Which Impact Cordless Drill ?

[SteveAndBelle]

Hi,

I'm stuck. I don't know what to do I want a very high quality cordless impact drill that's going to last me 20-30 years. I'm only going to use it for home renovations etc. so I'm hoping that if I put a fair amount of hard earned cash into it I should get something half decent (hopefully).

So far I've boiled it down to two. I'm keen on the new-ish Triton Plunge Cordless because I'm also about to buy a whole workshop full of Triton tables & power tools and the price is very attractive for what the Triton has to offer however it just doesn't seem to feel as solid as other brands and I'm concerned that it wouldn't last as long as I expect if I was using it as an 'all-rounder'. At the other end of the price scale is the Metabo SBP18 and although it's extremely expensive (for me anyway) it seems to be the right choice for doing everything I'll ever need to do over the next 20-30 years ... but is it the best choice ?

I obviously expect to have to replace the batteries a few times during this period with whatever I buy but I just need to know which cordless would best suit my needs.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks !

[simon c]

Personally, I'd spend the money a different way.
The problem with a super-duper cordless is that they are expensive and heavy.

I'd suggest you buy a good quality, but not too heavy cordless that is not impact and buy a corded drill to give you the impact when you need it. Corded drills are much cheaper. If you want a good quality cordless, then my opinion is it's hard to go wrong with the BLUE bosch stuff. I think metabo are good, but too expensive. I'm not a big fan of dewalt or makita but that is just a personal preference rather than my opinion of their quality.

[derekcohen]

Steve

I recall glancing through a recent copy of Fine Woodworking in which they reviewed cordless inpact drills. If you want I will did it out, but at the end of the day they recommended a Hitachi (sorry, I can't be more specific than that, other than it beat out a Makita).

Regards from Perth

Derek

[SteveAndBelle]

Simon,


Thanks for the advice but I just got my head around convincing myself that a single cordless would probably be an ideal solution. I was originally going to get a smaller non-impact cordless for the various 'home' type jobs and then a big fat Metabo 240V '1010' Impact Drill ($500 worth) for all the hardcore stuff.

Maybe you're right ... maybe I should still be thinking that way.

Anyone else back Simon up on that ?

What about two Cordlesses ... a BIG heavy one for the Hardcore work and a smaller, lighter one for the day to day stuff ??

[craigb]

I doubt that the battery packs on even the best cordless drills would last 30 years.

So you should be prepared to replace them at least once I'd reckon.

Trouble is that the battery packs can be nearly as expensive as the drills.

[Finger Dicer]

Yup Simons pretty much on the money.

A couple of things come to mind

1. The drills wont last that period of time. The batteries will fail and in ten years time like us with our makitas you will find you cant get batteries. You can from the factory sometimes but they may well cost as much as the original price.

2. Big cordless drills, the 24 volt type are bloody heavy to handle after a while.

3. A good quality corded impact drill will always outperform a cordless.

4. I would not buy Dewalt. Our installation crews have destroyed 4 of the 18volt units so far and dewalt has now refused to honour its warranties ( or at least their dealer appears to be dragging the chain ). In any case they didnt last which was somewhat to the annoyance of the company bean counters. I should also point out that 3 of the units were replaced no questions asked, but the company is now tending to shy away from the expense and lack of longevity of the dewalt.

If you want a good to high quality all purpose battery drill I would also recommend Black and Decker's Firestorm range. Out installers use them now in prefence to more expensive brands. They perform just as well and last about the same time. And the guys seem to prefer them to a lot of other brands.

This one for the heavier work where power is not on http://www.blackanddecker.com/produc...stByBrand.aspx

And this one for more general purpose work http://www.blackanddecker.com/produc...stByBrand.aspx

I also have one of these at home in my workshop for the past 4 years and its taken a pounding and its still going as well as the day I got it..
http://www.mitre10.co.nz/products/item.asp?lSKU=258663&lngPromoID=0&loggedin=False

Just an option mind you

Ps. the 14.4v unit I use cost me $245.00 so even at that time it was reasonably expensive.

[Trav]

I'm with Simon on this one. I've got a bosch corded impact drill and one of the B&D firestorm cordless' that fincerdicer mentioned (14.4v). The bosch has done everything I ever asked it to and the firestorm is a little gem. For home handyman stuff the ability to detach the chuck and go straight to a screwdriver is a real asset. I always seemed to be changing drill bits and screwdrivers with my old cordless. Now I just click the front part off and get into it.

I've renovated one house front to back and am starting on the second and the firestorm hasn't missed a beat. I think it only cost me about $160 or so.

The triton looks good, but my wussy arms would get tired from holding the weight up high for too long!

my 5c worth

Trav

[SteveAndBelle]

Thanks for the advice FingerDicer. I'm purposely staying away from Dewalt stuff part due to the fact that I've heard from professional tradespeople that they're not all they're made out to be plus I've had a childish attitude to boycott anything made in the US or elsewhere by US companies since the Sept 11 fiasco.

I have absolutely nothing against Americans though ... just clearing that up

I think I might take your advice and get a smaller cordless but a big grunty 240V jobbie for all the tough stuff. Hmmm, sounds like a plan to me !

Steve.

[mic-d]

I quickly came across the problem that my corded impact drill just would not go through some concrete I met and I wrecked the drill in the process. I would have hated that to also have been my one pivotal drill. Personally, I don't think the impact style of drill is too effective. What I have is a non-impact 12v Makita, and a Metabo UHE22 Multitool(rotary hammer), with which I can drill through any concrete, spin a big hole saw, or a mixer, or a baby drill, and its also a baby jackhammer!
Don't put all your eggs in one basket!

Cheers
Michael

[Jack E]

I agree totally with not buying a cordless hammer drill. Split the two and get a good quality cordless with 2 X 3 amp hour batteries, minimum 14V.
I do not like Dewalt either but I think Black and Decker are made by Dewalt. Not 100% but in Brisbane the Dewalt service centre is also the B & D centre and the same guys work on both tools!

[E. maculata]

If you do go for a good cordless, as well as a good 240V, I wholeheartly recommend the Makita "Ultimate" range, quite expensive but has all the good stuff for longevity + the torque feels like the old fellas' wolf used to (the bugga used to try & break my wrist and actually spun me around on the spot more than once) I have the 14.4 6336dwfe and it still puts a grin on my face whenever I use it.
Will also back what the others have said about the "yellow" brand. When it's my hard earned cash I tend to go with what I know.

[Forest Gump]

The solution is to buy a half decent battery drill like the bosch 12 volt green variety, these will only last about 4 years of light use. Thats all I seem to get out of them.

Just before christmas I bought a cheap 24 volt cordless with hammer function and the batterys are just starting to fail now. I could not resist the price but I will go back to the bosch very soon.

Buy a rotary hammer for the masonary work unless you have very few holes or a lot of patience.
Daniel

[mickey]

Have you considered an impact driver. I have the Hitachi 12 volt. It has plenty of grunt and will drive spade bits and auger bits as well. It kills the Makita equivalent, and you really dont need the 14 volt. And it can send screws into anything. They dont have a chuck but a slot in fitting. I was in Japan recently and they make a whole range of accessories for them there such as socket spanner sets. You can get a conventional chuck as an accessory. For heavy duty work I have a Bosch rotary hammer. These eat what you can do with an impact drill. Mine cost me about $600 and does not miss a beat. However, a client of mine who needed to break up over 20 sq metres of tiled floor saw what mine could do and went a bought the $100 version from k mart. It did the job perfectly well.

Mike

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day.

I have several drills, I don't think any one of them can replace all the others.

I have a very small old 7.2V Makita battery drill that will fit in very confined spaces for drilling & screwing. It has no fancy stuff at all, just a key chuck, mechanical speed change & is reversable. It's now 15 years old. I was able to get the battery pack(s) repacked.

I also have a 14.4V B&D Firestorm & I love it. The keyless chuck sometimes slips & I note that some one else mentioned this as a fault with the Firestorm in another post a while back .

For the heavier work, I have 2 Makitas. A medium sized one that I don't like much 'cos I think it is VERY noisey & it doesn't have a very big chuck. The other is a BIG Makita & it is about 10 year old & will take a 13mm (1/2") bit.
Given the choice, I go for the bigger one BUT, it bludy near broke my wrist when I was using it overhead, one handed & had a lock up on a bit of reo(?)

If I could ever afford it, I'd like a Hilty for installing ATM Machines but I don't do enough of them to warrant the cost. ATM Machines are bolted down with 4 12mm x 100mm bolts.
On the long wish list is a Hitachi right angle drill but, they are almost $400 each & I only want it for power sanding the inside of hollow forms & I can do that with one of Vic Wood's rotary sanders.

[spbookie]

I agree with the previous posters, split the drills. Buy a 240V corded drill for impact work - Cost will vary on the bits size you use and how much (how often) you need it.

Cordless drivers vary from $20 to $ouch! If you use your driver a lot then I suggest you follow the "buy good and only cry once rule".

The best cordless drills I know of, are the Panasonic range. Great speed control, balance, instant stopping, heaps of torque at low speed, one handed bit changes and great batteries and chargers. I have a 15.6v one and I am very happy with it. But (big but) they cost heaps. Approx $500 for the driver with two batteries and an electronic charger. I expect to use mine many years into the future and I will be screaming if I don't .


Charles