New drill recomendation

[Chilihead]

Hey folks. My old Ryobi cordless drill won't hold a charge anymore and I'm tired of buying batteries for it - they just don't seem to last. So my question is what do ya'll recommend. I'm just a hobbyist woodworker with occasional light around the house work. I don't need a monster drill. Is a 12v win the new lithium batteries sufficient? Does any find a need for an impact driver in their shop? I see the, often packaged together. Thanks for any advice

 

[Hmerkle]

I continue to buy the old 18v versions (at pawn shops) people are all clamoring for the Li-ion, so the price of these old beasts continues to go down...

now for "occasional light around the house work" you may find the 18v too heavy, but it will not let you down... remember when the Li-ion battery dies - it is immediate... there is NO way I will ever have one without two or more batteries!!!
So with that thought, you may opt for a 12v drill, again, if you are not hung up on new - you will get a SMOKIN' deal at a pawn shop!

As far as the impact drill, yes, I did go out and buy the impact drill (again 18v so I have batteries for all my stuff - recip saw, circular saw, drill and now impact!) for the few things I have used it for, it has been priceless and I wish I would have had it earlier...

Additionally, over the past three years, I have gotten into more hand tools and I find my eggbeater much better for light-duty tasks around the house but I understand that is not true for everyone...

Last, if you do plan to buy new and you can wait - I have always found black Friday deals to be REALLY great. Lowes usually runs a drill set (drill and impact) or a combo set for a pretty good deal... not sure what HD does, and of course, you should watch for Klingspore specials too!

 

[Raymond]

I use the Bosch 18V HDS182 -Brushless Compact Tough 1/2 In. Hammer/Drill. I suggest you take a look at it. You can switch between hammer-drill or just drill mode with a slide of the selector.

 

[Canuck]

I purchased an 18V Makita pair(drill and impact driver) about 4/5 years ago and have completly satisfied with it. Still on the original batteries. They are light in weight, good power, recharge in about 30 minutes and have a builtin light.

This one.....
http://www.cpoindustrialpowertools....ktrlct200w-r&gclid=CPD7tfrPlNACFYdEhgod6V0MgQ

The set I purchased also included a flashlight.

Wayne

 

[golfdad]

I have several 12 volt Dewalts......a 18 volt Poter Cable.....and received a packaged pair of Rigid 12 Volts I received for Christmas last year. All work very good

 

[Roy G]

Definitely the impact driver is very useful for driving screws. I have found a 12v Hitachi to be adequate and much lighter than the 18v. The lithium battery seems to last a long time and charges fairly quickly.

Roy G

 

[Bas]

+1 on the 18v Makita. I finally had one battery that would only charge to 80%, that took about 7 years. Plenty of power, lightweight, fast recharge.

 

[Frank Berry]

I have the 18 volt Dewalt with two batteries and the drop in charger that has been running very strong for the past 4 years now and it replaced my old Dewalt 12 volt that lasted a few years before it died. Love the 18 volt. It has a little heft to it but I like that to help drive screws..

 

[Henry W]

"I finally had one battery that would only charge to 80%, that took about 7 years."

7 years to charge a battery to 80% - WOW you are a patient man.

Obviously not the way you intended... but I couldn't resist


Henry

 

[Lowlander]

+1 M12 "fuel line" impact and hammer drill combo are fantastic. I've been using them for about 6 months and have no complaints. Very strong and the batteries last a long time.

 

[Phil S]

I am a big fan of the 18v Makita set. They now offer them with 5.0 amp hour batteries. If you want to step up in quality, Hilti has a great set on sale.

 

[allisnut]

I lean towards dewalt tools, and I held on to my 18V drills for a long time. I bought myself a three speed 20V LI dewalt impact driver back in the summer and I'm hooked. I followed that up with a dewalt recip with 4(?) AH batteries, so I have two big (heavier) batteries and two small batteries. The impact seems to run forever on one of the small batteries. I added a 1/2 hammer drill bare tool and retired one of my 18V nicad drills. I'll probably add a circular saw and a compact drill at Christmas.

The only thing I'll say about lowes is to do your homework. There are several different levels or grades of Dewalt tools. I haven't seen the three speed impact at Lowes yet, and a lot of the 'bargains' are not brushless tools. The brushless drills and impacts are a huge improvement over the brush style tools.

 

[Dee2]

Try Batteries + for a rebuild of the battery pack. not sure about the price comparison over replacement. My Makitas have been working for several years. The Ryobi router...a different story. Need to wire around the variable speed. It's unstable.

 

[Berta]

Chuck has a Makita set that is at least 8 years old, runs great. When I bought me a new set, I bought the Porter Cable, I like it. It also came with a reciprocating saw. I did buy an extra battery.

 

[junquecol]

Look seriously at the Ridgid 12V LI from HD. I bought my first one in 2007, filled out LSA and they have replaced batteries twice for FREE. They sell a set of drill, and impact driver for around $120. I love mine! But be sure and fill out Lifetime Service Agreement to qualify for FREE batteries as long as You own the drill/driver. The 18V LI drill is now around $100, FYI. If youhave to mail anything to Ridgid, get a Certificate of Mailing from post office!!!!! Took THREE years and several copies of COM for them to acknowledge that I had filed proper paper work. As soon as LSA is in effect, PRINT out a copy for your files just in case they forget!

 

[Chilihead]

Thanks all! You guys are always so helpful

 

[JeffH]

I have a Ridgid 12v, and I like it but feel that it's not much more than a screwdriver -- it's comfortable to handle but the torque isn't enough for tough tasks. Also, I had to get the switch replaced under warranty (took about 6 weeks) and one defective battery replaced as well.

I've used the Makita 18v and really like the performance and handling. But when I went to buy I got a Dewalt brushless 20v drill/driver combo -- reconditioned, so there was a considerable saving over a new Makita set. I've been very happy with the Dewalts; they're small, lightweight, easy to handle and maneuver, and have lots of punch -- almost as much as my old, heavy, corded Dewalt 3/8" VSR drill, which I've had for 20 years. I also have a Dewalt jigsaw and and a right-angle drill that use the same 20 volt batteries, purchased at tool-only pricing. It's been a couple of years with the drill/driver set, and all is just fine.

 

[JackLeg]

I have several in my shop, but, my personal favorite is the "white" Makita! Best chuck, best battery life, lighter weight. Just my 2 pennies worth!!

:notworthy:

 

[unimog]

Hey folks. My old Ryobi cordless drill won't hold a charge anymore and I'm tired of buying batteries for it - they just don't seem to last. So my question is what do ya'll recommend. I'm just a hobbyist woodworker with occasional light around the house work. I don't need a monster drill. Is a 12v win the new lithium batteries sufficient? Does any find a need for an impact driver in their shop? I see the, often packaged together. Thanks for any advice

If the battery is a NiCad you may try (at your own risk) the method described in the following video:
https://youtu.be/yvpGp2CM-qk
I had a Paslode battery that was unchargeable last summer and after using the same method but with a 24v power supply, it took back a full charge and it still after a year

 

[tri4sale]

Look seriously at the Ridgid 12V LI from HD. I bought my first one in 2007, filled out LSA and they have replaced batteries twice for FREE. They sell a set of drill, and impact driver for around $120. I love mine! But be sure and fill out Lifetime Service Agreement to qualify for FREE batteries as long as You own the drill/driver. The 18V LI drill is now around $100, FYI. If youhave to mail anything to Ridgid, get a Certificate of Mailing from post office!!!!! Took THREE years and several copies of COM for them to acknowledge that I had filed proper paper work. As soon as LSA is in effect, PRINT out a copy for your files just in case they forget!

+1 on the Rigids and the Lifetime Service Agreement. Once batteries die, get free replacements. Tool breaks, get free replacement.

Just remember you have to re-register the replaced item to get the LSA on it. And you must register within a short window (can't remember if it was 30 or 90 days after purchase)