I'm in the market for a cordless drill. Need to buy one Saturday or Sunday.
What's the best? Need your opinions.

Milwaukee? Craftsman? Makita? Dewalt? Bosch? Hitachi? Hilti?

What voltage?

Get a spare battery? 2 spares?

I've never owned one, so I'm looking for some advice here.

I need to build a mezzanine in a storage unit. Mainly just looking for something to screw into wood and not die on me after the 10th screw.

DeWalt, 18 volt hands down the best. Had mine for over two years now. Just get the kit, comes with a charger, case, and an extra battery.

Quality-wise, I'd go with Bosch. If you need it for around the house stuff, I'd go with a 14.4v. I carried one on my tool belt for a couple of years doing housing maintenance, never gave me a lick of trouble. Seemed like everyone with the Dewalt kits were always charging batteries, too. I'd charge mine up overnight, carry them all day, and usually make it through the day with some juice left. Eventually the batteries died in it, probably close to 3 years, so I replaced it with a Makita 12v impact. Down to 1 battery on that one, one of 'em just up and died one day. :sad: I'd like to get another Bosch someday, as a pair of batteries costs almost as much as a new screwgun these days. :rolleyes:

If you want some real power, go with a Milwaukee 18v gun. But beware, they get heavy if you're gonna carry and use it all day. We used them at my last job. We had a couple over 4 years old, still going with fresh batteries every so often. These were abused in so many ways, it wasn't funny. But they kept going. And they're worth repairing if they do have any trouble. About the most we'd see is maybe the shifter would hang up once in a while. Easy fix, and the local repair shop keeps spare parts stocked.

It will be one of the handiest tools you'll ever buy. More power is good, but more volts means bigger batteries and more weight and size. Not to mention cost. I like my 12V DeWalt. It does everything I need and not too big and heavy. Definately get one with two batteries, one for reserve while you're recharging the other.

Have had mu Makita 3 years now. 18V - What I like is the battery does not seem to loose power gradually, It's strong for the whole time and then it just drops off.
If I were to buy again I would look into Rigid @ Home Depot. I believe thay have a lifetime warranty on EVERYTHING including batteries. .

LK

Surprised that no one has mentioned Rigid. Got mine in a kit last year, and it's excellent. I hate to pitch product for Home Depot, but they were giving a full lifetime warranty on the tools, and all their parts, when I bought mine. This covers everything from brushes to batteries- with full replacement.

Also, the charger will charge two batteries at one time.

Porter-Cable, their 12 volt drill has over 500 inch pounds of torque, more than most 18-20 volt drills.......and it comes with a flashlight that looks like ET.:D

If you factor cost, quality and replacement battery cost, you can't beat the ryobi 18 volt. I have been use my Ryobi for 4 years every day with no problems. My dad retired his dewalt and got the same ryobi because of battery cost, and life.

I'm a DeWalt guy. I own a 14v and an 18v hammer drill. I swear by them. I have had to replace batteries in each, but I use them everyday. No matter what drill you decide on, the most important decision you need to make is what size chuck and what voltage battery. The bigger the battery, the heavier it's gonna be, but you don't want to be stuck with too small of a drill when you have big work to do.

My advice: Around the house, hanging curtains, other light work 12v. Occasional heavy work like building a swingset, workbench, outdoor deck, basically drilling through thick wood like 2x4 or bigger go 14v. If you ever have the need to drill into masonry, most 14v and 18v drills are available with a hammer option. I use an 18v hammer drill for work, because I may need to drill into block walls at any given time. I have drilled a 1/2" hole into red brick with this drill before. I've also got DeWalt's 7.2 volt cordless screwdriver. I can carry that around for light work or bring out the dig dog to handle the heavy work.

i bought my dewalt 18v drill,circler saw, ricipicating saw,light at least 5 yrs ago still works good. the saws burn batteries up fast maybe 3 cuts and there done. the drill will run almost all day unless i'm drilling into concrete. it has hammer drill position on it.they make a twin charger also. i never had another brand but over all i'm satisfied with them.

Basically the more you spend the better quality you get. Dewalt is expensive but I've gota 14.4v one that I bought at an auction that has been used and abused by the look of it, and still works like new. I've also got a cheap Ryobi that isn't worth the shelf space.

If you factor cost, quality and replacement battery cost, you can't beat the ryobi 18 volt. I have been use my Ryobi for 4 years every day with no problems. My dad retired his dewalt and got the same ryobi because of battery cost, and life.

I'm definitely not a friend of cheap tools and my brand of choice has always been Bosch, but when my latest one died I decided to try a Ryobi combo like this (http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/033287132034_3.jpg). Found it on sale for $120 or something, so it was basically the same price as a DeWalt or Bosch drill only. So far, I love it. My only complaint is that the battery life is a tad short, but you can buy a 2-pack of batteries for $40 if you want a couple of backups. And the extra tools are great, I don't use my 7 1/4" Skilsaw much nowadays, that little cordless 5 1/2" (or whatever it is) saw is way handier. So if you're building a mezzanine, you'll get three useful tools instead of one name-brand drill in this kit.

The best thing about the Ryobi 18V system is that it's really cheap to add new tools, as they sell everything separately. If you want to add another tool you can buy it complete, or you can buy the tool only without batteries and charger. Pretty neat idea.

So with all that said, now I'm going to Lowe's to pick up Bosch's newest little gem (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=237113-353-PS20-2&lpage=none). Can't have too many tools. :D

DeWalt 18 volt for sure. Get the 3 speed unit with a clutch. I use mine daily, drilling sheetmetal screws, holesaws up to 3 1/2", 16" long by 1/2 nail eater bits, and uni-bits. I have owned many drills over the years and my dewalt has been the best and lasted the longest. Replacement batteries are easy to find and can be bought individually. Dewalt even has a service center in town that will rebuild a worn out drill as long as it doesn't cost 1/2 of the price of a new one. I remember being in Home Depot with a gentleman looking for replacement batteries for his Ryobi, he either couldn't find any or the "kit" cost almost as much as a new drill. I hear the Rigid is good, just don't know of anyone personally who uses one.
Rob

I would look into Rigid @ Home Depot. I believe thay have a lifetime warranty on EVERYTHING including batteries. .

LK

Yes. exactly what you said, lifetime warranty on everything including the batteries. plus fastest recharge time on charging the batteries.

I like my Black & Decker Firestorm 24v hammer drill. My only complaint with B&D is that the don't have a lot of other 24v tools. If I want to by 1 brand, all the other cordless B&D tools are 18v so the batteries are different.

But 5 years and a lot of masonry work later, it still goes strong. The batteries last so long, I forget to charge them. I've taken to just swapping the batteries on the charge so I always have a fresh one. And, the packs are easily rebuildable if that day ever comes.

I purchased a 14.4v Hitachi at lowes over 4 yrs ago for 89.99 with flashlight and 2 batteries. The thing has never let me know and still works great. The roughest it sees are 3 inch wood screws. I use it more than any other tool I own.

I have a Delta 14.4 volt that I bought I guess 4 years ago, has 2 batteries and 20 minute charge time. I paid under $100 for it during a Friday after thanksgiving special. It has 2 speeds and 25 clutch settings. I would not trade it for anything. 14.4 is about as heavy as I really want for most of the things I do, bigger batteries make them quite cumbersome to use for me.

dewalt for sure, love there tools

You don't really need high voltage if you're just using it to drill and screw. I've been using a Milwauke 12v for years and it just recently burned the clutch. I bought a Milwaukee 14.4 to replace it and last weekned used it to drill a good 2 dozen 1 inch holes thu 2x6's with a speed bit (for wiring).

Never lost power, went right thru, worked just fine and cheaper than an 18v. In fact, The ONLY reason I replaced the 12v was the clutch. It had more than ample strenth & power for drilling and screwing

Most come with 2 batteries, be sure to read the instructions on batttery breakin as some have a specific cycling they need to go thru the first cpl times

Another vote for Ryobi. I've always questioned the quality of their tools. I bought the One+ combo kit and am really impressed with the function and quality of the tools. Just finished a project and the only tool I didn't use was the sawzall. I really like the drill, it lets you switch easily between drill mode and screw mode.

I've used my Milwaukee 12V for 12 years now and other than having the batteries rebuilt last April I have had no problems. I use the drill about 4-5 hours every week. It has a nice balance to it unlike my son's 18 V Dewalt. As to the Rigid at Home Repo, that lifetime warranty isn't worth the paper it's printed on. They have changed it at least twice it the last 5 years!

It depends what youre doing with it. For occasional use I think Ryobi is good. Their stuff works well and you cant beat the price. For everyday use I would say DeWalt 18V. One tool that really works well is their 18V impact driver. Once you use one of these you will understand why you will never want to use a drill to drive screws again. They are a little easier on driver bits to boot.

All I know is my brother's 14V Panasonic beats the snot out of my 19.2V Craftsman, and weighs about half as much... but I got the drill, skillsaw, sawzall, and a cordless trouble-light for about the same price as his drill. Dad got a Makita, which is way nicer than my Craftsman too.

The worst is Skil. I had a recall due to the chargers catching on fire, and the replacements were really bad, the charges would burn out after 3-4 uses.
I can also tell you that the batteries for the Ryobi and Makita are expensive, and if you use them a lot as I do at my business, the replacements cost more than the original drill with batteries. I ended up buying the less expensive Black and Decker figuring to just replace it after it died, and it's turned out to last longer than any of the others.

I'm a HUGE fan of the DeWalt 14.4 drill. As for toughness, that's what our installers at Dish Network used, the 3 speed w/hammer drill option. Those guys USED that drill all day long, beat the crap out of them, dropped them from rooftops, and it just kept going! Always get 2 batteries with them, you will find your 1st one dead when you need it EVERY time :)

BTW: More than 14 volts in a DeWalt is overkill. And even the 14V one can hurt you: one of the Dish techs broke his wrist due to the drill on the low speed setting torquing in his hands.

I have had 2 Dewalts and no problems even after falling down on to cement floors. I have a couple Rigid cord drills and I was told Rigid bought out Milwaukee??

What he said. DEWALT.

Another vote for DeWalt. Home Depot had a special DeWalt combo pack deal last year right before Christmas. 18 volt drill, circular saw and right angle drill with 2 batterys for $200. I bought it but haven't opened the box yet because I haven't wore out the 14.4 volt DeWalt drill and saw yet. It's good to have a spare.
James

Another vote for Ryobi 18 volt set I have had mine for 8yrs. It has been used and abused. When i first got it was reroofing a two story house putting down new sheething was using the saw to cut. The saw fell all the way down to the driveway. Thought that was the end of that. All it did was scratch it up. The drill took the same trip same result. This year i just replaced the switch in the drill about $15.00 Drill works as good as ever. For price and quality you can't beat it.

My twin sons are interior trim carpenters. They swear by the Dewalt 18v drills. They get about two years of very hard use out of them! So under normal use they should last a good long time!:thumbsup:

I've had good luck with DeWalt and Makita. Don't get one with too much power, all you will do is shear screws or round out the centers.

For my construction company I bought and used almost every brand mentioned. My guys use them constantly. For the type of use we give them, the cheaper ones like ryobi and B and D firestorm aren't worth the boxes they come in. We use a lot of dewalt and they do hold up well. About 2-3 years ago we bought a couple Rigid 18 volt drills and the guys reach for those first always now. I think the power is about the same, but the Rigid has better balance and feels better in the hand.

Jeff

I"ve been doing commercial carpentry work ( modular office partitions ) for over 20 years, used many brands over that time. I've used the Dewalt 18v hammer/drill for the last 6 years and will keep using this brand. This is a tool I use every day, day after day, replaced the gun switch and the batterys once in that time. All the other brands never lasted more than a year. Parts are easy get and you can replace them yourself.

I bought a Milwaukee combo set, 18v...enough torque to twist your arm off. Yes, the 18v are heavy, but lots of power. Im a contractor, so use them quite a bit. I bought it mainly because of the quality, and it's also a hammer drill. For around the house use, I agree, a 12v or 14.4v is plenty. Ryobi quality is debatable, I have a 14.4v Ryobi that's about 4 years old, and it's the first thing I grab, and usually use on most jobs. Then, just before I bought the Milwaukee, I bought the Ryobi 18v combo set, used it for two weeks and returned it...I hated it! I couldnt drill 3 holes in metal or concrete without the battery crapping out. Or forget trying to use the circular saw on more than a couple cuts. So, the 14.4v is OK, but the 'One' kit is at the bottom of my list now. It still holds true, you get what you pay for.

I'm a general contactor and I use my drill a lot. I've worn out two dewalts, no problems, bought a 12v rigid on sale and was happy with it until it was stolen out of my truck. To replace it I found a new technology 18v makita LiOn drill with 2 batts and smart charger. I love it! All the power of 18v at the weight /size of a 12v. I also got a rebate for a impact driver to match and it's fantastic. My carpenters are always borrowing them. The batts stay charged a long time and have good power. I paid 329 for the drill, so it's a liittle more than the old style units. If it lasts a while, it will be worth it.

Jeff

I was using a Ryobi 7.2 Volt everyday at work for about 5 years, never gave me any trouble, ever. The trigger eventually wore out on it so I got another one. For some reason, the battery won't stay charged in the new one, it dies in less than a day. I just haven't gotten around to getting a new battery yet.

Looks like the general concensus is Dewalt.
I went to Home Depot and bought the 14.4 tonight. Came with case, 2 batteries, charger and reversable bit. It's 4.6 lbs, 1/2" Jacobs chuck, 2 speed, variable speed.
Got it for 169.99 minus a 10% discount for hearing an ad on the radio that a friend told me about. (A 1 day 10% off sale if you mention you heard the ad on the radio).
Total with tax out the door was $164.10

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I do appreciate it.

I think this is going to work great for me.

i just got a new 18v something, something...brand doesnt matter, just make sure you get one that mates up with a reciprocating (sawzall type) saw, those things are awsome, i have plenty of screwdrivers if i was forced to be without a screw gun (j/k, i take my 5 screw guns for granted), but, much like my auto darkening welding helmet and my spinning handled ratchet, im not sure how i ever got along without this go anywhere/do anything saw ...lol, its actually a ryobi, just like olle mentioned above, amazingly enough, the light has even turned out to be pretty handy too

I prefer to use electric powered tools.
My drill is a Craftsman that I've had or 20 years.
I have a Milwaukee sawzall. works great.
I'd never want to rely on a battery powered sawzall or saw.

I just need a good cordless drill for those occasions when you don't have access to power.

I wouldn't even dare buy a cheapo cordless drill. Those days are over. I learned my lesson about cheap tools with the first cheap tool I bought and threw away.

I've been following this thread because I'm also in the market. I have purchased several Dewalt power tools and I'm happy with them. I heard the 18v drill's chuck only accepts the six sided bits (?). Is there an adaptor so they can hold round shank drill bits?

Just picked up a 14.4 Dewalt hammerdrill/driver with 3 speeds for $190. Weighs a little over 5 lbs., can't imagine what the 18V weighs. This one has enough power for weekend projects.

I just buy a new "throw away" Sears Craftsman every three or four years when ever they are on sale.
I think they are made by Dewalt.

Our shutdown boxes are all equiped with 14v Millwaukee,only issue I've seen is a battery that wouldn't charge.Alot of the guys use DeWalt,some Ryobi.We had an 18v Rigid hammerdrill that was real good,until a clutch or something inside let loose.

Another vote for DeWalt. I bought an 18V cordless drill/cordless screwdriver combo a couple years ago at Home Depot on closeout for $99.00. I actually bought as many as I could find. The 18V drill/saw combos too and sold them on Ebay for almost double what I paid. I LOVE them. By far the best cordless power tools I've ever owned.

I've used Makita,Dewalt and Milwaukee at my job and they all have different qualities and issues after much use, but I seem to find the Dewalt as the best overall quality.

I've got a Dewalt 24v hammer drill and I love it.
Mike

I have a 14.4volt Makita 3 Speed drill. Best tool ever. 3rd speed is good for sanding and polishing.

i do residential framing and have used a milwaukee sawzall for over 15 years and wouldnt walk onto a slab without one (if at all possible, since its one of only a couple tools that the absence of, can send you home) ...that said, i now pick up that chintzy, near worthless, battery powered reciprocator (the question was all about cordless anyway wasnt it?) more than the milwaukee, especially since when you use a sawzall, its usually away from where you're working to fix something that needs immediate attention to continue, or render something workable for another tradesman, so, why roll out a cord or move yours if you can just grab one and go?...time is money and it all adds up... (think about having to cut a tail off a couple of truss's with a crane and operator ($$) and framing crew ($$) sitting watching a 16 year old laborer running around getting a cord, finding a ladder, getting it all to you, etc. etc.etc) and thats at a location where there actually is power available, i guess youve never found yourself without it...more power (i guess) to you, congrats.
an even bigger plus is now, with cordless sawzall and circular saw its not always mandatory to haul a generator to a finished (framed) house for minor pick up work that was missed or newly discovered, much more money/time saved by not having to pull a generator off another job for even a minute

DeWalt