New cordless drill - but which one?

[daveferg]

I've only had one 12v. tool and it was a big disappointment with a short life span.

I'm a big fan of Milwaukee. I had a set of their old nicad 18v. and it worked like a champ. But, I picked up a driver and drill combo from Ryobi and was very impressed by the power and long lasting battery. When they're on sale, they're hard to pass up.

[AgGEM]

M-12
Ag

[BloomingtonMike]

I use Makita lxt and Bosch 10.2/12V. Love the weight of the bosch and is fine for most tasks. Compared to the Bosch, the Makita drill and impact are a TONS faster to use. You need to think about what your primary work will be and how fast you want to get it done or how light you want the tool.

Also in a larger setup you can get 4.9 and 5.0 amp hour batteries that hold a lot more charge if you would like a longer run time between charges. Also larger setups can offer chargers with multiple charging slots so you can charge two batteries at a time.

Driving hundreds and hundreds of screws I am appreciating the faster speeds of the lxt setup.

[rwe2156]

For ww'ing, a 12V unit will work fine. Once you start using an impact driver you will see why they are popular.

My recommendation for everyday use is a 12V combo set. .

18V is a heavier unit - both weight and usage.

Brands?
I always go DeWalt.
Keep in mind Milwaukee has a cheaper line that's what you find in Home Depot.

Ridgid isn't bad either.

[Woodenfish]

I'm a fan of the Milwaukee M12 series for what a tremendous value and quality they are with a great warranty. That said, I also own a M18 Milwaukee drill/driver that I sometimes wish to often wish I never purchased. Not that the M18 is awful but that the M12 does 90%+ of what I need a drill/driver to do plus its a lightweight and more ergonomic.

Seldom do I need a drill with a 1/2" chuck when almost every driver bit I use has a 1/4" shank. Almost all drill bits I use are under 3/8" and those that are larger, realistically I most likely am using in a drill press. The value I see in Milwaukee M12 is the vast array of other high tools that share the same platform available to buy as bare tools.

I would keep my eye open for a M12 Black Friday deal. The combo with the drill/driver and impact would be a great purchase.

[Bill_de]

I have Bosch cordless drills; 12v max, 14v, 18v and 36v. For most of my drilling needs the 12v max (PS 31) is enough. I do like using it in conjunction with one of the drivers to avoid having to switch between drill bit and driver bit.

I think any of the major brands would do you well.

[BillN]

I have the Bosch 12v pocket driver as well as my old Makita 9.6 drills, I also have the 18V Li-on Bosch impact and big drill. I use the 12v and 9.6V nearly exclusively in the shop.

I agree that most of the time the tools are pretty much the same, I bought the little Bosch because it was the first on the scene and the 18V set because I got a great deal on it. If I was starting out today I'd buy the 12V Milwaukee because of the wide variety of tools that are in that system.

Milwaukee has an M12 in Europe that comes with an offset chuck and eccentric ala Festool. If that puppy shows up in the US I'll switch.

[EvilTwin]

Ive got the Bosch 14.4 nicad as well as the 12v lithium tools. Happy with em for performance, the lithium batteries seem to hold up very well.

Ive got both a 14.4 impactor as well as a 12v version. As others mentioned, once you start using one, you will wonder why you waited so long. Where the drill applies a continuous torque to the screw, the impactor does as its name implies, many short jolts a second. The net result is that any screws you are driving in tend to go in very cleanly and with minimal damage to the head. It also works well in reverse, It initially breaks the hold and they tend to back out cleaner with less chance of stripping the head in the process. Recently I picked up a set off newegg that had another 12v drill and impactor, two batteries and a charger for around 130. I always find uses for the extra drills, but this got me the impactor and two extra batteries for cheap. YMMV

[blackhat]

What evidence do you have that Home Depot sells a cheaper line of Milwaukee tools? They may not always have the latest version. Catalogue numbers are identical to their website and the industrial / commercial suppliers.

[Herb G]

This is one of those ask 10 woodworkers this question & get 12 different answers kind of question.

I have a 18V Dewalt I got on sale for $99. It works well for around the house & what little I use it for woodworking projects. I mainly use it for screwing together utilitarian boxes & the like.