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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?
Also should i opt for hammerdrill with handle?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
thats what I have so I guess I'm the worst tapper ever....every one of my taps leak
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