What type of drill

[Tap&sap]

Hey everyone, looking for some input on best type/kind of drill for tapping, i will probably be doing between 400 to 500 a year. Should I go with higher voltage, like a 20v, or shoot for something smaller and lighter, also how important is battery life. Any recommendations?

[Tap&sap]

Also should i opt for hammerdrill with handle?

[BAP]

You don't need a hammer drill. Any good cordless drill will work. I drilled for years with a 14v Dewalt and now have a 18v Milwaukee. The higher voltage drills tend to give more holes per battery. They are also heavier to carry. Hammer drills are heavier than non hammer drills. Get a drill that is comfortable for you to hold and run and have 2 batteries.

[maple flats]

No hammerdrill for tapping. For 14 years I used mostly DeWalt nicad drills and liked them, along with a Ryobi and a pair of Hitachi which proved not to last long enough. The DeWalts were all 18V Nicads with the higher AH batteries. The just this year I bought a Dewalt 20V lithium that has 0-2000 rpm on high and it has another nice feature, it has a belt hook. While I don't hook it on my belt, I do use a 3/16 nylon rope over my opposite shoulder and I hang it from there. The drill came with 2 -2AH batteries, but I had 2 4AH lithium batteries from other DeWalt tools and I use them. The drill is lighter and turns faster than any of the old 18V Nicad drills I had used for those 14 years, and it weighs far less which is handy when tapping hills that are real steep. This new drill is my best ever. The only issue with Lithium, is that it essentially gives no warning when the battery needs charging, one hole works good, the next it stops. But I have spares right with me. When I first used this new drill I got about 100 holes drilled on a charge using the 2AH battery, but it had only been charged once. I read someplace that a lithium works best after 3+ full cycles. Since then I've only used the 4AH battery and that has more than 3 cycles on it. I have not had that size quit before I quit.

[Upland]

A fella up in Quebec did a study I think for a couple years and found that Milwaukee was the best, the bit stayed the straightest in this drill compared to others apparently.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Went to Dewalt 20 volt brushless with XR batteries. These seem to be one of the most popular and are light and compact and fit your hand really good and have a belt hook.

[Tap&sap]

Thanks for the input so far, I have looked at those 20v dewalts, as well as the 4.0 batteries that are supposed to last a long time

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

We had good luck with 20v porter cable drills from tractor supply. We bought 4ah batteries and they last a while. Very light drills and cheap. The 18v Milwaukee's are my favorite though.

[eustis22]

thats what I have so I guess I'm the worst tapper ever....every one of my taps leak

[BnSmaple]

Milwaukee all the way I get about 275-300 holes per battery. I would get the hammer drill more multi use for your size operation I have both I can't perceive any noticeable difference in weight. Just never use the hammer drill setting for tapping

[peteinvermont]

I bought the milwaukee brushless m18 last year. (1200 in/lb version). It has a single 4amp/hr battery. It is overkill for just tapping but I needed a drill that would fill multiple needs. There was a day last year where I used it to drill 18 8-inch holes in the ice for my kids to fish then drilled 275 taps in the afternoon on a single battery. It's expensive, but amazing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SPILEDRIVER]

just bought a dewalt 20 volt max lithium ion drill this morning at lowes..drill/2 batterys/charger and case for 99$...not turning down at that price

[JoeJ]

When I added 2,000 taps in 2013, I thought that the 18v Milwaukee drill that I had with 5 Lithium ion batteries ( 3- 2 amp hr small xc and 2 - 3 amp hr large) and would work fine to do a days worth of taping. I got about 125 2" deep 5/16 holes with each of the 3 amp hr larger batteries and 35 - 40 holes with the small 2 amp hr batteries. All 5 batteries were dead by 1:30. I went home, researched Dewalt drills and bought the 20v max xr brushless drill (DCD 995) with 2- 4 amp hr batteries. The drill is a bit heavier but has a 2,000 rpm speed. The batteries consistently get 325 -330 holes from each battery. On a good day, I can sometimes put in more than 650 holes, so I bought a third battery and that one does 410 holes. (I checked it twice, 414 the first time, 410 the second use). My opinion, Dewalt all the way.

[CharlieVT]

just bought a dewalt 20 volt max lithium ion drill this morning at lowes..drill/2 batterys/charger and case for 99$...not turning down at that price


This year I got exactly what Spiledriver reports above. A Dewalt 20 volt drill with two lithium ion batteries for $99. (Got it on Amazon).
It is a two speed drill. On the higher speed, with a new 5/16th tapping bit from Bascom's, it is really an improvement over the 18volt I was using.
The bit augers in really fast, doesn't wallow around, and clears the tap hole much better of residual chips. Best drilling setup I've used so far.

I had been using a Skill 18volt with Lithium Ion batteries past few years.
The only thing I miss a little is the LEDs on the Skill batteries that indicated the charge level: (low, medium, and full). That was a nice visual to let me know when I needed to switch batteries. No such indication on the Dewalt batteries, but the sound of the drill does let you know when the battery is winding down.

This year with the 20 volt Dewalt I was able to do about 300 taps on a charge.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ET5VMTU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

It's funny, talking drills is like the Chevy/Ford/Dodge argument. I would say you'd be fine with any of the newer 20v drills with li-ion batteries.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

These are fine drills but they are the cheaper version with brushes, not the Heavy Duty commercial grade XR brushless just so their is no confusion. The brushless version is $ 199 at Lowes with 2 of 2 amp hour XR batteries and $ 259 with impact driver and drill.


This year I got exactly what Spiledriver reports above. A Dewalt 20 volt drill with two lithium ion batteries for $99. (Got it on Amazon).
It is a two speed drill. On the higher speed, with a new 5/16th tapping bit from Bascom's, it is really an improvement over the 18volt I was using.
The bit augers in really fast, doesn't wallow around, and clears the tap hole much better of residual chips. Best drilling setup I've used so far.

I had been using a Skill 18volt with Lithium Ion batteries past few years.
The only thing I miss a little is the LEDs on the Skill batteries that indicated the charge level: (low, medium, and full). That was a nice visual to let me know when I needed to switch batteries. No such indication on the Dewalt batteries, but the sound of the drill does let you know when the battery is winding down.

This year with the 20 volt Dewalt I was able to do about 300 taps on a charge.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ET5VMTU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Samuelvw1]

I like my craftman sear 19.2 volt

Sam
Shelton,connecticut