I looked in the archives and could not find this topic discussed any
later than 2003 so I thought I would see what recommendations people
might have now in 2008.

I have a Skil cordless drill. I like the weight and balance of the
tool, it does the jobs I want it for, the batteries have lasted for
years and years, but I HATE the chuck and it is getting worse by the
week.

I am on the hunt for a cordless drill with a user friendly chuck that
will actually hold the bits in place, not too heavy, balanced in the
hand, two batteries would be good. I'm not going to spend extra $$ for
"totally excellent" top of the line - reliable and "very good" will
suit me.

I know y'all have opinions on which drill to choose and I look forward
to reading your picks and reasoning. And after I find the right tool I
will, of course, want to know where to find the best deal, too G.

Thanks!

remuddler wrote:

I am on the hunt for a cordless drill with a user friendly chuck that
will actually hold the bits in place, not too heavy, balanced in the
hand, two batteries would be good. I'm not going to spend extra $$ for
"totally excellent" top of the line - reliable and "very good" will
suit me.

There are a bazillion reviews in the various magazines. I think Fine
Homebuilding may have done one recently. In any case, the black and
white Makita drills are nice--light weight, lithium ion battery, and
fast recharge. I don't own one, but my father-in-law does.

If you don't need huge torque, the mini 10.8 and 12V lithium-ion ones
with the cylindrical battery are starting to get popular. They're light
and compact and can easily get into small spaces.

If the feel is okay for you, Ridgid might be nice due to the lifetime
service agreement which includes replacing dead batteries. Maybe not
quite as ergonomic, but cheaper in the long run.

Chris

remuddler wrote:
I looked in the archives and could not find this topic discussed any
later than 2003 so I thought I would see what recommendations people
might have now in 2008.

I have a Skil cordless drill. I like the weight and balance of the
tool, it does the jobs I want it for, the batteries have lasted for
years and years, but I HATE the chuck and it is getting worse by the
week.

I am on the hunt for a cordless drill with a user friendly chuck that
will actually hold the bits in place, not too heavy, balanced in the
hand, two batteries would be good. I'm not going to spend extra $$ for
"totally excellent" top of the line - reliable and "very good" will
suit me.

I know y'all have opinions on which drill to choose and I look forward
to reading your picks and reasoning. And after I find the right tool I
will, of course, want to know where to find the best deal, too G.

I did a bunch of reading, and then bit the bullet on the Makita BDF452HW.
It's a great tool, plain and simple. The balance is perfect, the power
is startling, the batteries (it comes with two) just keep going for ages,
and the recharge time is about 15 minutes. It's light, well designed, and
really useful.

Honestly, one of the nicest tools I own.

Colin

On Sep 16, 9:55 am, remuddler wrote:
I looked in the archives and could not find this topic discussed any
later than 2003 so I thought I would see what recommendations people
might have now in 2008.

I have a Skil cordless drill. I like the weight and balance of the
tool, it does the jobs I want it for, the batteries have lasted for
years and years, but I HATE the chuck and it is getting worse by the
week.

If the batteries are still good and you like everything else about it,
replace the chuck.

remuddler wrote:

I have a Skil cordless drill. I like the weight and balance of the
tool, it does the jobs I want it for, the batteries have lasted
for years and years, but I HATE the chuck and it is getting worse
by the week.

I am on the hunt for a cordless drill with a user friendly chuck
that will actually hold the bits in place, not too heavy, balanced
in the hand, two batteries would be good.

No doubt your Skil has a two-piece chuck.

The best way to avoid slippage IMO is to buy drill bits that have
beveled shanks (maybe preferable) or the type with quickchange hex
shanks (decent quality, avoid Hitachi).

Look for the term "single sleeve ratcheting chuck". Look for NiMH or
lithium-ion batteries. The old NiCad are the weakest, the drill has
cheap NiCad if they don't tell you the batteries are NiMH or
lithium-ion. Try to find the amp hours specification, it should be
at least 2Ah, some Panasonic have 3.5 amp hour batteries, at even 18
V! Lithium-ion batteries are powerful and very light. I think most
drills come with two batteries these days. Some Panasonic
drills have a possibly useful but peculiar way of starting at about
60 rpm instead of starting slowly like most drills.



--
The first big front wheel rollerblades.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27532210@N04/2565924423/
Google Groups is destroying the USENET archive.

remuddler wrote in news:18d586e4-f477-4904-8e78-
:

I looked in the archives and could not find this topic discussed any
later than 2003 so I thought I would see what recommendations people
might have now in 2008.

I have a Skil cordless drill. I like the weight and balance of the
tool, it does the jobs I want it for, the batteries have lasted for
years and years, but I HATE the chuck and it is getting worse by the
week.


*snip*

Stay away from new Skil cordless drills. I picked up one a few years ago
and the battery is already shot. Now when I need a drill/driver, I go
for a Dewalt corded model. Lots of power and the outlet is usually
nearby.

I've been seriously looking at the Makitas as a replacement. I really
like the weight balance, and I know they're professional quality. Just
waiting for the right time to buy. (I should have jumped when they had
that combo pack for $100 off...)

Puckdropper
--
If you're quiet, your teeth never touch your ankles.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:

....

Stay away from new Skil cordless drills. I picked up one a few
years ago and the battery is already shot. Now when I need a
drill/driver, I go for a Dewalt corded model. Lots of power and
the outlet is usually nearby.

You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.

John Doe wrote:

You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.

Eh? I have a 2500rpm HF VSR corded drill for pocket hole drilling and
for edge drilling pilot holes - but use a 600rpm HF VSR rechargable for
driving screws.

(...and sometimes use a high-speed pneumatic drill for /really/ clean
pocket holes.)

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

"Morris Dovey" wrote

John Doe wrote:

You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.

Eh? I have a 2500rpm HF VSR corded drill for pocket hole drilling and for
edge drilling pilot holes - but use a 600rpm HF VSR rechargable for
driving screws.

(...and sometimes use a high-speed pneumatic drill for /really/ clean
pocket holes.)

Is that for handheld use? Or do you use the CNC machine? Or another robot
of some type?

"John Doe" wrote in message

You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.

Corded, as in "no battery needed" Is that a new invention? I bet it takes
off and sell millions.

"remuddler" wrote in message
I am on the hunt for a cordless drill with a user friendly chuck that
will actually hold the bits in place, not too heavy, balanced in the
hand, two batteries would be good. I'm not going to spend extra $$ for
"totally excellent" top of the line - reliable and "very good" will
suit me.

Two years ago I headed to the store to buy a Bosch 18V or Milwaukee. I
walked out with the Panasonic 15.6V and I'm still very happy with it.
Powerful, but yet a nice feel and relatively light weight. Be sure to
handle one before you make your final decision.

Lee Michaels wrote:
"Morris Dovey" wrote

John Doe wrote:

You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.
Eh? I have a 2500rpm HF VSR corded drill for pocket hole drilling and for
edge drilling pilot holes - but use a 600rpm HF VSR rechargable for
driving screws.

(...and sometimes use a high-speed pneumatic drill for /really/ clean
pocket holes.)

Is that for handheld use? Or do you use the CNC machine? Or another robot
of some type?

/Another/ smartass! This is starting to feel like whack-a-mole! ;-)

Yes, these are all hand-held drills (although the notion of a CNC
machine to install glazing and trim does have a certain amount of appeal).

Hmm... Thank you, I think.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

On Sep 16, 10:30*pm, Morris Dovey wrote:
Lee Michaels wrote:
"Morris Dovey" *wrote

John Doe wrote:

You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.
Eh? I have a 2500rpm HF VSR corded drill for pocket hole drilling and for
edge drilling pilot holes - but use a 600rpm HF VSR rechargable for
driving screws.

(...and sometimes use a high-speed pneumatic drill for /really/ clean
pocket holes.)

Is that for handheld use? *Or do you use the CNC machine? *Or another robot
of some type? *

/Another/ smartass! This is starting to feel like whack-a-mole! ;-)

Smartass?? Where??


Yes, these are all hand-held drills (although the notion of a CNC
machine to install glazing and trim does have a certain amount of appeal)..

Mount a HF air drill cheapo on the 'Bot. How hard can that be?

Robatoy wrote:

Mount a HF air drill cheapo on the 'Bot. How hard can that be?

Some 'Bot owners have done that. I bought a full set of collets and
chuck the drill in the spindle...

....but edge drilling a 6- or 8-foot long 1x8 board with only 6 inches of
Z travel just doesn't work (I can't get the bit over the workpiece). :-(

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

On Sep 16, 10:55*pm, Morris Dovey wrote:
Robatoy wrote:
Mount a HF air drill cheapo on the 'Bot. How hard can that be?

Some 'Bot owners have done that. I bought a full set of collets and
chuck the drill in the spindle...

...but edge drilling a 6- or 8-foot long 1x8 board with only 6 inches of
Z travel just doesn't work (I can't get the bit over the workpiece). :-(

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USAhttp://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

Mount it horizontally and drill on the Y axis?

John Doe wrote in news:YmVzk.505$ZP4.442
@nlpi067.nbdc.sbc.com:

Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:

...

Stay away from new Skil cordless drills. I picked up one a few
years ago and the battery is already shot. Now when I need a
drill/driver, I go for a Dewalt corded model. Lots of power and
the outlet is usually nearby.

You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.

Let's see... There's no batteries to mess with (charge and watch die),
there's about 10 times the power available, and the corded drill doesn't
even blink when I throw screws from 3/4" to 4" at it.

Puckdropper
--
If you're quiet, your teeth never touch your ankles.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

Robatoy wrote:

Mount it horizontally and drill on the Y axis?

Probably easier to live with the hand drills until the workload
justifies spending for the hardware kit to provide a 12-inch Z travel.

[ I really am liking the idea of a dedicated glazing machine --
imagining that thing doing the drilling, dispensing a perfect bead of
silicone, setting the polycarbonate, fitting the aluminum trim, and
driving all the screws -- in three minutes or less. Mmmm... :-) ]

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:16:40 GMT, John Doe
wrote:

Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:

...

Stay away from new Skil cordless drills. I picked up one a few
years ago and the battery is already shot. Now when I need a
drill/driver, I go for a Dewalt corded model. Lots of power and
the outlet is usually nearby.

You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.


I prefer corded over battery. It lasts and lasts, never quits. All
of the outlets I installed 18 years ago makes it easy. Milwaulkee is
my corded drill.

On Sep 16, 11:29*pm, Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:
John Doe wrote in news:YmVzk.505$ZP4.442
@nlpi067.nbdc.sbc.com:

Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:

...

Stay away from new Skil cordless drills. *I picked up one a few
years ago and the battery is already shot. *Now when I need a
drill/driver, I go for a Dewalt corded model. *Lots of power and
the outlet is usually nearby.

You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.

Let's see... There's no batteries to mess with (charge and watch die),
there's about 10 times the power available, and the corded drill doesn't
even blink when I throw screws from 3/4" to 4" at it.

Puckdropper

All true, which is why I've got a Bosch corded drill, but that is
useless when I'm 150' away running screws into something around our
storage shed, so that works best with a cordless. I've got a Bosch
14.4, a DeWalt 12 and 14.4, and a Makita with 12V NiMH batteries. The
Makita battery is crap; NiMH batteries self discharge at an incredible
rate. It's also about 4 years old, so now the batteries only hold a
1/10th charge and discharge before two holes are drilled. Li-ion is
the way to go, as far as I can see, at least for the next couple of
years. Not cheap, though. The Makita drill is fine, pre-dating the
current contest between Hitachi and Makita to see which one can turn
up the hand tool that looks most like chameleon puke.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"John Doe" wrote in message

You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.

Corded, as in "no battery needed" Is that a new invention? I bet
it
takes off and sell millions.

I finally gave away my corded 3/8 Milwaukee--it had been languishing
for years. Just plain didn't do anything that the cordless deWalt
wouldn't do and the deWalt would do a lot that the Milwaukee wouldn't.



--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

the black and white Makita drills are nice--light weight, lithium ion battery, and
fast recharge....If you don't need huge torque, the mini 10.8 and 12V lithium-ion ones
with the cylindrical battery are starting to get popular. They're light and compact and can easily get into small spaces....If the feel is okay for you, Ridgid might be nice due to the lifetime service agreement which includes replacing dead batteries. Maybe not
quite as ergonomic, but cheaper in the long run.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Look for the term "single sleeve ratcheting chuck". Look for NiMH or
lithium-ion batteries. ...Try to find the amp hours specification, it should be
at least 2Ah, ...Lithium-ion batteries are powerful and very light.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to all who have added to my knowledge base! I guess the search
has just begun.

In article ,
says...

"J. Clarke" wrote in message
I finally gave away my corded 3/8 Milwaukee--it had been languishing
for years. Just plain didn't do anything that the cordless deWalt
wouldn't do and the deWalt would do a lot that the Milwaukee wouldn't.

Not me. My 3/8 Milwaukee is kept and has been used as a backup drill when
the cordless needs charging or just bogs down a bit. Of course, that
cordless was a 15 year old 12v model and now that I've upgraded to an 18v
DeWalt cordless 1/2" drill, I might now find the corded to be not used any
more. Doubtful I'll ever give it away though. I'm too much of a packrat.

I have 3/8 cordless dewalt 14.4. I haven't given it much thought
since it's given me zero problems. That's what I want in a tool.

S.

"J. Clarke" wrote in message
I finally gave away my corded 3/8 Milwaukee--it had been languishing
for years. Just plain didn't do anything that the cordless deWalt
wouldn't do and the deWalt would do a lot that the Milwaukee wouldn't.

Not me. My 3/8 Milwaukee is kept and has been used as a backup drill when
the cordless needs charging or just bogs down a bit. Of course, that
cordless was a 15 year old 12v model and now that I've upgraded to an 18v
DeWalt cordless 1/2" drill, I might now find the corded to be not used any
more. Doubtful I'll ever give it away though. I'm too much of a packrat.

On Sep 16, 11:29*pm, Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:
John Doe wrote in news:YmVzk.505$ZP4.442
@nlpi067.nbdc.sbc.com:

Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:

...

Stay away from new Skil cordless drills. *I picked up one a few
years ago and the battery is already shot. *Now when I need a
drill/driver, I go for a Dewalt corded model. *Lots of power and
the outlet is usually nearby.

You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.

Let's see... There's no batteries to mess with (charge and watch die),
there's about 10 times the power available, and the corded drill doesn't
even blink when I throw screws from 3/4" to 4" at it.

I ended up with a corded Makita 1/2" (9/16) chuck and hammer function.
It came as a freebie with my LS 1013 mitre saw.

I already had a Milwaukee corded 1/2" monster, one I use for drilling
faucet holes.

That Makita is half the weight of the Milwaukee with plenty of power.
I use it in the shop....all the time.
I also use a Milwaukee corded angle drill as much as I can. The thing
just fits my hand nicely.

sooo Let's see... There's no batteries to mess with (charge and
watch die),
there's about 10 times the power available, and the corded drill doesn't
even blink when I throw screws from 3/4" to 4" at it.

I'm with Puck on this one.

All this talk about corded drills...

Back in the day before cordless drills were widely available, I used to make
rustic furniture. Everything was held together by lag screws and other
large screws. I was wasteing a lot of time changeing bits.

So I went to the Back and Decker service center. This was the days when it
was a good brand. They had a line of industrial tools. I bought three half
inch rebuilt corded drills. I think they were $40 each. For a few bucks
more, they gave me a really long cord for each. The cords were
interchangable and could be used as an extension cord in a pinch.

I needed three drills. One was to countersink the lag screw. One to drill
the pilot hole. And one to drill out the hole for the shank of the lag
screw. I taped the chuck key onto the cord close to the drill. When I was
working, I was very efficient with the three drills.

I beat the hell out of those drills for years. They never faltered. I
eventually lost one and gave one to a friend. I still have one, 35 years
old! And it was a rebuilt one too. It is still strong as a horse, though
not quite as strong and quick as it was many years ago. (I think we all
suffer from that problem.)

About 15 years ago, I bought a 9.6 volt makita. I liked the clutch in it
for driving screws. It has done just fine for me. I will be using it in my
office in the next couple of days for some minor repairs. Just charge up the
battery and it is good to go.

I am not sure what I would use if I was ever to get back into any kind of
production. But those old, orange, rebuilt Black and Decker corded drills
built well over a hundred, big rustic furniture pieces.

DeWalt 18v, hands down. It's the one ubiquitous cordless drill you see on
construction jobsites ... get a couple of extra batteries and when they're
tired have them rebuilt with more powerful cells.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 8/18/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

J. Clarke wrote:
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"John Doe" wrote in message
You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.
Corded, as in "no battery needed" Is that a new invention? I bet
it
takes off and sell millions.

I finally gave away my corded 3/8 Milwaukee--it had been languishing
for years. Just plain didn't do anything that the cordless deWalt
wouldn't do and the deWalt would do a lot that the Milwaukee wouldn't.

I honestly can't remember where my corded drill is. G

samson wrote:
In article ,
says...

"J. Clarke" wrote in message
I finally gave away my corded 3/8 Milwaukee--it had been
languishing
for years. Just plain didn't do anything that the cordless deWalt
wouldn't do and the deWalt would do a lot that the Milwaukee
wouldn't.

Not me. My 3/8 Milwaukee is kept and has been used as a backup
drill
when the cordless needs charging or just bogs down a bit. Of
course,
that cordless was a 15 year old 12v model and now that I've
upgraded
to an 18v DeWalt cordless 1/2" drill, I might now find the corded
to
be not used any more. Doubtful I'll ever give it away though. I'm
too much of a packrat.

I have 3/8 cordless dewalt 14.4. I haven't given it much thought
since it's given me zero problems. That's what I want in a tool.

When my cordless drill needs charging I just swap the battery that's
in it for the one that's in the charger.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

On Sep 17, 3:53*pm, B A R R Y wrote:
J. Clarke wrote:
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"John Doe" wrote in message
You have used a cordless drill and you prefer a corded drill? Wow.
Corded, as in "no battery needed" *Is that a new invention? *I bet
it
takes off and sell millions.

I finally gave away my corded 3/8 Milwaukee--it had been languishing
for years. *Just plain didn't do anything that the cordless deWalt
wouldn't do and the deWalt would do a lot that the Milwaukee wouldn't.

I honestly can't remember where my corded drill is. *G

For making holes, I use corded stuff, mostly. For driving screws, I
use 2 impact drivers.
I do pack a couple of cordless drills on an install, but seldom use
them.
I also have a 1/2" Milwaukee, corded..which kinda reminds me of this
ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdBQbj_6MvM

"Robatoy" wrote

I also have a 1/2" Milwaukee, corded..which kinda reminds me of this
ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdBQbj_6MvM

Yep, my Milwaukee 1/2" corded will do that ... as my wrists will
occasionally verify.


--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 8/18/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

I use two different cordless drills. One is (well, I have two of them) 12
volt drill Master by Harbor Freight. They have served me well for several
years. Mostly cause I try really hard not to leave them charging for more
than two hours at a stretch. Only 500 RPM, but gets the job done for the
most part. On sale about $15 for the drill, and worth every penny.

Other one is a Makita 14.4 volt. The batteries last three or four years, the
charger doesn't over charge. As I have major trouble with red and green
colors, I had to take the charger apart, and put electric tape over one of
the colors. Now, instead of red or green, it's on or off. It was maybe $150
for the kit, including the blow mold case and the charger. Two batteries.
The Makita is a bit faster, which is nice when shooting in zip screws for
sheet metal work.

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


"remuddler" wrote in message
...
I looked in the archives and could not find this topic discussed any
later than 2003 so I thought I would see what recommendations people
might have now in 2008.

I have a Skil cordless drill. I like the weight and balance of the
tool, it does the jobs I want it for, the batteries have lasted for
years and years, but I HATE the chuck and it is getting worse by the
week.

I am on the hunt for a cordless drill with a user friendly chuck that
will actually hold the bits in place, not too heavy, balanced in the
hand, two batteries would be good. I'm not going to spend extra $$ for
"totally excellent" top of the line - reliable and "very good" will
suit me.

I know y'all have opinions on which drill to choose and I look forward
to reading your picks and reasoning. And after I find the right tool I
will, of course, want to know where to find the best deal, too G.

Thanks!