best cordless (bang for buck)

[bowtie]

i have been researching cordless drills and holy cow there are a ton of them that have good reviews, but i am looking at lithium/ion drill and possibly an impact also. what have been your experiences with any of these in real world situations. as you know not many tests out there that use them in the cold drilling large holes like we will be using them for. i am looking for one that has a long run life. i found that some have warranties on the batteries and that is a major plus. i really like panasonic which is what i used when i was in commercial construction but they are quite steep in price, you can purchase two other brands for the price of one. just looking for feedback and anyones that i should steer clear of.

[spencer11]

craftsman 19.2 volt, they even came out with the lithium ion version and my normal version works great for what i paid for it, so i assume the lithium ion one with be alot better! the craftsman drill arent that expensive and they are a good all around drill

[Sullydog]

Makita is the drill of choice for me. We have four that we use for tapping and eight batteries. They are well built and the batteries last a long time. Not sure how many taps per charge, but we are tapping today and i will keep track and get back to you. I have 18 v lithium. You want a drill not an impact for tree tapping. They cost more than craftsman but you will never buy another one. I bought my first one about 7 yrs ago and still use it today. Hope this helps.


3600 taps on vac

[motowbrowne]

I like the Makitas too. When I was looking a while ago you could get a nice set on amazon for a pretty nice price. I found this one pretty quick, might be a better deal around somewhere, but this is a pretty good price. http://www.amazon.com/Makita-LXT702-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless/dp/B001DNNT9W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1359126552&sr=8-2&keywords=makita+kit The Makitas are nice and light, but built well. Personally I really like the speaker box gizmo, because it charges a battery while it's plugged in and will run off a battery if it's not. I like having music on the site, so it's a must for me. If you don't want that piece you save a hundred bucks or so. You do get a good deal if you buy the whole kit together instead of piece by piece. For me having drill and impact driver is a must and the circ. saw and sawzall are really handy. Also, my dad likes his Rigid kit pretty well, I guess they have a lifetime warranty, including the batteries, a little heavy, but good price. Never cared for Dewalt, too heavy and expensive. Also, if you want an american made model, Hilti makes some supposedly great tools, but you will pay for them. Good luck.

[mountainvan]

refurbished bosch 36 volt lithium ion with fat pack. 500 taps on one battery! with a fast tapping bit on flat land, watch out trees! like tim the toolman said." more power".

[pamaple]

I used dewalts for two years until last year I bought a kobalt 18v lithium drill and really like it. Last awhile and recharges in 10 min plus has a 5 year warranty take it back to any lowes and they will exchange it.

[shane hickey]

No doubt dewalt

[FunnyFarm]

never liked dewalt tools none of them...The ridgid cordless lithium batteries15 minute recharge and both the drill and batteries have a 3 year full replacement guaranty...

[Jeff E]

Being from Wisconsin, I have to say Milwaukee!!!

I have Makitas as well, and they are great, but I bought a Milwaukee M18 Lithium Ion last year and it is a great drill. The standard battery is lightweight, charges in less than 30 minutes and drills about 120 taps per charge. New motor design is very torq'y.
Compared to the Makitas with Ni based battery, it is stronger, lighter and will do twice as many taps per charge.

For a basic point, go with Lithium Ion Battery. More volts is stronger, more amp/hour rating indicates more battery capacity.

[lastwoodsman]

I have a 18 volt refurbished Milwaukee bought in 2010 and still going strong. light weight and can tap alot of trees on one battery. It recharges in about 15 minutes or so.
Terry

[Sullydog]

Just put in about 400 taps got 300 or so on the one Mikita 18v lithium battery before started to slow down..

[LittleEnnis]

At the Ennis bush, we're fans of the DeWalt drills. Every once in a while, Canadian Tire has a great loss-leader sale on these or the 18V batteries. They do at least 300 taps per charge (and may go over 400), don't kill your arm, and don't leave you smelling like you've been using a Tanaka gas drill all day.

Then again, after using the Tanakas for years, my standards might be low.

[blac]

I bought a rigid kit this spring and used them hard to build the new sugar house. The impact and drill have both worked flawlessly thus far and I have no regrets,(the drill took a tumble off the roof to the floor with no damage) if you fill out the online warranty card it is for lifetime warranty on all pieces even batteries. It also said in fine print if tool cannot be repaired an equal tool will be given.

[tuckermtn]

I just bought a bunch of lithium ion batteries from some company in Seattle...little big for my drill, but they were cheap...

[Sunday Rock Maple]

What Spencer said....

[christopherh]

I use a Dewault 20V max and 12V max everyday on the job for years, been very happy with them. For Tapping I'd go use 20V.

[sjdoyon]

I have three Milwaukee M18 Lithium Drills and a couple Dewalt. Like them both, enjoy the Lithium batteries. Some of our tappers use their craftsman, seem to be fine. i'd look for the best deal, just stay away from the weekender drills they sell at Home Depot and Lowes.

[unc23win]

I use two DeWalt 14.4xrp I bought them both in 2005 when I built my horse barn they have been used hard and still buried in snow dropped in mud dropped from the roof you name it. Actually have them same drills in my shop at school (I am a teacher) and the kids beat the hell out of them they keep on working. Actually 2 of them are maybe 12 years old I have been teaching 11 and they were there before me. We also have some Porter Cables 18V at school I got them because they cut my budget they were $99 from Grizzly with 2 batteries now they work ok but they don't have the torque the DeWalts do. Plus the battery case is not put together as well I had a student drop one the case was destroyed. I don't own any of the lithium DeWalts but I have used them with my uncle who is a contractor and they work great as well. 14.4 XRP DeWalts are $199 with 2 batteries. NOTE: With Dewalt they do seem to make some cheaper models with plastic chucks and such everyone I have known who didn't like DeWalt had cheaper model. The Bosch drills are excellent as well, but pricy like $300-$350

[maple flats]

I like Dewalts. I have 4 and 10-12 batteries (Ni-Cad, 18V). I have a lithium Ion Ryobe, 18V. Works ok but battery gives almost no warning when it dies, one hold good, next dead. My Li-ion won't charge at cold temperatures, I need to take home to charge. The Ni-Cad DeWalts charge in cold temps like at the sugarhouse. I've never had a man wear out 2 batteries in a day tapping trees.

[doop]

I am a carpenter/ contractor and have used many different brands. I have a ten year old dewalt 18v still works great, but is heavy and batteries expensive. Me and a cousin of mine both burnt up the craftsman in a hurry(they should stick to hand tools). I have a Makita li-ion love the drill and impact. Charge doesn't last too long but charges quickly, with inverter plugged into cig. Lighter acc. On 4 wheeler. The Panasonic are probably the best in my opinion, but spendy.Milwaukee makes a good drill as well ,but bang for buck I think I would go for a makita impact and drill combo, once you use the impact you will never sink a screw with a drill again . Too bad Makita won't do theyre two for one sale again, now that was bang for my buck. I forgot to add I have an older Bosch that still runs I just prefer using my others, an I have a rigid and bought my dad one too his quit working after minimal use. Mine still works but is bulkier than dewalt. Did however have a rigid air compressor with about 5,000 hrs or more on it.

[aws]

As a timber frame builder I have used plenty of these tools. I personally own the Rigid brand due to the warranty. My seven year old drill has always worked great, just not as much torque as the newer ones from the other big brands, but I have received 3 new batteries for free on warranty. Save your paper work and plan on being patient when dealing with home depot though. The warranty is a big money saver for me. The all time no argument (I know bold statement) best drills and impacts out there are the Panasonics. One of my subcontractor has let me use his. It will drive 6" long GRK screw all day long on one battery. These drills have a high price though. Hope this helps.

[Winters Harvest]

I used a Craftsman 19.2 1/2" last year after using it several years of construction. It was a nine year old drill that had seen plenty of use working for 2 construction companies plus side work here in the shop and around the farm. I got around 250 taps per charge. Finally killed it during the summer and I have now upgraded to the same in lithium ion. Good price and the old one performed very well.
Also, I would like to invite Bowtie and Sunday Rock Maple to the maple school we are holding next Saturday at the Brushton Moira School. You can find my thread under NYS happenings or listen to the podcast. We are still accepting pre-registers for a few more days. Hope to see you there.

[ejmaple]

i also agree Rigid is hard to beat. exellent warranty. if money was of no concern i would buy Hilti.

[Sweet Shady Lane]

I only have 30 taps but my 14 volt Dewalt works just fine, I use it at work on the job site in the cold weather with no problems

[ryan marquette]

I'm not sure which is the best but I'm pretty sure Rigid is not. I have 18v lithium for tapping & it won't charge cold, 2yrs old switch shot.
The warranty on the Rigid is great but make sure you have spare tools. At work we have about 10-24v lithium 4-pc combo kits. I kept buying kits for more batteries. I always have a box full of parts sent & in for warranty work, just got 2-batteries, 1-drill & 1- reciprocating saw back on Thursday. Pay very close attention when filling out the warranty registration. Rigid is starting to deny some of our warranty items because they weren't registered correctly. They are heavy & bulky. I have a drill that I keep a 5/8 countersink chucked up in it all the time & one day I c-sunk a part & the c-sink fell out when I was done. Good way to lose bits in the woods, I have done it with my tapping drill. The drills stop instantly after you let off the switch & sometimes it will work the chuck loose. I have one guy that uses 10 yr old 18v milwaukee because he "hates" the Rigids. Overall, you get what you pay for, the Rigids do get the job done.

[FunnyFarm]

I've been using my ridgid on the job site for a year now no issues whatsoever not even a bad battery...haven't had a cordless with this much torque since early 90's porter cable drills.I've been through Makita , the new porter cable's, dewalts and a few cheaper models and managed to burn them all up. FYI ridgid is made by the same folks as Milwaukee it's considered to be their high end. Add the warranty and they are tough to beat...

[Brad W Wi]

Ridgid, Works for me. with the lifetime warr. I think it's the ticket. Mine is 7-8 years old was sent in twice, for new batteries. I do use it alot. I just got it back a few weeks ago and it's set for tapping another season.

[michiganfarmer2]

never liked dewalt tools none of them...The ridgid cordless lithium batteries15 minute recharge and both the drill and batteries have a 3 year full replacement guaranty...

THink what you want. I am a ridgid service center, among others. Ridgid spends big bucks on advertising to make people think they will get free battery replacement, and free tool reapirs for the life of the buyer.

News flash....Ridgid tells us service centers that a weak battery is not defective..its worn out, and not to warrenty it. A battery is only under warranty if the charger says it is defective. Ive had a few very pissed off customers because of this.

RIdgid tells us service centers this. THey hide this information from consumers.

The tool owners argue with me about a battery that doesnt hold a charge very long. THey say its defective. ummmm, no it isnt. Its worn out. The charger has to say it is defective

[ejmaple]

give the " worn out batteries " a swim, than the chargers will read defective.:lol:

[FunnyFarm]

I can't speak for the batteries...Not had one go bad though. I can speak for motors. They replaced the motor in my table saw no hassles at all...

[farmall h]

Makita..best according to Consumer Report for recharge time and power.

[Germanmaples]

I use dewalt 14 and 18 volt drill. They have a in car charger which work perfect for the wood, just plug your battery in the truck no need to go back to the shack. They also have 15 minute charger for the shack. Take a five gallon bucket handle tear it off the bucket and make a hook that u put on your belt to hold drill so you can insert the tap and be hands free.

[Winters Harvest]

for an easy good belt carrier for your drill. I found a plastic belt clip with a small bungee and ball type tool holder. The bungee and ball are like the ones used to hold a tarp onto one of those portable garages, wrap it around the grip and the ball attaches into the hook on the clip. We used them for doing roofing when I did construction. If I remember right we got them at Auto Zone or Advanced Auto.

[snox243]

i am use a Milwaukee M18 this year. i work at a fixture company and everybody that has one loves them. i use to use a craftsmen 19.2 and it sucked

[MN Jake]

I have been a contractor for 17 years and have abused many tools. All of the good brands have their pros and cons. I fully agree with the comment about dewalt, their batteries have always been garbage but some of the corded stuff is good. Ridgid? I haven't bought battery powered items but every thing I have bought is no longer usable within a couple weeks, complete garbage. Same thing for a contractor friend. I have good luck with Makita and Hitachi.
The problem with ALL the new lithium ion batteries is they lose their charge at freezing temps and below. Most wont charge when its cold either. There is nothing you can do except have another charged battery in a warm pocket and keep the battery on the drill warm. I stuff the battery and handle of the drill down the front of my carhart bibs as I am walking from tree to tree. The lithiums also seem to drill longer if you let the drill do the work and not load it too hard. 1 pro for the lithiums is they are light.

[mc-vi]

We used many brand in the last 10 years. We had 18V milwaukee ans those were good tool. Little bit heavy but the drill is on life time warranty and we still have them in very great condition without battery so we don't use them. We had Dewalt xrp 18V. Those are also heavy but offer a really good power and torque. The battery (ni-cd if I remember correctly) are not good. We had 4 of those and 16 battery. Now, we use Makita 18V. They aren't powerfull but very light. We can tap very high with less effort. But yet, they aren't very tough. After 30 000 taps the chuck get loose. The battery don't last very long either. The reason is quite simple. Those battery (li-ion) are built for a max amp. of 60A. When we tap maple tree, we pull out from the battery 80-100A (and this is with a makita wich is not very powerfull versus other brands) So it's why the battery don't make very long. And they also put safety chips in the battery so if there is something unsual, the chip just kill the battery (for us, it happend 2x) (this is because li-ion battery are very unstable at either high or low voltage and can explode/fire up and are dangerous). For this reason, I build myself my own battery. I took a 12 Ah LiFePO4 bms protected battery, put it in a back pack and made an adapter for the makita drill. So I drill with no battery on the drill (even lighter) and I can make 1200 taps in 1 simple charge. Ive been doing this for the last 3 years and it's just perfect.

[flying squirrel maple]

Dewalt 36 volt lith are bullet proof have used for five years, batteries still work great. I work for a electric co an operator ran one over with a 200 excavator and we are still using it.

[Flat47]

Porter Cable 18v Lithium-Ion. Great power, not overly heavy, same charger for lith or nicad batteries, well balanced, affordable. Mine is 2-3 years old and gets constant use year-round. No issues with batteries so far. No issues with gears or chucks like with the big box brands. I was told by a tool sales rep (that sold both Makita and Dewalt) that big box Makita and Dewalt stuff is usually built cheaper so the store can price it lower than anybody else. The gears are usually cheaper and the cases thinner.

[spud]

Makita..best according to Consumer Report for recharge time and power.

I bought a Makita last year with the 3.0 amp batteries. It worked great last year on 5000 taps and I got 350-400 taps per battery. I never used the drill on the off season but starting tapping this season with it. The drill has no power and could not even be used this season. Not sure if I should buy new batteries and try it again next season. I wound up using a friends 19.2 volt Craftsman drill and it did work very well on all 6500 taps. I need to buy something that will give me 2-3 years of use and light weight. Any Idea's?

Spud

[sugarman3]

I have used a ryobi 18 volt for 6 yrs and last year was the 1st year i had to get new batterys,got 4 of them for around $60.i can get round 125 taps per battery.

[maple maniac65]

http://www.walkersbatteryrepair.com I have sent batteries down to them and have been very satisfied with their work. What I get back supercedes a brand new one off the shelf.

[Flatlander]

I have an 18 volt Milwakee at work. its a nice drill and recip saw but the problem I found with that one is the battery chip. If you get the daw or drill bit in a bind, the chip shuts down the battery and you have to put it back in the charger to reset it. That is a pain you know where.

So this year, I bought myself a Bosch 18 volt lith/ion set up. Great drill and saws! Did almost all my taps in the two batteries. I'm sure as the batteries get older that will change but still. My old personal drill was a Dewalt 12 volt. had to change batteries several times a day with that.

Sorry everyone, but my vote is with Bosch.

Good Luck!

[everbuddy]

I use the M18 Milwaukee drills, haven't had any trouble with them.

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

I am a contractor, I have used my Makita L/I cordless set for 4 years now. It is a beast. Never had a problem. From drilling 1/2 " steel to cutting 1/2 steel with reciprocating saw. I have two drills, one being a hammer. They are light, and have a handy clip on the side that conveniently fits on my belt loop. 300 taps per charge and only 15 min recharge. I used Dewalt and craftsmans historically and the torch, lightweight frame and battery life make the Makita the best I have ever used. I don't plan on switching anytime soon. I am using the hammer this year for tapping, any feedback or suggestions hammer drills or are they business as usual?

[Homestead Maple]

http://www.walkersbatteryrepair.com I have sent batteries down to them and have been very satisfied with their work. What I get back supercedes a brand new one off the shelf.
I sent some batteries that I had at work and had problems with the batteries in about a year. I opened them up and found that some of the tabs that were soldered from battery to battery had corroded off. I'm not sure but judging from the corrosion I saw on all the batteries where the tabs were soldered on I think the used an acid core solder instead of rosin core. For your sake I hope they changed to the correct solder.

[sapman]

I used a Dewalt 18v xrp from my job again this year. Tapped during cold weather, and still got 400+ taps/battery. Batteries are almost new.

[maplehillbros7179]

we use a milwaukee m18 it has lithium batteries and works well, we get about 450 to 500 per battery

[maple flats]

After being a dedicated DeWalt guy for years, with 4 DeWalts, I just needed 2 more drills to put more guys in the woods. I bought 2- 18V NICad Hitachi's. I'll be using them and will report back later on. I'll be testing them on Tuesday. Each came with 2 batteries, a flashlight, some cheap driver bits and a 1/2" chuck drill. They are much lighter than my DeWalts so I'll test one rather than the college kids. Lowe's has them marked down from $129 to $99.

[trevor]

i have been a full time carpenter for 13+ years for myself and for others and i have used dewalt, makita, porter cable, craftsman, ryobi, bosch, festool, milwakie, b+d, and ridgid. the best are dewalt, makita, bosch, festool, and milwakie. i have owned most and the one i bought most recent (while i am in business for myself) is milwakie 18v brushless. it came with 3 batteries and is the best drill that i have purchased yet. it is a little pricey but, i think it is worth it. i know that everyone has their own preferences, but i have used so many that didnt cost me anything that i think i have a non-bias outlook. hope this helps.