Currently own a couple of Craftsman cordless drills, 3/8" 15.6 v. and 1/2' 19.2 v, that worked extremely well over the past few decades but now it is time to either replace the batteries, yet again, or purchase a reasonably priced new cordless?? I am looking for a quality 3/8" cordless and keep the 1/2" Craftsman 9.2 V. since replacement batteries are relatively cheap $30 for 2. I have a corded hammer drill so I will not be looking for a replacement. Any suggestions and or comment appreciated !!. .

 

Sounds like your use for the drill is for light duty projects. I suggest the Milwaukee M12 Fuel Drill. It has the same power as 18v drills did just a few years back. You won't really find a 3/8" chuck anymore as that's pretty obsolete.

 

Thank you for the comment. Acquired many power tools over a few decades, mostly purchased used and found Milwaukee, Bosch, and Dewalt have held up very well despite the abuse. Kinda looking at the Milwaukee M12, or Bosch. Again, thank you at least now have choice narrowed down to a couple.

Bosch Power Tools Drill Kit - PS31-2A - 12-Volt, 3/8", Two Speed Driver,
Milwaukee M12 12V 3/8-Inch Drill Driver (2407-20)

 

Add me to the list of Milwaukee Cordless Tools fan----have a boatload of their M12 stuff. Along with an older 12 volt caulking gun and an M18 6" circular saw that entire line has been my one and only go to brand for quite a while now.

I do use them professionally so its not like they sit around doing homeowner tasks once a month or so. Any tool in use looks like it---battle scarred and still working perfectly.

Good stuff!

 

The bad thing about these things is you have to buy into the entire line. It doesn't make sense to buy Xbrand saw and battery, then Ybrand drill and battery, etc. You'd have chargers and batteries everywhere. So you have to focus on what they offer with an eye to what you MIGHT add later. My first experiments were SnapOn. I love cordless but their prices set my teeth on edge. Milwaukee sucked me when Home Depot put their big 1/2" impact on sale. (I love that thing). Since I had an M18 charger that would also do M12's I looked into M12 stuff. I bought an M12 soldering iron and like it. I don't think anyone else has one of those yet. Then there was sale on the smaller M12 reciprocating saw. I was at Home Depot at the register and there was a "clearance" M12 1/4"driver there. All by itself. So...
So far I've been very happy with all of them. It doesn't that they keep putting the odd one or another on sale here and there. And the five year warranty is hard to beat.

 

Made a trip to HD this a.m., unfortunately only had the M18 on display, impressed, not as heavy or bulky as I would have thought. The local Hardware is having a sale on Milwaukee tools so I will check with them and perhaps they can order the M12 and include the discount?

If I understand correctly the M12 fuel is going to be a 1/2" chuck whereas if I want the 3/8" chuck I would go with the M12 with the 3/8" chuck, need to take a look at both before deciding. .

As mentioned, I purchased the majority of my stock of power tools used with the intent to sell them once the projects were completed but my major fault is getting rid of power tools while they are still going strong. The vintage Milwaukee Super Hawg hole saw is awesome, what a punch, it has given me a ride more than once when the bit binds. Out of all my power tools, the only one I have an issue with is the Milwaukee palm/hand grip trigger die grinder, that darn thing is dangerous!!.

I thank U all for the comments and suggestions, and GypsyR with regards to the 18/12 volt charger is very helpful, definitely going to do some selective combination package shopping.

 

I'll agree 100% if you have and use a variety of cordless tools its best to stick with the same brand if only because you greatly reduce cost and clutter of having multiple chargers and batteries. Slapping the same battery into a different tool without pausing is a great time saver all in itself.

I tend to not buy locally or in any of the big box stores especially for the combination kits---too often they include things I simply don't want and/or would never use. The key for me is having one or two chargers (or a multi-bay charger), at least one battery for every tool I own then add tools, batteries and accessories as a need arises. Shopping on eBay, Amazon and CPO Milwaukee has saved me so much money I can buy even more tools.

At this point I own nothing but Milwaukee in cordless tools----haven't regretted a single purchase so far.

 

Yes; I was looking at shopping locally in the event I had to return the item; however; find I can purchase, what I assume is the same item for close to 1/2 the price? .Big ticket outlets are asking $90 for what appears to be the same item?, what am I missing?? Comments appreciated.

• This item: Milwaukee M12 12V 3/8-Inch Drill Driver (2407-20) (Bare Tool Only - Battery, Charger, and… $41.76
• Powerextra 2 Pack 12V 2500mAh Lithium-ion Replacement Battery Compatible with Milwaukee M12 48-11…
  Powerextra 2 Pack 12V 2500mAh Lithium-ion Replacement Battery Compatible with Milwaukee M12 48-11…
  $24.99
  his item:M12 & M18 Multi Voltage Lithium Ion Battery Charger for Milwaukee 48-59-1812 18V&12V Fuel Gauge XC… $25.99

 

Dewalt 20v, they are cheaper than Milwaukee and more places sell them so batteries are easier to find. The 20v lithium ion batteries last a long time, I end up breaking or loosing them before they wear out, I have had some of my batteries for 5 years and they still hold a charge like they did when new.

 

Those prices seem very low for authentic Milwaukee tools & batteries---double check the exact brand before buying. That "compatible with......" tends to mean a knock off that'll work with Milwaukee stuff but not made nor guaranteed by Milwaukee. Buyer beware!



DeWalt stuff is cheaper because its not the same quality as Milwaukee, its built to a price point and seems to be sold "everywhere" which usually means where Joe Homeowner shops and buys. I've had just enough DeWalt tools along with Milwaukee and have seen the big difference in both quality and longevity. If price is the major consideration there are other brands cheaper than DeWalt which gives the cost-conscious folks plenty of options.

^^^^That's just my opinion and experience, like everything else YMMV.

 

After reviewing customer comments it appears the majority of the complaint was with either the batteries and/or the charger. I decided to upgrade both batteries and charger in my package and changed supplier to Milwaukee, just need to confirm if, in fact, Milwaukee is the source, there were a few customers who questioned if the items were manufactured by Milwaukee?

I have a 2-3 vintage Dewalt corded power tools, purchased them used where the shipping cost was more than the tool, intended to toss once the project was completed, appearance wise they are looking sorely but still working fine. I am a Dewalt fan, not sure about the newer versions?

I thank U all for the suggestions and comments, they were very helpful!

 

Have you looked into just getting your batteries refurbished? They say if the 2 part battery case has screws and is heat sealed you can get them rebuilt at most Battery+ Shops. https://www.batteriesplus.com/store-...&storecode=264
Or any larger local tool repair place of business. I've got my 18v Dewalt and 18v Milwaukee worked on a few times.

 

That's a great service but it tends to be limited to just the older NiCad types---LiIon have chips embedded that so far can't be accessed or defeated by the rebuilders. That's annoying to be sure as its meant mostly to benefit the manufacturer in disputing or denying warranty claims due abuse, over use or once they're reached 2000 or so recharge cycles.

 

I purchased another 19.2-volt battery which now completes my 1/2" set: It appears Craftsman is no longer producing the 15.6-volt 3/8" cordless and now offer the 3/8" and 1/2" with the 19.2-volt battery. I decided rather than putting the money into replacing the Craftsman 3/.8" batteries I went with the M12, which arrived yesterday, wow am I impressed with the quality and feel, now waiting for the batteries. I did find a company for $40 ship the old battery and they will refurbish and return within 10 days; however, over the years I have replaced the batteries on a few occasions and found they may last for an extended period time and others not so?> I have anything negative to say about Craftsman power tools, these cordless and my other Craftsman corded tools have held up well thru all the abuse.

 

Dave I think you'll grow to love the Milwaukee stuff even more over time. I've been using the M12 stuff for quite a while now and apart from losing them or simply wearing them out they've been one of the better tool buys I've ever made.

One day I'll have to count the number of different types I have but right off the top of my head it has to approach at least 20. And that does NOT include those tools I keep as extras.