# Which cordless tools to buy into?



## Mike in Canada (Jun 27, 2010)

I finally burned out my Makita LXT driver, so I'm considering changing brands. The biggest reason, honestly, is because the Makita job-site radio is lack-luster. Sounds stupid, maybe, but that's the reason.
People suggest Milwaukee regularly, but I've had trouble with Milwaukee drills... it seems that the drill chucks just won't hang onto a bit for me. Milwaukee makes lots of great tools, but the drill chucks... Maybe I'm imagining things?
What brand is easiest to get repair parts for? I use the clutch *heavily* on my Makita LXT drill... I put it on '1' for device screws, so a brand with a wonky clutch wouldn't be a good choice for me. I'd like to have a hammer drill option so that I don't have to haul out my big Makita corded hammer drill just to drill a few 1/4" holes in a concrete wall. I've heard that a lot of cordless hammer drills are feeble, at best.

Mike


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

I have been beating the crap out of my 18 volt Dewalt stuff for years. I use the small impact for everything from making up switchgear to drilling holes with a holesaw. I really cant imagine a more versitle tool that can take a good beating like I give that pour little bastard.

BTW, no clutch on it but the hammer drill has a nice one.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

I know the radio is lame, but I would not change from Makita any time soon. They have served me extremely well for far too long, and they only seem to get better. :thumbsup:


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## Jose (Jun 21, 2010)

I have been using the ridgid hammerdrill for a couple of years now. It's a great bang for the buck. But because of how well the Milwaukee m12 line is working for me i think that I would buy there 18v hammerdrill next.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

I am a dewalt guy, but Milwaukee, Makita or dewalt which ever you buy get the lithium battery's.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

I switched from a 14.4v DeWalt to an 18v Makita earlier this year. So far, so good, but I won't pass judgement until a year has passed.


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## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

There don't seem to be a lot of Bosch users here, but I'm one, and I'm extremely happy with mine. A tool repair guy I talked to said that Bosch gearboxes/clutches are some of the best ones.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Ryobi is the best value per dollar IMO. I burn up drills and battery's for a living.


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## NolaTigaBait (Oct 19, 2008)

Bkessler said:


> Ryobi is the best value per dollar IMO. I burn up drills and battery's for a living.


I agree. You can just replace it with new when you burn it up...I tried one of those Bosch 10.8 volt impact drill...thing is pretty awesome...I may have to get it.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Bkessler said:


> Ryobi is the best value per dollar IMO. I burn up drills and battery's for a living.



I had a Ryobi about 16 years ago. Of the 6 months I owned it, 4 of them it spent in the shop. Maybe things have changed since then.


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## Mike in Canada (Jun 27, 2010)

Bosch has perhaps the very best job-site radio. It's definitely on the list of possibilities.

Mike


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

See if you can find a radio that does NOT play hip hop. Then you will keep others working with you happy too. :jester:


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

NolaTigaBait said:


> I agree. You can just replace it with new when you burn it up...I tried one of those Bosch 10.8 volt impact drill...thing is pretty awesome...I may have to get it.


Those are nice, I have all three of the bosch 10.8 and have had them for a few years. My screw gun history is as follows.

1993 to 1999- nothing
1999 I got a craftsman 14.4
2003 ryobi 18 volt.
2005 bosch 18 volt. (still use the radio, jigsaw works and the rotozip with two batterys)
2007 got by bosch 10.8 stuff. (still going)
2008 back to ryobi, the 18 volt personal fan is awesome, I am thinking about another one.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Bkessler said:


> Ryobi is the best value per dollar IMO. I burn up drills and battery's for a living.


Do you think that might be because you are using Weekend rated equipment?


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

jrannis said:


> Do you think that might be because you are using Weekend rated equipment?























No, I recently switched back to ryobi, and have not burned on up yet, All the bosch drills plus another one burned up, all the battery's burned up except two. I figure a ryobi battery will last 3/4ths the time a bocsch battery does, and costs 1/3 the price. you do the math.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

I really cant say. My first 18 volt Dewalt lasted 10 years. Im on the second one now.


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

jrannis said:


> I really cant say. My first 18 volt Dewalt lasted 10 years. Im on the second one now.



You obviously have no idea how to treat your tools. 

You have to try to use a 4" hole saw in your cordless to drill through knotty oak.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Or 10 1" holes with a unibit through that thick mcc cabinet steel.


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## Niven8 (Sep 19, 2009)

I have the milwaukee 18 volt lithium ion kit and love it battery life is great and impact gun is unbelievable. I also have the 12 volt lithium ion drill for finish work and I love it.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

when it comes to power tools, i dont think there is really a best. its all about personal preference. i like makita due to the weight, and its lithium ion, and that little led comes in handy. 

If you get anything, make sure you get lithium ion though. Its what everything will be using soon enough. plus they hold a charge better.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Bob Badger said:


> You obviously have no idea how to treat your tools.
> 
> You have to try to use a 4" hole saw in your cordless to drill through knotty oak.


HAHA I was drilling a bunch of holes in a 10x10x4 JB with a hole saw, and using a ship auger bit in my cordless dewalt, and the carpenter next to me said "man i feel sorry for that drill" I just laughed. I have 8 batteries, and done ever seem to run out. It works for me.

Anyway, I vote Dewalt, not that it really matters a hill of beans.

~Matt


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## darrelw (Jul 13, 2010)

ok the older dewalts were really good (mexico made) but i have 2 sets of the 18v newer ones (china made) suck. both have hammer drills and the clutches are both messed up on them and one chuck is messed up the sawzall the variable speed trigger quit and the plastic around battery prong broke. i have had a ridgid 18v hammer drill for 2 years now and no problem out of it yet but their cordless sawzall the blade wont stay in it the impact they have with their set it a huge plus for me i love it. i been wanting to try a different brand but not shure what just yet.


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## MisterCMK (Jul 5, 2009)

Anyone used Hilti cordless drills?


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

Hilti. Good stuff, but pricey.


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## BlueBox (Jul 12, 2010)

MisterCMK said:


> Anyone used Hilti cordless drills?


If I had to buy a new set, I would get the Hilti 18V Lithium ION drill.

It's not nearly as light weight as the Makita Litium ION, but it is SOO freaking powerful and it goes all day long.


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## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

MisterCMK said:


> Anyone used Hilti cordless drills?


Yep that is all we have at work. SFH 18A. They are hammer drills and obviously a bit heavy. The Li-on batteries are pretty long lasting and charge quickly. They are powerful to be sure but I can't tell you about their durability because we haven't had them more than about 8 months at the most and many are newer than that because they are replacements for ones that have been repeatedly stolen  They appear to be built very well though.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

Thing is that the drills that drill, that hammer that are small are not going to last up to you using them as a hammer drill for very long. Get a dedicated hammer drill if you want it to last. All the brands are pretty much the same except Hilti.


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## BlueBox (Jul 12, 2010)

Vintage Sounds said:


> they are replacements for ones that have been repeatedly stolen


That's the one thing I fear about having Hilti tools. Those bright red boxes with the well known name on them is a huge invitation for theft.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

BlueBox said:


> That's the one thing I fear about having Hilti tools. Those bright red boxes with the well known name on them is a huge invitation for theft.


Alarm, insurance and job box. Anything can get stolen.


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## BlueBox (Jul 12, 2010)

nitro71 said:


> Anything can get stolen.


Yes, we all know that.

However, some things get hunted down and stolen MUCH more often than others.


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## MisterCMK (Jul 5, 2009)

Vintage Sounds said:


> Yep that is all we have at work. SFH 18A. They are hammer drills and obviously a bit heavy. The Li-on batteries are pretty long lasting and charge quickly. They are powerful to be sure but I can't tell you about their durability because we haven't had them more than about 8 months at the most and many are newer than that because they are replacements for ones that have been repeatedly stolen  They appear to be built very well though.


How heavy is the Li-on hammer drill compared to typical cordless NiMH cordless?


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## Johnpaul (Oct 2, 2008)

We made the switch last year to lithium-ion for all our drills and tested out models from Milwaukee, Hilti, Bosch, Ridgid, Hitachi, Makita, and DeWalt. Each has its strengths and its weaknesses and so in part it depends upon whether you need a rotary hammer drill, hammer drill, compact drill, or whatever. Most of our NiCad drills had been Milwaukee models and our first lithium-ion drills were from Makita and later Hitachi. We have now switched over 100% to DeWalt drills, both at the high power end with the DCD970 3-speed drills and with the DC760 compact drills, both using the same over-sized lithium ion battery packs (largest, heaviest, and provide the most power). The DeWalt kits are not the slickest ones around - those are the Milwaukee kits, but the DeWalt provide far and away the best overall performance. The DeWalt chucks self-tighten and do not let go of the drill very often which cannot be said of the Makita and Hitach and even the Milwaukee and Hilti chucks on the drills we have used. Bosch has a great chuck but it only sells 2-speed gearbox models in the US. One thing I have found is that with a brand new DeWalt the chuck needs a breaking in period of a day or two until it can be loosened by hand. Initially a pair of channel locks help with loosening a chuck the first dozen times. The DeWalt has a 3-speed gearbox that is the toughest out there. The gearbox feels like it belongs on a corded stud drill and is very sturdy though stiffer to shift than others. The middle speed is a true middle speed at 1000 RPM which I prefer to having a low and ultra low with the Ridgid and Hilti drills. The one situation where the ultra low is handy is when drilling stainless steel but most of the time the 1000 RPM setting is a lot more useful. The battery pack I found affects not just the number of holes that can be made but also how large a hole can be drilled. Without enough reserve power or the best match in RPM the thermal runaway protection in the battery pack will cut power to the drill. This is where the 1/2 size batteries are terrible for anything more than very light drilling. I can cut dozens of 6" holes with a full size battery pack but would find that the half-battery pack would drain completely after a single 4" hole in the same board. The DeWalt compact drills are smaller in size and without a hammer action or the ability to add a side handle but are otherwise very nearly equal to the full size models as they use the standard full size batteries. They also fit a normal hand and can be used with gloves. With the Makita, even without gloves I found myself hitting the switch and taking the drill out of forward. I measure the Makita compact drill and the space between my trigger finger and the switch was less than 1/8" while with the DeWalt and Milwaukee compact drills it was 3/8" or more and that makes all the difference. Based on past experiences with trying to find batteries quickly I try to stay with tools where I can get replacement batteries at the local Home Depot or OSH store. That takes Hilti and other brands off the list for us. At least with Makita I would advise against getting refurbished drills as we tried this twice and both times received kits that were missing parts and one with a DOA charger. Often the manufactures will get your well cared for drill in for a warranty repair and send you as a replacement another drill they just finished repairing. Faster turnaround but not something I have felt good about as I have no way of knowing how the tool was treated by its prior owner or how long it is going to last for me before needing to be repaired or replaced. Something to consider is that with Milwaukee most of their drills are not backward compatible with older batteries, even with the two types of lithium-ion batteries. With DeWalt their newest lithium-ion drills work with all the batteries they have made including old NiCads. As much as I would like using one brand for all my tools the slight advantages of one battery type is not worth not getting the best possible cordless tool of any one type. The performance is already compromised with the use of a battery and I don't want to compromise it further by getting a lesser tool. Using the best hole cutters, saw blades, etc. will do a lot to improve the performance of any cordless tool. With a corded tool you can just drill or cut longer and may not care about it at all. With a cordless tool the difference in time may be a lot more and the length of time you get from a single battery charge may be greatly reduced. I see people bringing a half dozen battery packs to a job site while I usually can go all day with a single battery and only have one spare battery just in case. The new big gullet Blue Boar hole cutters from Hole Pro let me cut 3 times as big a hole as with a hole saw and cobalt drills let me drill 4-5 times as many holes compared to a HSS drill bit. As soon as Hole Pro starts to ship its new TCT hole cutters for steel I am going to get a bunch for the trucks as they will save us time and money as well. I find it cheaper to buy good drills and hole cutters rather than get a bunch of extra batteries I have to keep charged.


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## Lightning Boy (Aug 13, 2009)

I used to have a large 18v DeWalt kit when in the UK combined with other quality brands like "blue" Bosch, Makita and my highly prized Panasonic hammer drill/driver. 

Now due to my ALL my tools being stolen (9 weeks ago) whilst working for my ex boss, I had to buy a whole new tool kit. Everything from hand tools, cordless everything.

I went with a Makita LXT 10 pc combo kit and I love it. Compared to my 18v DeWalt stuff I like the weight and balance of the LXT tools. Plus you can attach all sorts of belt hooks and use them on ladders etc. wherever balance and hands are needed. All the sparkies I saw on the jobsites used Makita LXT stuff, simply because its decent value and easier to carry a square "lunchbox" bag of cordless stuff into an attic and tiny crawl space.

If I had the money I'd buy Hilti, Festool or Panasonic stuff again. However being a sketchy GC's apprentice didn't pay well and now I'm unemployed, so the dream tool kit will have to wait.

When it comes to cordless everyone has had good and bad experiences with all brands.


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## Schultz134 (Jul 25, 2010)

I have all milwaukee M18 stuff with the XC batteries and have zero complaints. I use the hammer drill, sawzall, impact driver, and circular regularly and I love them all. Balance is EXCELLENT.

Also, the DeWalt Li-Ion batteries don't have the charge indicator on them so its terrible. The Li-Ion battery works at full power until its dead so without the indicator you just have no warning of when you are out of charge. It was fine for the NiCd's because those would slow down when losing a charge.


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## smokey01 (Jul 31, 2010)

Everyone I talk to says I'm nuts (even the milwaukee rep) but I use a Milwaukee 28V Hammerdrill/driver and have a 12v driver for everything else. I usually end up working on concrete so it works great. Battery lasts me almost all day depending on how I use it. It's a bit heavy but I'd rather go get my job done than go change batteries all day.


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## kevmanTA (Jul 20, 2010)

I have a DeWalt DC925 18V NiCad hammer drill, I drop it, abuse it, and have used it with a 1/2" carbide and it didn't give me any trouble. It's heavy, but you can buy every piece for it on http://www.ereplacementparts.com/dewalt-cordless-drill-parts-c-1009_1162.html

The impact driver's pretty nice, too.


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## 19ninetynine (Aug 8, 2010)

I want to buy my FIRST Hammer drill and eventually I'll get a smaller drill for screwing and other smaller things, but for now I am being told to buy a Hammer drill. Before I discuss with my fellow coworkers on what to buy I researched a little bit and this is what I found.

The electrician I work with uses Milwaukee and his hammer drill is this one and he says he's a Milwaukee guy so he must be happy with it.
http://www.cordless-drill-reviews.com/milwaukee-2602-22.html

The other electrician whos 17 years working I think, he uses Hilti I don't know his exact hammer drill because I haven't worked with him by myself yet but I remember he said for what he paid for it, it wasn't really worth it.

Now I found these other hammer drills that sorta match the Milwaukee one, what do you guys think?

DeWalt DCD970KL
http://www.cordless-drill-reviews.com/dewalt-dcd970kl.html

Bosch 17618-01
http://www.cordless-drill-reviews.com/bosch-17618-01.html

Hilti SFH 18-A CPC
http://www.bestcordlessdrillreviews.com/sfh-18-a-cpc-hammer-drilldriver/


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## rsihnhold (Mar 9, 2010)

Since you are in Canada, I would make sure whatever battery system you buy works in the cold. Bosch's 12v batteries will literally refuse to work when the temperature is below freezing. I live in Colorado and that makes the batteries worthless (or at least a PITA waiting for them to warm up) for a good portion of the year. I've had very good cold weather performance from my Makita batteries. 

All of the drills you listed are very nice and you couldn't pick a bad one from them. However, they are all very heavy duty and heavy. If this is going to be an all purpose drill /driver, you might want to go with something a bit lighter and more convenient. 

I would also get something that is able to be serviced locally. 

BTW, once you use an impact driver for driving, you won't be using a drill for it. Maybe get a combo kit with a hammer drill and an impact.


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## 19ninetynine (Aug 8, 2010)

Yeah, basically the two electricians I work with they said the first drill to buy is one that can hammer and do other stuff like screw and drill and once I get along in my apprenticeship I could afford to buy a smaller screwing drill and use the hammer drill for heavier applications. I'm going to definitely ask and use there opinions when making a choice, which one of them was buying a combo pack possibly with a hammer and a smaller impact drill.

We always meet if we can Monday morning so I'll bring it up if I can, plus I know we are all heading over to Toronto International Airport to bang off some new project we got.


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## jay_bolton (Feb 26, 2009)

19ninetynine said:


> I want to buy my FIRST Hammer drill and eventually I'll get a smaller drill for screwing and other smaller things, but for now I am being told to buy a Hammer drill. Before I discuss with my fellow coworkers on what to buy I researched a little bit and this is what I found.
> 
> The electrician I work with uses Milwaukee and his hammer drill is this one and he says he's a Milwaukee guy so he must be happy with it.
> http://www.cordless-drill-reviews.com/milwaukee-2602-22.html


I have that same hammerdrill and it's great. I picked it up in a 2pc combo kit at Home Depot for $249.00 a while ago. I still see the kits at HD every once in a while, but most of them a gone. I think it was a "special buy".
http://www.milwaukeetool.com/Produc...694-22&CategoryName=SC:+M18+2-Tool+Combo+Kits
I also ordered the side handle and belt clip at a supplier for less than $20.00 for both.


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## bfd_ast (Jul 26, 2010)

jrannis said:


> Do you think that might be because you are using Weekend rated equipment?


I have been using ryobi and bosch for 4 years now. I want buy anything else for a while. I love mine. Oh yea its all 18v


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## Mr. Sparkle (Jan 27, 2009)

Johnpaul said:


> We made the switch last year to lithium-ion for all our drills and tested out models from Milwaukee, Hilti, Bosch, Ridgid, Hitachi, Makita, and DeWalt. Each has its strengths and its weaknesses and so in part it depends upon whether you need a rotary hammer drill, hammer drill, compact drill, or whatever. Most of our NiCad drills had been Milwaukee models and our first lithium-ion drills were from Makita and later Hitachi. We have now switched over 100% to DeWalt drills, both at the high power end with the DCD970 3-speed drills and with the DC760 compact drills, both using the same over-sized lithium ion battery packs (largest, heaviest, and provide the most power). The DeWalt kits are not the slickest ones around - those are the Milwaukee kits, but the DeWalt provide far and away the best overall performance. The DeWalt chucks self-tighten and do not let go of the drill very often which cannot be said of the Makita and Hitach and even the Milwaukee and Hilti chucks on the drills we have used. Bosch has a great chuck but it only sells 2-speed gearbox models in the US. One thing I have found is that with a brand new DeWalt the chuck needs a breaking in period of a day or two until it can be loosened by hand. Initially a pair of channel locks help with loosening a chuck the first dozen times. The DeWalt has a 3-speed gearbox that is the toughest out there. The gearbox feels like it belongs on a corded stud drill and is very sturdy though stiffer to shift than others. The middle speed is a true middle speed at 1000 RPM which I prefer to having a low and ultra low with the Ridgid and Hilti drills. The one situation where the ultra low is handy is when drilling stainless steel but most of the time the 1000 RPM setting is a lot more useful. The battery pack I found affects not just the number of holes that can be made but also how large a hole can be drilled. Without enough reserve power or the best match in RPM the thermal runaway protection in the battery pack will cut power to the drill. This is where the 1/2 size batteries are terrible for anything more than very light drilling. I can cut dozens of 6" holes with a full size battery pack but would find that the half-battery pack would drain completely after a single 4" hole in the same board. The DeWalt compact drills are smaller in size and without a hammer action or the ability to add a side handle but are otherwise very nearly equal to the full size models as they use the standard full size batteries. They also fit a normal hand and can be used with gloves. With the Makita, even without gloves I found myself hitting the switch and taking the drill out of forward. I measure the Makita compact drill and the space between my trigger finger and the switch was less than 1/8" while with the DeWalt and Milwaukee compact drills it was 3/8" or more and that makes all the difference. Based on past experiences with trying to find batteries quickly I try to stay with tools where I can get replacement batteries at the local Home Depot or OSH store. That takes Hilti and other brands off the list for us. At least with Makita I would advise against getting refurbished drills as we tried this twice and both times received kits that were missing parts and one with a DOA charger. Often the manufactures will get your well cared for drill in for a warranty repair and send you as a replacement another drill they just finished repairing. Faster turnaround but not something I have felt good about as I have no way of knowing how the tool was treated by its prior owner or how long it is going to last for me before needing to be repaired or replaced. Something to consider is that with Milwaukee most of their drills are not backward compatible with older batteries, even with the two types of lithium-ion batteries. With DeWalt their newest lithium-ion drills work with all the batteries they have made including old NiCads. As much as I would like using one brand for all my tools the slight advantages of one battery type is not worth not getting the best possible cordless tool of any one type. The performance is already compromised with the use of a battery and I don't want to compromise it further by getting a lesser tool. Using the best hole cutters, saw blades, etc. will do a lot to improve the performance of any cordless tool. With a corded tool you can just drill or cut longer and may not care about it at all. With a cordless tool the difference in time may be a lot more and the length of time you get from a single battery charge may be greatly reduced. I see people bringing a half dozen battery packs to a job site while I usually can go all day with a single battery and only have one spare battery just in case. The new big gullet Blue Boar hole cutters from Hole Pro let me cut 3 times as big a hole as with a hole saw and cobalt drills let me drill 4-5 times as many holes compared to a HSS drill bit. As soon as Hole Pro starts to ship its new TCT hole cutters for steel I am going to get a bunch for the trucks as they will save us time and money as well. I find it cheaper to buy good drills and hole cutters rather than get a bunch of extra batteries I have to keep charged.


Holy sh!t.


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## Mr. Sparkle (Jan 27, 2009)

Johnpaul said:


> We made the switch last year to lithium-ion for all our drills and tested out models from Milwaukee, Hilti, Bosch, Ridgid, Hitachi, Makita, and DeWalt. Each has its strengths and its weaknesses and so in part it depends upon whether you need a rotary hammer drill, hammer drill, compact drill, or whatever. Most of our NiCad drills had been Milwaukee models and our first lithium-ion drills were from Makita and later Hitachi. We have now switched over 100% to DeWalt drills, both at the high power end with the DCD970 3-speed drills and with the DC760 compact drills, both using the same over-sized lithium ion battery packs (largest, heaviest, and provide the most power). The DeWalt kits are not the slickest ones around - those are the Milwaukee kits, but the DeWalt provide far and away the best overall performance. The DeWalt chucks self-tighten and do not let go of the drill very often which cannot be said of the Makita and Hitach and even the Milwaukee and Hilti chucks on the drills we have used. Bosch has a great chuck but it only sells 2-speed gearbox models in the US. One thing I have found is that with a brand new DeWalt the chuck needs a breaking in period of a day or two until it can be loosened by hand. Initially a pair of channel locks help with loosening a chuck the first dozen times. The DeWalt has a 3-speed gearbox that is the toughest out there. The gearbox feels like it belongs on a corded stud drill and is very sturdy though stiffer to shift than others. The middle speed is a true middle speed at 1000 RPM which I prefer to having a low and ultra low with the Ridgid and Hilti drills. The one situation where the ultra low is handy is when drilling stainless steel but most of the time the 1000 RPM setting is a lot more useful. The battery pack I found affects not just the number of holes that can be made but also how large a hole can be drilled. Without enough reserve power or the best match in RPM the thermal runaway protection in the battery pack will cut power to the drill. This is where the 1/2 size batteries are terrible for anything more than very light drilling. I can cut dozens of 6" holes with a full size battery pack but would find that the half-battery pack would drain completely after a single 4" hole in the same board. The DeWalt compact drills are smaller in size and without a hammer action or the ability to add a side handle but are otherwise very nearly equal to the full size models as they use the standard full size batteries. They also fit a normal hand and can be used with gloves. With the Makita, even without gloves I found myself hitting the switch and taking the drill out of forward. I measure the Makita compact drill and the space between my trigger finger and the switch was less than 1/8" while with the DeWalt and Milwaukee compact drills it was 3/8" or more and that makes all the difference. Based on past experiences with trying to find batteries quickly I try to stay with tools where I can get replacement batteries at the local Home Depot or OSH store. That takes Hilti and other brands off the list for us. At least with Makita I would advise against getting refurbished drills as we tried this twice and both times received kits that were missing parts and one with a DOA charger. Often the manufactures will get your well cared for drill in for a warranty repair and send you as a replacement another drill they just finished repairing. Faster turnaround but not something I have felt good about as I have no way of knowing how the tool was treated by its prior owner or how long it is going to last for me before needing to be repaired or replaced. Something to consider is that with Milwaukee most of their drills are not backward compatible with older batteries, even with the two types of lithium-ion batteries. With DeWalt their newest lithium-ion drills work with all the batteries they have made including old NiCads. As much as I would like using one brand for all my tools the slight advantages of one battery type is not worth not getting the best possible cordless tool of any one type. The performance is already compromised with the use of a battery and I don't want to compromise it further by getting a lesser tool. Using the best hole cutters, saw blades, etc. will do a lot to improve the performance of any cordless tool. With a corded tool you can just drill or cut longer and may not care about it at all. With a cordless tool the difference in time may be a lot more and the length of time you get from a single battery charge may be greatly reduced. I see people bringing a half dozen battery packs to a job site while I usually can go all day with a single battery and only have one spare battery just in case. The new big gullet Blue Boar hole cutters from Hole Pro let me cut 3 times as big a hole as with a hole saw and cobalt drills let me drill 4-5 times as many holes compared to a HSS drill bit. As soon as Hole Pro starts to ship its new TCT hole cutters for steel I am going to get a bunch for the trucks as they will save us time and money as well. I find it cheaper to buy good drills and hole cutters rather than get a bunch of extra batteries I have to keep charged.


Holy f*cking sh!t.

That bears repeating.


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

I have been quite pleased with my 18v Dewalt stuff.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

Speedy Petey said:


> I know the radio is lame, but I would not change from Makita any time soon. They have served me extremely well for far too long, and they only seem to get better. :thumbsup:


I agree with Speedy - just get a different job radio


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