My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White

I would get her a DeWalt 18v, despite her being 100 lbs. After a few
years she will not be 100 lbs, but the Dewalt will still work great.


i

On 2011-11-26, Doug White wrote:
My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:39:38 -0600, Ignoramus27358
wrote:

I would get her a DeWalt 18v, despite her being 100 lbs. After a few
years she will not be 100 lbs, but the Dewalt will still work great.
, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered & priced for pros.

A DeWalt Li Ion 18v would be my choice for a lighter drill, smaller
battery. If you have to go cheaper, then the 12v Li Ion would be
suitable.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White

I just bough the Bosch Bosch PS30-2A 12-Volt for $99 at Lowes. I love
it.

I wanted Li batteries and a good standard chuck. Lots of the small
drills come with the hex snap in chucks.

I really like the way the chuck locks down with one hand. It just
seems to know you want to crank it. The Makita 18's I've used for
years take two hands to crank down the chuck. It has been pretty
strong in driving some sheet rock screws into undrilled construction
lumber on some work it did with it and also nice and light for doing
some drilling with 1/16th drill bit too.

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:11:02 GMT, Doug White
wrote:

My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

If you are starting her from scratch, the DeWalt 12V/20V Max Li-Ion
system looks to be the best bet for the future - Or the old 18V with
the Nano Li-Ion batteries. Rugged and reliable, Check.

NiCd batteries aren't all that bad, you just have to make sure she
knows about the self-discharge and memory issues so she isn't caught
with dead batteries in a crisis. I'd switch to the 18V Nano
batteries, but they haven't seemed to get into wide circulation - and
they still have the "Two for $99" on the XRP's.

You never want to buy Toy tools, because you ask them to do real work
and they Fail. And that discourages her from doing the work and fall
back on calling for help - that's not good.

Within reason, don't worry about the weight of the tool - 100 pounds
or not, she isn't made of spun glass. Real Tools need a little heft
to work and not break from their own torque.

-- Bruce --

On 11/26/11 11:11 AM, Doug White wrote:
My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered&
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White


http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PS20-2A-12-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Batteries/dp/B000PI5EBW

These little Bosch drivers fit the bill.
They are very light and pack quite a punch. You'd have to check their
website to see about the charger, but just about every late model
cordless driver I've seen has a smart charger.


--

-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

"Doug White" wrote in message
. ..
My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries
that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and
I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White

I asked a friend of mine who is a contractor why he has Ridgid. He said it
was because of the lifetime guarantee. He said he doesn't send it in, but
just takes it back to HD, and they swap it out.

A consideration. Plus, I love the little light on their drill.

Steve

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:11:02 GMT
Doug White wrote:

My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it...
snip

For intermittent use battery tools are kind of expensive. Need
maintenance even if you aren't using them...

Unless she has to have battery power I would get her a corded Dewalt
3/8 inch VSR (~$50) and a nice 50 ft 14 gauge extension cord. I good
heavy extension cord is infinitely useful and the drill will have zero
maintenance issues. My Dewalt DW106 is ~10 years old and gets
intermittent hard use. Never had any issues with it and plenty of
power. Only thing that might give your daughter some grief is/are the
keyless chucks. I still have a really strong grip in my hands but can't
keep say a 3/8 inch bit from slipping in the keyless chuck while
drilling hard in metal. Other than mine has the keyless chuck, this
is it (no longer available?):

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW106-V...dp/B00004RHHH/

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

On 11/26/2011 11:11 AM, Doug White wrote:
My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered&
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White


Now's the time in instill the idea of buying quality tools not cheap
junk. I've got two Milwaukee cordless drills. A big M18 Cordless and
an small M12 Cordless screwdriver. They are without a doubt the best
cordless drills I have ever used.

If I was in the market for a smaller cordless drill I would go out and
get one of these without a second thought.

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/tools/c...driver/2410-22

LdB

"LdB" wrote


Now's the time in instill the idea of buying quality tools not cheap junk.
I've got two Milwaukee cordless drills. A big M18 Cordless and an small
M12 Cordless screwdriver. They are without a doubt the best cordless
drills I have ever used.

If I was in the market for a smaller cordless drill I would go out and get
one of these without a second thought.

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/tools/c...driver/2410-22

LdB

And here, I believe is the core of the discussion.

If I was to want to introduce someone to fishing, I would take them fishing,
and provide them with a quality rod and reel. Nothing turns off a newbie
like hassling with gear.

It is the same with tools. Your tool (or rod and reel) screw up, and you're
done until you can get it fixed or get another one. And in the meantime, a
lot of time goes out the window.

I was a steel erection contractor for nine years. I would never spend what
they want for Hilti stuff, but there were lots of good intermediate tools,
Milwaukee included, that are very reliable. I had one of their sawzalls and
rotohammer drills. Not a day of problems from either. You can skimp on
tools, and yes, there are people who are going to use them so infrequently
that some things make no difference at all. But a cordless drill is one of
the things that's used the most, so I'd spend a few extra bucks and get a
good one, instead of doing it a month or two down the line when the cheapie
takes a dump and becomes a fishing weight.

Steve

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:39:38 -0600, Ignoramus27358
wrote:

I would get her a DeWalt 18v, despite her being 100 lbs. After a few
years she will not be 100 lbs, but the Dewalt will still work great.

The Milwaukee is lighter and is nearly as burly powerwise.



i

On 2011-11-26, Doug White wrote:
My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White


One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch

Leon Fisk wrote:
On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:11:02 GMT
Doug wrote:

My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it...
snip

For intermittent use battery tools are kind of expensive. Need
maintenance even if you aren't using them...

Unless she has to have battery power I would get her a corded Dewalt
3/8 inch VSR (~$50) and a nice 50 ft 14 gauge extension cord.

Yep, Yep! If she is getting by without a drill now, then this
combination ought to be plenty adequate. One of those $5-10 sets of
screw bits and a sets of small drill bits would be nice accessories!

Bill


I good
heavy extension cord is infinitely useful and the drill will have zero
maintenance issues. My Dewalt DW106 is ~10 years old and gets
intermittent hard use. Never had any issues with it and plenty of
power. Only thing that might give your daughter some grief is/are the
keyless chucks. I still have a really strong grip in my hands but can't
keep say a 3/8 inch bit from slipping in the keyless chuck while
drilling hard in metal. Other than mine has the keyless chuck, this
is it (no longer available?):

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW106-V...dp/B00004RHHH/

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:11:02 GMT, Doug White
wrote:

My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White


18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2" Driver-Drill Kit
Model: LXFD01

3.8 lbs.

http://www.makita.com/en-us/Modules/...aspx?ID=349753
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

"Steve B" wrote in
:


"LdB" wrote


Now's the time in instill the idea of buying quality tools not cheap
junk. I've got two Milwaukee cordless drills. A big M18 Cordless and
an small M12 Cordless screwdriver. They are without a doubt the best
cordless drills I have ever used.

If I was in the market for a smaller cordless drill I would go out
and get one of these without a second thought.

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/tools/c...rdless-system/
m12-cordless-lithium-ion-3-8-inch-drill-driver/2410-22

LdB

And here, I believe is the core of the discussion.

If I was to want to introduce someone to fishing, I would take them
fishing, and provide them with a quality rod and reel. Nothing turns
off a newbie like hassling with gear.

It is the same with tools. Your tool (or rod and reel) screw up, and
you're done until you can get it fixed or get another one. And in the
meantime, a lot of time goes out the window.

I was a steel erection contractor for nine years. I would never spend
what they want for Hilti stuff, but there were lots of good
intermediate tools, Milwaukee included, that are very reliable. I had
one of their sawzalls and rotohammer drills. Not a day of problems
from either. You can skimp on tools, and yes, there are people who
are going to use them so infrequently that some things make no
difference at all. But a cordless drill is one of the things that's
used the most, so I'd spend a few extra bucks and get a good one,
instead of doing it a month or two down the line when the cheapie
takes a dump and becomes a fishing weight.

I wasn't even considering going cheap on this. I was figuring DeWalt,
Milwaukee, Bosch or Makita. It sounds like the Bosch Li Ion 12V would be
a good starting point. She quite unlikely to ever do any heavy
construction where tons of capacity are needed.

I thought about a corded drill, but she's the sort who would knock over
countless objects towing an extension cord around. Alternatively, she
would use the extension cord elsewhere & not have it available when she
needs the drill. She really bright & creative, but a bit impetuous &
macrochaotic at this stage in her life.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I'll wait a few days to see
where the dust settles.

Doug White

On Nov 26, 1:33*pm, "Steve B" wrote:
"Doug White" wrote in message

. ..





My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. *She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. *She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries
that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. *A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. *A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. *All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and
I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White

I asked a friend of mine who is a contractor why he has Ridgid. *He said it
was because of the lifetime guarantee. *He said he doesn't send it in, but
just takes it back to HD, and they swap it out.

A consideration. *Plus, I love the little light on their drill.

Steve- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

HD is no longer honoring the Ridgid lifeteime guarantee. You have to
send the entire tool (battery, charger, tool) to a service center for
'evaluation', at which point Ridgid will tell you the tool has reached
it's life limit and will not be repaired. DAMHIKT.

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:11:02 GMT, Doug White wrote:

My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

I like my 12V Bosch (have the 18V, too, but the 12V gets more use). Lowes has
the drill and the matching driver for $139, I think.

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:23:48 GMT, Doug White wrote:

"Steve B" wrote in
:


"LdB" wrote


Now's the time in instill the idea of buying quality tools not cheap
junk. I've got two Milwaukee cordless drills. A big M18 Cordless and
an small M12 Cordless screwdriver. They are without a doubt the best
cordless drills I have ever used.

If I was in the market for a smaller cordless drill I would go out
and get one of these without a second thought.

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/tools/c...rdless-system/
m12-cordless-lithium-ion-3-8-inch-drill-driver/2410-22

LdB

And here, I believe is the core of the discussion.

If I was to want to introduce someone to fishing, I would take them
fishing, and provide them with a quality rod and reel. Nothing turns
off a newbie like hassling with gear.

It is the same with tools. Your tool (or rod and reel) screw up, and
you're done until you can get it fixed or get another one. And in the
meantime, a lot of time goes out the window.

I was a steel erection contractor for nine years. I would never spend
what they want for Hilti stuff, but there were lots of good
intermediate tools, Milwaukee included, that are very reliable. I had
one of their sawzalls and rotohammer drills. Not a day of problems
from either. You can skimp on tools, and yes, there are people who
are going to use them so infrequently that some things make no
difference at all. But a cordless drill is one of the things that's
used the most, so I'd spend a few extra bucks and get a good one,
instead of doing it a month or two down the line when the cheapie
takes a dump and becomes a fishing weight.

I wasn't even considering going cheap on this. I was figuring DeWalt,
Milwaukee, Bosch or Makita. It sounds like the Bosch Li Ion 12V would be
a good starting point. She quite unlikely to ever do any heavy
construction where tons of capacity are needed.

As I said in my previous post, I have one and love it. Li-Ion is the way to
go, also. NiCd and NiMH batteries self-discharge fast enough that an
intermittent user may never have a fully charged battery. It's hard on
batteries to constantly charge them, too (most chargers don't). Li-Ion has a
very low self-discharge so the tool will be ready to use when she is.

I thought about a corded drill, but she's the sort who would knock over
countless objects towing an extension cord around. Alternatively, she
would use the extension cord elsewhere & not have it available when she
needs the drill. She really bright & creative, but a bit impetuous &
macrochaotic at this stage in her life.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I'll wait a few days to see
where the dust settles.

As others have suggested, check out Lowes.

Doug White wrote:
I wasn't even considering going cheap on this. I was figuring DeWalt,
Milwaukee, Bosch or Makita. It sounds like the Bosch Li Ion 12V would be
a good starting point. She quite unlikely to ever do any heavy
construction where tons of capacity are needed.
...

I'm with you on this. Small, light, quality. I have the Milwaukee 12v
LiIon impact driver and I LOVE it!! Pretty much only used for driving
screws (I have drills for drilling), but that's what I used my cordless
drills for, before I got the impact driver. Like the Bosch, it's
2-1/2lbs & that is a HUGE advantage. Every time I pick up a 5 lb drill
I appreciate the small one more. Note that I am not recommending an
impact driver - that's just where my experience with small LiIon is.

When I was looking for an impact driver, the Bosch & Milwaukee were
virtually identical & I went for the better price.

Bob

Ignoramus27358 wrote:
I would get her a DeWalt 18v, despite her being 100 lbs. After a few
years she will not be 100 lbs, but the Dewalt will still work great.


i

On 2011-11-26, Doug White wrote:
My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on
them. She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V
drill ain't gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so
NiCd batteries that have memory issues is probably not a good idea.
A battery/smart-charger set up where you can leave a battery plugged
in for months without damage would be great. A few years ago, Li
Ion drills all seemed to be powered & priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within
the constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd
jobs, and I have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what
the technology options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White

Like Iggy said , the DeWalt is a good choice , they're light and powerful
.. If you can find the 12V model with two batteries and a charger , grab it !
Their chargers are pretty good , I've never cooked a battery and I used the
12V ones for years - just be sure to drain the battery *completely* before
you put it on charge . My current unit is the 18V , but only because it was
on sale at Lowes for $119.95 - normal price is 189 bucks .
--
Snag
Learning keeps
you young !

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:39:38 -0600, Ignoramus27358
wrote:

I would get her a DeWalt 18v, despite her being 100 lbs. After a few
years she will not be 100 lbs, but the Dewalt will still work great.


i

On 2011-11-26, Doug White wrote:
My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White

Last January, after receiving a De Walt 1/2 cordless for Christmas
from SWMBO, I inherited the hammer drill version from Junior's FiL
because the hand grip was too large for his liking and the fact that
his batteries were getting a little iffy, this on condition that he
could borrow it back along with my new one come time to tap the sugar
bush. He will be very happy to hear that I found new batteries for
$119.00 each or two for $99.00 the other evening.
You should be aware that it does take a fair size hand to hold one of
these.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

I'm going to go against the grain here.
I saw the Hitachi 10v combo at Lowes 2 or more years ago.
Love it. I wanted a light weight unit since I already have 18v Heavy
monster. The 12v drill, and 12v impact from Hitachi fit what I was
looking for. A good light weight setup. The drill really is a light
weight and won't drill through heavy steel. But it is fine for wood and
screws ... The impact driver is the real star.... very light and damn if
it doesn't keep on driving screws... Long ones. It out performs my 18v,
it never strips a head, drives them all the way without pre-drilling.

Now for the best part: The Hitachi unlike most other 10V or 12V (many
12v are really 10v) has a flat bottom battery pack. So it will stand up.
It is the lightest tool out there and I have been super happy with it.

The LION battery is always ready, the combo comes with 2 batteries. The
pack charges quickly.



On 11/26/2011 12:11 PM, Doug White wrote:
My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered&
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White

If Festool is within your budget, their new CSX portable is a really nice
lightweight but powerful small portable.

I'm used to bigger stuff, but problems with my shoulders have made it
difficult for me to manage a 14V or 18V portable for quite a while. I took a
chance on the CSX and I really like it. It's 10.8V, comes with two batteries
and a good fast charger, and a slew of snap-on snouts that you can use to
work up close against the sides of cabinets, do right-angle drilling, and so
forth. Even though it's lower voltage than what I was used to, it seems to
have plenty of power.

Tom

On 2011-11-26, Doug White wrote:
My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.


Hmm ... if it is powerful enough for her needs, there is a nice
interchangeable motor tool by Rigid for which one head is a right-angle
drill. It is powered by 12V Li-Ion batteries. The primary thing comes
with the motor, battery, charger, and one of those vibrating saw things
which are nice for cutting drywall and other things (Plus detail
sanding, but I have not used that function on it yet -- nor the metal
cutting blade).

Oh yes -- a very nice warranty for the batteries. Be sure to
keep the packaging until you know what you need to do to register the
batteries. My wife was too quick at cleaning up. :-)

The right angle drill has plenty of torque, and I use it as a
power screwdriver for larger screws.

The basic kit comes with the R8223404 "multi-tool" head. The
drill head is R8223402, and the hammer (which works nicely in confined
spaces) is the R8223405. The whole series is called "JobMax"

The initial set, with the JobMax multi-tool head comes in a
zipper closed fitted cloth bag, and it is just barely possible to close
it with the two extra heads and a spare battery carefully wedged in.
There are a couple of other heads which I have not bothered to get,
including an impact wrench one.

Hmm ... looks as though there is now a corded power module to
use when you are running a long time, so you don't have to keep spare
batteries charged up.

Here is the starter kit at Home Despot:
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/featured-products-tools-and-hardware-award-winning-tools/ridgid-12-volt-job-maximum-multi-tool-starter-kit-150068.html

with the kit part number being: R82235.

The one review with the broken tab for locking the battery in
must have done something wrong. It is well protected while in the tool
in my opinion.

Here is Rigid's site covering the system.

http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/R92234-Combo

Here is the Home Depot for the drill head

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/featured-products-tools-and-hardware-award-winning-tools/kelleher-3-1-2-ft-x-3-1-2-in-x-1-1-2-in-wood-exterior-frame-head-door-moulding-198749.html

And here is the hammer head, if you are interested in tossing it
in:

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/featured-products-tools-and-hardware-award-winning-tools/ridgid-jobmax-12-volt-auto-hammer-head-130370.html

And here are a set of reviews of the system:

http://toolguyd.com/2010/02/ridgid-jobmax-right-angle-drill-impact-driver-ratchet-combo/

Good Luck,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:36:03 -0500, Gerald Miller wrote:

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:39:38 -0600, Ignoramus27358
wrote:

I would get her a DeWalt 18v, despite her being 100 lbs. After a few
years she will not be 100 lbs, but the Dewalt will still work great.


i

On 2011-11-26, Doug White wrote:
My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White

Last January, after receiving a De Walt 1/2 cordless for Christmas
from SWMBO, I inherited the hammer drill version from Junior's FiL
because the hand grip was too large for his liking and the fact that
his batteries were getting a little iffy, this on condition that he
could borrow it back along with my new one come time to tap the sugar
bush. He will be very happy to hear that I found new batteries for
$119.00 each or two for $99.00 the other evening.

I've seen those deals, too; packages sitting on the same shelf. Huh?

The old DeWalt batteries can be rebuilt for about $40. Not so important at
your two-fer price, but at $120 a pop...

You should be aware that it does take a fair size hand to hold one of
these.

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:49:58 -0500, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com wrote:

I'm going to go against the grain here.
I saw the Hitachi 10v combo at Lowes 2 or more years ago.
Love it. I wanted a light weight unit since I already have 18v Heavy
monster. The 12v drill, and 12v impact from Hitachi fit what I was
looking for. A good light weight setup. The drill really is a light
weight and won't drill through heavy steel. But it is fine for wood and
screws ... The impact driver is the real star.... very light and damn if
it doesn't keep on driving screws... Long ones. It out performs my 18v,
it never strips a head, drives them all the way without pre-drilling.

Now for the best part: The Hitachi unlike most other 10V or 12V (many
12v are really 10v) has a flat bottom battery pack. So it will stand up.
It is the lightest tool out there and I have been super happy with it.

Li-Ion batteries are 3.4-4.1V, so how many cells are in a 10V battery? 12V?
;-)

The LION battery is always ready, the combo comes with 2 batteries. The
pack charges quickly.

Yep. Li-Ion is the way to go for a drill. Other tools, not so much.

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:11:02 GMT, Doug White wrote:

My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White


A few years back I asked the same question about a drill for my wife. The
discussion is he

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.w...4a35604742d138

or the short form:

http://tinyurl.com/89crlt6



I ended up buying her the Panasonic 12V, and both of us like it. I use it,
primarily for drilling holes, more than she does. For many regular jobs I will
pick the Panasonic over my Dewalt 18V. The Panasonic feels much more ruggedly
and precisely built than the Dewalt. We've been using it drill for over 4 years.

I'd buy the 18V version to replace my Dewalt if it went TU. Lithium batteries
would eliminate the weight penalty with nicads, so I think SWMBO could use the
18V version too. SWMBO is petite at 5'1", 110 maybe, and she does not have the
wrist strength to wrestle the 18V Dewalt for any length of time.

I'm sure some of the other manufacturers have made great strides since I was
shopping for new drills. You should be able to find a half dozen out there that
won't be to heavy for her.

"Roy" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:11:02 GMT, Doug White wrote:

My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them.
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries
that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and
I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White


A few years back I asked the same question about a drill for my wife. The
discussion is he

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.w...4a35604742d138

or the short form:

http://tinyurl.com/89crlt6



I ended up buying her the Panasonic 12V, and both of us like it. I use
it,
primarily for drilling holes, more than she does. For many regular jobs I
will
pick the Panasonic over my Dewalt 18V. The Panasonic feels much more
ruggedly
and precisely built than the Dewalt. We've been using it drill for over 4
years.


Big second for the Panasonic! Used it for 4 years or so before somebody
walked off with it ... Really light weight and a great grip for small
hands.

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:38:46 -0600, "
wrote:

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:36:03 -0500, Gerald Miller wrote:



Last January, after receiving a De Walt 1/2 cordless for Christmas
from SWMBO, I inherited the hammer drill version from Junior's FiL
because the hand grip was too large for his liking and the fact that
his batteries were getting a little iffy, this on condition that he
could borrow it back along with my new one come time to tap the sugar
bush. He will be very happy to hear that I found new batteries for
$119.00 each or two for $99.00 the other evening.

I've seen those deals, too; packages sitting on the same shelf. Huh?

Hanging on hooks, side by each, had to take a 2pack to the checkout to
convince myself.

The old DeWalt batteries can be rebuilt for about $40. Not so important at
your two-fer price, but at $120 a pop...

You should be aware that it does take a fair size hand to hold one of
these.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

Nova wrote in
:


18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2" Driver-Drill Kit
Model: LXFD01

3.8 lbs.

http://www.makita.com/en-us/Modules/...aspx?ID=349753

I'm not sure what models Home Depot carries, but I saw one very similar in
the store. Of note is the 3 AH battery. It's a little heavier, but the
power head balances it out nicely so you don't really notice the weight.

Puckdropper
--
Make it to fit, don't make it fit.

On Nov 26, 12:11*pm, Doug White wrote:
My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. *She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them..
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. *She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. *A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. *A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. *All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White

I've had the Craftsman C-3 drills for years now and have started
upgrading to the Lithium batteries. I bought a tool set that came with
two lithium batteries and charger than sold off the new saw with an
old battery and old charger and wound up "stuck" with the drill.
Finally decided it wasn't going to sell and tried it out. Great little
drill with the compact Lithium battery. It has a light I thought (at
first) was useless but it came in quite handy installing drawer slides
in the deep recesses of the cabinet. Light, powerful and "bright."

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:55:42 -0800, "Lobby Dosser"
wrote:

"Roy" wrote in message
.. .

snip


A few years back I asked the same question about a drill for my wife. The
discussion is he

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.w...4a35604742d138

or the short form:

http://tinyurl.com/89crlt6



I ended up buying her the Panasonic 12V, and both of us like it. I use
it,
primarily for drilling holes, more than she does. For many regular jobs I
will
pick the Panasonic over my Dewalt 18V. The Panasonic feels much more
ruggedly
and precisely built than the Dewalt. We've been using it drill for over 4
years.


Big second for the Panasonic! Used it for 4 years or so before somebody
walked off with it ... Really light weight and a great grip for small
hands.

I have a Panasonic 18V drill. I really liked the drill but the
batteries would no longer take a charge after about 3 years of
moderately heavy use. I was going to buy replacement batteries but
they're about $100 each. There are third party batteries available
for a little less but I question there quality. I looked into having
the batteries rebuild about 2 years ago and at that time no one was
rebuilding Lithium Ion's.

I still have the drill and may get the batteries rebuilt someday.
PrimeCell still doesn't rebuild Li-Ion as their web site says the
cells are not yet readily available.
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

On Nov 26, 11:11*am, Doug White wrote:
My oldest stepdaughter is out in the world, and wants a drill for
Christmas. *She's pretty handy with tools, but she isn't gentle on them..
She's also about 100 pound sopping wet, so getting a huge 18V drill ain't
gonna hack it. *She will use it only intermittently, so NiCd batteries that
have memory issues is probably not a good idea. *A battery/smart-charger
set up where you can leave a battery plugged in for months without damage
would be great. *A few years ago, Li Ion drills all seemed to be powered &
priced for pros.

So, I'm looking for something rugged, reliable, and powerful within the
constraints of not being too heavy. *All my drills are old NiCd jobs, and I
have no idea who's making good stuff these days, or what the technology
options are.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

Doug White

It doesn't look like many, if any, have weighed in with 14.4V Makita
so I will. It looks like they fit many of your thoughts.

I have two sets, one of which has been around for about 13-15 years.
About five years ago my wife decided the older one was on its last
legs because it was starting to look like a well-worn stock car (I'm
not gentle either). She got me a drill/driver combo set for Christmas
that year but old faithful just keeps on going. We just finished
building a house and did most of the interior ourselves; so both
machines got a pretty good work out and the new one is showing its use
too.

The machines are smaller and more compact than the 18V machine. In
fact, I don't see why she would need one of the bigger drills. The
14.4V is more than capable of giving you wrist a good twist if the
bit, or boring bat gets bound up. The only reliability issue I have
had is that the charger for the older unit did die but the batteries
are interchangeable between drills and chargers. The charger is
expensive. BTW, I have used the heck out of the driver that came with
the newer drill and love it. In addition to general use, I have built
two decks, and about 350 feet of cedar fence without a hitch.

RonB

On 11/26/2011 5:23 PM, Doug White wrote:
"Steve wrote in
:


wrote


Now's the time in instill the idea of buying quality tools not cheap
junk. I've got two Milwaukee cordless drills. A big M18 Cordless and
an small M12 Cordless screwdriver. They are without a doubt the best
cordless drills I have ever used.

If I was in the market for a smaller cordless drill I would go out
and get one of these without a second thought.

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/tools/c...rdless-system/
m12-cordless-lithium-ion-3-8-inch-drill-driver/2410-22

LdB

And here, I believe is the core of the discussion.

If I was to want to introduce someone to fishing, I would take them
fishing, and provide them with a quality rod and reel. Nothing turns
off a newbie like hassling with gear.

It is the same with tools. Your tool (or rod and reel) screw up, and
you're done until you can get it fixed or get another one. And in the
meantime, a lot of time goes out the window.

I was a steel erection contractor for nine years. I would never spend
what they want for Hilti stuff, but there were lots of good
intermediate tools, Milwaukee included, that are very reliable. I had
one of their sawzalls and rotohammer drills. Not a day of problems
from either. You can skimp on tools, and yes, there are people who
are going to use them so infrequently that some things make no
difference at all. But a cordless drill is one of the things that's
used the most, so I'd spend a few extra bucks and get a good one,
instead of doing it a month or two down the line when the cheapie
takes a dump and becomes a fishing weight.

I wasn't even considering going cheap on this. I was figuring DeWalt,
Milwaukee, Bosch or Makita. It sounds like the Bosch Li Ion 12V would be
a good starting point. She quite unlikely to ever do any heavy
construction where tons of capacity are needed.

Joining this thread a little late, and as I suspected when I started reading
the answers, you're getting just about as many suggestions as there are people
replying! :-)

I went through this same thought process earlier this year, and based on all my
research I narrowed it down to the Milwaukee mentioned above and a Bosch,
either the the PS30-2A or the newer PS31-2A. I went with the PS31-2A:

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PS31-2A-.../dp/B003BEE2LU

and I love it. The Milwaukee is a tad heavier and a tad more powerful, but to
me the Bosch just felt better in my hand; nice and balanced. I'm amazed at how
much power and battery life these little babies have.

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

On 11/26/2011 2:55 PM, LdB wrote:

If I was in the market for a smaller cordless drill I would go out and
get one of these without a second thought.

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/tools/c...driver/2410-22

I think I would look into the Rockwell 3Rill, 3 in one drill. It seems
to have everything I want in a drill and lifetime batteries. Drill,
Driver and impact driver, with clutch. Under 3 pounds. I never used
one but it sounds like a winner. In fact, I think I described what I
wanted in a drill a year or so ago here, and they must have read my
post... I should sue them:-)

http://tinyurl.com/chan9va

--
Jack
Add Life to your Days not Days to your Life.
http://jbstein.com

On 11/27/2011 9:42 PM, Steve Turner wrote:

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PS31-2A-.../dp/B003BEE2LU

and I love it. The Milwaukee is a tad heavier and a tad more powerful,
but to me the Bosch just felt better in my hand; nice and balanced. I'm
amazed at how much power and battery life these little babies have.

I have 5 cordless drills. The one I use most I probably would be
embarrassed to recommend to anyone, but it is this one:

http://tinyurl.com/89oje9t

My wife bought it for me in a kit on in introductory sale at a B&D
outlet. She paid like 29 bucks for the drill, a saw, light, battery and
charger. I was a little miffed because I really didn't want a piece of
junk, or a toy drill. Well, I was wrong. Been using this sucker for
several years and it is my go to driver for all cabinet work. I fits in
the palm of my hand, has plenty of power for light duty work (all
cabinet work is light duty.) I even use the little sawzall more than my
big sawzall, and the light is cool as well. Hell of a deal she got me.

I now want the Rockwell 3rill, but having more drills than I need, I'm
having trouble justifying buying yet another drill... Batteries for life
though...hmmmm.

--
Jack
Add Life to your Days not Days to your Life.
http://jbstein.com

On 12/5/2011 9:27 AM, Jack wrote:
On 11/27/2011 9:42 PM, Steve Turner wrote:

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PS31-2A-.../dp/B003BEE2LU

and I love it. The Milwaukee is a tad heavier and a tad more powerful,
but to me the Bosch just felt better in my hand; nice and balanced. I'm
amazed at how much power and battery life these little babies have.

I have 5 cordless drills. The one I use most I probably would be
embarrassed to recommend to anyone, but it is this one:

http://tinyurl.com/89oje9t

My wife bought it for me in a kit on in introductory sale at a B&D
outlet. She paid like 29 bucks for the drill, a saw, light, battery and
charger. I was a little miffed because I really didn't want a piece of
junk, or a toy drill. Well, I was wrong. Been using this sucker for
several years and it is my go to driver for all cabinet work. I fits in
the palm of my hand, has plenty of power for light duty work (all
cabinet work is light duty.) I even use the little sawzall more than my
big sawzall, and the light is cool as well. Hell of a deal she got me.

I now want the Rockwell 3rill, but having more drills than I need, I'm
having trouble justifying buying yet another drill... Batteries for life
though...hmmmm.


FWIW Ridgid has life time warranty on batteries also.

On 12/5/2011 6:45 PM, Leon wrote:
On 12/5/2011 9:27 AM, Jack wrote:

I now want the Rockwell 3rill, but having more drills than I need, I'm
having trouble justifying buying yet another drill... Batteries for life
though...hmmmm.

FWIW Ridgid has life time warranty on batteries also.

Yeahbut do they have a small 2 1/2lb. drill/driver/impact drill combo
with a clutch? This is the first one I've seen that has both impact
and regular drill choices, like my hammer drill has... Most importantly
to me is I would have a very small, light weight drill that also had
impact driver ability, and with a clutch. The impact thing gives a
drill a lot more power w/o using up battery. My regular impact is way
too much drill for most stuff I do in the workshop. I think this 3rill,
other than the dumb name, would be nice to have.

--
Jack
Add Life to your Days not Days to your Life.
http://jbstein.com

On 12/6/2011 8:45 AM, Jack wrote:
On 12/5/2011 6:45 PM, Leon wrote:
On 12/5/2011 9:27 AM, Jack wrote:

I now want the Rockwell 3rill, but having more drills than I need, I'm
having trouble justifying buying yet another drill... Batteries for life
though...hmmmm.

FWIW Ridgid has life time warranty on batteries also.

Yeahbut do they have a small 2 1/2lb. drill/driver/impact drill combo
with a clutch? This is the first one I've seen that has both impact and
regular drill choices, like my hammer drill has... Most importantly to
me is I would have a very small, light weight drill that also had impact
driver ability, and with a clutch. The impact thing gives a drill a lot
more power w/o using up battery. My regular impact is way too much drill
for most stuff I do in the workshop. I think this 3rill, other than the
dumb name, would be nice to have.


Good points but I would be a bit leery of a tool that promises to do it
all. When Makita come out with theirs the reps indicated that it
probably would not be bullet proof. Does Rockwell offer a return period
policy?

On 12/6/2011 7:11 PM, Leon wrote:

Yeahbut do they have a small 2 1/2lb. drill/driver/impact drill combo
with a clutch? This is the first one I've seen that has both impact and
regular drill choices, like my hammer drill has... Most importantly to
me is I would have a very small, light weight drill that also had impact
driver ability, and with a clutch. The impact thing gives a drill a lot
more power w/o using up battery. My regular impact is way too much drill
for most stuff I do in the workshop. I think this 3rill, other than the
dumb name, would be nice to have.

Good points but I would be a bit leery of a tool that promises to do it
all. When Makita come out with theirs the reps indicated that it
probably would not be bullet proof. Does Rockwell offer a return period
policy?

My Makita Hammer drill I've had for 30 years and it works great, it has
a switch for regular or hammer. Granted, it does not get daily use but
I can't see why an impact/regular function would be any different than a
hammer/regular function as per durability. Again, I never even
witnessed this Rockwell 3rill in real life, let alone used one, so other
than the press, I know nothing:-) My guess is the clutch doesn't work
with the impact mode, but that's just a guess...

It sounds/looks great on paper though...

--
Jack
Add Life to your Days not Days to your Life.
http://jbstein.com

" wrote in
:

On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:23:48 GMT, Doug White
wrote:

"Steve B" wrote in
m:


"LdB" wrote


Now's the time in instill the idea of buying quality tools not
cheap junk. I've got two Milwaukee cordless drills. A big M18
Cordless and an small M12 Cordless screwdriver. They are without a
doubt the best cordless drills I have ever used.

If I was in the market for a smaller cordless drill I would go out
and get one of these without a second thought.

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/tools/c...cordless-syste
m/ m12-cordless-lithium-ion-3-8-inch-drill-driver/2410-22

LdB

And here, I believe is the core of the discussion.

If I was to want to introduce someone to fishing, I would take them
fishing, and provide them with a quality rod and reel. Nothing
turns off a newbie like hassling with gear.

It is the same with tools. Your tool (or rod and reel) screw up,
and you're done until you can get it fixed or get another one. And
in the meantime, a lot of time goes out the window.

I was a steel erection contractor for nine years. I would never
spend what they want for Hilti stuff, but there were lots of good
intermediate tools, Milwaukee included, that are very reliable. I
had one of their sawzalls and rotohammer drills. Not a day of
problems from either. You can skimp on tools, and yes, there are
people who are going to use them so infrequently that some things
make no difference at all. But a cordless drill is one of the
things that's used the most, so I'd spend a few extra bucks and get
a good one, instead of doing it a month or two down the line when
the cheapie takes a dump and becomes a fishing weight.

I wasn't even considering going cheap on this. I was figuring DeWalt,
Milwaukee, Bosch or Makita. It sounds like the Bosch Li Ion 12V would
be a good starting point. She quite unlikely to ever do any heavy
construction where tons of capacity are needed.

As I said in my previous post, I have one and love it. Li-Ion is the
way to go, also. NiCd and NiMH batteries self-discharge fast enough
that an intermittent user may never have a fully charged battery.
It's hard on batteries to constantly charge them, too (most chargers
don't). Li-Ion has a very low self-discharge so the tool will be
ready to use when she is.

I thought about a corded drill, but she's the sort who would knock
over countless objects towing an extension cord around.
Alternatively, she would use the extension cord elsewhere & not have
it available when she needs the drill. She really bright & creative,
but a bit impetuous & macrochaotic at this stage in her life.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I'll wait a few days to see
where the dust settles.

As others have suggested, check out Lowes.

Thanks to everyone for their input on this. I checked pricing and Lowe's
sale on the Bosch PS31-2A was they best I could do. I went there, and
figured they'd have them out on display, but I couldn't find them.
Without the exact model number (my mistake in not bringing it), neither
could the guys working there. They decided they were sold out.

When I got home, I checked on-line, and the system said they had four in
stock. Grrr! Fortunately, I had to run another errand in that neck of
the wods later in the week. I ordered it on-line for store pickup, and
they had it waiting for me.

My daughter was thrilled when she opened it up on Christmas, espcially
with how comfortable it was to wave around. The light weight & smallish
grip are perfect for her. I'm sure she will get many years of good use
out of it.

Doug White