I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want . Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we all know ,
cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run - whether from dying
in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever you're working on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?
--
Snag
I should probably
bite the bullet ...

"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want . Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we all know
, cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run - whether from
dying in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever you're working
on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

Do not let not being able to afford a Milwaukee stop you from getting your
job done. If all you can afford is an HF get it, and get the profits in
from the job. Then take them and write them off as tool replacement costs
for a Milwaukee or Makita.

I had a long informative reply, but my fat fingers and this computer ate it.

On 2010-02-23, Bob La Londe wrote:
"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want . Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we all know
, cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run - whether from
dying in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever you're working
on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

Do not let not being able to afford a Milwaukee stop you from getting your
job done. If all you can afford is an HF get it, and get the profits in
from the job. Then take them and write them off as tool replacement costs
for a Milwaukee or Makita.

I had a long informative reply, but my fat fingers and this computer ate it.


I had very poor results with a cheap battery drill that was similar to
the HF one. It had a very bad charger and in general was no good. I
have a Dewalt now and it never failed me. The charging system does a
great job at charging and not overcharging batteries.

i

"Ignoramus21067" wrote in message
...
On 2010-02-23, Bob La Londe wrote:
"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business
I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want . Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we all
know
, cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run - whether from
dying in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever you're
working
on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

Do not let not being able to afford a Milwaukee stop you from getting
your
job done. If all you can afford is an HF get it, and get the profits in
from the job. Then take them and write them off as tool replacement
costs
for a Milwaukee or Makita.

I had a long informative reply, but my fat fingers and this computer ate
it.


I had very poor results with a cheap battery drill that was similar to
the HF one. It had a very bad charger and in general was no good. I
have a Dewalt now and it never failed me. The charging system does a
great job at charging and not overcharging batteries.

i

Yes, but the important point is that you do NOT have the money you spent on
the cheapo. If you take that off the purchase price of a good one, it would
have probably made such a deal that you would have bought the good one. Now
all you have is an expensive fishing weight.

That's the problem with buying some of the cheaper items. You spend money,
then end up spending more to get a good one, and you have a nearly worthless
paperweight.

MHO

Steve

On 2010-02-23, Steve B wrote:

"Ignoramus21067" wrote in message
...
On 2010-02-23, Bob La Londe wrote:
"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business
I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want . Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we all
know
, cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run - whether from
dying in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever you're
working
on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

Do not let not being able to afford a Milwaukee stop you from getting
your
job done. If all you can afford is an HF get it, and get the profits in
from the job. Then take them and write them off as tool replacement
costs
for a Milwaukee or Makita.

I had a long informative reply, but my fat fingers and this computer ate
it.


I had very poor results with a cheap battery drill that was similar to
the HF one. It had a very bad charger and in general was no good. I
have a Dewalt now and it never failed me. The charging system does a
great job at charging and not overcharging batteries.

i

Yes, but the important point is that you do NOT have the money you spent on
the cheapo. If you take that off the purchase price of a good one, it would
have probably made such a deal that you would have bought the good one. Now
all you have is an expensive fishing weight.

That's the problem with buying some of the cheaper items. You spend money,
then end up spending more to get a good one, and you have a nearly worthless
paperweight.

This is basically true, and in addition, you have to subtract the time
wasted because the tool was out of operation (something you mentioned
in the previous post). Some cheap things work out OK, though.

i

"Ignoramus21067" wrote in message
...
On 2010-02-23, Steve B wrote:

"Ignoramus21067" wrote in message
...
On 2010-02-23, Bob La Londe wrote:
"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business
I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want .
Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we all
know
, cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run - whether
from
dying in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever you're
working
on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

Do not let not being able to afford a Milwaukee stop you from getting
your
job done. If all you can afford is an HF get it, and get the profits
in
from the job. Then take them and write them off as tool replacement
costs
for a Milwaukee or Makita.

I had a long informative reply, but my fat fingers and this computer
ate
it.


I had very poor results with a cheap battery drill that was similar to
the HF one. It had a very bad charger and in general was no good. I
have a Dewalt now and it never failed me. The charging system does a
great job at charging and not overcharging batteries.

i

Yes, but the important point is that you do NOT have the money you spent
on
the cheapo. If you take that off the purchase price of a good one, it
would
have probably made such a deal that you would have bought the good one.
Now
all you have is an expensive fishing weight.

That's the problem with buying some of the cheaper items. You spend
money,
then end up spending more to get a good one, and you have a nearly
worthless
paperweight.

This is basically true, and in addition, you have to subtract the time
wasted because the tool was out of operation (something you mentioned
in the previous post). Some cheap things work out OK, though.

i

And check out pawn shops and craigslist. I use www.Searchtempest.com as you
can search a defined number of miles from your zip code on CL.

"Ignoramus21067" wrote

.. Some cheap things work out OK, though.

i

I bought an electric string trimmer at a yard sale for $2. It worked for
about 15 minutes then went up in smoke. I bought another at a thrift store
for $4, and it is still chugging along. Still a lot cheaper than the $50 or
$60 they want for a new one. I've tossed stuff before that I got really
cheap, and figured I got more than my money's worth on it. But for reliable
stuff that can make me money or shut me down, I prefer to buy good tools.

Steve

Steve B wrote:
"Ignoramus21067" wrote in
message ...
On 2010-02-23, Bob La Londe wrote:
"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman
business I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want .
Anybody using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper ,
but as we all know
, cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run -
whether from dying in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up
whatever you're working
on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

Do not let not being able to afford a Milwaukee stop you from
getting your
job done. If all you can afford is an HF get it, and get the
profits in from the job. Then take them and write them off as tool
replacement costs
for a Milwaukee or Makita.

I had a long informative reply, but my fat fingers and this
computer ate it.


I had very poor results with a cheap battery drill that was similar
to the HF one. It had a very bad charger and in general was no good.
I have a Dewalt now and it never failed me. The charging system does
a great job at charging and not overcharging batteries.

i

Yes, but the important point is that you do NOT have the money you
spent on the cheapo. If you take that off the purchase price of a
good one, it would have probably made such a deal that you would have
bought the good one. Now all you have is an expensive fishing weight.

That's the problem with buying some of the cheaper items. You spend
money, then end up spending more to get a good one, and you have a
nearly worthless paperweight.

MHO

Steve

Which is why I asked , if a few had good luck with those , I'd buy one .
Looks like I'm going to bite the bullet on the drill . Fleabay has the
(model 972 , I think) one I like for around a hundred .
If the guy buys that Camaro axle today , I can afford a decent nailer too
..
--
Snag
"90 FLHTCU "Strider"
'39 WLDD "PopCycle"
BS 132/SENS/DOF

Snag wrote:

Which is why I asked , if a few had good luck with those , I'd buy one .
Looks like I'm going to bite the bullet on the drill . Fleabay has the
(model 972 , I think) one I like for around a hundred .
If the guy buys that Camaro axle today , I can afford a decent nailer too


I've had good luck out of several HF models. I got about four years
use before the batteries were useless. I currently have two of this
model, and three spare batteries:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93440

It is a 19.2 volt version of my first HF drill that was identical
except it used a 9.6 volt battery pack. That drill still holds a little
charge, and is about eight years old.

I started buying two identical drills so I can switch jobs without
changing a bit every time. Like a drill bit on one and a screwdriver of
socket driver in the other.

These are $29.99 and spare batteries are Item 92603 @$16.99 each. I
bought three spare batteries on sale recently, for $10.99 each. I use
them for work around the house, like building cabinets & shelving, and
to work on computers.


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

Yesterday, I saw a really clean, gently used DeWalt 14.4 with two batteries
and a charger at a pawn shop for $70. They probably would have taken less.

Steve

Ignoramus21067 wrote:
On 2010-02-23, Bob La Londe wrote:
"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman
business I'm starting , and right now I can't afford the one I
really want . Anybody using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot
cheaper , but as we all know , cheaper tools often end up costing
more in the long run - whether from dying in the middle of a job ,
or from screwin' up whatever you're working on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

Do not let not being able to afford a Milwaukee stop you from
getting your job done. If all you can afford is an HF get it, and
get the profits in from the job. Then take them and write them off
as tool replacement costs for a Milwaukee or Makita.

I had a long informative reply, but my fat fingers and this computer
ate it.


I had very poor results with a cheap battery drill that was similar to
the HF one. It had a very bad charger and in general was no good. I
have a Dewalt now and it never failed me. The charging system does a
great job at charging and not overcharging batteries.

i

The DeWalt 12V 2-speed is my favorite drill , used 'em for years at more
than one shop . Light and plenty powerful enough to drive a 3" screw
full-depth in hardwood .

--
Snag
My only working drill
is a DeWalt 1/2" -
but it's too heavy and slow .

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business
I'm starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want .
Anybody using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we
all know , cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run -
whether from dying in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever
you're working on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

Do not let not being able to afford a Milwaukee stop you from getting your
job done. If all you can afford is an HF get it, and get the profits in
from the job. Then take them and write them off as tool replacement costs
for a Milwaukee or Makita.

I had a long informative reply, but my fat fingers and this computer ate
it.

Let me put it to you this way: If you get out on a job, and your drill
doesn't work, do you? There are MANY things that you can cut corners on,
and cheap items are as good as expensive ones, but I don't consider a good
battery drill to be in that category. Look at pawn shops. I have seen some
killer deals there, and haggle with the guy from the moment you go in,
offering him a lowball price. Walk around. Chances are, by the time you
leave, they will want you to part with some of your money. If not, go to
the next pawn shop. Check your local Craigslist. A friend of mine got a
Porter Cable pancake compressor and three nail guns of various sizes, all
never used for $125. Plus a good shock of hose, and thousands of nails.

You don't want your drill to take the rest of the day off when you are not
finished. Look for one with an extra battery. Very important. I like my
DeWalt 18v.

Steve

"Steve B" wrote in message
...

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business
I'm starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want .
Anybody using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as
we all know , cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run -
whether from dying in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever
you're working on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

Do not let not being able to afford a Milwaukee stop you from getting
your job done. If all you can afford is an HF get it, and get the
profits in from the job. Then take them and write them off as tool
replacement costs for a Milwaukee or Makita.

I had a long informative reply, but my fat fingers and this computer ate
it.

Let me put it to you this way: If you get out on a job, and your drill
doesn't work, do you? There are MANY things that you can cut corners on,
and cheap items are as good as expensive ones, but I don't consider a good
battery drill to be in that category. Look at pawn shops. I have seen
some killer deals there, and haggle with the guy from the moment you go
in, offering him a lowball price. Walk around. Chances are, by the time
you leave, they will want you to part with some of your money. If not, go
to the next pawn shop. Check your local Craigslist. A friend of mine got
a Porter Cable pancake compressor and three nail guns of various sizes,
all never used for $125. Plus a good shock of hose, and thousands of
nails.

You don't want your drill to take the rest of the day off when you are not
finished. Look for one with an extra battery. Very important. I like my
DeWalt 18v.

Steve


And I buy some of my tools from Amazon.com Free shipping and no tax. And
they will match any internet price.

Steve B wrote:

Let me put it to you this way: If you get out on a job, and your drill
doesn't work, do you? There are MANY things that you can cut corners on,
and cheap items are as good as expensive ones, but I don't consider a good
battery drill to be in that category. Look at pawn shops. I have seen some
killer deals there, and haggle with the guy from the moment you go in,
offering him a lowball price. Walk around. Chances are, by the time you
leave, they will want you to part with some of your money. If not, go to
the next pawn shop. Check your local Craigslist. A friend of mine got a
Porter Cable pancake compressor and three nail guns of various sizes, all
never used for $125. Plus a good shock of hose, and thousands of nails.

You don't want your drill to take the rest of the day off when you are not
finished. Look for one with an extra battery. Very important. I like my
DeWalt 18v.

Steve

Is it one of the Dewalt cordless drills with a safety recall for
being a fire hazard?


http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/recalls/DewaltSafetyrecall.pdf


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...

Steve B wrote:

Let me put it to you this way: If you get out on a job, and your drill
doesn't work, do you? There are MANY things that you can cut corners on,
and cheap items are as good as expensive ones, but I don't consider a
good
battery drill to be in that category. Look at pawn shops. I have seen
some
killer deals there, and haggle with the guy from the moment you go in,
offering him a lowball price. Walk around. Chances are, by the time you
leave, they will want you to part with some of your money. If not, go to
the next pawn shop. Check your local Craigslist. A friend of mine got a
Porter Cable pancake compressor and three nail guns of various sizes, all
never used for $125. Plus a good shock of hose, and thousands of nails.

You don't want your drill to take the rest of the day off when you are
not
finished. Look for one with an extra battery. Very important. I like
my
DeWalt 18v.

Steve

Is it one of the Dewalt cordless drills with a safety recall for
being a fire hazard?


http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/recalls/DewaltSafetyrecall.pdf


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

No, it is the DeWalt that has been recalled for cutting people's fingers
when they grab the spinning bit instead of the chuck.

Moron.

Steve B wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...

Steve B wrote:

Let me put it to you this way: If you get out on a job, and your drill
doesn't work, do you? There are MANY things that you can cut corners on,
and cheap items are as good as expensive ones, but I don't consider a
good
battery drill to be in that category. Look at pawn shops. I have seen
some
killer deals there, and haggle with the guy from the moment you go in,
offering him a lowball price. Walk around. Chances are, by the time you
leave, they will want you to part with some of your money. If not, go to
the next pawn shop. Check your local Craigslist. A friend of mine got a
Porter Cable pancake compressor and three nail guns of various sizes, all
never used for $125. Plus a good shock of hose, and thousands of nails.

You don't want your drill to take the rest of the day off when you are
not
finished. Look for one with an extra battery. Very important. I like
my
DeWalt 18v.

Steve

Is it one of the Dewalt cordless drills with a safety recall for
being a fire hazard?


http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/recalls/DewaltSafetyrecall.pdf


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

No, it is the DeWalt that has been recalled for cutting people's fingers
when they grab the spinning bit instead of the chuck.


Then shove it back up your ass and pull the trigger.


Moron.


At least you finally admitted it.



Did you look at the list of recalled DeWalt models, jackass? They
have defective triggers that overheat and can catch fire.






--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

On Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:37:42 -0800, the infamous "Steve B"
scrawled the following:


"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business
I'm starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want .
Anybody using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we
all know , cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run -
whether from dying in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever
you're working on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

Do not let not being able to afford a Milwaukee stop you from getting your
job done. If all you can afford is an HF get it, and get the profits in
from the job. Then take them and write them off as tool replacement costs
for a Milwaukee or Makita.

I had a long informative reply, but my fat fingers and this computer ate
it.

Let me put it to you this way: If you get out on a job, and your drill
doesn't work, do you? There are MANY things that you can cut corners on,
and cheap items are as good as expensive ones, but I don't consider a good
battery drill to be in that category.

I always have at least two battery drills (Impactor and drill),
sometimes 3, and my corded B&D dog with the 1/2" chuck, with me in the
truck.


Look at pawn shops. I have seen some
killer deals there, and haggle with the guy from the moment you go in,
offering him a lowball price. Walk around. Chances are, by the time you
leave, they will want you to part with some of your money. If not, go to
the next pawn shop. Check your local Craigslist. A friend of mine got a
Porter Cable pancake compressor and three nail guns of various sizes, all
never used for $125. Plus a good shock of hose, and thousands of nails.

I've never seen a good deal on a tool in a pawn shop in my life.


You don't want your drill to take the rest of the day off when you are not
finished. Look for one with an extra battery. Very important. I like my
DeWalt 18v.

Yes, extra batteries, charger onboard, and a power strip in case you
only have one outlet to use and have more than one corded tool to go
into it.

--
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it
exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong
remedy." -- Ernest Benn

On Feb 23, 10:42*pm, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:37:42 -0800, the infamous "Steve B"
scrawled the following:
"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
"Snag" wrote in message

[someone wrote]
Look at pawn shops. *I have seen some
killer deals there, ...
I've never seen a good deal on a tool in a pawn shop in my life.
....

I buy a lot of stuff second-hand and agree, they may not be the best
deals relative to remaining wear life but they compete well with
Harbor Freight for backup tools, the ones you have two of in case one
is dropped or stolen or you don't want to keep swapping the drill,
countersink and screwdriver bits.

jsw

There are good deals to be had at second hand stores.

I bought a set of new Craftsman ratcheting combination wrenches for
$10, just as one example. These guys, it seems, knew only one thing,
which is how to haggle for scrap gold jewelry, and knew nothing about
tools.

The key is to just not agree to a price that is not advantageous.

i

"Larry Jaques" wrote

I've never seen a good deal on a tool in a pawn shop in my life.

Porter Cable pancake compressor with three nailguns, 100' hose, and lots of
nails, $135.

DeWalt sliding compound sliding saw with new Diablo blade, $200.

Remington Monte Carlo grade 552 Speedmaster, $90.

HEAVY Rockwell Table saw with new blade, and large top, $50.

I could go on.

I think the pawn shops in my area must be different than yours.

Steve

On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:37:51 -0800, the infamous "Steve B"
scrawled the following:


"Larry Jaques" wrote

I've never seen a good deal on a tool in a pawn shop in my life.

Porter Cable pancake compressor with three nailguns, 100' hose, and lots of
nails, $135.

DeWalt sliding compound sliding saw with new Diablo blade, $200.

OK, there you have a good price.


Remington Monte Carlo grade 552 Speedmaster, $90.

HEAVY Rockwell Table saw with new blade, and large top, $50.

I could go on.

I think the pawn shops in my area must be different than yours.

They just might be. I seldom see stuff for any less than full retail
up here, and I saw the same crap in LoCal when I lived there. Ghastly
high prices on decent stuff, and way too high a price on dead, old, or
worn-out goods which were missing batteries, chargers, cases, chuck
keys, etc.

Every time I've been into a pawn shop, I wonder how in the hell they
stay in business. One pawn shop here sells used pistols (well, he
tries, anyway) for prices higher than the manufacturer gets for brand
new pieces.

--
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it
exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong
remedy." -- Ernest Benn

On Feb 23, 8:42*pm, Larry Jaques wrote:
snippage

I've never seen a good deal on a tool in a pawn shop in my life.

snippage

It'll be regional and to a certain extent seasonal. Around here, the
roofers and yard workers pawn their tools at the start of winter so
they can get back to Mexico for the holidays. Along about Nov. or
Dec., compressors and nail guns are a drug and deals can be had, same
for mowers and string trimmers. A lot of the items will have been
used hard with no maintenance, that's where the skill and knowledge
comes in to spot a deal. I don't see any machine tools and only a few
hand power tools. For some reason, beat-up Sawzalls and clones seem
to be the exception. Not too many air tools besides nailers, either.

Stan

"Steve B" wrote in message
...

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business
I'm starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want .
Anybody using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as
we all know , cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run -
whether from dying in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever
you're working on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

Do not let not being able to afford a Milwaukee stop you from getting
your job done. If all you can afford is an HF get it, and get the
profits in from the job. Then take them and write them off as tool
replacement costs for a Milwaukee or Makita.

I had a long informative reply, but my fat fingers and this computer ate
it.

Let me put it to you this way: If you get out on a job, and your drill
doesn't work, do you? There are MANY things that you can cut corners on,
and cheap items are as good as expensive ones, but I don't consider a good
battery drill to be in that category. Look at pawn shops. I have seen
some killer deals there, and haggle with the guy from the moment you go
in, offering him a lowball price. Walk around. Chances are, by the time
you leave, they will want you to part with some of your money. If not, go
to the next pawn shop. Check your local Craigslist. A friend of mine got
a Porter Cable pancake compressor and three nail guns of various sizes,
all never used for $125. Plus a good shock of hose, and thousands of
nails.

You don't want your drill to take the rest of the day off when you are not
finished. Look for one with an extra battery. Very important. I like my
DeWalt 18v.

Let me put it a different way. If you have $30 in your pocket and a job to
do today you can either not do it and still have $20 (lunch) in your pocket
tomorrow or you can buy a cheap drill, do the job, and tomorrow you have
$200 dollars in your pocket and a cheap drill which you can keep or throw
away.

Long term the better quality tool is always the best thing to get. Short
term it isn't always, and you have to get through the short term first.
Sometimes the best compromise is to buy both. One now and one later. The
problem with most folks is they go, "Ooooh! I have $200 in my pocket now.
I think I'll take the Ol' Lady and the Kids out to dinner instead of buying
the better drill."

Sure, if they had the $200 up front they would be better off to buy the
better drill upfront in the long run. But if they don't they will still be
better off to get the job done than to not get the job done.

I've been a contractor since I sold my first job in 1993. I didn't even
have a truck. I hired a buddy to help me out because he needed some work
and he had a truck. I didn't need his help to do the job, but I needed a
truck. If I had not needed the truck I could have done it myself and
pocketed more money, but I would not have been able to do the job without
the truck. If I had held out to buy a truck first I would not have gotten
that job and probably would not be a contractor today.

P.S. That first customer is still a client today.

P.P.S. I can't count the number of drills I have had in the last 20 years.
Some cheap ones, and some very good ones. My good rotary hammer was about
$800, but I have a $29.95 drill sitting on my work bench in the shop that
always has a 1/4" drill bit in it because its small, fits lots of places,
and it seems like I always need to punch a 1/4" hole in something. Right
now I've probably got more than a dozen drill motors of one type or another
(some I should probably throw away) and I know the difference between a
quality drill motor and a cheap one. I've had Ryobi, Skill, B&D, DeWalt,
Milwaukee, Makita, Porter Cable, Rigid, Crapsman, and generic ones. Hands
down I think Milwaukee are the best with Rigid and Makita coming up second,
and in a few years my 1/2" Rigid may move up to number one if it holds up
like my table saw and my band saw have.

What about DeWalt? I had 3 or 4 of those in cordless, and they were fine.
I was happy with how thy performed, but the chuck was proprietary, and one
of my guys managed to break a chuck. I couldn't just throw a chuck off a
burned up drill on it like I could with a Makita or a Milwaukee, so I
replaced them with Makitas and Milwaukees.

On Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:28:27 -0700, "Bob La Londe"
wrote:

"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want . Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we all know
, cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run - whether from
dying in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever you're working
on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

Do not let not being able to afford a Milwaukee stop you from getting your
job done. If all you can afford is an HF get it, and get the profits in
from the job. Then take them and write them off as tool replacement costs
for a Milwaukee or Makita.

I had a long informative reply, but my fat fingers and this computer ate it.

I would pass on the Milwaukee, I got 4 dead batteries and a dead
charger, but then again it is 3 years old.

I think my next new cordless might be a Makita, my 15+ year old Makita
battery still holds a partial charge.


Thank You,
Randy

Remove 333 from email address to reply.

On 2/24/2010 12:06 PM, Randy wrote:

(...)

I would pass on the Milwaukee, I got 4 dead batteries and a dead
charger, but then again it is 3 years old.

These guys rebuilt several of my packs and made my tired
Makita tools run like new: http://www.primecell.com/pctools.htm

--Winston

"Randy" wrote

I think my next new cordless might be a Makita, my 15+ year old Makita
battery still holds a partial charge.


Thank You,
Randy

I would not part with my OLD Makita 9.6 as it is great for a lot of stuff.
Not everything, but that's when I get the 18v. out. Or the corded.

Steve

Check reviews on this site:

www.hfreviews.com

-Brian

wrote in message
...
Check reviews on this site:

www.hfreviews.com

-Brian

I checked five drills and got only one review. Pretty impressive. The
excitement was too much, so I stopped and went and got a nitro pill.

Steve

Steve B wrote:
wrote in message
...
Check reviews on this site:

www.hfreviews.com

-Brian

I checked five drills and got only one review. Pretty impressive. The
excitement was too much, so I stopped and went and got a nitro
pill.
Steve

Steve , do your nitro pills also give you pounding headaches ? Worked in
aerospace/missile stuff a couple decades ago . One of the solid rocket
fuels I worked with used nitro . After the first headache I made damn sure
not to get any on my skin or breath the vapors .
--
Snag
"90 FLHTCU "Strider"
'39 WLDD "PopCycle"
BS 132/SENS/DOF

"Snag" wrote

Steve , do your nitro pills also give you pounding headaches ? Worked in
aerospace/missile stuff a couple decades ago . One of the solid rocket
fuels I worked with used nitro . After the first headache I made damn sure
not to get any on my skin or breath the vapors .
--
Snag


Yes, they do. Enough so that they give you morphine when you are in the
hospital. In the old days when people used nitroglycerine to blast with, it
was just a job hazard. You can also get them in skin patches. That is what
I was up against when I went and got these last tests.

Steve

Snag wrote:
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want . Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we all know ,
cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run - whether from dying
in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever you're working on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

I bought a 18-volt HF drill for $19.95 a year ago. came with two
batteries. Works just fine.
For your purposes I bet it would get you by until you can afford a
name-brand. Then it would be a good backup.

On Feb 23, 3:45*am, "Snag" wrote:
* I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want . Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we all know ,
cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run - whether from dying
in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever you're working on .
* Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?
--
Snag
I should probably
bite the bullet ...

Have had two of the HF drills. they are ok, but the charger will kill
the batteries in short order. If you have a way of shutting off the
power to the charger after 6-8 hours, then your batteries will last a
lot longer. There is NO intelligence in the charger.

On the other hand, I have a Sears/Dewalt drill, with two batteries, at
work that is over 10 years old. I replace the batteries 3 years ago
with two off Ebay. We don't swap batteries until one is pretty well
out of juice. Then recharge it for a day or two. The difference is the
charger for this drill has some intelligence and does not ever
overcharge and over heat the batteries.

The HF drill batteries should be good for about 1 year. Will that give
you enough use until you can get a good one?

Paul

wrote:
On Feb 23, 3:45 am, "Snag" wrote:
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman
business I'm starting , and right now I can't afford the one I
really want . Anybody using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot
cheaper , but as we all know , cheaper tools often end up costing
more in the long run - whether from dying in the middle of a job ,
or from screwin' up whatever you're working on . Same goes for their
pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ? --
Snag
I should probably
bite the bullet ...

Have had two of the HF drills. they are ok, but the charger will kill
the batteries in short order. If you have a way of shutting off the
power to the charger after 6-8 hours, then your batteries will last a
lot longer. There is NO intelligence in the charger.

On the other hand, I have a Sears/Dewalt drill, with two batteries, at
work that is over 10 years old. I replace the batteries 3 years ago
with two off Ebay. We don't swap batteries until one is pretty well
out of juice. Then recharge it for a day or two. The difference is the
charger for this drill has some intelligence and does not ever
overcharge and over heat the batteries.

The HF drill batteries should be good for about 1 year. Will that give
you enough use until you can get a good one?

Paul

If that guy that wanted this Camaro axle comes today like he said , I'll be
getting the DeWalt I want ... if he doesn't buy it , I'll be gettin' the HF
and unplugging the charger at night .

--
Snag
"90 FLHTCU "Strider"
'39 WLDD "PopCycle"
BS 132/SENS/DOF

On Feb 23, 1:26*pm, "Snag" wrote:
wrote:
On Feb 23, 3:45 am, "Snag" wrote:
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman
business I'm starting , and right now I can't afford the one I
really want . Anybody using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot
cheaper , but as we all know , cheaper tools often end up costing
more in the long run - whether from dying in the middle of a job ,
or from screwin' up whatever you're working on . Same goes for their
pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ? --
Snag
I should probably
bite the bullet ...

Have had two of the HF drills. they are ok, but the charger will kill
the batteries in short order. If you have a way of shutting off the
power to the charger after 6-8 hours, then your batteries will last a
lot longer. There is NO intelligence in the charger.

On the other hand, I have a Sears/Dewalt drill, with two batteries, at
work that is over 10 years old. I replace the batteries 3 years ago
with two off Ebay. We don't swap batteries until one is pretty well
out of juice. Then recharge it for a day or two. The difference is the
charger for this drill has some intelligence and does not ever
overcharge and over heat the batteries.

The HF drill batteries should be good for about 1 year. Will that give
you enough use until you can get a good one?

Paul

If that guy that wanted this Camaro axle comes today like he said , I'll be
getting the DeWalt I want ... if he doesn't buy it , I'll be gettin' the HF
and unplugging the charger at night .

--
Snag
"90 FLHTCU "Strider"
'39 WLDD "PopCycle"
BS 132/SENS/DOF- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Put it on a timer...you will forget.

TMT

On Feb 23, 4:45*am, "Snag" wrote:
* I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want . Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we all know ,
cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run - whether from dying
in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever you're working on .
* Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?
--
Snag
I should probably
bite the bullet ...

I've got one of the HF cheapies, if you get one, buy your spare
batteries at the same time, they're NOT all the same design, even in
the same brand! For occasional drilling/driving, it's OK, it's not
something you're going to want to use 8 hours a day, it's not up to
running hundreds of screws at a time. For things like mounting a few
hinges or maybe weather stripping a door, it'd be fine. You need at
least two batteries for sustained work, the HF chargers tend to be not
much more than a wall wart and a cradle with no smarts. The
instructions say to remove when charged, not to leave them in all the
time. If you follow those instructions, the batteries seem to last a
fair number of recharges.

I bought one of their 18-gauge slight-head pin drivers, it works OK.
The occasional jam needs a hex wrench to clear, some of the more
expensive units can be cleared with bare hands. Check the limits on
the pin sizes it'll drive, if you need shorter or longer nails, find
something else. It was almost ridiculously cheap at about $10, cheap
enough I could see if I wanted to invest in more expensive hardware.
I use it for setting pins in rough wood storage boxes to hold them
together while the glue sets. More controllable than the staple gun I
tried.

Stan

"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a small handyman business
I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I really want . Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot cheaper , but as we all know
,
cheaper tools often end up costing more in the long run - whether from
dying
in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up whatever you're working on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?
--
Snag
I should probably
bite the bullet ...



The HF that I tried worked OK but the battery died a quick death.

Later I found out that the charging system is not automatic and if you leave
the battery on the charger too long it kills the batteries.

--

__
Roger Shoaf

Important factors in selecting a mate:
1] Depth of gene pool
2] Position on the food chain.

I find that 3 hours works for charging the
battery. I've got a lamp timer, because I usually
forget. Somtimes I'll plug it in about 8 PM and
leave the battery and charger on my bed, figuring
I'll see it in three hours when I go to bed.

My 12 volt Drill Master has worked for several
years. As others have correctly mentioned:

* The chargers are STUPID and will kill your
battery if left plugged in.
* Read the manual. For me, 3 hour charge works
fine.
* He's right, they have several designs of
batteries. When I got them, the battery cost about
as much as the drill. I got 12 volt so I could
wire the drill to a car lighter cord, and run off
a jumper pack when the battery dies. The battery
hasn't yet died.
* Spare batteries are excellent idea.

Never used a pin finishing nailer.

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


"Snag" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be needing a battery drill for a
small handyman business I'm
starting , and right now I can't afford the one I
really want . Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ? They're a lot
cheaper , but as we all know ,
cheaper tools often end up costing more in the
long run - whether from dying
in the middle of a job , or from screwin' up
whatever you're working on .
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ...
anyone have one ?
--
Snag
I should probably
bite the bullet ...

Tomorrow I shop . There are a couple of pawn shops that have treated me
well over the years , I'll check them first . I googled , best deal I found
had 12v car charger , which might be useful in the field , but not as a
primary . Might look at the Firestorm drills at BLowes , my son has one and
he likes it . Heavier than the DeWalt I like ... but more powerful too .
I thibnk I'll wait a bit on the pin nailer , I don't really need one just
yet . Going to keep the money put back for when I do , though !
There's been a lot of good info from all who responded , and I'd like to
thank everyone for there help . Right now , it's time to get cookin' on my
dinner if I wanna eat tonight . (The wife stays in our camper over where she
teaches during the week to save on gas . And I've turned out to have a
talent for cooking !)
--
Snag
"90 FLHTCU "Strider"
'39 WLDD "PopCycle"
BS 132/SENS/DOF

Snag wrote:

Tomorrow I shop . There are a couple of pawn shops that have treated me
well over the years , I'll check them first . I googled , best deal I found
had 12v car charger , which might be useful in the field , but not as a
primary . Might look at the Firestorm drills at BLowes , my son has one and
he likes it .


Black and Decker has disconinued that product line:
www.firestormtools.com


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

On 2/23/2010 6:45 AM, Snag wrote:
Anybody
using one of the HF offerings ?
Same goes for their pin/finish nailers ... anyone have one ?

I used my HF Mod. 40116 pin/stapler for the first time last week. It
worked every time. No jams. Put the pins where I wanted them. For the
fifteen bucks it cost, it owes me nothing.

Kevin Gallimore