cordless drill selection help needed
 

My Craftsman 14.4V cordless drill died today. For some reason it just would not run even with batteries charged. About 2 years ago I had replaced the original NiCad batteries with NMH which were a big improvement.
My use profile is that the drill could be used heavy for a while in a variety of projects then could be hung up for several weeks. I could probably make do with only one battery but that does not appear to be an option. I do have a corded 1/2" heavy duty electric drill [heavy] but would not mind a 1/2" cordless if there is no big negative trade off. I use a 9V cordless for small projects when needed since it is lighter.
I have had it with replacing batteries and this time want to get a Lithium Ion battery. In doing a little research the Makita 1/2" LIo cordless would seem to be one to put in the mix. Only weighs 3.3lbs. I get varying opinions when reading about DeWalts. Would appreciate any suggestions and whether I give up anything moving from a 3/8" to 1/2" cordless.

Go with Makita they are the leader in cordless. 1/2 drive doesn't weigh that much more than 3/8. BY the way what kind of 1/2 drive corded to you have? I kinda collect drills.

Makitas are good drills. I also like Bosch. Have used both, and quite a bit and either one I think would not disappoint.

When trying to decide on what tool to buy I go on Amazon.com pick a tool then go to the bottom of the listing for reviews from people that own them.
Check out the price then go on CPO tools and check there prices.
Lots of times they have factory reconditioned tools way below the box store prices with the same warrenty. The ones I've bought looked brand new.

As a general rule 1/2 drills will have more torque and will run at a slower speed then a 3/8.
Do not mess around with any more of those 14 volt tools, go with at least 18volts.

You might want to look at the Ridgid line as there is a free battery replacement policy and the compnay stands by their committment. However, in terms of run time per charge, my 20 volt Sears Craftsman is superior. Last time I checked replacement batteries for the Sears unit ran about $100. each, no small piece of change. Keep in mind that all batteries need replacement at some point in the future.

Thanks for the replies. My old 1/2" corded drill is a Sears from the 70s and I have put it through a lot over the years. Torque is amazing.

my thought on the 1/2" drill is that, even though I may not neeed the half inch function a lot as many of my larger drills have the cut down shanks, they may have heftier gears. I read a lot of reviews where gears break.

I upgraded from my Makita 9.6V to Makita 18V cordless last year. Great stuff. I got about 5 tools and a couple extra batteries. Love the circular saw for small jobs up to 2x4s. Cuts great. Of course the drill is top notch and the impact tool that I never had before is my favorite of the bunch for lots of jobs.

I also liked the Bosch stuff but you probably won't go wrong with just about any of the brands, Milawaukee, Dewalt, etc. Even the cheaper lines are good tools.

I stopped by Lowes today and they have the Hitachi Lithium Ion 1/2" drill on sale for $139. Includes 2 batteries and a flashlight which I could care less about. some reviews on this drill mention a problem with the chuck loosening. The only other negative is the fact that they do not have any onboard storage for bits. I can buy the drill on Amazon for $7 less but would prefer to be able to return to Lowes if there is any problem out of the box. The Lowes is in Delaware so tax is not a consideration. Would appreciate any comments on this drill.

Is this the 18 volt stuff? I actually like those and I almost bought that set but it was $199 at the time. I have a Hitachi corded hammer drill and it is a beast. If these are the same quality you can't go wrong. $139 seems like a steal.

The one you are interested in has two 1.3 Ah batteries. For occassional homeowner use that should suffice. If I were buying Hitachi I would sooner go for this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-DV18DL...d_sim_sbs_hi_3

MORE POWER

Sorry, but that is not a 18V Li-Ion Drill.
It is a 18V Ni-Cad Drill with two 1.4 Ah batteries

Li-Ion batteries are expensive. I just bought two Panasonic 14.4V, 3.1 Ah replacement batteries for $98 each.

We originally purchased this kit and love it. We also have the reciprocating saw and will soon be getting the circular saw. We're most impressed with that impact driver. I like them much better than our old DeWalts because they are smaller and lighter.

We bought a 2nd drill/flashlight combo when on Christmas sale, which included a free extra drill/battery. We sold the extra drill on ebay with no battery and kept the extra battery. When the impact drill went on clearance at Menards, we bought another one of those, sold it on ebay, and kept the battery. Now we always have a battery charged up ready to go.

That's the kit I almost got until I went with the Makita LXT set. That's a really nice set. The Makitas were a little more $ but came with 3.0 Ah batteries. If you are going to be using the recip or circ saw much I recommend you get some of the bigger Hitachi batteries. Those tools will go through the smaller batteries fast. Look online for better battery prices than Lowes.

Thanks for the tip on the batteries. I'm getting my husband the circular saw for his birthday. I'll look for a better battery to go with it.

I will say any drill will get the job done. I have Milwaukee new fuel drill the new dewalt etc they are all good. Pick a company based on selection. I would look at the Milwaukee m12 fuel line. The m12 line is the biggest tool line on the market.