[Don_S]

I thought there was a thread devoted to cordless drills but I could not find it. My two Makita 12V NiCd drills are getting tired.  But so am I so I don't do much work anymore.  At the same time I am tired of grabbing a drill and having a dead battery. They don't hold a charge for a long time but are fine if just recharged. 

I don't want to spend a bundle because I anticipate limited use. If previous years are any indication, Home Depot and Lowes will offer multiple packages on Black Friday.  I want to be ready.  I am also considering a hammer drill since there were times I wanted to drill concrete and was not able to. Will a hammer drill go through gravel (rocks) in  concrete?  I know they have special bits.

I would appreciate brand recommendations and information on batteries.  I realize there are different levels.

[RDavidson]

DeWalt

[I.Greyhound Fan]

DeWalt

What he said!  I love my Dewalt tools.

[zybar]

DeWalt

Depot has a 20 volt DeWalt package for $299 and you get to pick a third tool for free.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-20-Volt-Max-3Ah-Lithium-Ion-Hammer-Drill-and-Impact-Combo-Kit-2-Tool-DCK290L2/202922445

Not sure how much better it will get as we approach Black Friday.

George

[mcgsxr]

I have a 10 year old DeWalt 18v XRP hammer drill.

It remains a beast.  Have finished many projects with it.  Liked it so much that when I went to buy a sawzall I went with the same make and model.  Now I have 2 batteries, and can run a long time before I get ahead of charging 1 and using the other.

Heavy pig for use as a "driving" tool, but that is not what it is for.

I would pay full price again tomorrow for what that drill has done for me over the years.

[Folsom]

This depends on some factors.

This is my go-to do everything but concrete and deck screws drill. It's my absolute favorite ever because it has the lightest clutch settings that don't exist on a Dewalt or anything else, it's very light, it's very powerful, I can get into places I would never be able to with most drills, and the batteries never discharge from sitting. The 90* tool is incredibly useful and doesn't require you to hold it. It allows screwing in things with more force because you can grab the head of it with a thumb and wrap fingers around to the other side of what you're working on. It's stronger than many 18v cheap drills. I can drive 2.5 and 3 inch screws into wall studs and stuff like that. I used it for installing lots of cabinets, including hardwood ones. The only downsides is the chuck could be slightly bigger, and I wish the drill speed was a little faster (works fine though). I know I'm forgetting a bunch of other reasons I love it.

What I don't do is drive deck screws with it. The only thing that's good for that is an AC powered impact driver. All 18/20v systems you're swapping batteries pretty fast and they're weak.

I also don't do concrete or anything that a hammer drill would be better with. However I also don't like any cheap hammer drills at all. I would consider the PDC/Hammer from Festrool, but the reality is I greatly prefer SDS concrete drills to anything else, with an AC cord on them. Getting an 18v Festool drill and buying their Hammer without a battery would work out great, since you could swap batteries around and save a bunch of money.

If I wanted to buy multiple devices to do the same thing I like the feel of Milwaukee's 12v system a second.

[skunark]

Get an outlet timer that will run for an hour either daily or a few times a week and your dead battery probelm is solved.  Theres a few youtube videos about this solution from popular woodworkers. 

Ridgid has a lifetime warrenty on the battery if you register the device online, save the receipt, and save the upc on the box. 

If you dont mind spending the extra money, festool would be my first choice since there's more control, a right angle head and a very good countersink bits.   

[Peter J]

The outlet timer's an interesting idea. I have some of that old Makita stuff it was hard for me to consider buying replacements. I bought several replacement batteries and had a few more rebuilt.

I decided to go two directions because I got hooked up on the compact Bosch 12v tools which work well in the "light and small" category which is great for 60% of what I do. On the other end of the spectrum, I opted for Makita's LXT platform, because I had good service in the past and Makita still owns themselves. This driver drill is unbelievably powerful

http://www.cpoindustrialpowertools.com/makita-xph07m-18v-lxt-4-0-ah-cordless-lithium-ion-brushless-1-2-in--hammer-driver-drill-kit/mktnxph07m,default,pd.html?ref=pla&zmam=31282435&zmas=47&zmac=730&zmap=mktnxph07m&gclid=Cj0KEQjwhvbABRDOp4rahNjh-tMBEiQA0QgTGnwm1xntRJubNCmk9lqPrFEOLkGeGRnUyzccl13FgToaAqKD8P8HAQ

I can use it to mix mortar and can handily run a 4" holesaw through subfloor for toilet flange. I thought the long handle was kinda gimmicky, but it can twist me up like a corded drill so I'm thankful it's there.

FWIW, the newest brushless technology is a milestone in the cordless tool market, it's the real deal. I don't think I'd consider anything without it. In the LXT platform, I have lights, impact, grinder, oscillating tool and my sights are set on a new brushless sawsall just introduced.  One of the handiest things that I didn't expect to be was a blower.

http://www.cpoindustrialpowertools.com/makita-dub182z-18v-lxt-cordless-lithium-ion-blower--bare-tool-/mktndub182z,default,pd.html

Powerful enough to blow off driveways and clean the shop...way handy!

[Folsom]

Get an outlet timer that will run for an hour either daily or a few times a week and your dead battery probelm is solved.  Theres a few youtube videos about this solution from popular woodworkers. 

My festool batteries don't have any depletion even after 3 months of not being touched. Longer? Probably but I've never had a longer time than that where I didn't need it.

For me the little Festool was cheaper than buy several $100 tools to do the same.

[skunark]

I think the newer type batteries hold their charge much longer as both my ridgid and festool seem to last months longer than my old dewalt and makita batteries did new.   I am curious how they will hold in 5-10 years, and my guess they will fade just like the dewalt and makita did.   

I just picked up the ridgid because of the lifetime battery warrenty since the cost of replacement batteries were about the same and the new dewalt tools and batteries were incompatible with the old tools.  The older tools still worked, seems to be a waste since batteries are so costly. 

Festool is such a better tool, i wont mind picking replacement batteries if and when they start to fade.  Nice thing about festool is their ten year parts guarantee, and i will at least be able to order the batteries from the dealer

[thunderbrick]

I've been using the little 20V Li-Ion DeWalt drills and impact drivers to build my deck.  Unbelievably good.  My son-in-law says if you'd told him 5 years ago that these palm-sized beasts could perform as they do he' have called you a liar.

Plus, my niece designed one of the DeWalt impact drivers!  Right proud of her, I am!   

[srb]

Just in case someone gets caught up in thinking that a Li-Ion 20V Max battery system is better than an Li-Ion 18V battery system ..... they're the same.  It's a marketing ploy and the majority (but not all) manufacturers use it to some degree.

Li-Ion batteries have a nominal voltage of 3.6V per cell, but a maximum of 4.0V per cell when freshly charged with no load applied.

3 Cells = 10.8V  (12V Max)
4 Cells = 14.4V  (16V Max)
5 Cells = 18.0V  (20V Max)
6 Cells = 21.6V  (24V Max)

It's nice to see some companies not feel the need to use this marketing variation, but for those that do it doesn't mean their product is any better or worse, just that the consumer needs to be aware of it when making comparisons between brands.

Steve

[Russell Dawkins]

I love my Bosch cordless, bought on sale at $75 ($100 CAD). The way it fits perfectly in the hand, the very long battery life (came with 2 batteries) and the light weight.

Alternatively, there is this cordless drill-headed warbler:
"While the 18v Warbler has better torque, the 14.4v Warbler makes for a useful secondary avian tool when switching between drilling and screwing beaks."

https://i.redd.it/vep2lbqclsvx.jpg

[Folsom]

I've been using the little 20V Li-Ion DeWalt drills and impact drivers to build my deck.  Unbelievably good.  My son-in-law says if you'd told him 5 years ago that these palm-sized beasts could perform as they do he' have called you a liar.

Plus, my niece designed one of the DeWalt impact drivers!  Right proud of her, I am!   

The 20v's really are utterly superior to the prior DeWalts, I got to give them that! They're much lighter too.

[mav52]

 Bosch 18 Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Electric 1/2 in. Hammer Drill/Driver
Model#  HDS181-03

[Don_S]

Thanks for all the recommendations. Many are out of my price range.  I am still shopping. I am overwhelmed so I am considering limiting my search to Makita, Rigid, and DeWalt.  I know some of the other brands are also good and some might offer better value.  I have a Porter Cable cutoff/angle grinder that has served me well so far for limited use. I have decided that I want a 1/2" driver drill/hammer drill so that limits choices somewhat. I won't use the hammer feature very much but in the past I have needed one and did not have one.

So far these are my picks but I have not thoroughly looked at the DeWalt models yet.


Makita has served me well in the past.  Makita has a holiday special so I can get $25 off of the price listed here:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-1-2-in-Compact-Cordless-Hammer-Driver-Drill-Kit-XPH10R/206724679

Less expensive and brushless.  skunark,  Thanks for the tip that Rigid batteries have a lifetime warranty.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Brushless-Hammer-Drill-Kit-R86116SB/206349862

[Don_S]

Major Bummer.  Just when I think I have found my hammer drill I read the reviews.  The Rigid scored low for two reasons.  First, buyers found it extremely difficult if not impossible to register online.  Second, some experienced no control at low speed.  The brushless drill jumped to too fast. Not good for what I use a drill for most--driving screws.   

DeWalt is out of the competition.  The only affordable kit uses NiCd batteries.  I am surprised any manufacturer uses batteries that are three generations old.  NiCd were followed by NiMH, and now Lithium

The timer suggestion won't work on my older Makita batteries for two reasons.
1.  They are NiCd and have a memory.  Recommendation is to fully discharge before charging.
2.  Charger has a button that has to be pushed for the charger to work.  It turns itself off when charging is completed.

[Odal3]

I have been looking for a new drill too and I'm also hoping for some good Holiday deals. Not sure how biased this site is toward certain brands but it gives at least a comparison between several models.

http://m.thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-drill-for-common-household-projects/

[zybar]

Major Bummer.  Just when I think I have found my hammer drill I read the reviews.  The Rigid scored low for two reasons.  First, buyers found it extremely difficult if not impossible to register online.  Second, some experienced no control at low speed.  The brushless drill jumped to too fast. Not good for what I use a drill for most--driving screws.   

The timer suggestion won't work on my older Makita batteries for two reasons.
1.  They are NiCd and have a memory.  Recommendation is to fully discharge before charging.
2.  Charger has a button that has to be pushed for the charger to work.  It turns itself off when charging is completed.

Don,

The DeWalt bundle I linked above gets you the 1/2" hammer drill + impact driver + a tool of your choice for around $120 more than just the Mikita hammer driver alone.

By going DeWalt, you are getting a better product (DeWalt vs. Mikita) and a much better value.

George

[Don_S]

Don,

The DeWalt bundle I linked above gets you the 1/2" hammer drill + impact driver + a tool of your choice for around $120 more than just the Mikita hammer driver alone.

By going DeWalt, you are getting a better product (DeWalt vs. Mikita) and a much better value.

George

George,  You sure like to bust my budget.     Fortunately I have a coupon for 10% off my total purchase on a single receipt at HD.  I am already planning on the Rigid wet/dry vac with detachable blower $119 and a pair of extra filters.  Adding to my list.  I have until 11/30 to use and I might want to add something from BF (Black Friday).

OK, + side of your recommendation.  More powerful batteries (two) 20V and 3Ah. Arguably the best brand. I have had occasional use for a reciprocating saw but don't own one.  That could be my +1 tool.  Package and saw are both in stock at my local HD.

Negs--more money.  I don't need an impact tool.  Not compact or light weight. Drill by itself only scores 3.6 from 11 users. But the kit rates 4.9 with 66 users.  A bit confusing.

Adding another plus---Made in the U.S.A.