Ha, I just posted a problem with my cordless drill. I had a Ryobi
before, and it lasted awhile, but it just mysteriously started smoking
and died not too long ago. I then decided to upgrade to a Makita.
It's an awesome drill and I love it, but I am having a battery problem
with it. It's also a little more than what your budget is set at.

From what I can remember, the Panasonic was in the consumer report's
best buy list. I also don't know much about the Skil. But as I said
before, the Ryobi was great, but it only lasted for about two or three
years. I did a lot with it; remodeled the bathroom, put up cement
boards, build different projects around the house...even dropped it in
my pond once. So, it did a lot and took a lot of abuse...but died
after two years. But for the money, it might be worth it.

Another thing to consider is the weight of the drill. I didn't think
about it until I bought my current one...but you don't want to be
lugging a 2 lb drill around all day long.

Good Luck!

On Sep 22, 10:33 am, Mike Paulsen wrote:
wrote:
As a new homewner I need a drill/driver for occasional weekend use. I
am on the budget $100 but the less I spend the better if quality is
sufficient for my tasks.
The options I've been looking at are
1) 18v Skil 2887, $79 (or 59 refurbished)
2) Panasonik EY6405FQKW, $99
3) Ryobi 18V Reconditioned $75

Any other options? I realize it would be a waste to buy anything pro
in my case. I want the drill to last however. So based on reviews
Panasonic is aa clear winner but does it worth extra $?

Consider a corded drill. You'll get more drill for your money, won't
have to deal with battery issues (charging, failure, & replacement), and
you can expect it to last decades with little or no maintenance.

Something like this is in the $35-$40 range:http://www.ryobitools.com/powertools/tool/d46ck/