Recommendations for a good corded and/or cordless drill

jimmyfloyd

Ok, I'm a new homeowner, and am looking to pickup a good, inexpensive drill. Would consider corded and cordless, or even one of each, so recommendations for both will be welcomed.

Currently I have a Black & Decker 24V Firestorm Hammer drill, which is not fun for normal usage, and a Craftsman light duty driver. I am borrowing my dad's old corded drill for the time being, but it's only got forward gears working right now.

I am going to need both portability and torque for some of the projects, and if there was one that had both, that'd be great, but if not, that's fine too. Right now my price range is around $100, but if there is one that's above that, please give a good reason why it would be worth it to spend the extra.

Once I find one I like, it then gets added to the christmas list

CrpntrFrk

Well I have a dewalt 1/2", 18v cordless and a milwuakee 1/2" , hammer drill corded. If you are going to buy a corded you might as well get one that is a hammer drill(just my opinion). It might be a bit over or a lot over $100 depending on the brand, model, and features. You might not need it all the time but it is good to know you have it just in case you have to drill into concrete. I can't remember how much my milwuakee was but it has been worth every penny. Also a 1/2" chuck is a good recomendation so you can use a wider variety of drill bit sizes and so on.
the good cordless drills are way above $100. I paid around $250 for my dewalt. I am also very pleased with it. Your call. Search the web and go to the stores and put them in your hand and you should be able to find a good drill. I would suggest trying to stay away from harbor frieght or places like that. Some people say they have good luke with their stuff but I stopped because they break very fast. Good luck!

AtlanticWBConst.

Well, there are many good names on the market.

As far as Dewalt cordless drills go, I can't say enough good things about them. We have 9 of them (12v-18v) and they all have taken serious beatings, and they keep on going....

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jimmyfloyd

Yeah, I understand not going to Harbor Freight. Bought a breaker bar there cause it was a couple bucks, knowing it probably wouldn't last long. 1/4 turn on the first bolt and it was a 2 piece breaker bar.

For the Dewalt, and really any cordless, is there an advantage to getting a larger voltage one? Like an 18V versus a 12V?

CrpntrFrk

Not for a diy guy. Unless you use it like its going out of style or something! I had a couple of 12v and they did pretty good. You have to remember if you get a larger volt there are usually a larger selection of tools that the batteries will inter-change with. So if one day you want a cordless saws-all there might not be one in the lower volt range.

gone_fishing

I have a 18v Dewalt that has been dropped and used very hard for a weekend warrior. My only problem is that I charged the battery wrong and created memory. Around here they are selling these at HD and Lowes for @$100...I would pick that up.

Winchester

Here's what I have....
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...000P?adCell=A3

Overall Rating 4.6 out of 5
59 of 64 (92%) customers would recommend this product to a friend.

Right at your price range and includes a light, carrying case and you get two batteries to rotate. I love the auto spindle lock and adjustable torque settings.

Best of luck.

AtlanticWBConst.

Point of consideration:

The poll that is listed, is most likely one that contains the responses, by average Home Owner's that use their tools sparingly, and lightly.

I will make this observation, from first-hand, and industry experience = You will rarely see any "Craftsman" Brand tools on professional job sites. The reason being, is that they don't really hold up to every day use, or even heavy use. We have shelves full of Sears brand tools from the past, and tools that have been discarded by temp workers, who have brought such brand name tools to job sites, and have had them fail.

I have the hope that one day, possibly, we can create a frankenstein-like scenerio, by taking various broken tools and their dissected parts, and create quasi-tools that may work for some kind of light use project-application = ( I am a pack rat).

Buy the brand name tools that you wish, FWIW - I am just offering some real world observations...and my 2 cents.

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Winchester

Exactly what the OP was looking for.....Home Owner use, he's not a contractor. But I hear what you're saying and would agree. But like myself and the DIYer that I am. The Craftsman as indicated has been working great for my use.

FYI....
There's another model 19.2V drill and light being offered for Black Friday for $39.99!!

aggreX

Lowes+HD have some BF specials 11/28/08 that may be interesting:
DeWalt 18-Volt Compact Cordless Drill/Driver Kit - $97-99 This will be an upgrade from your current tools.

I respect your budget but just as an fyi you could consider this great drill combo from HD BF: Makita 18-Volt Hammer Drill/Impact Combo Kit - $199.00 which is Lithium powered and includes the impact driver. On the other side of the spectrum many DIYers appreciate the performance/value offered by the Ryobi lineup and HD has a major promotion going on that includes a free power tool with purchase of select Ryobi kits. +1 Winchester also mentioned about a spectacular value: $39 Craftsman 19.2V drill promotion...something to consider for DIYers with optional Li power in the future.

downunder

As I would say that doing it right once never takes longer than doing it wrong twice (then right), I would also say that cheap tools cost more in the long run. If you plan on using tools for several years, consider them an investment. My dad always said, "Buy the best tools you can afford." A cheap wrench won't hold; it will ruin the bolt, skin your knuckle, you will have to work longer to get the bolt out, and when it's all over, go buy the better tool that you should have bought in the first place.

Look at the specs you want, then buy the best quality that meets your needs. I would suggest a hammer drill function for a little more. If you want to put up curtain rods or hang a picture once or twice a year, almost anything will do. Decide to take on the challenge of a real job, which is what this forum is for, and you will very soon realize why good tools are a value. Good luck on your decision.

Personally, I hope to find some good deals this shopping season. Last year, I saw two kits at HD- $600 sets for $249 I think. I think they were Rigid or Milwaulkee. Still kicking myself. They only had two sitting there, unadvertised.

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Speedball

Makita, Dewalt, Panasonic, Bosch, Milwaukee are all very good.

bc0604@yahoo.com

I am in your same shoes. I bought my first house 2 years ago and have sense turned into a DIY junkie. I am currently flipping 2 houses. If you are looking for a weekend, hang a picture drill, anyone you pick will work. I bought a 14.4 Black and decker 2 years ago. I totally renoed the house, (it was a dump) and it worked ok. I treated myself on friday and bought myself the Makita/kit at HD and worked it hard the first day i got it. If you do not do a lot of home repair, you should get the cheapest, it will work. If you are looking for a good deal with top quality, this is by far one of the best deals you will find this year. the drill by itself runs 300. and it would be worth every penny. and the impact driver, 2 batteries, and charger and this is a home run (touch em all). But if you are looking for a weekend drill then your best bet is deff the ryobi

jimmyfloyd

Thanks for all the replys.

Since I already own a Black and Decker 24V Firestorm hammer Drill, I have that avenue covered. I did make it out today and treated myself to a Ryobi 18V 4 tool set for $60 at HD. Really only interested in the drill, but the other stuff wasn't bad. Got another free tool with it, so I got the Right Angle drill. I have already had two occasions where it would have been handy, so i figured that for $60 for just those two pieces was good.

Right now I am just doing simple stuff around the house. Hanging curtains, building work benches, so this would last me a while. Once I start to get to the big stuff (deck and front porch) then i will probably get one of hte nicer kits, but financially, they weren't in the cards right now.

downunder

Looked at that same set three times yesterday. Couldn't quite talk myself into the trouble I would have explaining "another" drill. But, I'm really thinking about one with the hammer drill feature this one had. Plus the impact driver. Soon as I can get "want" translated into "need."

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If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. If you wouldn't put your name on it, it ain't done right!