I have friends who love DeWalt, so I bought an angle grinder from them. 2 months later and no abuse, I open the thing up to find a tooth is gone off the cheap cast ring gear that drives the wheel. Not impressed. I think they got really cheap once they got a good name. B&D apparently owns them.

Milwaukee makes glorious stuff.

I have a cheap Sears corded drill too that I bought 6 years ago. It was one step up from the base one, it has a variable trigger. I either buy as cheap as possible so it won't hurt as much when I replace it, or the best I can find so I don't have to replace it for a long time. That crappy cheap drill has lasted through some awful abuse. The chuck is pretty shot but the drill just hasn't given me a problem. Very surprised.

I know people have said they don't like Makita, but I bought one of the better 3/8" 14.4v cordless and it's been great for everything you'd use a cordless for. Very comfortable, not too heavy, good battery life and plenty of torque.

 

Someone really needs to send this whole thread to Milwakee, I think it would make their day.

 

I'll put in the nth vote for Milwaukee. Their tools last forever and are very rebuildable. But you pay for it. I'll also second the vote for the Sawzall blades. They are far superior to other brands for cutting steel. But again...

A number of years ago Black & Decker were in trouble because they had basically cheaped themselves out of the commercial/trades/industrial market. I know a few people who refer to them as Scrap'n'Decker. They still manage to sell to people who knew they were a good make 30 years ago, and their tools are still a bargain for people who only need a tool occasionally.

B&D bought Dewalt to save their hides. The Dewalt branded stuff is pretty good quality, and their cordless tool batteries are somewhat interchangeable with B&D batteries. IIRC, Dewalt batteries fit B&D tools, but there are plastic tabs on the cheaper B&D batteries to prevent them from fitting in the Dewalt tools. The tabs can easily be removed with a pocket knife.

Dewalt will rebuild your tool if you send it to them. B&D is disposable. If there is a Dewalt factory outlet in your area, you can get some pretty good deals. I bought a refurbished Dewalt reciprocating saw for 2/3 of what Home Depot and other retailers were selling new ones for. It looked new and came with a 90 day warrantee.

B&D outlet stores also sell refurb tools for extra-low prices, but they are still B&D...

I'll also cast a vote for Bosch. I bought my father a 1/2" hammer drill for a Christmas gift (OK, largely for me) when I lived with my folks. I used it heavily and it got uncomfortably hot under heavy use. But it never ever quit. It lost power once and started smoking when I was boring a 3/4" hole through a concrete wall when the drill was over 10 years old. It still finished the job and after I replaced the brushes (the holder had melted - about $15 Canadian) it worked like new again. He's still got it & uses it occasionally.

I have a Makita 1/2" hammer drill with a two-speed metal case gear box. It is big & heavy and has enough torque to break my wrists. We used the same model at work and one of my co-workers managed to bend a 5/8 drill bit with it while drilling out a stripped hole in steel. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone - it's too wild - but there are times when it's required.

I also have an 18V cordless drill, which is good for quick work. I also wouldn't mind having a lightweight 3/8 drill, but I won't buy crap and have a tough time justifying the money when I already have two drills. If I went shopping for one though, I would look for one that has brush-holder caps in the case so the brushes can be replaced without completely opening up the case. I think that's the sign of a tool that's built to work hard & work long.

Good luck with your shopping.

Cheers,
Eric

 

You guys are gonna hate me. I went with a Black and Dekker. 3/8", keyless chuck, 5 amp, 1350 rpms (I think thats right). $35. 2 year warranty. Fella said if it breaks, bring it in and he'll hand me a new one off the shelf. I used it a bit tonight (putting up shelves in my garage). So far it's pretty good. Comfort is nice. It's balanced well. By far better than the Tool Shop. Yes, I went cheap, but I'm not too worried about it. I read your advice and shopped around. This drill should do for now, but your advice will serve well in the future. Thanks for all the help.

 

whats important at this point is 2 know what is made in u.s.i got a dewalt a few yrs back,3/8 its been good but it came from mexico.is milwaukee made here?makita,bosch and all those quality tools r not necessary made here anymore.its the corporate era we live in that doesnt care about quality,only the bottom line.

not 2 long ago i found an old b/d 3/8 at a thrift store 4 $5.it drills good and was made here.

my .02

 

FWIW. . . I bought two drills from "Monkey Warts" over 30 years ago, and they were made by B&D. One a 3/8", the other a 1/2". They are still going strong. "Monkey Warts" is long gone.

I do have a Milwaukee 'Hole Shooter' that I can't destroy, no matter how hard I've tried.

I've got a B&D 3/8" that I had to buy while at my mother-in-law's, to do some emergency repairs one day. (That B&D had the handle about mid-way on the drill motor) JUNK. The bearing wore out not long after the warranty said bye-bye.

I bought a Sears 'professional' 3/8" from their outlet store in 1989, for $35.00 and it too, is indestructable.

All in all, I think I have over 10 electric drills. Why. . .???? I dunno.