Ken,
Listen to DonkeyHody, best advice here.
I did what he talks about only I'll go one better, buy a top quality corded
drill at a used tool store, I got a Milwaukee 1/2" corded hole shooter for
60 bucks at a used tool store and I found a Dewalt 3/8" 14.4 volt cordelss
at the local home center one day for 100 bucks with two batteries/charger.
Total investment 160 bucks,
A used Milwaukee (corded) drill is a good investment, these things are like
tanks, they'll outlive our kids kids.
My two cents,
Paul
"DonkeyHody" wrote in message
ups.com...
KMoiarty wrote:
Just checked out the Panasonic web site. First thing that struck me were
the prices! $510 for the top cordless drill model (15.6V Multi Drill &
Driver with 1/2" Keyless Chuck). As you say, all nice and compact. But
the
high price made me think that Panasonic tools must be an elite brand.
Then
checked out prices for these very same Panasonic models at several online
retail tool vendor sites, where I found the prices to be much more in
line
with the competition. For example only $299 (virtually half the price)
for
the above model at Tool Authority
(http://www.toolauthority.com/manufacturers.php?MID=21). One observation
though, in general the Panasonic cordless driver lineup seems to offer
somewhat less torque than competition such as Hitachi or Bosch drivers,
even
in models where the voltages are the same. But I guess the extra compact
design of the Panasonic drivers I guess could very well account for this.
BTW, another question I have just came to mind: what is the
significance of "Ah" (e.g. 2.0 Ah, 2.5 Ah, 3.0 Ah, 3.5 Ah, and so on)
rating of a cordless tool's battery-capacity? Up til now I had just
assumed
this referred to amperage-per-hour output (which, like the amperage
rating
of a corded tool, if multiplied by the voltage [e.g 12. for 12v. cordless
models, between 110 and 120 for all corded models] yields maximum energy
output [or consumption, respectively] per hour). But I'd like to somehow
find out for certain from someone if I am on the right track in this or
not... Because if this is true how can the most powerful cordless tool
possibly keep pace with an average corded one which has far higher, both,
amp and voltage numbers? Thanks.
Ken,
You are right that amp-hours is a measure of battery capacity. But
it's amps X hours instead of amps per hour. So, a 2 amp-hour battery
will deliver 2 amps for 1 hour or 1 amp for 2 hours (at its rated
voltage). Amp-hours gives you a measure of run-time, but I think it's
irrelevant to most of us. That's because, unless your drill is in
continuous use at high load, your second battery will charge long
before your first runs down. I guess if you have to climb down off a
ladder every time you need to change batteries, more amp-hours would
get to be more important.
I'm on my 5th cordless drill and currently own three that work. Of all
my tools, I consider a cordless drill to be the most indispensable. I
use one for almost every single project around the house or in the
shop.
However . . .before you drop three hundred bucks on a cordless drill,
consider this: Batteries have a maximum life of about 5-7 years or so,
even with light use. Unless you are using the thing every day, your
batteries will die long before you wear out the tool. The price of two
replacement batteries is usually about 2/3 the price of the whole kit
with drill, batteries and charger. So, a cordless drill is a somewhat
disposable item, unlike its corded cousin.
For $120 or so, you can buy a top quality 12 volt drill from your
favorite manufacturer. Forget the specs, buy the one that feels best
in your hand. Then spend another $100 or so for a good corded drill
for those very rare occasions when your cordless just isn't up to the
task. You'll pass the corded drill down to your grandchildren, and you
have less than half the money tied up in disposables.
Some people just like to have the "best" of whatever they own. I'm one
of those too. But I've come to the conclusion that chasing the "best"
in cordless is just too expensive.
Your mileage may vary
DonkeyHody
"Give a hungry man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him to fish
. . . and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day."