The discussion has turned towards value with the introduction of price. A
top-quality cordless drill is going to cost about $150. I would venture a
guess that a corded drill with comperable torque and chuck quality can be
had for close to half that price. But that does not tell the entire story.
Take into account the lifetime of that drills and the difference becomes
more profound. I top-quality corded drill can last the hobbyist a lifetime.
Cordless batteries are going to last 5-10 years at best.

Play with the math as you will but I think the long-term cost of cordless
ownership is at least 4 times that of corded models.

Don't get me wrong I own 2 cordless drills... (+ one corded + corded 2
drywall guns if you count that) but they are expensive.

Since even the best cordless will have trouble in some applications, I think
that it makes sense to make your second drill be a beefy corded model and
not wory about asking a cordless to do things like drive a 1" auger bit
through 27 studs for wiring an addition.

Short answer: ultimately, you want both.

Steve


"Dan White" wrote in message
...
I'm looking into Lowes' 20% off sale and want a new drill. The one I have
is a rather weak cordless with the small battery (12v?). I've also lost
the
charger, but that's another story. Anyway I want to be able to drill
in/out
3" screws into studs, and drill into concrete with a masonry bit. I found
that the 12v drill didn't have the torque to do it. I borrowed a cheap
corded drill the other day and it drove those screws like nothing.

What do you guys recommend? If the price is in the $200's US or lower I
don't care about the money. It looks like the most expensive one is a
Dewalt 18v. Is this going to match up favorably with a corded drill of
the
same quality? Will the battery last a long time? I won't be using the
drill often but I wan't one that can do everything a decent corded drill
can
do without the cord hassle.

Thanks for any suggestions,

dwhite