Best cordless drill - medium budget ?

[cbc58]

I am looking to purchase a good cordless drill to replace my Makita 6337D.  It's a decent drill but the batteries don't last as long as they used to and it lacks the power that I want.  Someone here said they bought Milwaukee M18 tools - but I would like to get recommendations from others on what they like...  or what to stay away from.  Plan on using a drill alot soon for both woodworking and sheetrock.  Anyone have a recommendation?  Tks

[alex trent]

I bought a DeWalt and a Bosch at the same time.  Bosh wins hands down.

Same for power planer.

[hpinson]

I have a recent (March 2012) Bosch 18V hammer drill, bought at Lowes.  The only thing I can fault is the overly soft metal used in the chuck jaws.  Spin a few hex bits by mistake and the chuck true is trashed. Not sure why Bosch cheaped out in this critical area, because otherwise, this is a very nice drill. Battery life is exceptional, so much better than my old Ryobi.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_184424-353-HDS181-02_4294753382__?productId=3651837&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=

[Don_P]

I toasted the old Dewalt a couple of weeks ago and went to HD. They had a pretty good deal on an 18v LIon brushless Makita impact and hammerdrill/ driver combo. For ~$300 they also threw in a third battery.

Someone a bit ago talked about rebuilding battery packs, I did do that on the dewalt's nicads and it did work. Forgot to thank whoever brought that up  .

[db4570]

Because I got such a long life out of my old 9.6v Makita, (even after it was submerged in a lake and dried out), when it finally started making a funny electrical smell just before I was starting a summer-long deck project, I decided to replace it with another Makita, the 18v lithium. It really works great, and I have worked it hard. The battery life is perhaps moderate, but I have two batteries, and it charges in minutes, so it's not a big deal. It is very lightweight and solidly built.

David

[CjAl]

i bought the porter cable 18v nicad because my budget was tight and it has surprised me many times how good it is. the drill is stronger then my dewalt was and the jaws are better. with a little more bidget the lithium version would be nice because the nicads dont last long when using the circular saw

[MushCreek]

I'm using the Milwaukee M18 series of tools, and they are truly amazing. I rarely use the corded tools anymore. Not exactly what I would call 'medium' priced, though. I bought a set consisting of a drill, circular saw, sawzall, and two batteries, with a street price of around $400. I've since added the driver (my favorite tool of the bunch) and three more of the expensive Lithium batteries. I can work all day without having to recharge a battery.

[Alasdair]

I don't know if the offer still stands but when I bought Rigid tools at home hardware they all had a life time guarantee.
I bought two drill/drivers and I have found them to be excellent, sturdy and powerful - my only possible niggle might be that they are a little heavy compared to other models if you are working above your head for an extended period.
But the best part if you need to replace the batteries it costs ... nothing!

http://www.ridgid.com/

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-203266851/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=r9600&storeId=10051

[considerations]

"I'm using the Milwaukee M18 series of tools, and they are truly amazing"

I don't own them, but get to use them occasionally, and have a serious case of tool envy. Especially the circular saw   

I've heard Milwaukee has come out with a similar collection with higher voltage...but there are apparently still some issues to iron out.

The 18s are plenty powerful for me and cordless is sometimes the difference between jumping into a small project or putting it off due to the extra setup needed for "corded" power.

[chaddhamilton]

I have that Rigid set listed above and have been happy with them.  Used the impact driver on my deck and it's a brute.

Chadd

   

[pmichelsen]

I have this set from Millwaukee and it has treated me pretty fair:

http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2691-22-18-Volt-Compact-Impact/dp/B001F7BIMG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1341856421&sr=8-7&keywords=Millwaukee

Price is $199/shipped

My father has pretty much switched to all Hilti tools and he seems really happy with their performance.

[Dave Sparks]

For the money the 18V craftsman line from sears has dozens of tools and the nicads are decent as long as you follow charge instruction. I Built my house on them and was satified.

[MushCreek]

The Milwaukee circular saw is an amazing little tool. I use it for everything, since it is so light and handy.

[cbc58]

thank you for all the input.   

[Native_NM]

I'm using the DeWalt 20v stuff now. It's on a commercial project and we are beating it pretty hard. I've been happy. I use the Ryobi line at home and it's not near as durable. 

[cbc58]

Anyone looking at drills now?  Lot's of stuff on sale at Lowes & HD.  Nicad tools are cheap...

[Windpower]

the Makita 18 V are very good -- the impact driver has amazing torque for a small package


for much more power the new Craftsman remind me of the old 1/2" 120 VAC cord versions that could put the hurt on your wrist if you were not careful

[Ndrmyr]

I have to vote strongly for Ryobi here.  There are better to be had for sure.  But in one area they truly shine, and that is the unequaled support they and Home Depot have given to the 18V one+ platform.  Any 18V Ryobi you bought in the past can run on the current 18V batteries and vice versa.  Ultimately in power tools, the batteries are the weak link.  In most cases, especialy as DIYers or hobbyists, the batteries will fail before we wear out the tool. You can extend the life of your tool by many times by simply buying a new replacement battery.
If however, you prefer yellow, or green, or red, you will often find that the cost of a single replacement battery equals a new drill with battery and charger. So, you buy the new drill, whose battery no longer fits your old drill, and, will not fit the next.

I went through two sets of Ni-Cads and have now graduated to the new Li-Ion batteries and they still fit my original tools.  Which has allowed my to now own (2) drills, a 1/2 drive impact, circular saw, jig-saw, sawzall, caulk-gun (2) flashlights, Radio, Random Orbital Sander and a small miter saw all that use the same batteries. And, I won't hesitate to buy more, since Ryobi has shown great commitment to the one+ 18V system.

If I used them daily, I might consider other colors, but, I do use mine a lot.  That being said, I do own the sub-compact Makita matching drill and impact driver in 10.8 volt and they are my single favorite must-have tools.  But, my main cordless platform is the Ryobi and will continue to be, hopefully for a long time.

[Huge29]

I have to vote strongly for Ryobi here.  There are better to be had for sure.  But in one area they truly shine, and that is the unequaled support they and H.....

If I used them daily, I might consider other colors, but, I do use mine a lot.  That being said, I do own the sub-compact Makita matching drill and impact driver in 10.8 volt and they are my single favorite must-have tools.  But, my main cordless platform is the Ryobi and will continue to be, hopefully for a long time.

I was about to post the same thing!  I have been impressed with how well they work at a fraction of the price of others; the thread title is medium budget, none of the other brands are medium budget.  I certainly would not go with Ryobi if I were using them full time.
Whoever is recommending NiCad?  The fumes of the deteriorating batteries must be frying some brains.  That would be like going with LP records instead of CD's to save some money; Lithium costs more because they are exponentially better.
Someone mentioned Porter Cable, I wonder how well they will do since they essentially went bankrupt and were acquired by Black and Decker along with Delta.  They are back producing product, unlike Delta unfortunately.  It will be interesting to see how well they do getting the product into big box stores LIke Lowes whereas they previously were more of a specialty store item to a degree.  Good to hear good reports on them.

[wyche]

Going tomorrow to get some more batteries for my 6 year old Ryobi 18 volt. I got it in a 4 piece kit for $100.

[SouthernTier]

Going tomorrow to get some more batteries for my 6 year old Ryobi 18 volt. I got it in a 4 piece kit for $100.

I got that same deal 6 years ago.  Drill, circular saw, sander (looks like a clothes iron) and light, plus two batteries for $100.  Still going strong (well, not the batteries, but they did last a good while, too).  Don't regret that investment for a minute.

[Ndrmyr]

It seems to me that being able to buy affordable replacement batteries for still-working tools is not only "green" but financially sound. A comment on Li-Ion vs. Ni-Cad.  Li-Ions don't like the cold, and don't operate well unless kept warm or warmer.  A lot of trades I know take them in at night or, keep them in the cab so that they get warmed up on the way to the job site.  A cold Ni-Cad will operate when a Li-Ion will not even though it has much greater capacity.  In warm weather, it is no contest.  If I use them in cold weather, I keep them in warmth prior to using.   Ultimately, it won't be long now, since the last of my Ni-Cads are fading.
I also won't hesitate to buy a Black Friday deal just to get batteries.  It's nice to have duplicates and multiple chargers.

[MushCreek]

The newer Milwaukee Li-Ion batteries function well in the cold. They had a demo where they took batteries out of a 0 degree freezer and went to work. They are breath-takingly expensive, though. I have 5 batteries, including two of the newer ones. I've had them stored in the 30's, and haven't noticed any fall-off in performance. Much below freezing, and I'm done working outside anyhow!