:57 PM EST –
Nevermind, the craftsman will serve you well
You want something really cheap, go to Harbor Freight
Consumer Reports
Rated the $200 Panasonic EY6432GQKW the highest for general cordless drills.
In the $100 range they liked:
$150 Hitachi DS18DVF3
$140 Makita 6390DWPE
$130 Ridgid R82001
$90 Craftsman (Sears) 11561
Some may be older models
jim
Hmm, I wonder why anyone …
would throw away an expensive product when it’s still very much under warranty?
Bob
Panasonic
I have used many of the other major brand cordless drills and nothing comes close to the Panasonic. It cost more but it’s well worth it.
tktoo…
…I have a Saab wagon but also can’t afford to drive a Swedish model (besides, my wife won’t let me).
I want to remind everyone that when your batteries poop out you can get them rebuilt…not expensive & they supposedly will last even longer than buying new ones. Stop throwing away your cordless tools…it’s wasteful.
Consumer Reports has liked Craftsmen for many years…not the best but the best value. On Black Friday Sears (& K-Mart) were selling 19.2V drills for $39. & replacement batteries for $20.
Black & Decker was an early entrant into the cordless drill arena & made pro quality early on. Their stuff is strictly “Happy Harry Homeowner” status now but as others have said, for the money, their 24V drill is a great choice if you won’t use it much & want most bang for buck.
Dewalt was originally their radial arm saw division, founded in my hometown (Lancaster, PA). I don’t know why they chose that name brand when they introduced the yellow contractor-grade tool line to kick Makita’s butt, but prior to that, B&D corded tools were top-of-the-line (such as their circular “Sawcat”). Kinda odd that now they even make toaster ovens!
DeWalt
made bomb-proof, built-to-be-rebuilt radial arm saws back in the day. The name was associated with quality so, of course, the MBA’s decided to slap it on crap in hopes of duping ‘Happy Harry’ and making a quick buck. They also sold off the tooling and those quality saws are still being made under a new name; “The Original Saw Co.”.
Decent choice.
– Last Updated: Jan-30-08 6:21 PM EST –
I've got one of the 5 piece Craftsman sets, drill, 2 saws worklight and brad nailer. Only they're NiMH because Li wasn't out 3 years ago. I use them fairly heavily. You won't be unhappy.
Milwakee 18 v
Highly regarded in several trade sites I found a few yesrs back when I bought it … also asked a few builders, who use that brand.
Home Depot
carries a full line. I have two of the 18 volt models. One I found buried in the snow in the woods and when I squeezed the trigger, it still worked! I went out and bought an 18 volt hammer drill that came with two batteries, a charger, and a flashlight. The whole shebang, with a hard, molded case cost $99. I didn’t think much of the flashlight at first, but it’s a pretty handy tool. I’m sold on them.
tktoo…
I think those MBA’s also greased some palms.
Where I live, those blue Makita infested shelves of tools changed to Dewalt yellow virtually overnight. It’s now almost hard to find Makita.
I was told Makita had been marginal on customer service & the box stores were so anxious for a new brand they didn’t even wait 'til the new brand had proven itself (which it since has).
Marketing, Marketing, Marketing
Makita got outmarketed by DeWalt.
Makita customer service is fantastic. I used to frequent the local Makita repair store all the time. I bought all my tools from them at a nice discount.
People would buy a Makita, use it for the weekend, return it for a full refund, the tool would get sent to a Makita service store where they would go over it, then sell it to me for about 60% of retail, and honor the full warranty as if it were brand new.