What are you using for a tapping drill?

[TapTapTap]

Merry Christmas everyone. I've been tapping with my M18 Drill/Driver and it's starting to feel pretty heavy, even with the small batteries. Then today, I got a an M12 Right Angle Ratchet. It got me thinking about picking up an M12 3/8" Drill/Driver. I see the tool weighs only 2.1 lbs, and has 275 in-lbs of torque which I would assume is plenty. My Christmas gift came with 2 batteries so it seems like a smart upgrade for me.

What are others using for drilling tap holes? Does anyone use an M12 system?

Len

[buckeye gold]

I'm using a Dewalt 20V corless drill. Each regular size battery will drill 75 holes. Mine is old so the batteries don't last as long, they used to do 100 +/- a few.

[Swingpure]

I have a variety of Milwaukee and Rigid drills. The lightest, but still powerful is the Rigid drill, which is likely the one I use. All of my lines end up near the garage, so I can exchange batteries every couple of lines, to ensure the battery does not run out mid line.

I thought I heard on a you tube video that 2,000 rpm is the ideal drill speed. All of my drills have a switch that allows the drill to go faster, or slower with more torque. I think I will initially start off in the higher speed setting.

Gary

[bill m]

Dewalt 20V brushless drill. I go half a day on a 2 ah battery and change it at lunch time.

[JoeJ]

I have used a Dewalt 20 volt max drill with a 4 amp hour battery since 2014. I have 4- 4 amp hour batteries. Two of them will do around 375 holes. The other two batteries will each do 415 holes. These batteries have not lost any power and can still do either 375 or 415 holes. I usually tap between 500 to 650 holes in a day so 2 of the 4 amp hour batteries will complete one days taping. I do always carry a spare battery just in case

The drill can run at 2,000 rpm's which is the desired speed for nice clean holes. Dewalt now make 6 amp hour batteries. If the batteries were not so expensive, I would buy one to see if one battery would last for 600 holes.

I have a couple of the Milwaukee M18 drills with older batteries that do not do very many holes (35 on a 1.5 amp hour to 75 on a 2 amp hour ). The M18's that I have weigh 4.7 pounds and the Dewalt 20 v XR weighs 4.1 pounds.

Joe

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Milwaukee M18. I have several batteries from 1.5A through 8.0A. I use the 5A batteries for tapping.

[TapTapTap]

Thanks for your responses.

Ken

[corrowbasin]

One of the more important things when considering a tapping drill is the upper RPM range. The higher the RPM the cleaner the cut, and probably higher yield. A good 3speed brushless 20Volt battery drills should be operating in the 2,000RPM range, plus a brushless will yield a much longer battery life if you are tapping all day.

[ennismaple]

We are using the Dewalt 20V brushless drills. We can go the morning on one 4 aH or 5 aH battery. The weight doesn't bother me because it's nothing compared to the Tanaka gas drills that weighed over 10 lbs and spat 2-stroke exhaust in your face all day!

[DrTimPerkins]

We are using the Dewalt 20V brushless drills.

Same. Dewalt 20V lithium. Used to use Dewalt 18V ni-cad. The 20V are much lighter and last considerably longer.

We've used the Lapierre tapping bits for the last several years and are quite happy with them. New bits each year. Changed about mid-way through tapping.

[ecp]

I like the Dewalt 20V lithium, but have Milwaukee tools so I land on them. The Milwaukee's are certainly a stronger drill but do run slightly slower than the Dewalt.

[eagle lake sugar]

I've switched to Kobalt 24 volt drills. My Dewalt and Ryobi drills now stay home on the bench. With the 4 amp hr. battery, I've yet to run out of juice before I was done for the day tapping. I also have a weed whacker and chainsaw that take the same batteries. The other advantage is that the batteries are half the cost as the other brands.

[Brian]

I use dewalt 996 20v drills and use the 5 AH batterys. I use cdl or Lapierre 5/16 and switch them out every 2 days.

[Swingpure]

Same. Dewalt 20V lithium. Used to use Dewalt 18V ni-cad. The 20V are much lighter and last considerably longer.

We've used the Lapierre tapping bits for the last several years and are quite happy with them. New bits each year. Changed about mid-way through tapping.

Can tapping bits be resharpen?

[DrTimPerkins]

Can tapping bits be resharpen?

Some people resharpen. We do not.

[ennismaple]

We've used the Lapierre tapping bits for the last several years and are quite happy with them. New bits each year. Changed about mid-way through tapping.

We use the same bits. Once they hit about 1500 taps we swap them out for a new bit. Dull bits don't make clean holes and will drain a battery much faster.

[$1000 Pancakes]

Have used the M12 for almost 10 yrs. Only issue I ever had was I had to replace the chuck.

[DrTimPerkins]

We use the same bits. Once they hit about 1500 taps we swap them out for a new bit. Dull bits don't make clean holes and will drain a battery much faster.

I should have been clearer. We normally have 2 tappers, and each goes through 2 bits....5,500 trees (6,600 this coming season), so that's about 1,400-1,500 taps before being changed. If a bit ever gets bumped against anything else hard (tools, other bits, rock) it is tossed and a new one used. Bits stay in their sleeves until it's time to use them, then are put back in the sleeve at the end of the day.

A dull bit is the first way (of many) that you can screw up a taphole, and there isn't any good way to recover from that mistake. Good sharp bits are insurance against poor tapholes.

The old timers who did things by hand knew the value and importance of a sharp tool. My father could sharpen an axe, scythe, chainsaw, or anything else that cut to an edge you could shave with. I (unfortunately) never learned that skill well.

[SeanD]

Good info here. I just upgraded from my 6-pound+ 18v DeWalt NiCad that struggled to get through 125 taps at times to the 20v DeWalt Lithium with a 5Ah battery weighing in at 3.4 lbs. Planning to get a backup 5Ah battery.

Thanks for this thread.

[darkmachine]

Previously used ni-cad dewalt. This will be my first season with m18 Milwaukee(5ah). If the battery lasts anything close to when I saw, or put in deck screws, I'll be pretty pleased.

[DrTimPerkins]

...just upgraded from my 6-pound+ 18v DeWalt NiCad that struggled to get through 125 taps at times to the 20v DeWalt Lithium with a 5Ah battery weighing in at 3.4 lbs...

You'll be quite happy with the upgrade. The lithium batteries last quite a lot longer than the Nicad batteries too. If you have other 18V DeWalt tools, there is an adapter to let you use the 20V lithium batteries with them.

[buckeye gold]

My batteries are finally giving up and getting weak. I tapped my early taps and only got 48 holes out of one battery. Used to get way more than that. Ready for a new battery set, all these tips help me in my choice. Thanks everyone

[ennismaple]

Previously used ni-cad dewalt. This will be my first season with m18 Milwaukee(5ah). If the battery lasts anything close to when I saw, or put in deck screws, I'll be pretty pleased. You might get close to your 500 taps on that single charge for a new battery. Your legs will probably wear out first. We put them on to charge at lunch to top them back up and can get the rest of the afternoon on a single battery. Factors like how cold it is, if the sap is running (causes the bits to bear down a bit) or how sharp the bit is all affect the number of taps you get per charge. You won't go back to the XRP batteries again!

[collinsmapleman2012]

You might get close to your 500 taps on that single charge for a new battery. Your legs will probably wear out first. We put them on to charge at lunch to top them back up and can get the rest of the afternoon on a single battery. Factors like how cold it is, if the sap is running (causes the bits to bear down a bit) or how sharp the bit is all affect the number of taps you get per charge. You won't go back to the XRP batteries again!
also, you will notice a big difference based on the trees you tap. i can tap 1000 sugar maples in a day and go through 2 batteries but if i do 1000 of my red maples, the softer wood seems to work the drill more ironically, i find myself going to at least a third battery maybe a fourth (i am running 2- 3 amp hr and 2- 2 amp hr since theyre light )

[BAP]

My batteries are finally giving up and getting weak. I tapped my early taps and only got 48 holes out of one battery. Used to get way more than that. Ready for a new battery set, all these tips help me in my choice. Thanks everyone
If you are going to buy a new drill, consider a brushless one. They perform better and are generally lighter. That combined with lithium battery makes a great tapping drill.

[berkshires]

Just a quick note to thank everyone who participated in this thread.

Based on this thread, I asked my wife for a 20V Dewalt Cordless for X-mas this year. I had been using a Makita 9.6V that I'd had for ages. Granted the batteries were getting old, but last year, drilling was a nightmare. I had two batteries I kept swapping and charging and barely getting a few holes out of. This year, 23 holes like drilling through soft butter, and the battery still showed full at the end of the day.

So thanks!

Gabe

[ennismaple]

Just a quick note to thank everyone who participated in this thread.

Based on this thread, I asked my wife for a 20V Dewalt Cordless for X-mas this year. I had been using a Makita 9.6V that I'd had for ages. Granted the batteries were getting old, but last year, drilling was a nightmare. I had two batteries I kept swapping and charging and barely getting a few holes out of. This year, 23 holes like drilling through soft butter, and the battery still showed full at the end of the day.

So thanks!

GabeCongrats on the new toy! Be careful though... it's a slippery slope. Next thing you know you "need" a 20V reciprocating saw, an impact drill, then a mitre saw, then a leaf blower, then an ice fishing auger that works off your drill, etc...

[Pdiamond]

I think you forgot the chainsaw.

[TapTapTap]

Not to mention that you'll want to keep tapping. 23 isn't enough. You need to seriously expand now that you got the right tool.
Ken

[berkshires]

Oh, you are both so right. My chainsaw must be 30 years old. I just got a new bar and chain for it (first new one since I bought it!) so the improvement still feels great, but I still sometimes want a bigger one. And yeah, Ken, I have more buckets I'm not using, a ton of (lower producing) trees, and a very itchy trigger finger! But I know that every additional tap I put in means one more bucket and set of tubes to wash, more time boiling, more time everything. And I still have nearly two gallons left from last season.

In fact I'm starting to wonder what I'll do if I wind up with a big surplus. If this season winds up being a bust for some reason, I'll be happy to have that two gallons to get me through to next year, but if I have a great season, that two extra gallons turns to four or six. Then what? I have never sold any, I just give to friends and family. Not sure how I'd even go about it.

Sorry for the thread drift! I can start a new thread if we want to keep this one on topic.

GO

[Pdiamond]

That's what I do anyway, give it to family and friends.