I need a cordless drill *updated&resolved*
 

So I find myself constantly needing a cordless drill. Used to get away with not owning one because my roommate had one. Now I need one and I don't have one. I need relatively cheap just because i'm a cheap SOB like most of you. Anyone know of any stores having a super power tools sale or soon to have one?
If all else fails i'll ebay, amazon, walmart something and just get over it. I grew up using Makita and Dewalt drills. The Dewalts were just badass and were always amazing, but i'm not a contractor. I just need to drill holes once in a while.

Cj

I've got a cheap 9.6 craftsmen. Power is good and they're on a sale a lot, but the damn keyless chuck is the biggest pain in the ass ever. It loosens up all the time. It's the gray and black model - I'd avoid it regardless of price. I used my contractors 14.4v dewalt and it had an all metal keyless chuck that kicked almighty ass. Just some things to consider when cheaping out on the drill. I regret not paying more for a better drill.

Like this would be great, though not really in my price range:
http://www.amazon.com/DeWalt-DC728KA...4237347&sr=8-8

Looks like they have a refurb for ~$70 through another retailer. No idea what refurb from them means. Phone call away I guess. Calling...

I have had good experiences with DeWalt XRP and Ryobi. The Ryobi was pimptastic because it had a battery cooler to facilitate fast recharging.

If I were you, I'd buck up and get something real good like the DeWalt. You might need it's extra torque every time you use it, but for the couple of times you need it, you need it. You can often find them used on ebay at pretty decent prices.

Right now I have a Craftsman 19V and a DeWalt XRP 18V hammer drill. The Craftsman is OK for general household duty (sheet rock anchors, light duty, etc) but doesn't have the balls to do things like punch a hole through metal, which the XRP will burn through like a torch.

I'd say 18volts should be the minimum nowadays. Just in case you need the extra torque. For example, we did my neighbor's deck w/ my cordless and his corded. His 14.4V couldn't screw in the pressure-treated wood without complaining a LOT.

About 3 years ago, I got my drill w/ flashlight and spare battery for under $100. I think you missed the last good sale (President's Day) until probably Memorial Day or Father's Day (probably better deals).

I think Lowe's, Home Depot, Sears, and even Walmart are great places to start. Target might have Craftsman as well.

I've been looking at the Dewalts real hard. I'll be using it to drill studs, drill through metal to make brackets and random shit like that when i absolutely have to outside of general household drill duty.
You think the 14.4 would be good enough or should i go for good 18v?

refurbished, i'd expect people that use this drop them and abuse the hell out of them, sometimes the electric motors do fail, so i guess they just fix them and re-sell them

My own cordless drill is a Porter-Cable. I've had it for over a decade, have abused it, dropped it, run it over with a trailer, submerged it in water, and it just keeps on running. It'll probably still be in good working order when I die.

That said, the vast majority of my occasional-use power tools (angle-grinder, hammer drill, bench grinder, MIG welder, air compressor, etc) are from Harbor Freight, mostly the "Chicago", "Pittsburg", and "Central" brands. Probably all made in the same factory in China.

They're not of the highest build quality in the universe and if I used them all day every day they'd probably break in a matter of months (though the compressor is now 5 years old and still runs like new) but for occasional use, they're adequate.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...141&pricetype=

I bought that one when they were $20 and have no complaints other than paying too much last Summer. Gets a lot of use.

18V hammer drill. You can always turn the power down for general duty. But you can't turn the power up on a pussy drill.

PS, be very careful the first time you pull the trigger on the 18V XRP. And warn others too. It WILL break your arm if you let it.

Nah. Hammer drills are for drilling concrete. For wood or metal, you want a standard drill.

Go with an 18volt DeWalt. We have them and 14.4volts and the 14.4volts jsut sit on the shelf. We usualy fight over who gets the 18V for the day.

i have really long extension cords, no wireless tools for me batteries drive me nuts

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...000P?adCell=A3

I've got these. The drill is cool because it has some torque adjuster thing, i just leave it on locked so i don't have to worry about it. But i suppose it could be set so that when tightening things down it doesn't shear off the bolt head :dunno:. I mostly use the tall one because of how balanced it is in your hand

I bought my first dewalt used from Y8s for a low price and a reach around. I will never be able to go back to a "low end" drill.

Yeap, you can't go wrong with that deal. That thingy is an adjustable clutch. It's good for doing drywall, you can set it so it slips before it totally drives the screw through the drywall, or for drilling so if the bit hangs up it won't break it.

Get the highest voltage you can afford. The switch from a 9.6V harry-homeowner tool to the 18V hammer drill is night and day.

Home depot often bundles the Rigid 18V power packs together. $299 yielded a hammer drill, cordless driver, sawzall, light, 6in circular saw, two batteries, a fan cooled charger, and a case. I have abused the ever loving shit out of the tools with no issues.

yeah one of my mac tools bit is feeling the pain, i didn't set the clutch and chipped it :crx: But i already have that size in a black and decker set so i'm not too worried. But that tall chordless is awesome for taking out interior trim tools or for removing any screws on the car

Homedepot has really good deals on Cordless power tool kits right now. Saw a Ryobi kit with 5 pieces iirc for $129.
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19V craftsman, I've had no trouble using it for everything around the house and the garage. I drilled the oil pan and the SS downpipe with it, no complaints. I bought it as part of a kit with a reciprocating saw, circular saw, and shop light. Also came with 2 batteries and 1 hour charger. Think I paid ~$150 for it on clearance last father's day (best time to buy this stuff).