Cordless Electric Drill Recommendation?

Amethyst

Amethyst

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As the title says...for home use; need to drill wood where electricity not available. Under $100 preferred.

thanks!

Amethyst
 
For general home use, any 3/8 chuck and Li-Ion battery will work fine. 3/8 gives you enough capacity for most of what you would be drilling or attaching to the drill. Li-Ion batteries are much better than the older Ni-cad style. Li-Ion has more power, hold charge better, longer run time, and less weight and size.

Depending on how much use, a higher end brand (Makita, Milwaukee, Dewalt as examples) might be a good investment, but even lower end Black and Decker or Ryobi can work well. Most any drill now has a keyless chuck, they are real convenient.
some features you may or may not need: torque clutch is nice for driving screws in. Hammer drill is good if you ever intend to drill concrete or masonry.
 
Am very happy with my 12V Rockwell drill.
Two lithium Batteries, 30 min. charger, great canvas carry bag, set of major "bits" in a easy to use holder.
I'm happy because it has much more power than my other 12v drills, and I like the fact that it doesn't have the bulky, heavy battery.... instead a slim handle. Also has a light. Multi speed.
The part that I like the most, is the easy drill lock/unlock twist. Not only no key or button to press, but an auto-lock.
I was going for and 18 volt originally, but tried this and think the torque was better.
One more thing. I hadn't recharged the second battery for a full year, but when I needed it, it was fully charged. Lithium batteries are great.
Menards periodically put this on sale for $59 as a leader. Paid $49 and couldn't be happier.
Don't know if they still sell it.

http://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/power-tools/drills/rockwell-12-volt-3-8-cordless-drill/p-1867596.htm
click "description" for details.

oops... checked Amazon, and the current price is $89 and w/o carry bag.
 
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There are lots of good options out there today. It's important to narrow down what you want to do, though. There are big, husky drills that weigh a bit and have biggish battery packs that are good for several hundred 1/4" holes through 2" pine, and the drill speed is fast enough that making the holes will be quick. But, they are a bit "much" for holding overhead all day or mounting a paper towel holder under a cabinet. There are also drill-drivers that can be big or small and they can drill holes but also are geared low enough that they can also drive screws (without pilot holes) into some pretty dense wood. A drill/driver will have a lower speed (usually about 1500 RPM max) than a dedicated drill, which might get frustrating if you are using it to drill small-diameter holes only in soft wood all day long, but it is fast enough for drilling 5-10 holes now and then.

You'll definitely want a tool that uses the newer Lithium-ion batteries rather than the older Ni-Cd batteries.

"Wood" magazine rated all the more common 12V Drill/drivers on the market a few months ago. These are very handy tools and would be a good multipurpose tool for most homeowners. They range in price from $45 to $295 (!). They chose the Sears Craftsman model 17586 unit as the "Best Value", it is $50 and they say it will drive 273 1 1/2" screws into 2" pine on a single charge. It's part of their Nextec line, and the same battery will work with a lot of other tools. Anyway, you can go to Sears and see if it is the size and has the features you want.

For something "beefier", I've been very happy with the Sears 19.2V line of tools. They have kept the same battery style for decades, so you can find lots of tools for it and I'm less concerned that tey will change soon and leave me without the ability to buy replacement batteries. The prices are good if you get (and need) a "multi-pack" of the tools (drill, small circular saw, light, 2 batteries, charger ==about $200 -$250)
 
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For casual use you have many choices (like the ones other's posted). Anything above the bargain-basement price level will probably work for you.

But I will suggest you find a 'bundle' on sale with two LION batteries. Two big advantages:

1) If you do find yourself doing a bigger job, you can swap batteries and keep going, the other will probably be charged by the time you run down the other.

2) Batteries degrade over time. My unit is now ~ 8 years old, the batteries (older style NiCads) don't last so long, but since I can just swap, I get by just fine. If I ever foresee a big job coming up, I'll buy a new one, but having the dual batteries has really extended the useful life of the purchase for me.

Also, a bundle with a second battery often include a flash light. It's really nice to have a flashlight powered by a powerful, rechargeable battery.

I got mine on sale at Costco (around $40-$60?), but that was 2006, similar to this bundle:

Amazon.com: Kawasaki 840110 Black 19.2-Volt Drill Kit: Home Improvement

These are NiCad, not as good as LION batteries, but cheaper, and likely good enough for casual use.

-ERD50
 
If you plan on adding more cordless tools in the future, decide on which store you like going to. Such as Home Depot, Sears, Menards, Lowes. As you probably don't want to get one tool with a certain battery line then have to go get another battery line in the future (unless you don't mind it).

As for me, my first cordless drill with the batteries that just snap in and out are from Sears, so mostly I get Craftsman tools. But also, have gone with Ryobi too as I like shopping there more and there were some tools Ryobi made at the time that Craftsman didn't make.

On the otherhand, if you just want a cordless drill and don't care about future add-ons, then you have even better choices (Walmart, Amazon) etc.

p.s. I must be the only person who got a Craftsman drill kit years ago with NiCads and those batteries are still going strong :D. But as others have said, get the other better batteries.
 
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I got a Black and Decker cordless drill at WalMart about ten years ago for, IIRC, around $35-$40 or so. It has been just fine for various uses around the house.

I haven't done a major project with it, so I'm glad I didn't spend very much on it. It's been such a lifesaver to have when needed, though.

It came with a box of drill bits. Over the years several other people have given me more complete boxes of drill bits (that they no longer needed) for it too, so I'm glad I didn't buy any extras. I guess I just look like the kind of gal who needs another box of drill bits. ;)
 
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easysurfer said:
p.s. I must be the only person who got a Craftsman drill kit years ago with NiCads and those batteries are still going strong :D. But as others have said, get the other better batteries.
Click to expand...
No, I'm still using my 19.2v Sears NiCads. But I have a box of "dead" ones, too. I get about 5 years from them. They need care to last--don't leave them discharged (and they self-discharge over a period of months), and don't leave them in the charger. I think a good, practical plan is to leave them in the charger but then hook the charger to a a daily timer that just charges them for about 15 minutes per day. That should keep it topped up without cooking it. The newer Li-Ions self-discharge at a lower rate and are require less babying.
 
Ronstar said:
I recommend a 1/2" Bosch 18 volt. Amazon.com: Bosch DDS181-02 18-Volt Lithium-Ion 1/2-Inch Compact Tough Drill/Driver Kit with 2 High Capacity Batteries, Charger and Case: Home Improvement

I have one and it is a great drill. A little more than you want to spend at $130, but well worth the $


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
Click to expand...

I got three drills. A Craftsman Hammer Drill, a Craftsman moderate drill and a Nextec 12V (this was a freebie when I bought an impact driver).

The one I use the most is the moderate one as that is most comfortable and strong enough for most jobs. But sometimes one just needs more power like the hammer drill or like to use two drills at once to save time.

I'm kinda protective of the hammer drill as that's the only one that came with a molded plastic case to store the drill, batteries and charger. For the others, I ended up getting small gun cases to store the drill only. IMO the cloth bags that come with some kits are pretty much useless :)

Oh, I also changed the chucks on each of my drills with a ratcheting ones to keep the bits in place. (Picture of the drill I use most. Not super powerful but comfortable).
 

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samclem said:
No, I'm still using my 19.2v Sears NiCads. But I have a box of "dead" ones, too. I get about 5 years from them. They need care to last--don't leave them discharged (and they self-discharge over a period of months), and don't leave them in the charger. I think a good, practical plan is to leave them in the charger but then hook the charger to a a daily timer that just charges them for about 15 minutes per day. That should keep it topped up without cooking it. The newer Li-Ions self-discharge at a lower rate and are require less babying.
Click to expand...

Funny. I got my two NiCads as part of the hammer drill kit almost ten years ago. I just leave them in the molded storage case and many times there's still juice there even months or a year later. Okay, now I just jinxed it :LOL:
 
Amethyst said:
Ronstar, would you mind saying why you like this drill

tks

A.
Click to expand...


Amethyst,

I like the drill because:

Long lasting battery ( better than my 19.2v craftsman)
Powerful for a cordless
Indestructible

I've done several woodworking projects and a basement remodel with this drill. Also, my BIL recommended it to me - he's a retired carpenter and bought one to build his house a few years ago - held up well through the house construction.

I bought the combo with the impact driver, but use the drill more than the impact driver



Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
 
I like the ryobi one+ system, the batteries can be used with a good selection of tools. You can usually find a bundle deal at homedepot, like a drill, hammer drill, two batteries and charger for less than $100.
 
The new Li-Ions are great. I was told that it is not a good idea to leave them where temps get low so I bring the batteries in at night. I bought a set last summer including a drill, circular saw, sawsall, and flashlight and two batteries (one small and one large) by Porter-Cable. I am using them to build my house. They can go for a couple days of pretty heavy use without a charge.
 
My Dewalt 12v cordless has worked flawless for almost 10 years now. Only replacement was new batteries as the original ones stopped taking a charge.
 
ERhoosier said:
For medium duty around the house I've become a fan of the Craftsman 12V NEXTEC. I've also got 19V "pro" tools but find myself grabbing the smaller & lighter 12V for most fix-it jobs. Just $50 with LiIon battery & charger.

Craftsman 17586 NEXTEC Drill/Driver: Power Up With Deals at Sears
Click to expand...

I got that one as a freebie when buying the Nextec right angle impact driver. The freebie offer was one of those redeem the receipt things for a free drill. I had almost passed up on the offer too (too lazy to go receipt hunting and entering codes online) but am glad I chose not to.

It's nice to have a lightweight drill for the time working in tighter spaces like in a cabinet. Plus that Nextec has enough power for around the house too.
 
I have the Dewalt DCD771 which is a 20V that comes with 2 Lithium Ion batteries. The batteries stay charged for long periods of time and it is a joy to use. It even has a LED that shines on your drilling area when it is in use. Got it for under $100 about a year ago. IMHO there is no comparison with B&D as I gave away a couple of those drills after I got this one.

Spring and summer I use the drill for garden projects like building trellises and repairing planting boxes at a community garden. The rest of my use is typical homeowner stuff so not a heavy user, but I like nice tools.

A wants $115 + shipping and HD wants $119 w/free shipping so a bit higher than when I bought.

Amazon.com: Dewalt DCD771C2 20V MAX Cordless Lithium-Ion 1/2 inch Compact Drill Driver Kit: Home Improvement

DEWALT 20-Volt Max Lithium-Ion Cordless Drill/Driver Kit-DCD771C2 - The Home Depot
 
Amethyst said:
As the title says...for home use; need to drill wood where electricity not available. Under $100 preferred.
...
Click to expand...
I bought this 20v very nice and light cordless drill and really like it: Amazon.com: Black & Decker LDX120C 20-Volt MAX Lithium-Ion Cordless Drill/Driver: Home Improvement

It's $50 and you can use the 20v battery for the full line of B&D products. I also own a leaf blower, and hedge trimmer that use this. There are over 800 reviews on Amazon that give this a 4.5 star average.
 
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