How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a 3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1

"desgnr" wrote in message
...
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a
3" screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.


For that kind of driving I suggest an impact driver. I have a Bosch and
love it. I tend to stay with name brand tools because I need reliability
and I want to be able to get parts and service when needed.

My 12 volt cordless Drill Master from HF should do 3 inch
screws. The charging system is not regulated, I have to
allow it no more than 3 hours on the charger. That said,
it's several years old, and keeps on running. My sense, with
the cordless from HF, they are all reasonable, but not
great.

The last ones I got from HD were some years ago, can't
remember the voltage. But at $20 per drill, it was cheaper
than the $28 battery replacement pack for my Skil drills. HD
has Ryobi, Dewalt, and some pretty nice cordless. So, if
you're looking for one to use on the job, I'd go there.

My work horse cordless drill for the job is Makita 14.4
volt. I've worn out a battery or two. Found a battery at a
clearance sale, and bought it. Someday I'll send the worn
out batteries to Primecell.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"desgnr" wrote in message
...
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot
tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable
of driving a 3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

On Sep 25, 7:56*am, "desgnr" wrote:
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a 3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1

Harbor Freight has this drill motor:-
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93440

It's in their current sales catalog for $14.99 till Oct. 12th.

Hope this helps you.

Lewis.

*****

That's the detail I'd forgotten -- that HF has half price
sales, frequently. Mine was also about $15 at HF.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"ru4linux2" wrote in message
...
On Sep 25, 7:56 am, "desgnr" wrote:
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot
tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver
capable of driving a 3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1

Harbor Freight has this drill motor:-
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93440

It's in their current sales catalog for $14.99 till Oct.
12th.

Hope this helps you.

Lewis.

*****

Are they any good ?
"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
That's the detail I'd forgotten -- that HF has half price
sales, frequently. Mine was also about $15 at HF.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


"ru4linux2" wrote in message
...
On Sep 25, 7:56 am, "desgnr" wrote:
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot
tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver
capable of driving a 3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1

Harbor Freight has this drill motor:-
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93440

It's in their current sales catalog for $14.99 till Oct.
12th.

Hope this helps you.

Lewis.

*****

"desgnr" wrote in message
...
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a
3" screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.


It depends on use and budget. You can get some drills at HF, but by and
large, they will not have near the lifespan of the brand names you get at
the Borgs. If you want to buy one and be done with it, spring for the good
ones. If you are going to be driving three inch screws, you want an 18v. A
lesser drill will do it, but on the days when you have lots of screws to do,
you will notice the difference. Lots of HF tools are a value for tools you
don't use a lot or tools that don't have to stand up. Cordless drills
aren't one of them.

Check at pawn shops. Things are very reasonably priced there now.


Steve

desgnr wrote:
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of
driving a 3" screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

Just a suggestion: If you're doing something like a fence or a deck, where
lots of screws will be involved, consider a 3/8" corded drill.

The extra power and absence of a need for a re-charge may very well outweigh
the inconvenience of an extension cord.

I put up a fence using a Makita. After about 30 pickets, I could tell the
battery was complaining. I dug out an ancient Craftsman corded drill and a
100' foot extension cord and put up the remaining 150 or so pickets without
a hiccup.

on 9/25/2009 9:38 AM (ET) ru4linux2 wrote the following:
On Sep 25, 7:56 am, "desgnr" wrote:

How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a 3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1


Harbor Freight has this drill motor:-
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93440

It's in their current sales catalog for $14.99 till Oct. 12th.

Hope this helps you.

Lewis.

*****


Give us the catalog # and the drill # so we can shop online using the
catalog price.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

"desgnr" wrote in message
...
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a
3" screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

Never had a Harbor Freight tool, but the Ryobi or Ridgid brands from HD are
acceptable for light home use.

When you buy the screw, get square head ones for the best results. If you
want screws that are not going to snap easily, buy from www.mcfeelys.com

desgnr wrote:
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a
3" screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.


just go to HD and get you a dewalt. Don't worry about that ferrin ****
from Harbor freight. Get something that will last a lifetime.

s

On Sep 25, 1:02*pm, Steve Barker wrote:

snip

just go to HD and get you a dewalt. *Don't worry about that ferrin ****
from Harbor freight. *Get something that will last a lifetime.


All my DeWalt tools are made in Japan. Did you know that DeWalt is
really Japanese Black & Decker?

Joe

On Sep 25, 7:56*am, "desgnr" wrote:
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a 3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1

Don't even think about trying to drive long screws with a cordless
drill. You need an impact driver. I'm on my third year with a Makita
and typically drive up to 4" construction screws. Hardly anyone uses
Philips screws anymore. Robertson square drive are OK, but for day in
day out drive 'em flush and fast, absolutely nothing beats Torx or
'star' drive. Buy a few and try them out (Menards features them) and
you'll never go back. Any Li-ion type from 12 to 18 volts should work
for you in a DIY setting.

Joe

Joe wrote:
On Sep 25, 1:02 pm, Steve Barker wrote:

snip

just go to HD and get you a dewalt. Don't worry about that ferrin ****
from Harbor freight. Get something that will last a lifetime.


All my DeWalt tools are made in Japan. Did you know that DeWalt is
really Japanese Black & Decker?

Joe

_MY_ dewalts were made in Baltimore , MD and i really don't GAFF if it
works. And dewalt works. And no i don't believe your crap about it
being related to B&D.

Steve Barker wrote:

_MY_ dewalts were made in Baltimore , MD and i really don't GAFF if it
works. And dewalt works. And no i don't believe your crap about it
being related to B&D.

Black and Decker bought Dewalt in 1992.

Coincidentally, I threw a B&D drill in the trash today. It had an
infuriating short in the trigger switch. I took it apart to try to fix it.

It turned out the likely cause was cold (defective) solders of the wires
going into the switch. They fell out their holes (it was much like a back
stab 120v receptacle) as I took the case off, and I wasn't able to be sure
which wires went to which connections.

I replaced that piece of crap with a Skil. Even though the Skil was made
in China, it has a heft that reminds me of my Milwaukee Sawzall.

--
Tony Sivori
Due to spam, I'm filtering all Google Groups posters.

desgnr wrote:

How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ? I am
currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a 3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

I have a Harbor Freight corded Multi-tool (the Fein Multimaster knock off)
and a Harbor Freight 12" sliding compound miter saw.

The HF multi tool has served me well. But it is no clone of the Fein. The
HF tool runs at one speed, and that is an oscillations per minute rate
that approximately matches the low speed setting of the Fein. But for $35,
I am happy with it.

The compound saw was was also priced right, about $150. I am less happy
with it. Quality is noticeably low. I had to return the first one, due to
a clamp screw that was stripped right out of the box. It also had flaking
paint out of the box.

The dust collection is a joke. I've made quite a few cuts with the saw,
and there is no saw dust in the dust collection bag. It all hits the floor
(and me, and the saw).

Worst defect: the saw came with a fence that is out of square. When I put
a straight edge against the fence, one side is out of alignment with the
other by at least one millimeter.

That makes true precision cuts difficult if not impossible. Still, the saw
does cut well, had plenty of power, and the results are much better than I
can obtain with a had held Skil saw.

--
Tony Sivori
Due to spam, I'm filtering all Google Groups posters.

"Joe" wrote in message
...
On Sep 25, 7:56 am, "desgnr" wrote:
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a
3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1

Don't even think about trying to drive long screws with a cordless
drill. You need an impact driver. I'm on my third year with a Makita
and typically drive up to 4" construction screws. Hardly anyone uses
Philips screws anymore. Robertson square drive are OK, but for day in
day out drive 'em flush and fast, absolutely nothing beats Torx or
'star' drive. Buy a few and try them out (Menards features them) and
you'll never go back. Any Li-ion type from 12 to 18 volts should work
for you in a DIY setting.

Joe

Say what? Get one of the sleeve extensions, a good bit, and put your
shoulder into it.

Steve

How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a
3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.



Don't even think about trying to drive long screws with a cordless
drill. You need an impact driver. I'm on my third year with a Makita
and typically drive up to 4" construction screws. Hardly anyone uses
Philips screws anymore. Robertson square drive are OK, but for day in
day out drive 'em flush and fast, absolutely nothing beats Torx or
'star' drive. Buy a few and try them out (Menards features them) and
you'll never go back. Any Li-ion type from 12 to 18 volts should work
for you in a DIY setting.

Joe

Say what? Get one of the sleeve extensions, a good bit, and put your
shoulder into it.

Steve


*That's the difference with an impact driver Steve. You don't have to "Put
your shoulder into it". The driver does all of the work and is much lighter
than an 18 volt drill. I was using my drill for screwing until one of my
customers let me use his impact driver. I went out and bought my own the
following week and have no regrets.

Joe wrote:
On Sep 25, 7:56 am, "desgnr" wrote:
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of
driving a 3" screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1

Don't even think about trying to drive long screws with a cordless
drill. You need an impact driver.

Impact driver? What's the point of that? Any variable speed corded drill should
do fine.

HF uses plastic gears and will not hold up. I bought the 18v kit from
Sears Crapsman. It came with circular saw, light and drill all on sale
for $60. It would drill maybe 6 screws before battery was history.
Charger took forever and the RPM was much too slow for any quick work.
I won't make that mistake again. Ask yourself this question, after 6
screws are in and the battery is history "what should I have expected
for $15 ?" Sure you have another battery but they take too long to
charge and the hotter the battery is when you return it to charger the
less efficent the recharge will be.
Dewalt makes tools for HD. You can tell the difference between "HD
special" and regular dewalt tools. The HD special Dewalts have a
handle that is all yellow. The regular dewalts have a handle that is
half black. The half black has the metal gears and comonly the XRP
battery line. These things are heavy, BIG TIME, but they turn screws
till carpnal tunnel sets in then only 1 hour recharge.

Just to confuse you more, today we are migrating towards Lithium Ion
batteries. The dewalt XRP is NOT lithium ion. I bought the Bosch 10v
(any one of these: http://www.boschtools.com/Products/T....aspx?catid=63
)and cannot believe I waited so long for this. It does NOT have a
chuck for putting drillbits in; it does not turn fast at all (300rpm
max) but it drives 3" drywall screws till seemingly forever. It fits
in my back pocket and handles replacing electrical outlets to removing
rusted 3" screws. The lithium battery is fanstastic.

Many people say "cry ONCE over purchase price and avoid crying every
time you use a tool you bought for cheap."

HTH, Tom

On Sep 25, 8:56*am, "desgnr" wrote:
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a 3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

"John Grabowski" wrote in message
...
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a
3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.



Don't even think about trying to drive long screws with a cordless
drill. You need an impact driver. I'm on my third year with a Makita
and typically drive up to 4" construction screws. Hardly anyone uses
Philips screws anymore. Robertson square drive are OK, but for day in
day out drive 'em flush and fast, absolutely nothing beats Torx or
'star' drive. Buy a few and try them out (Menards features them) and
you'll never go back. Any Li-ion type from 12 to 18 volts should work
for you in a DIY setting.

Joe

Say what? Get one of the sleeve extensions, a good bit, and put your
shoulder into it.

Steve


*That's the difference with an impact driver Steve. You don't have to
"Put your shoulder into it". The driver does all of the work and is much
lighter than an 18 volt drill. I was using my drill for screwing until
one of my customers let me use his impact driver. I went out and bought
my own the following week and have no regrets.

I must admit that just because you have one, and I don't, and I've never
used one, it makes it VERY suspect to me. ;-) I have seen small Makitas
used at the conventions a lot, and they all seemed to like them. IIRC, they
had a little slide fitting to quick connect various tools. No one who used
them would lend them, and they swore by them. I came close to buying one
several times, and may still if I see one at a decent price in this down
economy. I've been scoring some nice tools lately, including a BIG honking
Rockwell table saw for $50. A Porter Cable pancake compressor and three
guns (one 2.5" nail, one up to 1" brad and one up to 1 1/4" staple) all NEW
for $135. A DeWalt hand grinder with 5/8" arbor and paddle switch for $20.
A 12 and 20 ton jack today for $7 for both. I could go on.

I admit that I would like to try one of the impact drivers. But I think
that you have to admit that a good hefty tool, be it DeWalt, Makita, or even
Ryobi with the right bit and setup will do most anything the average DIYer
calls on it to do. There are LOTS and LOTS of people out there who don't
even understand how to pick out bits, sizes, types, etc. There are a lot
of people who don't select or even ask about the proper fastener for the
job, but just buy whatever drywall screw is on sale. So, a lot of this
discussion is over their heads.

What model number is yours, and what voltage? A lot of the Makitas I saw
were 12 or 14.4, but that has been about three years ago now.

Steve, who is changing his mind, just like Fearless Leader does twenty times
a day.

"Tom" wrote

Many people say "cry ONCE over purchase price and avoid crying every
time you use a tool you bought for cheap."

HTH, Tom

I have and have seen tools that are fifty years old, and better than a lot
of the crap they sell for new now. Picked up a Ridgid 12" pipe wrench
today, well used, but still good .............. $1. Shop around, but be an
informed shopper, just as you have provided the info on how to recognize the
different grades of DeWalt. With few exceptions, quality tools do cost, but
they last and last and last.

Steve

My red 12 volt drill master has been in use for several
years. I didn't date the drill (sharpie pen) but at least
three or four years. I'm pleased to pieces. I use it for
insert and remove screws at work.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"desgnr" wrote in message
...
Are they any good ?

"Stormin Mormon" wrote
in message
...
That's the detail I'd forgotten -- that HF has half price
sales, frequently. Mine was also about $15 at HF.

Since the OP mentioned 3 inch screws, lets remind him that
two drills and drilling pilot hole is a good idea. The long
screws bind a bit after a bit of insertion.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"HeyBub" wrote in message
m...

Just a suggestion: If you're doing something like a fence or
a deck, where
lots of screws will be involved, consider a 3/8" corded
drill.

The extra power and absence of a need for a re-charge may
very well outweigh
the inconvenience of an extension cord.

I put up a fence using a Makita. After about 30 pickets, I
could tell the
battery was complaining. I dug out an ancient Craftsman
corded drill and a
100' foot extension cord and put up the remaining 150 or so
pickets without
a hiccup.

On Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:39:37 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:


I admit that I would like to try one of the impact drivers.

One day I was watching a custom cabinet installer and a two guys
installing large garage doors. All using impact drivers. 'Course I had
to ask them about them, how they worked and if I could hold it I
want one!

I bought a 18V Bosch Brute hammer drill years ago as part of the kit.
That drill had a better torque than others at the time. It's
heavy...never walk by my ladder when I drop it...

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a
3" screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

Never had a Harbor Freight tool, but the Ryobi or Ridgid brands from HD are
acceptable for light home use.


And Ryobi, Ridgid and Milwaukee (as well as Husky hand tools) are
products of the same company -- whose name escapes me at present.

Ridgid has a better warranty (don't know about Milwaukee), but of course
the batteries are *not* interchangeable.

Perce

"desgnr" wrote in message
...
Are they any good ?

They are not great, but they do work. the problem is with the batteries and
the charging system. Like Christopher mentioned, no regulation on the
charging system so leaving the battery on the charger too long kills the
batteries, which are cheap ones to begin with.

If you are only looking for a tool for one shot the HF drill might be OK, if
you are a DIY guy and this is only one project in a long line of things to
do, then I would recommend going to the big orange box, buying a good
Lithium ion drill with a lifetime guarantee and long after the sting of the
price wears off you will still have a good tool and the piece of mind that
it will work when needed.


--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.

"Van Chocstraw" wrote in message
...
desgnr wrote:
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a
3" screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.


My Black and Decker Fire Storm 18V drives 3, 4, 6 inch drywall/deck screws
no problem. I have learned to buy square head screws. Much easier to keep
the screw turning where Phillips will slip and strip too easy with high
torque on long screws. Also helps to pre-drill the holes.

And it helps to coat the screws with beeswax, too. But then, when you go
through all that, you coulda had a real drill.

Steve

"Oren" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:39:37 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:


I admit that I would like to try one of the impact drivers.

One day I was watching a custom cabinet installer and a two guys
installing large garage doors. All using impact drivers. 'Course I had
to ask them about them, how they worked and if I could hold it I
want one!

I bought a 18V Bosch Brute hammer drill years ago as part of the kit.
That drill had a better torque than others at the time. It's
heavy...never walk by my ladder when I drop it...

Never ever ask a man if you can hold his drill or hammer! Unless you're a
woman, or......

On Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:17:11 -0700, Oren wrote:

On Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:39:37 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:


I admit that I would like to try one of the impact drivers.

One day I was watching a custom cabinet installer and a two guys
installing large garage doors. All using impact drivers. 'Course I had
to ask them about them, how they worked and if I could hold it I
want one!

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...5X-_-100049838

Why wo't they ship this to Alaska or Hawaii?

Do they explode?

I bought a 18V Bosch Brute hammer drill years ago as part of the kit.
That drill had a better torque than others at the time. It's
heavy...never walk by my ladder when I drop it...

In article ,
Tony Sivori wrote:

Steve Barker wrote:

_MY_ dewalts were made in Baltimore , MD and i really don't GAFF if it
works. And dewalt works. And no i don't believe your crap about it
being related to B&D.

Black and Decker bought Dewalt in 1992.

Coincidentally, I threw a B&D drill in the trash today. It had an
infuriating short in the trigger switch. I took it apart to try to fix it.

It turned out the likely cause was cold (defective) solders of the wires
going into the switch. They fell out their holes (it was much like a back
stab 120v receptacle) as I took the case off, and I wasn't able to be sure
which wires went to which connections.

I replaced that piece of crap with a Skil. Even though the Skil was made
in China, it has a heft that reminds me of my Milwaukee Sawzall.

Sounds like an infuriating intermittent open, rather than short.
Soldering is a useful skill to learn.

How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving
a 3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.



Don't even think about trying to drive long screws with a cordless
drill. You need an impact driver. I'm on my third year with a Makita
and typically drive up to 4" construction screws. Hardly anyone uses
Philips screws anymore. Robertson square drive are OK, but for day in
day out drive 'em flush and fast, absolutely nothing beats Torx or
'star' drive. Buy a few and try them out (Menards features them) and
you'll never go back. Any Li-ion type from 12 to 18 volts should work
for you in a DIY setting.

Joe

Say what? Get one of the sleeve extensions, a good bit, and put your
shoulder into it.

Steve


*That's the difference with an impact driver Steve. You don't have to
"Put your shoulder into it". The driver does all of the work and is much
lighter than an 18 volt drill. I was using my drill for screwing until
one of my customers let me use his impact driver. I went out and bought
my own the following week and have no regrets.

I must admit that just because you have one, and I don't, and I've never
used one, it makes it VERY suspect to me. ;-) I have seen small Makitas
used at the conventions a lot, and they all seemed to like them. IIRC,
they had a little slide fitting to quick connect various tools. No one
who used them would lend them, and they swore by them. I came close to
buying one several times, and may still if I see one at a decent price in
this down economy. I've been scoring some nice tools lately, including a
BIG honking Rockwell table saw for $50. A Porter Cable pancake compressor
and three guns (one 2.5" nail, one up to 1" brad and one up to 1 1/4"
staple) all NEW for $135. A DeWalt hand grinder with 5/8" arbor and
paddle switch for $20. A 12 and 20 ton jack today for $7 for both. I
could go on.

I admit that I would like to try one of the impact drivers. But I think
that you have to admit that a good hefty tool, be it DeWalt, Makita, or
even Ryobi with the right bit and setup will do most anything the average
DIYer calls on it to do. There are LOTS and LOTS of people out there who
don't even understand how to pick out bits, sizes, types, etc. There are
a lot of people who don't select or even ask about the proper fastener for
the job, but just buy whatever drywall screw is on sale. So, a lot of
this discussion is over their heads.

What model number is yours, and what voltage? A lot of the Makitas I saw
were 12 or 14.4, but that has been about three years ago now.


*I have a Bosch 10.8 volt. It is small and lightweight, but is quite
powerful. Unfortunately before this tool came out I had purchased the Bosch
cordless screwdriver (I Driver I think) and was quite pleased with the power
that it had. Since I purchased the impact driver I have put the cordless
screwdriver in the closet. I use the impact driver instead. It just makes
screwing effortless.

On Sep 25, 8:56�am, "desgnr" wrote:
How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a 3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.
Any recomendations appreciated.

--
Dell Inspiron
Pentium dual-core 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1

As you can see by all the responses that there are many opinions. You
have to ask yourself how much you are going to use it. If you plan on
using it 8 hours a day, get a corded drill. If you are only using it a
couple hours a day, get a cordless. You'll probably find that the
drill will outlast the batteries before having to replace the drill.

It seems to me that my Ryobi batteries last much longer and run longer
than the Craftsman, Firestorm and another cheapie brand I have. The
Ryobi wasn't that much more and I would buy another. I can also use
the batteries in the other Ryobi tools I have. But, none of them will
withstand everyday use.

Hank

"John Grabowski" wrote in message
I use the impact driver instead. It just makes screwing effortless.

I may get one to keep next to the bed then.

One of these days, I'll have to get an impact driver, and
see about this effortless screwing you mention.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"John Grabowski" wrote in message
...

*I have a Bosch 10.8 volt. It is small and lightweight, but
is quite
powerful. Unfortunately before this tool came out I had
purchased the Bosch
cordless screwdriver (I Driver I think) and was quite
pleased with the power
that it had. Since I purchased the impact driver I have put
the cordless
screwdriver in the closet. I use the impact driver instead.
It just makes
screwing effortless.

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

"John Grabowski" wrote in message
I use the impact driver instead. It just makes screwing effortless.

I may get one to keep next to the bed then.


*That's where I keep my hammer-drill :-)

Check at pawn shops. Things are very reasonably priced there now.

You definitely have better luck at pawn shows than do I.

I have NEVER seen a bargain there.

The electric tools (battery and plug in) are OK but clearly not in the same
class as the top of the line stuff from HD. Of course selling for about
1/3rd the price does provide some compensation.

When HF shines (IMO) is with pneumatic tools.

The HF might not be quite the same qualify as the best HD tools but a HF
store has a heck of a lot more variety than any HD.

Moreover HF seems to have a variety of fasteners available for each of the
pnematic tools it sells.

If the already has an air compressor (he can pick something up cheap at HF)
he may well find a pneumatic tool that's as useful as the corresponding
electric tool.

On Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:56:10 -0400, against all advice, something
compelled "desgnr" , to say:

How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a 3"
screw into a 2" x 4" stud.


So . . . just that one time? HF should be fine.





--

Don't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's original, you will
have to ram it down their throats.
- Howard Aiken

How does Harbor Freight tools rate compared to Home depot tools ?
I am currently looking for a coordless drill driver capable of driving a
3" screw into a 2" x 4" stud.

I have a Makita angle grinder..its about 15 years old and has given great
service over the years under tough conditions. You can buy them new for
about $ 50-60
I was visiting the inlaws in FL after the hurricanes about 8 yrs ago,
Needed to do some aluminum repair so we bought a similar angle grinder from
HFT..on sale for under $ 20. It got so HOT while running that after about 5
minutes that it couldnt be held in the ungloved hand and made twice the
noise of the Makita. I wouldn't have expected it to last more than a year
or so, if that.

If I needed a certain power tool to do one job (then probably never or
rarely use it again) I'd get one from HFT. If I planned to use it
regularly over the years, I'd get a "name brand". My 10 year old DeWalt 12V
VSR drill will drive 3" screws..problem is, I'm on my THIRD set of
rechargeable batteries for it...Drill won't DIE..the batteries do.

I see Hitachi 18V impact drivers on sale here and there. They're great for
driving screws but the "drill" model is more versatile IMO.
If I had some time to "look around", I'd consider SEARS Craftsman 18V VSR
drill..IF.. I could find it on sale. They re often on sale for "40% off !
...maybe
$ 69- 79.00. I had a couple over the years that worked quite well. Make
sure you get the TWO speed 0-450/ 0 - 1400 or 1800 RPM (The single
speed are hopelessly slow) with the bigger One hour charger (not the cheapie
little charger they sell with some)