View Poll Results: WHICH CORDLESS DRILL MAKER DO YOU LIKE
MILWAUKEE
4
7.55%
PORTER CABLE
5
9.43%
BOSCH
1
1.89%
MAKITA
11
20.75%
DEWALT
22
41.51%
RYOBI
4
7.55%
RIDGID
1
1.89%
OTHER TELL ME WHICH ONE
5
9.43%
Voters: 53. You may not vote on this poll
Cordless Drills
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
Cordless Drills
WHICH KIND OF CORDLESS DRILL WOULD YOU RECOMEND I WAS THINKING OF GOING WITH MILWAUKEE AGAIN BUT IF YOU KNOW OF ANY BETTER ONES LET ME KNOW AND VOTE ON WHICH ONE YOU LIKE 
More Turbo
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 739
Likes: 11
From: Westfield, North Carolina
For cordless Ive used just about all of them and I have had best luck with the Ryobi 24v even after i dropped it about 20 ft off a ladder 
Only disadvantage is the weight, but they have the power. Milwaukee is a good tool, a lil pricy but good.
Only disadvantage is the weight, but they have the power. Milwaukee is a good tool, a lil pricy but good.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,323
Likes: 2
From: Montana Territory
If you can get your hands on a Makita industrial, its the best one out there. Otherwise, Makita and Porter Cable are the two best. I've used both of them in various different tools and they are excellent.
BTW, Makitas are made in America.
BTW, Makitas are made in America.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,146
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
I can only say I have used Makita cordless, and would recommend them highly. I used one for 2+ years on the job, installing dental equipment. This included some very heavy duty construction site use, with no problems. I purchased an identical unit for home use about 4 years ago, again, no complaints. These are 14.4 volt drills, both have been dropped numerous times, no breakage. A couple of our techs had problems with battery life, replaced them within one year of purchase. Another tech used a Bosch, and was quite happy.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
I can non-recommend the Clarke brand sold at Napa stores. I needed one in a hurry so I bought one while there, but I went for the top 'o the line 24v 1/2-inch chuck, and it's a piece of crap. After I got it home I was looking through the booklet and it said something like, designed for houshold use only. Oh, great. So if I really use this thing it's gonna go south on me in a hurry. Well, the battery charge doesn't last at all, goes dead in a hurry and takes 3 hours to recharge, the good ones all seem to recharge in an hour or so these days. But what really ticks me off is the keyless chuck has no grip, Put a drill bit in it, drill a hole and at the first resistance the bit just slips in the chuck. And being keyless, you just can't get it tight enough. Sort of pointless to have a 1/2-inch chuck and not even be able to drill anything large except for through soft material. If this is typical of the quality(?) of Clarke tools, I ain't gonna buy any more of 'em!
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
i abuse my milwaukee all day long for years now and it has been great i use most of the time 3 foot drill bits 1 1/2 inch in dia for cable i also drill into concrete with the hammer drill function can't beat the 5 year warranty
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New User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
I like my DeWalt 18v XRP I use it for all kinds of things. Its got a 1hour charger. I also like it because the battery interchanges with the rest of my DeWalt cordless tools. I've had DeWalt tools for awhile now and I haven't had any problems with any of them.
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Brett Foote
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
I sell and repair industrial tools for a living, and I agree the makita makes good drills, but we do see alot with bad batteries. Could be the way the guys charge them, I don't know. But if it was my money I would buy the Bosch Brute series, model 33618, They have an ABS nylon housing guarenteed to fall 40 ft, external brush holders ( so you can replace $4 dollar brushes and not $40 dollar motor) carbon steel teeth in the chuck, ratcheting chuck to keep bits tight, plantinum battery cells which hold up extremely well, and a 3 year warranty. They run $239 for the drill, charger, two batteries and a case where I work, but should be about that wherever you go. Just please don't buy them at Lowe's or Home Depot, all the tool companies have to cheapen their tools up for the big chains so they can keep the prices down. And they may look the same, and the numbers may be close, trust me they are not! We fight with Lowes customers every day because they won't do warranty work on the junk they sell! Find an industrial supply, it may cost you a few more dollars, but it will be money well spent! Good luck!
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 694
Likes: 0
From: formerly Brooklyn NY now
for non professional homeowner use the one i bought was a cratsman it was on sale for like $79. it lasted me two years beating on it as a contractor before the batteries died id buy another one buti came into a dewalt cheap so i bought that one now
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
i stay with milwaukee because i can get them cheap as my brother works there i can get a 18 volt drill ans kit for 50.00 or the drill alone for 20.00 these are the ones that are in great mechanical shape but have cosmetic issues but i don't care
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 545
Likes: 1
From: Shreveport, La.
Originally Posted by joners
I've always liked DeWalt.
I was reading Consumers Report and the number one drill was made by Panasonic, go figure.
I was reading Consumers Report and the number one drill was made by Panasonic, go figure.
Check out some of the reviews in the on line trade journals.
DeWalt is hard to beat. There are higher volt rated drills out there, but at what point is overkill. Also, usually the higher voltage batteries weigh more = operator fatigue.
Example of a days work when using a Dewalt- If starting with a fresh charge in the morning, use the DeWalt, will use the drill for drilling/screwing multiple hours within the day. Very seldom do I ever have to swap out the battery during the day.