I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries.
I'd say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has performed well.
The batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so seldom anymore that
I don't warrant a new drill. I checked for batteries online and the
cheapest I found them were $53 + s&t, putting them around $60.
http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low prices.
I realize that for the most part one gets what they pay for, but do
these $20-$100 drills have much quality to them?
http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

"Manster" wrote in message
...
I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries. I'd say
the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has performed well. The batteries are
going kapoot but I use the tool so seldom anymore that I don't warrant a new
drill. I checked for batteries online and the cheapest I found them were $53 +
s&t, putting them around $60.
http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not Makita
or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low prices. I realize
that for the most part one gets what they pay for, but do these $20-$100
drills have much quality to them?
http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

I am guessing that the really cheap units contain really small batteries. i.e.
no real capacity to keep going for a long time. Does anyone have any experience
on this.

There are people out there that rebuild old tool batteries with new "improved"
cells.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...tool+batteries

Bob

On Oct 22, 6:35 am, Manster wrote:
I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries.
I'd say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has performed well.
The batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so seldom anymore that
I don't warrant a new drill. I checked for batteries online and the
cheapest I found them were $53 + s&t, putting them around $60.http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low prices.
I realize that for the most part one gets what they pay for, but do
these $20-$100 drills have much quality to them?http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Get a Ryobi from Home Depot. They're cheap and work really well. you
can buy replacement batteries 2 for ~30 bucks. I've had mine for a
couple years now, and it performs very well. You can buy a whole new
drill with 2 batteries for about the price of one replacement battery
for a Dewalt or Makita.

TH wrote:
On Oct 22, 6:35 am, Manster wrote:
I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable
batteries. I'd say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has
performed well.
The batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so seldom anymore
that
I don't warrant a new drill. I checked for batteries online and the
cheapest I found them were $53 + s&t, putting them around
$60.http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands
(not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low
prices. I realize that for the most part one gets what they pay
for, but do
these $20-$100 drills have much quality to
them?http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Get a Ryobi from Home Depot. They're cheap and work really well. you
can buy replacement batteries 2 for ~30 bucks. I've had mine for a
couple years now, and it performs very well. You can buy a whole new
drill with 2 batteries for about the price of one replacement battery
for a Dewalt or Makita.


My father would agree with your opinion, he now has two sets of the Ryobi
tools, (he is a professional licensed contractor)
he has owned and used Porter Cable, Makita,etc
He loves the cheaper Ryobi kits and has owned them for almost two years now.

Clark...
--
Don't you have Google in your part of the world?

Manster wrote in
:

I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries.
I'd say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has performed well.
The batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so seldom anymore that
I don't warrant a new drill. I checked for batteries online and the
cheapest I found them were $53 + s&t, putting them around $60.
http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low prices.
I realize that for the most part one gets what they pay for, but do
these $20-$100 drills have much quality to them?
http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.





if you read carefully,you will find that the HF drills only have one speed
range,maybe a max of 900 rpm.One I saw only had 500 rpm max.

If I were you,I'd just get my P-C packs rebulit by a reputable rebuilder.
then you retain your present drill and have a quality tool,not some HF
junk.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

IGot2P wrote:

Manster wrote:

I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable
batteries. I'd say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has
performed well. The batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so
seldom anymore that I don't warrant a new drill. I checked for
batteries online and the cheapest I found them were $53 + s&t, putting
them around $60.
http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low
prices. I realize that for the most part one gets what they pay for,
but do these $20-$100 drills have much quality to them?
http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.


Surprisingly the drill that you referenced (ITEM 44849-1VGA) is actually
a pretty decent drill for home use. The chuck works well and the battery
holds a good charge. The weak point is the bushings/bearings in the main
drive. They will eventually wear out if used a lot, but again they are
great for home use. I have three (yes, three) of this exact model that I
use regularly for everything from hanging pictures to building 800+ feet
of fence. Although I have wore out a drill or two, the batteries have
always remained good and thus make great extras.

Don

I concur. I bought one of those for under $20 about three years ago and
it's certainly a usable home tool.

But, its chief attribute to me is that it's a great "loaner", so I don't
have to worry about friends and family borrowing and abusing my DeWalt
and not returning it until I've asked them six times. G

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Manster wrote:
I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries.
I'd say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has performed well.
The batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so seldom anymore that
I don't warrant a new drill. I checked for batteries online and the
cheapest I found them were $53 + s&t, putting them around $60.
http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low prices.
I realize that for the most part one gets what they pay for, but do
these $20-$100 drills have much quality to them?
http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Surprisingly the drill that you referenced (ITEM 44849-1VGA) is actually
a pretty decent drill for home use. The chuck works well and the battery
holds a good charge. The weak point is the bushings/bearings in the main
drive. They will eventually wear out if used a lot, but again they are
great for home use. I have three (yes, three) of this exact model that I
use regularly for everything from hanging pictures to building 800+ feet
of fence. Although I have wore out a drill or two, the batteries have
always remained good and thus make great extras.

Don

"Manster" wrote in message
...
I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries. I'd
say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has performed well. The
batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so seldom anymore that I
don't warrant a new drill. I checked for batteries online and the cheapest
I found them were $53 + s&t, putting them around $60.
http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low prices. I
realize that for the most part one gets what they pay for, but do these
$20-$100 drills have much quality to them?
http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

I encountered a similar situation when I bought a used Dewalt drill. One of
the batteries would hold only a 20-30 minute charge. A friend told me that
essentially the battery pack contains more conventional rechargable
batteries - ie. If you have a battery pack that opens (clips or screws), it
will likely contain 2 or 4 smaller batteries. You can likely find
replacements for the 2 or 4 batteries quite inexpensively from an online
dealer.

Worth checking before paying big bucks.

Manster wrote:
I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries.
I'd say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has performed well.
The batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so seldom anymore that
I don't warrant a new drill. I checked for batteries online and the
cheapest I found them were $53 + s&t, putting them around $60.
http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low prices.
I realize that for the most part one gets what they pay for, but do
these $20-$100 drills have much quality to them?
http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Surprisingly the one drill (ITEM 44849-1VGA) on the page that you
referenced is actually a pretty decent drill for home use. The chuck
works well and the battery holds a good charge. The weak point is the
bushings/bearings in the main drive. They will eventually wear out if
used a lot, but again they are great for home use. I have three (yes,
three) of this exact model that I use regularly for everything from
hanging pictures to building 800+ feet of fence. Although I have wore
out a drill or two, the batteries have always remained good and thus
make great extras.

Don

"IGot2P" wrote in message
...

Surprisingly the drill that you referenced (ITEM 44849-1VGA) is actually a
pretty decent drill for home use. The chuck works well and the battery holds a
good charge. The weak point is the bushings/bearings in the main drive. They
will eventually wear out if used a lot, but again they are great for home use.

Would regular lubeing of the bearings prevent the problem?

Bob

On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:35:44 -0700, Manster wrote:

I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries.
I'd say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has performed well.
The batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so seldom anymore that
I don't warrant a new drill. I checked for batteries online and the
cheapest I found them were $53 + s&t, putting them around $60.
http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low prices.
I realize that for the most part one gets what they pay for, but do
these $20-$100 drills have much quality to them?
http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.





I wouldn't expect a cordless drill to last longer than 10 years. A
Harbor Freight brand, maybe a couple years if that. Costwise, you
can't beat a corded drill--the cheapest brand will outlast any
cordless.

On 22 Oct, 14:16, Phisherman wrote:
On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:35:44 -0700, Manster wrote:
I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries.
I'd say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has performed well.
The batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so seldom anymore that
I don't warrant a new drill. I checked for batteries online and the
cheapest I found them were $53 + s&t, putting them around $60.
http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low prices.
I realize that for the most part one gets what they pay for, but do
these $20-$100 drills have much quality to them?
http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

I wouldn't expect a cordless drill to last longer than 10 years. A
Harbor Freight brand, maybe a couple years if that. Costwise, you
can't beat a corded drill--the cheapest brand will outlast any
cordless.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

-- the cheapest (corded) brand will outlast any cordless.

That's because you waste so much time getting out the extension cord,
unrolling it, walking to the outlet, plugging it in, walking to work
site, walking back, unplugging it, rolling it back up, storing it etc.
etc. that you only get 1/4 of the work done. Any corded drill will
last 4 times as long by default. ;-)

Manster wrote:
I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable
batteries. I'd say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has
performed well. The batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so
seldom anymore that I don't warrant a new drill. I checked for
batteries online and the cheapest I found them were $53 + s&t,
putting them around $60.
http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499
I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low
prices. I realize that for the most part one gets what they pay for,
but do these $20-$100 drills have much quality to them?
http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

You can easily get the batteries rebuilt.

"Batteries Plus" is a nationwide chain that handles walk-in trade. There are
undoubtedly others.

They wanted $18 to replace the batteries in my dust-buster. I bought a Dirt
Devil at Walmart for $16.00. Sometimes it's not a bargain.

"TH" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Oct 22, 6:35 am, Manster wrote:
I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries.
I'd say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has performed well.
The batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so seldom anymore that
I don't warrant a new drill. I checked for batteries online and the
cheapest I found them were $53 + s&t, putting them around
$60.http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low prices.
I realize that for the most part one gets what they pay for, but do
these $20-$100 drills have much quality to them?http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Get a Ryobi from Home Depot. They're cheap and work really well. you
can buy replacement batteries 2 for ~30 bucks. I've had mine for a
couple years now, and it performs very well. You can buy a whole new
drill with 2 batteries for about the price of one replacement battery
for a Dewalt or Makita.


Or go to a pawn shop and get a Milwaukee for under $100 and get a quality
unit. I have a Ryobi hammer/drill and the gears were so soft that using the
hammer portion once loosened the shaft from the gears. I can not even get
the chuck off to replace the gear. It is cheaper to replace the whole
drill. Forget Dewalt as the clutch is useless. The minimum setting drives
deck screws all the way through the boards!

On 22 Oct, 15:28, "Mike Dobony" wrote:
"TH" wrote in message

oups.com...





On Oct 22, 6:35 am, Manster wrote:
I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries.
I'd say the unit is approx. 6-8 years old and it has performed well.
The batteries are going kapoot but I use the tool so seldom anymore that
I don't warrant a new drill. I checked for batteries online and the
cheapest I found them were $53 + s&t, putting them around
$60.http://www.realdealtools.com/product...roducts_id=499

I got to wondering about the quality of the Harbor Freight brands (not
Makita or DeWalt) of cordless drills, primarily due to their low prices.
I realize that for the most part one gets what they pay for, but do
these $20-$100 drills have much quality to them?http://tinyurl.com/2n3eep

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Get a Ryobi from Home Depot. They're cheap and work really well. you
can buy replacement batteries 2 for ~30 bucks. I've had mine for a
couple years now, and it performs very well. You can buy a whole new
drill with 2 batteries for about the price of one replacement battery
for a Dewalt or Makita.

Or go to a pawn shop and get a Milwaukee for under $100 and get a quality
unit. I have a Ryobi hammer/drill and the gears were so soft that using the
hammer portion once loosened the shaft from the gears. I can not even get
the chuck off to replace the gear. It is cheaper to replace the whole
drill. Forget Dewalt as the clutch is useless. The minimum setting drives
deck screws all the way through the boards!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Did you use cardboard for your deck?

I've been useing DeWalt drills for years and have never even set a
clutch to it's minimum setting. I can't imagine what I would possible
use it for, except maybe cardboard.

"Mamba" writes:

I encountered a similar situation when I bought a used Dewalt drill. One of
the batteries would hold only a 20-30 minute charge. A friend told me that
essentially the battery pack contains more conventional rechargable
batteries - ie. If you have a battery pack that opens (clips or screws), it
will likely contain 2 or 4 smaller batteries. You can likely find
replacements for the 2 or 4 batteries quite inexpensively from an online
dealer.

Except for the (very recent) LiIon tool batteries, you will find a bunch
of NiCd or NiMH cells in series in the pack. The cells are 1.2 V each,
so you can easily calculate the number of cells without opening the pack
from the voltage: 12 V is 10 cells, 18 V is 15 cells, etc.

The connections between cells are welded straps. If you don't have the
appropriate welding equipment, you *can* buy cells that have solder tabs
welded to the cells, and then connect those in series via suitable heavy
wire. You probably can't solder directly to cells without solder tabs,
as the cells get too hot before the solder melts which damages the seals
and the cells leak. (If you have a high-wattage iron and you're really
good at quick soldering, you might succeed, but good luck).

You're generally better to take the pack to a battery rebuilder who has
the welding equipment and a supply of the nickel strap material, and who
will rebuild the pack for you for little more than the cost of the cells
alone in the quantity that you would be buying.

Dave

Or go to a pawn shop and get a Milwaukee for under $100 and get a quality
unit. I have a Ryobi hammer/drill and the gears were so soft that using the
hammer portion once loosened the shaft from the gears. I can not even get
the chuck off to replace the gear. It is cheaper to replace the whole
drill. Forget Dewalt as the clutch is useless. The minimum setting drives
deck screws all the way through the boards!

Ok so Milwaukee is a good choice

What abt Makita as well tho?

According to DerbyDad03 :
Did you use cardboard for your deck?

One gotta wonder.

I've been useing DeWalt drills for years and have never even set a
clutch to it's minimum setting. I can't imagine what I would possible
use it for, except maybe cardboard.

I've been using my 12V DW fairly heavily for 12 years or more, and I've
yet to _use_ the clutch.

Whafor?

Don't need it, even for drywall (and my consistency in not breaking the
paper is no worse than "proper" dimpler bits in professional drywall guns).

I occasionally experiment with the clutch - it does work just fine and
as consistently as one should. But I always revert back.
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

According to Dave Martindale :
"Mamba" writes:

I encountered a similar situation when I bought a used Dewalt drill. One of
the batteries would hold only a 20-30 minute charge. A friend told me that
essentially the battery pack contains more conventional rechargable
batteries - ie. If you have a battery pack that opens (clips or screws), it
will likely contain 2 or 4 smaller batteries. You can likely find
replacements for the 2 or 4 batteries quite inexpensively from an online
dealer.

The batteries in most tools (including DW) are "SubC" form factor. They're
a bit smaller than C cells. You _can_ get them online, but it's more
a specialty item. The more retail-oriented battery sites don't
carry them.

The connections between cells are welded straps. If you don't have the
appropriate welding equipment, you *can* buy cells that have solder tabs
welded to the cells, and then connect those in series via suitable heavy
wire. You probably can't solder directly to cells without solder tabs,
as the cells get too hot before the solder melts which damages the seals
and the cells leak. (If you have a high-wattage iron and you're really
good at quick soldering, you might succeed, but good luck).

It's possible to solder SubCs with a soldering gun (like a Weller),
but you have to preheat the tip for at least a minute or two first.
Better to use an iron similar to what stained-glass people use - big
beefy thing around 300W.

Yes, you have to be quick.

You need to abrade the contact points first - a dremel with a sanding
drum is best/fastest, but you can do it with (emory preferably) sandpaper.

The other difficulty is what you use for strap. I use #18 guage
stranded wire, with the strands spread flat. However, that still usually
leaves a lump, which can make getting the batteries to fit properly
a bit of a pain.

Next time I'm going to experiment with some copper tape (still soldered).

Caution: while 18ga wire can take nearly 100A before melting,
a single fully charged NiCad SubC battery _can_ melt the wire if you
short it accidentally. Newly charged/fresh NiCads can push a _lot_
of current.

You're generally better to take the pack to a battery rebuilder who has
the welding equipment and a supply of the nickel strap material, and who
will rebuild the pack for you for little more than the cost of the cells
alone in the quantity that you would be buying.

The one I deal with seems to do the rebuild (at least for a 10 cell
DW pack) for just the cost of the batteries.
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

Manster wrote:
I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries.

Thanks to everyone who responded here. I'll post back w/ the outcome.
Because the drill is still in excellent condition w/ no chuck problems;
I'm leaning towards the rebuilt batteries, as mine can be rebuilt for
about $35.

On 23 Oct, 08:47, (Chris Lewis) wrote:
According to DerbyDad03 :

Did you use cardboard for your deck?

One gotta wonder.

I've been useing DeWalt drills for years and have never even set a
clutch to it's minimum setting. I can't imagine what I would possible
use it for, except maybe cardboard.

I've been using my 12V DW fairly heavily for 12 years or more, and I've
yet to _use_ the clutch.

Whafor?

I have, on very, very rare occasions, used the clutch when driving
screws or bolts into something I did not want to take *any* chance on
damaging/stripping. I've used the clutch to barely snug the fasteners
and then went back and finished the job by hand. Think about those
particle board computer desks for example. I've put a few together for
friends and used the clutch to set the plastic dowels and some of the
screws. I'm all about power tools. :-)

However, even in those cases, I can't imagine using the clutch at it's
minimum setting. If Mike has been driving screws through wood at the
minimum setting on a Dewalt, there is something else wrong.


Don't need it, even for drywall (and my consistency in not breaking the
paper is no worse than "proper" dimpler bits in professional drywall guns).

I occasionally experiment with the clutch - it does work just fine and
as consistently as one should. But I always revert back.
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

"Chris Lewis" wrote in message
...
The other difficulty is what you use for strap. I use #18 guage
stranded wire, with the strands spread flat. However, that still usually
leaves a lump, which can make getting the batteries to fit properly
a bit of a pain.

Next time I'm going to experiment with some copper tape (still soldered).

Hey Chris- if you have a hobby shop that's nearby- look for the k&s
materials that are commonly used by model railroaders- they have a tin
plated sheet that can easily br cut with a old scissors- like 8 thou thick-
used em for my rebuilds using salvaged surplus cell and they work fine for
contact strips. alternatively if you are good with some needle nose pliers
you can break the old strips loose about half the time and reuse them.
takes some wiggling and torquing to the batt at the same time allpy some
pull(rolling) on the pliers. Pat- who has also frozen a cell to solder with
a gun -dunno what the freezing does to the longevity of the cell though. Pat

Manster wrote:
Manster wrote:
I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries.

Thanks to everyone who responded here. I'll post back w/ the outcome.
Because the drill is still in excellent condition w/ no chuck problems;
I'm leaning towards the rebuilt batteries, as mine can be rebuilt for
about $35.

I've decided to do just that and will be sending the batteries to
hartsbatteries.com for rebuild.

Thanks again for all of the great advice.

"Bob F" wrote:

I am guessing that the really cheap units contain really small batteries. i.e.
no real capacity to keep going for a long time. Does anyone have any experience
on this.

Hasn't been my experience with HF battery tools and I've bought a lot of their
stuff lately. Doing my part to support the China trade imbalance.

HF products tend to not be leading edge, so you won't see a lithium powered
Hitachi equivilent.

In my experience, the chucks on their drills aren't quite as good as a quality
brand. They don't guide the bit as well when tightening and loosen up while
using.

Their drill bits are crap. They may be titanium coated at the molecular level,
but they don't clear sawdust while drilling very well. They also don't seem to
be very sharp to begin with. OTOH, you can buy a box of 50 and toss them after
the job when they cost less than $10 on sale.

Their saws are fine. In fact, I really like my 12" compound chop saw.

Grinders and other hand tools are fine. I wouldn't buy production equipment
there, but for household usethey work fine.

--
"Tell me what I should do, Annie."
"Stay. Here. Forever." - Life On Mars

Jim Yanik wrote:

if you read carefully,you will find that the HF drills only have one speed
range,maybe a max of 900 rpm.One I saw only had 500 rpm max.

That's true and something I really miss. I had an early 12v B&D drill and always
used the screw/drill speed shift as well as the screw clutch. The HF drills
don't have either of these and top out too slow on the variable trigger.

--
"Tell me what I should do, Annie."
"Stay. Here. Forever." - Life On Mars

Manster wrote:

I have a 12V Porter Cable cordless drill and 2 re-chargeable batteries.

Consumer Reports tested a Harbor Freight cordless drill several years
ago, and it ranked at or near the bottom and was much weaker than many
drills that operated at lower voltages. The fastest and most powerful
drills came from manufacturers favored by contractors, including
Porter Cable, DeWalt, Bosch, and Hitachi, and their 14.4V and even
some of their 12.0V drills outperformed other brands of 18V drills.

1-2 months ago, Home Depot was closing out some Ryobis and was selling
18V models (both the P211 and the inferior P811) for $50 with 1-2
battery packs.

According to patrick mitchel :

"Chris Lewis" wrote in message
...
The other difficulty is what you use for strap. I use #18 guage
stranded wire, with the strands spread flat. However, that still usually
leaves a lump, which can make getting the batteries to fit properly
a bit of a pain.

Next time I'm going to experiment with some copper tape (still soldered).

Hey Chris- if you have a hobby shop that's nearby- look for the k&s
materials that are commonly used by model railroaders- they have a tin
plated sheet that can easily br cut with a old scissors- like 8 thou thick-
used em for my rebuilds using salvaged surplus cell and they work fine for
contact strips.

I was thinking of that too, but I wanted to make do with what I had.
The copper tape is also on hand ;-)

alternatively if you are good with some needle nose pliers
you can break the old strips loose about half the time and reuse them.
takes some wiggling and torquing to the batt at the same time allpy some
pull(rolling) on the pliers.

I usually end up mangling them beyond useability.

Pat- who has also frozen a cell to solder with
a gun -dunno what the freezing does to the longevity of the cell
though. Pat

I've seen it suggested. I don't think it does any harm to the cell,
and give you a few extra seconds soldering...
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

"Chris Lewis" wrote in message
...
According to patrick mitchel :

"Chris Lewis" wrote in message
...
The other difficulty is what you use for strap. I use #18 guage
stranded wire, with the strands spread flat. However, that still
usually
leaves a lump, which can make getting the batteries to fit properly
a bit of a pain.

Next time I'm going to experiment with some copper tape (still
soldered).

Hey Chris- if you have a hobby shop that's nearby- look for the k&s
materials that are commonly used by model railroaders- they have a tin
plated sheet that can easily br cut with a old scissors- like 8 thou
thick-
used em for my rebuilds using salvaged surplus cell and they work fine
for
contact strips.

I was thinking of that too, but I wanted to make do with what I had.
The copper tape is also on hand ;-)

alternatively if you are good with some needle nose pliers
you can break the old strips loose about half the time and reuse them.
takes some wiggling and torquing to the batt at the same time allpy some
pull(rolling) on the pliers.

I usually end up mangling them beyond useability.

Pat- who has also frozen a cell to solder with
a gun -dunno what the freezing does to the longevity of the cell
though. Pat

I've seen it suggested. I don't think it does any harm to the cell,
and give you a few extra seconds soldering...
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.
Hey Chris; I soldered up a couple of packs for a friend that was
vacationing in Socal area - going back to central oregon. He brought with
him 2 packs- 1 milwaukee and a dewalt xrp 18v pack. The dewalt showed a
bunch of bad cells- dunno what happened to it- the charger may have
mischarged the pack and the millwaukee had several bad cells- since I had
purchased several of the harbor tools packs (1.7 amp/hr cells) I made up the
2 batts in the lower (than the 2.6 cells in both packs). When he got back
from vacation , he told me that both batts worked and charged as normal
packs . That worked out to 10 (US ) dollars a rebuild. The upside is that I
got enough cells to make up a new (2.6 amp/hr) pack(stick pack) for the 9.6
makita drill that refuses to die.