I would concur most manufacturers are all variations and knock off's of the
same. It's all the same technology. Being unique and creative and coming out
with the most innovative product isn't always the best for longevity. The
problem with cordless is that they can make rather insignificant changes
glue on a different model ID and sell you the same product virtually every
six months!




"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
On 26 Apr 2005 14:05:28 -0700, "
wrote:

At the risk of starting a flame-war, anybody have suggestions for the
best of the current cordless drills? I have a bunch of Dewalt cordless
tools (tried to stay with one brand for battery compatibility, but
they're old enough that I'm willing to consider switching) and a couple
of Makitas. I've been generally happy with both, but I've been looking
at Porter-Cable as well--ratings for the P-C drills are pretty poor on
Amazon. I've also noticed that neither Lowes nor home Depot seem to
sell much P-C anymore--not sure why, or even whether I think it's a bad
thing. I've never been impressed with Milwaukee cordless tools.

I'm still very happy with my DeWalt, and I've put that thing through
hell on more than a few occasions- of course, since you've already got
them, I'm sure you know that for yourself. The only brand I've heard
praised more highly in most professional shops is Bosch, though you
note below that none of those are cordless.

I want something fairly lightweight for general purpose drilling and
screwdriving. It'll be used in a shop, so battery life isn't terribly
important, and 3/8" capacity is enough. I don't need a hammer drill. I
do want a good clutch and keyless chuck, and a tool that feels
right--not sure if that comes mostly from balance or materials or what.

As far as I can tell, the biggest difference between the excellent
ones and the cheaper versions is battery life. If you're not all that
concerned about that, you could probably get away with any of them,
really. Obviously, an little Black and Decker cordless screwdriver
isn't going to work for you, but I can't imagine that there is really
that much difference between the name brands. As I said above, I like
DeWalt, but I also really like my Porter Cable router. Once you get
to a certain point, it's almost more a matter of the color you like
and how well they fit your hand than any real performance issue, IMO.



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