Good All-Purpose Cordless Drill?

Homey55
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Homey55
Edited Date/Time 12/21/2014 2:46pm
So what do you all recommend for a good all-purpose cordless drill? I'm only using it around the house for home improvement and small woodworking projects. The last drill I bought was 10 years ago and it has worked well for me (Ryobi Home Depot special). I know a lot of people are using the Impact drills exclusively but I'm not sure if it is needed. I've got about $100-$150 to spend.
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SEE ARE125
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SEE ARE125 12/5/2014 2:26pm
12/5/2014 2:26pm
I have this and love it. But mine came in a hard case. They have the 12V version for $129.
Homey55
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Homey55 12/5/2014 2:37pm
12/5/2014 2:37pm
They have the same kit, but "Ridgid" for $149.

Any advise on impact vs. regular?
PalerBlue
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PalerBlue 12/5/2014 2:56pm
12/5/2014 2:56pm
If you're only doing light(ish) duty stuff try these.

Nice feel in the hand, light weight and surprisingly powerful. If it wasn't for the drawback of the chuck size only being 10mm instead of the (occasionally needed) 13mm I'd have dumped my cordless De-walt and used these exclusively except when the SDS is needed.
Homey55
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Homey55 12/5/2014 3:07pm
12/5/2014 3:07pm
Those are not bad at all! I have an electric drill with a bigger chuck if I really need it and I always use that for drilling large holes for anchor bolts anyway. The only drawback I see with thos little drills is setting them down on the ground. The regular size drills can sit on the battery and be ready to easily be picked up with one hand. Those are also only 12 volt, so I wonder how long the battery lasts.

The Shop

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SEE ARE125
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SEE ARE125 12/5/2014 3:27pm
12/5/2014 3:27pm Edited Date/Time 12/5/2014 3:31pm
Homey55 wrote:
They have the same kit, but "Ridgid" for $149.

Any advise on impact vs. regular?
I use them both for different purposes. Drilling holes in wood or using the screwdriver attachment I will use the drill. I use the impact driver with a socket attachment for removing/tightening nuts and bolts, or for running lag screws into wood, after drilling a pilot hole with the drill first of course. It's handy to have both, IMO. Especially a matching set that can share batteries/charger.

EDIT: I haven't looked at the Rigid brand, but the Milwaukee has an LED light that comes in handy under dark/poor lighting.
Homey55
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Homey55 12/5/2014 3:40pm
12/5/2014 3:40pm
SEE ARE125 wrote:
I use them both for different purposes. Drilling holes in wood or using the screwdriver attachment I will use the drill. I use the impact driver...
I use them both for different purposes. Drilling holes in wood or using the screwdriver attachment I will use the drill. I use the impact driver with a socket attachment for removing/tightening nuts and bolts, or for running lag screws into wood, after drilling a pilot hole with the drill first of course. It's handy to have both, IMO. Especially a matching set that can share batteries/charger.

EDIT: I haven't looked at the Rigid brand, but the Milwaukee has an LED light that comes in handy under dark/poor lighting.
I think most are made in the same factory, so I'm not really worried about brand. I know some will jump all over me about quality but, to be honest, they are all high enough quality for my use.
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Foghorn 12/5/2014 3:45pm
12/5/2014 3:45pm Edited Date/Time 12/5/2014 3:45pm
I had to drill a few dozen 3/4" holes through 3" thick maple for a bench I was building. My 3/8" Makita corded drill couldn't even drill one hole using an auger bit. My 18V cordless Dewalt powered through, drilling about 12 holes before a battery switch was needed. Love my Bosch 14V for most everything else.
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markit 12/6/2014 7:11am
12/6/2014 7:11am
I used Makits into the early 90's in my Elect/A/C business then went to all Craftsman 19.2 stuff really great tools.
borg
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borg 12/6/2014 8:02am
12/6/2014 8:02am
Homey55 wrote:
Those are not bad at all! I have an electric drill with a bigger chuck if I really need it and I always use that for...
Those are not bad at all! I have an electric drill with a bigger chuck if I really need it and I always use that for drilling large holes for anchor bolts anyway. The only drawback I see with thos little drills is setting them down on the ground. The regular size drills can sit on the battery and be ready to easily be picked up with one hand. Those are also only 12 volt, so I wonder how long the battery lasts.
I have the Milwaukee 12v. The 18v's are too bulky and heavy for what I use a cordless drill for. The Milwaukee is the first drill of ANY kind I've ever had that has a keyless chuck that doesn't slip when drilling. The batteries charge in less than an hour. I have never used an impact driver so I have no feedback for you on that. I would probably buy the drill instead because to drill with the driver you need special bits. I've had this drill for about 3 years and use it almost every day. No complaints. The Ryobi is about half the price but doesn't come with an extra battery. That may not be an issue with you but I can go through quite a few battery changes a day so I have to have the extra battery. When I bought mine, it came with a cool jobsite radio, basically for free. Maybe somebody still has that deal.
CR250Rider
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CR250Rider 12/6/2014 8:39am
12/6/2014 8:39am
SEE ARE125 wrote:
I have this and love it. But mine came in a hard case. They have the 12V version for $129.
I've got the 12v version. Remodeled a house, kitchen, both bathrooms, sheetrock, and installed a 26x14 foot deck.

Ran a little low on power doing the deck but still worked.. I really love the balanced low weight.,

homeowner=12v
contractor= 18v
IWreckALot
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IWreckALot 12/18/2014 7:35am
12/18/2014 7:35am
ToolMaker wrote:
This just came in todays email, good deal if you are still in need
http://m.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-4-Tool-18-Volt-Nickel-Cadmium-Cordless-Com…
Those impact drivers are some sweet tools. Anyone who does regular wood screwing would benefit from that thing. I was building a section of fence and using a regular drill to drive 4 inch screws through the 2x4 and into the posts. The regular drill required a ton of pressure to drive the screw all the way without stripping the head. But the impact just sits there and keeps chugging along without much pressure.

I've been a huge fan of Dewalt for years. Their tools always seemed to perform well for me in commercial construction settings especially when drilling into concrete. I've use their hammer drill without problems. I've had a few of the drills rebuilt and new drives put in them and their batteries have always been easy to find guys to rebuild also. You can't go wrong with dewalt in my opinion. Their lithium ion batteries are good quality too.

Lately, I've become rather fond of Ridgid tools also. I'm up to about 6 Ridgid power tools now.
Homey55
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Homey55 12/18/2014 8:34am
12/18/2014 8:34am
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I saw a good deal for thr Ryobi drills and I think that's what I'll get. I have had good luck with those and they fit my needs for home improvement. Luckily I don't rely on my tools for work so I don't have to go for the best on the market. My last Ryobi lasted 10 years so I think it did its job!
G-man
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G-man 12/18/2014 12:21pm
12/18/2014 12:21pm Edited Date/Time 12/18/2014 12:22pm
PalerBlue wrote:
If you're only doing light(ish) duty stuff try [url=http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-12-Volt-Max-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Combo-Kit-2-Tool-LCT209W/202945283]these[/url]. Nice feel in the hand, light weight and surprisingly powerful. If it wasn't for the drawback of...
If you're only doing light(ish) duty stuff try these.

Nice feel in the hand, light weight and surprisingly powerful. If it wasn't for the drawback of the chuck size only being 10mm instead of the (occasionally needed) 13mm I'd have dumped my cordless De-walt and used these exclusively except when the SDS is needed.
Yep I got those awhile back and have been very satisfied.

It's nice having two batteries available and they are light and charge quick.

The case is a nice feature as well as the pointed light.



IWreckALot
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IWreckALot 12/18/2014 12:55pm
12/18/2014 12:55pm
PalerBlue wrote:
If you're only doing light(ish) duty stuff try [url=http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-12-Volt-Max-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Combo-Kit-2-Tool-LCT209W/202945283]these[/url]. Nice feel in the hand, light weight and surprisingly powerful. If it wasn't for the drawback of...
If you're only doing light(ish) duty stuff try these.

Nice feel in the hand, light weight and surprisingly powerful. If it wasn't for the drawback of the chuck size only being 10mm instead of the (occasionally needed) 13mm I'd have dumped my cordless De-walt and used these exclusively except when the SDS is needed.
G-man wrote:
Yep I got those awhile back and have been very satisfied. It's nice having two batteries available and they are light and charge quick. The case...
Yep I got those awhile back and have been very satisfied.

It's nice having two batteries available and they are light and charge quick.

The case is a nice feature as well as the pointed light.



Those little drills are pretty impressive. We use the Milwaukee version of these in the field. They work great.

We even use these saws for cutting conduit. Much easier on the arms and faster than using a hacksaw.

hvaughn88
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hvaughn88 12/18/2014 1:00pm
12/18/2014 1:00pm
IWreckALot wrote:
Those little drills are pretty impressive. We use the Milwaukee version of these in the field. They work great. We even use these saws for cutting...
Those little drills are pretty impressive. We use the Milwaukee version of these in the field. They work great.

We even use these saws for cutting conduit. Much easier on the arms and faster than using a hacksaw.

I've never seen that one before. That looks pretty damn handy. How much do those run?
IWreckALot
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IWreckALot 12/18/2014 1:09pm
12/18/2014 1:09pm
Actually, kinda bizarre. Home Depot has the same thing posted 3 times for different prices.

The one I posted above is a one battery option for $153.

This is $129, and includes a carrying case and two batteries.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M12-12-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-H…

And then there's this one that is $129 with just the saw and one battery.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M12-12-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-H…

WTF Home Depot?

Pit Row

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Rooster
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Rooster 12/18/2014 2:08pm
12/18/2014 2:08pm
This one has served me well:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-18-Volt-Ni-Cad-Cordless-1-2-in-Compac…

The clutch is a nice feature as I'm often working with materials that can be softer or more brittle that wood. So being able to tune down the torque has saved me a bunch. I was using one at one of my suppliers one day and it felt so much nicer than the old POS I was using before that I had to buy one on the way back to my shop.
hvaughn88
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hvaughn88 12/18/2014 3:37pm
12/18/2014 3:37pm
J.F.S wrote:
[img]https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/manual-drill-tool-2533135.jpg[/img]
Those help with headaches, right?Tongue
Idaho747
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Idaho747 12/18/2014 7:02pm
12/18/2014 7:02pm
I've got the 12 volt Milwaukee set and absolutely love it.
borg
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borg 12/18/2014 7:45pm
12/18/2014 7:45pm
Homey55 wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I saw a good deal for thr Ryobi drills and I think that's what I'll get. I have had good luck...
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I saw a good deal for thr Ryobi drills and I think that's what I'll get. I have had good luck with those and they fit my needs for home improvement. Luckily I don't rely on my tools for work so I don't have to go for the best on the market. My last Ryobi lasted 10 years so I think it did its job!
You will get lots of bang for the buck with Ryobi. For what you want to do it should be fine.
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SEEMEFIRST 12/18/2014 9:33pm
12/18/2014 9:33pm Edited Date/Time 12/18/2014 9:34pm
IWreckALot wrote:
Those little drills are pretty impressive. We use the Milwaukee version of these in the field. They work great. We even use these saws for cutting...
Those little drills are pretty impressive. We use the Milwaukee version of these in the field. They work great.

We even use these saws for cutting conduit. Much easier on the arms and faster than using a hacksaw.

You seen these bad boys? They're very cool.

IWreckALot
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IWreckALot 12/19/2014 7:54am
12/19/2014 7:54am
J.F.S wrote:
[img]https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/manual-drill-tool-2533135.jpg[/img]
hvaughn88 wrote:
Those help with headaches, right?Tongue
No joke. I had a roommate a few years ago and his mom was a nurse. She brought home one of these things and I thought it was a joke when she told me they use it to drill into the brain. . . So bizarre that they use an antiquated tool like that for medical procedures. She said that since they have to throw the drill away after they use it, they go with the hand drill to reduce cost and it's equally effective and easier to control the speed.

Creepy news of the day.
IWreckALot
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IWreckALot 12/19/2014 7:59am
12/19/2014 7:59am
SEEMEFIRST wrote:
You seen these bad boys? They're very cool. [img]https://www.milwaukeetool.com/~/media/Images/Power%20Tools/Cordless/2629-22/55111_2629-22v4-lg.jpg[/img]
You seen these bad boys? They're very cool.

I looked up the entire M12 Milwaukee line the other day and they're quite impressive looking tools. I like the mini drills and saw that we've been using. Good quality, light, easy to use. I don't know how much use the band saw would get with our particular job requirements.

But given that I've started getting into welding for a hobby, a nice band saw will be on my list of tools soon enough.
hvaughn88
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hvaughn88 12/19/2014 8:09am
12/19/2014 8:09am
J.F.S wrote:
[img]https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/manual-drill-tool-2533135.jpg[/img]
hvaughn88 wrote:
Those help with headaches, right?Tongue
IWreckALot wrote:
No joke. I had a roommate a few years ago and his mom was a nurse. She brought home one of these things and I thought...
No joke. I had a roommate a few years ago and his mom was a nurse. She brought home one of these things and I thought it was a joke when she told me they use it to drill into the brain. . . So bizarre that they use an antiquated tool like that for medical procedures. She said that since they have to throw the drill away after they use it, they go with the hand drill to reduce cost and it's equally effective and easier to control the speed.

Creepy news of the day.
It's funny you mention that. I used to assist in surgeries when I was in college and it was kind of weird seeing the tools they use. Don't get me wrong, advancements in medicine have come a very long way, but so many of the instruments and tools seem light years behind tools from the construction field. I'm sure along of it comes from just being comfortable with what you have and not wanting to change things up. But so many of the instruments had some pretty obvious areas they could be improved upon. Maybe I should have gone into the medical equipment field instead of armchair quarterbacking it, haha
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borg 12/19/2014 9:13am
12/19/2014 9:13am
IWreckALot wrote:
Those little drills are pretty impressive. We use the Milwaukee version of these in the field. They work great. We even use these saws for cutting...
Those little drills are pretty impressive. We use the Milwaukee version of these in the field. They work great.

We even use these saws for cutting conduit. Much easier on the arms and faster than using a hacksaw.

SEEMEFIRST wrote:
You seen these bad boys? They're very cool. [img]https://www.milwaukeetool.com/~/media/Images/Power%20Tools/Cordless/2629-22/55111_2629-22v4-lg.jpg[/img]
You seen these bad boys? They're very cool.

Using the band saw on EMT is the shit. Especially when you get up to 1 1/2" to 3". I used to lay the conduit between the slats of a pallet, put one foot on it and cut it right off. A chain vise is better but the pallet works as a backup. The cordless looks like a must for in place cutting.
el moto diablo 12/19/2014 9:56am
12/19/2014 9:56am
IWreckALot wrote:
Those little drills are pretty impressive. We use the Milwaukee version of these in the field. They work great. We even use these saws for cutting...
Those little drills are pretty impressive. We use the Milwaukee version of these in the field. They work great.

We even use these saws for cutting conduit. Much easier on the arms and faster than using a hacksaw.

SEEMEFIRST wrote:
You seen these bad boys? They're very cool. [img]https://www.milwaukeetool.com/~/media/Images/Power%20Tools/Cordless/2629-22/55111_2629-22v4-lg.jpg[/img]
You seen these bad boys? They're very cool.

We use that band saw to cut uni-strut. Goes through it like butter. Milwaukee has a huge lineup of 12 and 18v tools. Dewalt needs to step it up.
IWreckALot
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IWreckALot 12/19/2014 11:14am
12/19/2014 11:14am
borg wrote:
Using the band saw on EMT is the shit. Especially when you get up to 1 1/2" to 3". I used to lay the conduit between...
Using the band saw on EMT is the shit. Especially when you get up to 1 1/2" to 3". I used to lay the conduit between the slats of a pallet, put one foot on it and cut it right off. A chain vise is better but the pallet works as a backup. The cordless looks like a must for in place cutting.
That little hacksaw wouldn't fair too well on anything more than an inch. We're generally cutting 3/4" stuff and I just jam it in my ladder rungs. It does suck with the sawzall starts getting the hops.

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