Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One died a
couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill for around 5 or
6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've been (overall) happy
with the battery life (ie time between charges) and power. I can order a
replacement battery for around $50 or I can upgrade. This is my 2nd
generation of Ryobi and I've been pretty happy with their stuff. Of course
in 5 or 6 years, technology has advanced a bunch and there are new names in
the market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.

Ed Edelenbos wrote:

Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One died a
couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill for around 5
or
6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've been (overall) happy
with the battery life (ie time between charges) and power. I can order a
replacement battery for around $50 or I can upgrade. This is my 2nd
generation of Ryobi and I've been pretty happy with their stuff. Of
course in 5 or 6 years, technology has advanced a bunch and there are new
names in the market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.
Makita 18 volt Ion. Very light and powerful, has a handy light that does
come in handy and it charges really fast. Here's a link to it. I have the
hammer drill which is handy if ever you need to drill through concrete.
It's only a few dollars more and worth having and doesn't really add any
weight to the drill. I also have a Dewalt 18 which is a little more on the
heavy side and heavier duty. I use these drill everyday and really like the
Makita
Do not buy a Porter Cable. They're JUNK!!!

http://alturl.com/t7f3

--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"
Running Mandriva release 2008.0 free-i586 using KDE on i586
Website Address http://rentmyhusband.biz/

Ed Edelenbos wrote:

Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One died a
couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill for around 5
or
6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've been (overall) happy
with the battery life (ie time between charges) and power. I can order a
replacement battery for around $50 or I can upgrade. This is my 2nd
generation of Ryobi and I've been pretty happy with their stuff. Of
course in 5 or 6 years, technology has advanced a bunch and there are new
names in the market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.


I have two HF 18V that I have been using for several years and they do
everything I could ask. If I need anything heavier I drag out my corded
Royi 4.4Amp

But then I am a hobbist.

Deb

"Ed Edelenbos" wrote in message
...
Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One died a
couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill for around 5
or 6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've been (overall)
happy with the battery life (ie time between charges) and power. I can
order a replacement battery for around $50 or I can upgrade. This is my
2nd generation of Ryobi and I've been pretty happy with their stuff. Of
course in 5 or 6 years, technology has advanced a bunch and there are new
names in the market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.


I would not consider any drill over 12 or so volts unless it has a lithium
ion battery. Those standard large voltage batteries get kinda heavy pretty
quick. I some how or another was awarded a Bosch 19 volt impact driver and
it is ok, it basically weighs as much as my 12 volt Makita impact driver.
IOW not too heavy but it is a 50/50 toss up as to which one I go for.
Basically Lithium Ion battery drills tend to not loose their charge while
setting for periods of time and typically hold a charge longer while
working. And are suppose to be able to be recharged 2x as many times in a
life time. IIRC the Bosch Lithium Ion battery is rated as 1.2 amp. the
Makita 12 volt NiCH battery is rated at 2.6 amps. The higher voltage
drills will typically hold a charge longer.

On 10/20/2009 02:23 PM, Ed Edelenbos wrote:
Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One died a
couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill for around 5 or
6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've been (overall) happy
with the battery life (ie time between charges) and power. I can order a
replacement battery for around $50 or I can upgrade. This is my 2nd
generation of Ryobi and I've been pretty happy with their stuff. Of course
in 5 or 6 years, technology has advanced a bunch and there are new names in
the market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.

Ryobi is still okay if you were satisfied with them before.

A good mid-to-upper level brand is Makita. Their compact 18V ones are
reasonably priced and recharge fast. I really like the handles on most
Makita drills.

Panasonic makes little-known but excellent cordless drills and impact
drivers. Their 15.6V did better than most other 18V ones in tests.
They're aimed mostly at tradesmen though so they're not as widely
distributed and tend not to go on sale.

At the very top end is Festool. Crazy expensive but they have a bunch
of specialized attachments that can be lifesavers when they're needed.

Chris

On Oct 20, 3:23*pm, "Ed Edelenbos" wrote:
Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. *One died a
couple years ago and I replaced it then. *I've had the drill for around 5 or
6 years and done mostly home projects with it. *I've been (overall) happy
with the battery life (ie time between charges) and power. *I can order a
replacement battery for around $50 or I can upgrade. *This is my 2nd
generation of Ryobi and I've been pretty happy with their stuff. * Of course
in 5 or 6 years, technology has advanced a bunch and there are new names in
the market.

There are places that rebuild battery packs for a lot less than you
can buy them new for. That said, I'm not a fan of Ryobi.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? *I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.

I have a couple of the larger Dewalt 18V and a 12V Dewalt (two of the
three were significantly cheaper than the included batteries). The
larger ones are OK but they're, well, large. I later bought a Bosch
12V Li-Ion, which I use for most things along with its "Impactor"
brother. I also have an older PC, which I've gone through a couple of
sets of batteries on (and had rebuilt) and an old Makita that I only
keep around because it takes the same batteries as my right angle
drill and 3-3/4" saw. I haven't used them in a couple of years
though.
I also bought an 18V HF, which I promptly threw in the corner, never
to be seen again. Of all of the above, the only ones I really like
are the Bosch. If I didn't have the big, clunky, Dewalts I'd buy an
18V Bosch.

Considering all the posts below, typically the best deal on a name
brand is to get a combo pack of drill and driver drill. It will only
come with one battery for each and only one charger but you pay about
1.2x the cost of the sum of the two if bought separately. Just a tip.
I have Makita. Have been bullet proof. Would buy Bosch anything.

On Oct 20, 1:23*pm, "Ed Edelenbos" wrote:
Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. *One died a
couple years ago and I replaced it then. *I've had the drill for around 5 or
6 years and done mostly home projects with it. *I've been (overall) happy
with the battery life (ie time between charges) and power. *I can order a
replacement battery for around $50 or I can upgrade. *This is my 2nd
generation of Ryobi and I've been pretty happy with their stuff. * Of course
in 5 or 6 years, technology has advanced a bunch and there are new names in
the market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? *I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.

I bought a 19.2 V Porter Cable in 2005 or 2006. The batteries have
recently gotten bad and have thought to send them he http://www.primecell.com/
It would cost me about $100 to recharge, plus postage, compared to
$200 for new ones.

I paid about $250 for this PC drill, 2 batteries, charger, case, which
I thought was a bit much, but it has lasted 3-4 yrs and I've done a
lot with it. It's heavy, though, so a lighter one would be nice.

I'll re-read these posts and may consider getting another brand and/or
get another as a spare. I'm glad this topic came up.... right on time
for me, too.

Sonny

Sonny wrote:

I bought a 19.2 V Porter Cable in 2005 or 2006. The batteries have
recently gotten bad and have thought to send them he
http://www.primecell.com/ It would cost me about $100 to recharge, plus
postage, compared to $200 for new ones.

I paid about $250 for this PC drill, 2 batteries, charger, case, which
I thought was a bit much, but it has lasted 3-4 yrs and I've done a
lot with it. It's heavy, though, so a lighter one would be nice.

I'll re-read these posts and may consider getting another brand and/or
get another as a spare. I'm glad this topic came up.... right on time
for me, too.

Sonny
Just don't buy a new Porter Cable, they really are junk. My tool supplier
won't even carry them since Black and Decker bought them. Matter of fact
will not fix the new ones cause he can't get the parts.
--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"
Running Mandriva release 2008.0 free-i586 using KDE on i586
Website Address http://rentmyhusband.biz/

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? *I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.

Look at Makita. I don't own the bigger drill but I have two 14.4's
and they are dependable machines. My wife got me a drill/driver combo
about four years ago because we thought the old (9+ year) drill was on
the way out. Well, rumors of its demise were exaggerated because it
is still working just as well as the newer machine........its just
uglier from years of use. These machines have gotten more than normal
home use with a basement finish in a previous house, a 250' cedar
fence plus other normal stuff. More recently they have been though
building and finishing our new home.

In article ,
says...

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.


Let me put it this way: my 12V Panasonic outperforms the 19.2V made-in-
China store-brand drill that someone gave me as a present by a factor of
2. Easily. The nominal voltage isn't everything.
The fact that the Panasonic cost ~NZ$ 500 and the other one ~NZ$ 30 is a
bit of a give-away right there.

The 12V Ryobi I had would twist it's whole casing when trying to put 3"
screws into part- rotten floorjoists, was trying to tighten a springy
ancient deck ... another present, that drill was. It snapped the gearbox
when a hammerhand used it to put 1/4" long self-tapping screws into a
tin barn we were putting up.

Seriously, I think you'd probably be amazed at just about any other
branded drill by comparison with Ryobi. Hitachi, Makita, Bosch, DeWalt
.... doesn't matter - unless you get a lemon, they'll all perform better.

I got a 10.6V Bosch driver last year with Li-Ion Batteries. The staying
power of those batteries is amazing, they just don't seem to discharge
themselves when not in use. O.t.o.h. I feel that they do not quite have
the power of NiCd or NiMH batteries. This may not matter with larger
size cordless drills: this unit is deliberately very small; the
batteries seem tiny at less than 1/4 the volume of my 9.6V Panasonic
drill's power pack.

At the top end: Panasonic, Metabo, Festool are probably way too
expensive & overkill for your useage/needs if you were even remotely
happy with a Ryobi's performance before.

h.t.h. -Peter

"Ed Edelenbos" wrote in message

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.

Check out the Panasonic 15.6V. Great power to weight ratio and outperforms
many 18V models.

Thanks all for the responses.

Ed

"Ed Edelenbos" wrote in message
...
Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One died a
couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill for around 5
or 6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've been (overall)
happy with the battery life (ie time between charges) and power. I can
order a replacement battery for around $50 or I can upgrade. This is my
2nd generation of Ryobi and I've been pretty happy with their stuff. Of
course in 5 or 6 years, technology has advanced a bunch and there are new
names in the market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.

On Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:23:46 -0400, "Ed Edelenbos"
wrote:

Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One died a
couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill for around 5 or
6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've been (overall) happy
with the battery life (ie time between charges) and power. I can order a
replacement battery for around $50 or I can upgrade. This is my 2nd
generation of Ryobi and I've been pretty happy with their stuff. Of course
in 5 or 6 years, technology has advanced a bunch and there are new names in
the market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.


I recommend a corded Milwaulkee drill. It will last a lifetime and
won't run out of power. There are better brands than Ryobi. A 14
volt is about right for general purpose.

"evodawg" wrote in message
...
Sonny wrote:

Sonny
Just don't buy a new Porter Cable, they really are junk. My tool supplier
won't even carry them since Black and Decker bought them. Matter of fact
will not fix the new ones cause he can't get the parts.

IMHO the PC drills were pretty much substandard 10 years ago.




--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"
Running Mandriva release 2008.0 free-i586 using KDE on i586
Website Address http://rentmyhusband.biz/

Phisherman wrote:

I recommend a corded Milwaulkee drill. It will last a lifetime and
won't run out of power.

The only cordless I ever saw that could repeatedly drill 5/8 x 6" holes
in 6000psi concrete, time after time.


--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

Phisherman wrote:
On Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:23:46 -0400, "Ed Edelenbos"
wrote:

Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One
died a couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill
for around 5 or 6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've
been (overall) happy with the battery life (ie time between charges)
and power. I can order a replacement battery for around $50 or I
can upgrade. This is my 2nd generation of Ryobi and I've been
pretty happy with their stuff. Of course in 5 or 6 years,
technology has advanced a bunch and there are new names in the
market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not
really interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent
drill.


I recommend a corded Milwaulkee drill. It will last a lifetime and
won't run out of power. There are better brands than Ryobi. A 14
volt is about right for general purpose.

I had a corded Milwaukee and finally gave it away because I wasn't using it
anymore and didn't want to see it just gathering dust.

"J. Clarke" wrote in message
...
Phisherman wrote:
On Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:23:46 -0400, "Ed Edelenbos"
wrote:

Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One
died a couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill
for around 5 or 6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've
been (overall) happy with the battery life (ie time between charges)
and power. I can order a replacement battery for around $50 or I
can upgrade. This is my 2nd generation of Ryobi and I've been
pretty happy with their stuff. Of course in 5 or 6 years,
technology has advanced a bunch and there are new names in the
market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not
really interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent
drill.


I recommend a corded Milwaulkee drill. It will last a lifetime and
won't run out of power. There are better brands than Ryobi. A 14
volt is about right for general purpose.

I had a corded Milwaukee and finally gave it away because I wasn't using
it
anymore and didn't want to see it just gathering dust.


I have plenty corded drills. With cordless drills being what they are, I
hardly ever use them.

Ed

On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:44:36 -0400, "J. Clarke"

I had a corded Milwaukee and finally gave it away because I wasn't using it
anymore and didn't want to see it just gathering dust.

I'm in a similar situation, but I continue to hold onto my corded
Milwaukee hammer drill just in case I run into something that needs
real power. It's a single speed, clockwise only drill about 15 years
old, but it runs as well today as it did when I first bought it.

If they bury it with me when my time comes, I'll arrive at the pearly
gates or maybe the gates to hell with a smile on my face.

wrote:
On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:44:36 -0400, "J. Clarke"
I had a corded Milwaukee and finally gave it away because I wasn't using it
anymore and didn't want to see it just gathering dust.

I'm in a similar situation, but I continue to hold onto my corded
Milwaukee hammer drill just in case I run into something that needs
real power. It's a single speed, clockwise only drill about 15 years
old, but it runs as well today as it did when I first bought it.

If they bury it with me when my time comes, I'll arrive at the pearly
gates or maybe the gates to hell with a smile on my face.

I don't use mine much, but I'd certainly never get rid of it and when you need it you NEED
it. Can't imagine chucking up the 3/4" auger bit and drilling those dog holes in my
workbench with anything less than the Milwaukee...

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:33:29 -0500, Steve Turner
wrote:

I don't use mine much, but I'd certainly never get rid of it and when you need it you NEED
it. Can't imagine chucking up the 3/4" auger bit and drilling those dog holes in my
workbench with anything less than the Milwaukee...

Let me ask you about that. Do you consider an auger bit the preferred
drill for dog holes? Have you tried any other types of bits to drill
dog holes?

I've got a 2" thick maple bench with no dog holes at all and I was
considering drilling a few.

wrote:
On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:33:29 -0500, Steve Turner
wrote:

I don't use mine much, but I'd certainly never get rid of it and when you need it you NEED
it. Can't imagine chucking up the 3/4" auger bit and drilling those dog holes in my
workbench with anything less than the Milwaukee...

Let me ask you about that. Do you consider an auger bit the preferred
drill for dog holes? Have you tried any other types of bits to drill
dog holes?

I've got a 2" thick maple bench with no dog holes at all and I was
considering drilling a few.

I think it depends on how "clean" you want them and what kind of wood you're drilling in.
My bench is just made of poplar and it's a real workhorse, not a work of art, so I didn't
much care about making super-clean dog holes. Also, auger bits are VERY hungry and if
you're drilling in anything much harder than pine or poplar I've found that drilling a 1/4
pilot hole helps keep the bit from twisting your dang arms off and tearing the dickens out
of the workpiece. I haven't tried using any other type of bit to drill dog holes.

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

J. Clarke wrote:

Phisherman wrote:
On Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:23:46 -0400, "Ed Edelenbos"
wrote:

Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One
died a couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill
for around 5 or 6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've
been (overall) happy with the battery life (ie time between charges)
and power. I can order a replacement battery for around $50 or I
can upgrade. This is my 2nd generation of Ryobi and I've been
pretty happy with their stuff. Of course in 5 or 6 years,
technology has advanced a bunch and there are new names in the
market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not
really interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent
drill.


I recommend a corded Milwaulkee drill. It will last a lifetime and
won't run out of power. There are better brands than Ryobi. A 14
volt is about right for general purpose.

I had a corded Milwaukee and finally gave it away because I wasn't using
it anymore and didn't want to see it just gathering dust.

I probably had the same one and it almost broke my wrist. What torque that
drill has. Think they call it the Hole Shooter...

--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"
Running Mandriva release 2008.0 free-i586 using KDE on i586
Website Address http://rentmyhusband.biz/

On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:56:25 -0500, Steve Turner
wrote:
you're drilling in anything much harder than pine or poplar I've found that drilling a 1/4
pilot hole helps keep the bit from twisting your dang arms off and tearing the dickens out
of the workpiece. I haven't tried using any other type of bit to drill dog holes.

Ok thanks. I'll probably end up drilling guide holes with a standard
smaller twist drill and then go to a forstner bit to get clean holes.
Considering the hardness of the maple, I expect I'll have to drill it
in stages so the bit doesn't overheat until I'm almost through and
then come back up until both sides meet.

On 10/21/2009 01:38 PM, wrote:

Let me ask you about that. Do you consider an auger bit the preferred
drill for dog holes? Have you tried any other types of bits to drill
dog holes?

I've got a 2" thick maple bench with no dog holes at all and I was
considering drilling a few.

I need to do dog holes in my 2.5" maple bench. I happen to have a 3/4"
router bit so I'm going to use that to get the holes started in my
bench, then finish up with a spade bit.

Chris

On 10/21/2009 03:02 PM, evodawg wrote:

I probably had the same one and it almost broke my wrist. What torque that
drill has. Think they call it the Hole Shooter...

The ultimate Milwaukee is the Super Hole Shooter. 10A motor at 350rpm.
Yikes! The Super Hawg comes close...13A at 450rpm.

Chris

"Chris Friesen" wrote in message
el...
On 10/21/2009 01:38 PM, wrote:

Let me ask you about that. Do you consider an auger bit the preferred
drill for dog holes? Have you tried any other types of bits to drill
dog holes?

I've got a 2" thick maple bench with no dog holes at all and I was
considering drilling a few.

I need to do dog holes in my 2.5" maple bench. I happen to have a 3/4"
router bit so I'm going to use that to get the holes started in my
bench, then finish up with a spade bit.

Chris

That is probably what I would do.

"Chris Friesen" wrote:

I need to do dog holes in my 2.5" maple bench. I happen to have a
3/4"
router bit so I'm going to use that to get the holes started in my
bench, then finish up with a spade bit.

Yikes!

Smooth holes! NOT!

Why not use a 3/4" hole saw with the pilot drill to get started from
each end about 1/4" deep, then remove pilot drill and complete ther
hole clearing waste every 1/4"-3/8".

BTDT

YMMV

Lew

Dr. Deb wrote:
Ed Edelenbos wrote:

Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One
died a couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill
for around 5 or
6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've been (overall)
happy with the battery life (ie time between charges) and power. I
can order a replacement battery for around $50 or I can upgrade.
This is my 2nd generation of Ryobi and I've been pretty happy with
their stuff. Of course in 5 or 6 years, technology has advanced a
bunch and there are new names in the market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not
really interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent
drill.


I have two HF 18V that I have been using for several years and they do
everything I could ask. If I need anything heavier I drag out my
corded Royi 4.4Amp

But then I am a hobbist.


Yep. Here's a 19.2V one for $30
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96526

They also have several other models, including your 18V one.

When they were on sale for $20, I bought two: one for the shop and one to
grow on. Plus extra batteries.

i like the sears c-3 assortment. they came out with a lithium battery
and it works with the older c-3 stuff as well as the newer models that
come with the lithium batteries - wait for a sale! They have a drill
driver with radio, charger and lithium power (2 - I think) for around
99 bucks when its on sale. I;ve had my C-3 set since they first came
out (5years?) and the original batteries are working fine. I have the
set with the saws all, drill driver, mini skill saw, sander and silly
light (but it has come in handy - better than a couple of D cells and
the old flashlight).

I mainly use the drill driver and saws all and, though a hobbyist/
homeowner, I've built quite a lot of stiff using this set and it
appears to be going strong yet.

I have read where it may be better to rebuild your battery pack than
buy NOS packs that may have been sitting an a warehouse since the
model first appeared on the market. Shared for what it is worth.

Chris Friesen wrote:
On 10/21/2009 01:38 PM, wrote:

Let me ask you about that. Do you consider an auger bit the preferred
drill for dog holes? Have you tried any other types of bits to drill
dog holes?

I've got a 2" thick maple bench with no dog holes at all and I was
considering drilling a few.

I need to do dog holes in my 2.5" maple bench. I happen to have a 3/4"
router bit so I'm going to use that to get the holes started in my
bench, then finish up with a spade bit.

Chris


If you held a piece of sacrificial wood, tightly against the maple, and
drilled through both, you would get a clean entry.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"Chris Friesen" wrote in message
...
On 10/20/2009 02:23 PM, Ed Edelenbos wrote:
Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One died a
couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill for around 5
or
6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've been (overall) happy
with the battery life (ie time between charges) and power. I can order a
replacement battery for around $50 or I can upgrade. This is my 2nd
generation of Ryobi and I've been pretty happy with their stuff. Of
course
in 5 or 6 years, technology has advanced a bunch and there are new names
in
the market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.

Ryobi is still okay if you were satisfied with them before.

A good mid-to-upper level brand is Makita. Their compact 18V ones are
reasonably priced and recharge fast. I really like the handles on most
Makita drills.

Panasonic makes little-known but excellent cordless drills and impact
drivers. Their 15.6V did better than most other 18V ones in tests.
They're aimed mostly at tradesmen though so they're not as widely
distributed and tend not to go on sale.

At the very top end is Festool. Crazy expensive but they have a bunch
of specialized attachments that can be lifesavers when they're needed.


FWW did a fairly recent test of 18V Lithium drill / drivers, the Makita
BDF452HW, scored both best over all and best value. Retail is about 200
bucks, occasionally the Big Box DIY stores discount this drill and an Impact
Driver (that is a sweet tool) for $225 - $230. Agreed on the Panasonic
15.6V, a real work horse, I just bought the Makita combo kit because I was
impressed with the impact driver, and ended up with both tools, and 2
batteries for just a bit more than a single would have cost.

Swingman writes:

Phisherman wrote:

I recommend a corded Milwaulkee drill. It will last a lifetime and
won't run out of power.

The only cordless I ever saw that could repeatedly drill 5/8 x 6"
holes in 6000psi concrete, time after time.

Phisherman was talking about the corded drill. I assume you are
talking about the cordless, which won't last forever, unless you buy
more powerpacks.

"Chris Friesen" wrote in message
...
On 10/21/2009 03:02 PM, evodawg wrote:

I probably had the same one and it almost broke my wrist. What
torque that
drill has. Think they call it the Hole Shooter...

The ultimate Milwaukee is the Super Hole Shooter. 10A motor at
350rpm.
Yikes! The Super Hawg comes close...13A at 450rpm.

Chris

I had one. A bit hung on some rebar and it literally picked me up
off an 8' ladder and tossed me to the floor. I love that drill.

--
Nonny

Live a good and honorable life.
Then when you get older and
think back, you'll enjoy it
a second time.

I would suggest Rigid based on the 12v drill I have from them and the
lifetime service warranty
I recently got one (father's day 2009) to replace the dead batteries in my
9.6 v Mikitas
So far I am real happy with the Rigid, compact size, lots of power, 2
batteries, long life life fast recharge time



"Ed Edelenbos" wrote in message
...
Ok, so one of batteries for my Ryobi 14.4 battery is dying. One died a
couple years ago and I replaced it then. I've had the drill for around 5
or 6 years and done mostly home projects with it. I've been (overall)
happy with the battery life (ie time between charges) and power. I can
order a replacement battery for around $50 or I can upgrade. This is my
2nd generation of Ryobi and I've been pretty happy with their stuff. Of
course in 5 or 6 years, technology has advanced a bunch and there are new
names in the market.

What are the suggestions for 18v (or 19.2v???) drills? I'm not really
interested in saws and all the other stuff, just a decent drill.

Sonny wrote:
I bought a 19.2 V Porter Cable in 2005 or 2006. The batteries have
recently gotten bad and have thought to send them he http://www.primecell.com/
It would cost me about $100 to recharge, plus postage, compared to
$200 for new ones.

I paid about $250 for this PC drill, 2 batteries, charger, case, which
I thought was a bit much, but it has lasted 3-4 yrs and I've done a
lot with it. It's heavy, though, so a lighter one would be nice.

I'll re-read these posts and may consider getting another brand and/or
get another as a spare. I'm glad this topic came up.... right on time
for me, too.

I have two lithium ion drills, an 18 volt, which is big and heavy and
powerful, and a little 7.2 volt cheapie. The cheap one is really more
of a screw driver because it has that quick release 1/4" hex thing for
bits. This little "toy" gun is my goto drill because it is really small
and light, powerful for its size, and the batteries last surprising long.

Anyway, I'm in the market to buy an in between drill, not a screw gun,
and have decided on either a Bosch 12 volt drill
http://tinyurl.com/yzukjck or a Milwaukee http://tinyurl.com/yle3cx5.

I couldn't make up my mind which to buy, but I noticed the price on the
Milwaukee went up since I last looked... I'll probably go Bosch now that
there is a price difference, I'm a cheap sob...

Anyway, The new batteries seem really great compared to just a few years
ago, and the most used drills are always the lightest, smallest ones
that get the job done. I personally favor small drills without the
weight and fat bottoms.

--
Jack
Using FREE News Server: http://www.eternal-september.org/
http://jbstein.com

On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:42:29 -0500, -MIKE-
wrote:

If you held a piece of sacrificial wood, tightly against the maple, and
drilled through both, you would get a clean entry.

Yeah, that occurred to me after I posted. It would also eliminate the
chance of two holes from both sides not lining up exactly.

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
...
"Chris Friesen" wrote:

I need to do dog holes in my 2.5" maple bench. I happen to have a 3/4"
router bit so I'm going to use that to get the holes started in my
bench, then finish up with a spade bit.

Yikes!

Smooth holes! NOT!

Why not use a 3/4" hole saw with the pilot drill to get started from each
end about 1/4" deep, then remove pilot drill and complete ther hole
clearing waste every 1/4"-3/8".

BTDT

YMMV

Lew


Yeah I have not seen a hole saw that cuts smooth than a spade bit. And once
below the surface does it really matter if the hole is perfectly smooth?

"Leon" wrote in message
news

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
...
"Chris Friesen" wrote:

I need to do dog holes in my 2.5" maple bench. I happen to have a 3/4"
router bit so I'm going to use that to get the holes started in my
bench, then finish up with a spade bit.

Yikes!

Smooth holes! NOT!

Why not use a 3/4" hole saw with the pilot drill to get started from each
end about 1/4" deep, then remove pilot drill and complete ther hole
clearing waste every 1/4"-3/8".


Woops! I see your point now. DOH!

Leon wrote:
"Leon" wrote in message
news

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
...
"Chris Friesen" wrote:

I need to do dog holes in my 2.5" maple bench. I happen to have a
3/4" router bit so I'm going to use that to get the holes started
in my bench, then finish up with a spade bit.

Yikes!

Smooth holes! NOT!

Why not use a 3/4" hole saw with the pilot drill to get started
from each end about 1/4" deep, then remove pilot drill and complete
ther hole clearing waste every 1/4"-3/8".


Woops! I see your point now. DOH!

Why not just spend the 10 bucks for a Forstner bit and be done with it? For
one set of dog holes you don't need carbide.