HawaiiDavid

I couldn't be happier with my Milwaukee drill. Pricey, but worth every penny.

Mikeman

Problem with reviews and tests is that the people doing them don't have real job site experience and seldom test the best in class from each manufacturer. Replacement battery availability is also overlooked. I can go into just about any tool store and get a Makita battery but good luck with Ridgid or Ryobi or Panasonic or Craftsman.

With Panasonic the drills I see advertised are all 2-speed gearbox models and for heavy duty use 3-speed gearboxes are a lot better with cordless drills. Think of a car with a big V-8 that gets buy just fine with a 3-speed transmission but with a little 4-banger one needs 4 or 5 speeds to get any performance. If I was going to have only one drill for all my needs it would be a drill with a 3-speed gearbox and lihium-ion batteries.

The reason people still rely on corded drills is that they try to use a corded drill in exactly the same way and it just does not work. Big difference between a drill that is only limited by the size of its motor and unlimited 120v feed from the power station and a drill that depends on a battery pack. The manufacturers market their tools as being able to take the place of corded versions without a second thought on the part of the user which is simply not the case at all.

I have seen HVAC ducting installers cutting 10" holes in TJI with one guy a 3/8" 4 amp corded drill and another using a DeWalt 18v cordless and both drill worked equally well. The trick was the use of a Hole Pro hole cutter to do the cutting. The first week one of the guys used a 15amp stud drill and just about broke his wrists when the hole cutter was forced through at a bad angle. With the little Makita and the cordless DeWalt if the cut was off and the drill stalled it was easy to recover.

slownsteady

It got down to a choice between Milwaukee & Makita 18volt Lion. I took the Milwaukee because it came with two batteries. So far I am impressed. I like the intelligence of this drill. You can drive a screw all the way down even as the battery is getting low, but the next time the drill won't even try until you change batteries. So no watching the drill slow to a stop with the screw only halfway down.

The charger is quick, so with two batteries it's non-stop. I would have liked to try the Makita also. I'm sure it would be just as good, but $70 for the extra battery was a deal-breaker.

slownsteady

I still don't know what to do with all the old drills!

Trim Plus

Hi,

I have been in the construction field for about 25 yrs and have tried almost all or know someone that has one or another. Personally I would only go with Dewalt, no less than 18v. They have probably 100s of tools that use the same battery.

Leo
trimplus(dot)biz

earlgrey

I've been using Dewalt for 14 years or so, you can't go wrong for the money. Milwaukee is definitely the best, but they cost soo much more than Dewalt I would go with the Dewalt. Hey they're giving one away at Cordless power tool batteries They're batteries are awesome, and cheap. You could buy a nice used one from craigslist or something then just get new generic batteries for it.

-Earl

Doorguy4ya

Makita is the best rated 18V drill for size, durability and ease of use. Ridgid probably has the best torque if you do alot of drilling into material or running screws. I have a DeWalt and Ridgid, its always good to have a back up....

Wuzzat?

Plotting a price vs. torque curve should show good and bad buys.

From this site
http://www.google.com/products?client=safari&rls=en&q=18+v+drill+torque& oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=1zRzS6vDGIuj8AaPnvi-Cw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3& ved=0CCYQrQQwAg

Plotting a few gives

Price is along the horizontal axis.

The trend line formula is
Torque in inch-pounds = [0.98 x dollars] + 350
so for $200 you should get at least 546 inch-pounds of torque.

The drill at 650 inch-pounds and ~$125 seems to be a very good buy as to torque vs. dollars.

slownsteady

What about data points for durability, battery life, comfort, etc etc, etc.?

earlgrey

Wow! Ok I've never seen anyone try to plot it out. I'm a home-builder in Central PA. I've been working on construction sites for 20 yrs. and I can tell you from real world use that what you see on the job site consistently is Dewalt, Makita, and Milwaukee. Why? Because there proven, not because some chart said to buy that one. As far as Rigid goes this is a DIY brand, rite up there with craftsman, and Ryobi. If you want something powerful that will last don't waste your money on this junk. That's my two cents!