What do you use for a drill/driver?
- Corded electric drill
- Cordless drill/driver, 12 volt
- Cordless drill/driver, 14.4 volt
- Cordless drill/driver, 18 volt
- Cordless impact driver, 10 volt
- Cordless impact driver, 12 volt
- Both a cordless drill/driver and an impact driver
- Cordless electric screwdriver
- Other (post in Knots)
You will be able to change your vote.
Replies
I have 2 clutched 18-volt drills, and an 18-volt impact driver for portable use.
I also have a couple of Ryobi clutched drills with tails on them, and a Makita impact driver with a tail, that I prefer to use in the shop. Both of which were extremely hard to track down and purchase, due to the higher popularity of the cordless tools.
The thing most people are missing is that for the shop you want tools with tails. They are always ready to go, and don't have batteries to add to the waste cycle. And cordless tools are far less electrically efficient than a tool with a tail, further adding to the waste cycle.
Edited 1/7/2009 11:00 am ET by Jigs-n-fixtures
Where is the screwdriver option?
is that what you use?
Not most of the time. I do have a Craftsman #2 handy all the time. I usually start all screws manually then zip them in with a Craftsman 19.2 volt drill. I just figured I would throw the first "electric tools are evil" comment.
G, me too, it depends on the task. My choices are endless.
-a North Bros Yankee 1/4" ratchet screwdriver, from my daddy.
-3 Yankee spiral screw driver/ drills , large,med,small with chuck adaptors
-1 chrome Stanley push drill/driver
-6 or 8+(I lost track) braces from a Stodard,English brass lined woody, Millers Falls and Stanley early 1900's to 1965? premium quality with drills and drivers.
-3 Millers falls egg beater drills with drills and drivers.
-various hand sets from Proto, craftsman, English cabinet makers types and specialty types for Robertson, spline, pin spanner, split nut and security heads.
-3/8 wired Black &Decker all metal drill (when their logo was black and silver) from my daddy.
-my old Milwaukee hole shooter on its 4th set of brushes and new bearings,power cord and switch. It will not die. last used for a 4" hole saw in the steel side of a Unisaw for DC connection when Dewalt and Roybi went to sleep.
- 3 Roybi 7.2v used for small work #1-60 drill sizes. Will retire soon
-Dewalt 14.4v a loser with a cheap chuck, soft batteries and it's orig battery cooking charger. Recent Dewalt conditioning charger($23 Amazon/$70 Dewalt) and rebuilt batts delay retirement maybe 16 months. It never performed well driving 1/2", 3/8" or -well maybe- 1/4" socket adapters to assemble simple stands or mobile wheel kit frames and was useless on deck screws.
2 PC 19.2- 2amp hr drill drivers(one with hammer opt) does anything you need. If an auger bit snags and you don't let go, it will break you wrist or flip you off the ladder. Drivers 6" lags in treated deck posts for hours-you get tired first-I doesn't look like current owners will continue this quality so--
-1 Milwaukee 18.8 Li-on might be better than the PC 19.2v. Time will tell.
-1 Hitachi wired hammer drill, cheap and very good for non-continuous heavy use. If I need more I borrow a Hilti from a friend.
-1 Metabo 4.8 v Power Maxx a baby to replace the Roybi 7.2v. has angle drive, hex drive. chuck very neat and on blow out sale as new model with lights was introduced. ha ha .
I am sure that we(the unwashed) will have some discussions after the "NEW" PC drill/drivers with under powered batts(done to lower the price point for Lowes-but y'all can buy better batts at max retail if ya really need them) and TTI revamps the Milwaukee line to have more plastic and less metal around the motor/bearing housing than the off shore mid range tools now have.
Bosch and Makita must be ecstatic. Paddy
I guess this question was just for the power driven units but I have found that for very hard and accurate driving is to use the common brace with a screwdriver bit. Unfortunately, I have found only the slot driving bit.
"Unfortunately, I have found only the slot driving bit."Lee Valley to the rescue!Brace Driver - 1/4" Hex, 50J61.05, $8.50
Brace Driver - 3/8" Socket, 50J61.06 $8.50
Edited 1/9/2009 5:29 am by QCInspector
Thanks, QC. You might have just prompted an order to Lee Valley. I need to go through that catalogue more.
Edited 1/9/2009 9:55 pm ET by Tinkerer3
Tink, they -braces- are really handy. Finishing off the 3/4" dog holes on a bench, chair seats with spoon bits, neat/precise holes for show faces or dowels and monster holes in fence or deck timbers using a 12" or 14" swing large brace. I guess that the large swing brace was the 28v, 3 amp hr portable drill back in the day, ya think? ha ha ha. Paddy
I've used them on boards miles from the nearest electric decades before I'd ever heard of a cordless drill also made use of them on the back deck. They are quite handy. My dad left his when he passed away in the seventies. I felt obliged to give it to my brother but it wasn't long before I found a neighbor who wall selling out.
I use the 15.6V Panasonic with the NiMH batteries. Light and outdrives most 18V units. Fast charger. Well balanced. DOES NOT look like a tennis shoe.I think the survey should have included 15.6V units. I think if it did you'd see a lot more votes for the Panasonic.
Edited 4/9/2009 11:40 pm ET by jjinatx
Well you get my vote on the Panasonic. I have two, a 15.6v that is now about 10 years old. This is on its second lot of (repacked) batteries. This is the one I pull out when the going gets tough - such as drilling into brick walls! For such a large drill it is suprisingly well-balanced. The other is a 15 year old 12v. Also with a replaced battery. I love this one, even more than the 15.6v. It is light, comfortable and has oodles of power. The only reason I have gthe 15.6v is that the 12v switch burnt out after 5 years and the cost of repairing it was about the same as a cheaper drill, and the 15.6 was on special. Later I changed my mind and had the 12v repaired - I couldn't bear the idea of just tossing it out. I use the same charger for both - 15 minutes to full charge.
Regards from Perth
Derek
20V Li-Ion & a corded drill depending on what I'm doing. I've also got an eggbeater hand drill that I use when I feel like going pre-electric.
I completely agree that corded tools are best for the shop. Why waste money on batteries and send more toxic materials to the dump (usually in someone else's community) when you can just plug in a drill?
This might be a shock to many people, but I also find that all indoor work in my house can be done with a corded drill. As far as I am concerned the very slight decrease in 'productivity' that results from using a corded drill is more than offset by the lower impact on the environment.
I have two corded 3/8th DeWalt's that I often set up with pilot and driver. The tailed versions are so much more reliably powerful, smooth, and nice to use than any wimpy cordless or bulky powerful cordless.
And, forestgirl, the drills are variable speed, so they have no problem at all driving even the smallest and most delicate screws.
View Image
Edited 1/7/2009 1:33 pm ET by Samson
"And, forestgirl, the drills are variable speed, so they have no problem at all driving even the smallest and most delicate screws." I guess my trigger-finger isn't delicate enough to pull that off, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I agree 100% with the opinion that shop use should be with a corded drill/driver. I use a Ryobe. My shop is in my garage in the Phoenix metropolitan area. A cordless product dies when stored in the heat. I'd prefer a cordless to reduce the hassle of running extension cords etc., but they aren't practical.
Other, Millers falls 2A
Well lets see, I have a Dewalt 14.4 (had two but the old one (first generation) died last year. The new tool (gift from brother) is a craftman 20v monster (1/2" chuck thing) nice drill if you need power. and I have an old Black and Decker that uses the versa packs. In truth this is a very nice little drill (also a gift) and very comfortable. I used it a lot if I am reaching over my head as it is so lite weight.
But the main thing I use is a Bosch 10.8 volt driver (I guess they now are 12 volt and the new battery works with the old driver). Very small, very nice (fits my hand great) and has good power and fair battery life. (I assume that this would be even better with the 12v).
Once again hard to pin it down to just one thing.
Doug M
Hard to imagine too many people using a corded drill as a "drill/driver" since corded drills have way too much zip to drive screws. I use a corded drill when I have many holes to drill and I'm in the shop. the rest of the time, it's the new Makita 18V LiIon cordless, and the impact driver when necessary (Ipe deck, for instance).
You need a clutched drill to drive screws. The ones I have are Ryobis. You adjust the clutch to break free at the torque you want, so you don't overdrive, or break screws.
I looked for months trying to find another brand before buying the Ryobis. Milwaukee, Bosch, and Makita all show them in the catalogs, but I could never find a dealer who could order them. I finally bought the Ryobis, because I had a bunch of pocket holed face frames to do, and have been very pleased with them.
I looked for a corded impact driver for several years, and finally gave up and bought a cordless drill/driver, and impact driver kit.
A couple of months later, I wandered into an old hardware store, and they had the Makita sitting on a shelf, where it had apparently been for several years.
I only have one corded drill, Jigs, a Makita. The only clutched drills I own are cordless, mores the pity!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Ryobi is worth the $40, they want for it at HomeDesperate.
I voted "other" as I have modified my 12V cordless drill to use a lead/acid battery via a lead. The batteries died, as dis the ones on my 2 cordless screwdrivers.
My present setup is OK for shop work and I'll buy a new cordless when I really need the portability. Then I can look forward to a few more months of cordless work.
Milwaukee 3/8 corded drill, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, & 3/8 angle, air drills, egg beater hand drill for making holes.
Milwaukee corded screw driver, mechanics speed handles (1/4, 3/8, 1/2), and a bunch o' them there screwdriver doodads I turns whit me hand.;)
Clock and some measuring tools are about the only cordless things that comes to mind in the shop.
Edited 1/7/2009 4:46 pm by QCInspector
To clarify my use of 12 volt cordless. It's a whole new world when one uses a Festool C-12. The chuck selections are great. Used the depth stop chuck today. In just a couple a seconds you can go from a regular keyless chuck to having a drywall gun.
For HEAVY duty work, wiring,plumbing and other very demanding jobs. I use my 1/2" Milwaukee angle drill. No stopping that brute.
Ya gotta love Festool.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Edited 1/7/2009 5:54 pm ET by BruceS
I use a corded Porter Cable 3/8" drill as a drill and a corded Porter Cable drywall screw driver as a driver.
For portable use a Metabo BST12+ drill/driver a Makita 9.6 drill/driver a Makita 14.4 drill driver a Makita 14.4 impact a Makita 9.6 impact a Makita 9.6 right angle impact a Makita 9.6 right angle drill and a Makita 7.2 drill/driver.
In the shop Ingersoll Rand air drills and Ingersoll Rand air screwdrivers and Ingersoll Rand impact drivers.
................................................
Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.
~ Denis Diderot
No little circle for both battery and good old Lectric! Where do they come up with these questions? Nobody ever heard of a drill with a electrical cord?
Survey design has never been their strong suit (sorry, admin)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Jamie lass, how true as we all well know but it might even a commission(read paid by a trade organization) to gather data or data to support their advertisers. Paddy
Survey design has never been their strong suit (sorry, admin)
forestgirl -- YOU HAVE OPINIONS LIKE MY WIFE.. I tried to understand but..
I hav e the Pahasonic 15.6 volt drill driver, with a pair of NiMH batteries.
When I bought it (4 years ago?) it was very highly rated by the various magazine tool reviews.
And they were correct. It has been very good to me. With changes of batteries, I can drive deck screws all day long. And with a little bit of care, I can use it to drill pocket holes and drive screws all day too.
It's no bigger or heavier than most 14.4's, but as powerful as most 18's.
If/when it finally dies, I'll probably have a service and bury it.
I use two 14.4v NiCad Ryobi's and an 18v Li-Ion Ryobi for 90% of my drilling/driving. I also have two of the 3.?v Li-Ion mini drivers that are used for small work like installing drawer glides, door and drawer handles and knobs, and for a lot of my electrical work.
I got the first mini driver when I was building a computer desk and needed something small enough to install drawer glides in a tight space. I figured that for $30, I could give it away after I was done - or let it sit in a drawer until I made the next run to Goodwill. Instead, I had one of those "Wow, how long have these been legal and why didn't someone tell me?!" moments. It became a "go-to" tool and went into my "basic load" tool box for jobs away from the shop. I was on my way to a customers house last year and realized that I had forgotten my mini so I detoured to HD and picked up the second one.
P.S. Have you forgotten about your promise to help me restore my enhanced formatting function, Gina? We traded some emails in Nov/Dec, but you've been silent since then.
Edited 1/31/2009 5:51 pm by Dave45
Except for the cordless impact driver, which I don't have, I use all of the others, including old trusty screwdrivers. Since each situation has its own particularities and/or issues, having a choice of tools is my way to go to get a job done as easy as possible and as safe as possible. When I mean safe, I mean safe for me, but also safe for the tool itself. In small quarters, I also use a small 1/4'' ratchet with a 1/4'' socket and driver bits. My electric 1/2'' impact driver is great for the car. Since I've been adding tools for more than 30 years, my collection is ready for me to choose from. What is missing is a palm driver, which should be added sooner or later (see attachment).
Best,
Serge
- Learn from yesterday, work today, and enjoy success tomorrow -
http://www.atelierdubricoleur.spaces.live.com
I have a refurbed Dewalt 14.4V with two XRP batteries that has served me well for the past 5 years. I think I paid $100 for it at a local Dewalt repair centre.
I also have a small Bosch 10.8V LI-ion that I love for projects around the shop. It fits in my shop apron if I'm working outside and the battery seems to last forever. I put together a 10 x 10 vinyl shed last Fall and didn't have to change batteries. That included the floor screws to tie the PT plywood floor to the joists!
Regards,
Ron
Ron,Which Bosch do you use (model #, $$)? That sounds like a very useful idea for assembly work- I'm not building a deck, so I don't think I need an impact driver...Glaucon
If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...
I have the PS20 with the 10.8V batteries. I understand the new 12V batteries are interchangeable, but I suspect it will be a long time before I consider making the upgrade. It has all the power I need at 10.8V and I don't think I have to worry about the life cycle of the batteries. If you get a chance, pick one up and test the heft and feel. . . I think you'll like it.I think I paid $120 for it in a great sale at my local HD, but that's in Canadian money when the C$ was at par. Well worth the money. I would definitely buy another one if this one ever develops legs.Regards,Ron
Edited 3/10/2009 8:15 pm ET by RonInOttawa
I use a small egg beater hand drill and screw driver. They never run out of juice.
Derek
As usual, the survey responses don't adequately cover the subject. I've got at least one, maybe two of everything you mentioned & they all get used. All cordless stuff is 18v except for the screwdrivers. The corded stuff is generally reserved for really difficult tasks.
Other: Assorted braces and a couple of old Stanley eggbeater style hand drills and (should go w/out saying) plain old everyday screwdrivers.
Cheers,
Josh
I still use mostly my old egg-beaters and a ratcheting screwdriver. If there's a lot of screws, I'll pull out the old yankee. For my dollar, if you keep the drill bits sharp, and have the correct bit for the screwdriver, they work very, very efficiently.I do have a couple of corded drills, Milwalkee hammer drill, and 3/8 Bosch, but rarely ever use them.Most of the time, if the egg-beaters or brace and bit can't handle it, it's time for the drill press.I'm not a galoot, just prefer to use what I learned on. And most of the time, the hand tools are just as fast and more accurate then the electric, at least in the hands of this middle-aged hobbiest.
the hand tools are just as fast and more accurate then the electric..
I AGREE if I can find all the parts!
I have had 2 Mikita 9 volts in the past and recently bought a Sears 18 volt, other than being in a tad heavy it have preformed excelently, The batteries last about hour and it has plenty of power. It has 3 setting hammer drill, drill and screw driver. It has plenty of settings for the clutch, and can be as a delicate or strong as you wish to set it. I used it to set 3 inch screw on a deck using a stop and it preformed greatand wrns when the battery is getting low on charge/
mine is:
black & decker cordless NiCad screwdriver connected to one no-break 12 battery lead-acid (it's small and easy to mod the driver)
3 meter of 2.5mm diameter wire to connect em
still portable and the battery work for many months at FULL power
but when it low, just unplug from the drill, reconnect to the no-break one night to full charge it again and have more months of use
The original NiCad battery goes to the garbage - take hours to recharge and don't last
more simple, impossible!
----------------
collateral effect: if for any reason the drill bit clog/ lock / stop spinning, the extra power of that new battery can smoke it
that bad smoke smell - not good, I know
but it happen some times to me and the brave low quality B&D still working ok!
Hmm, lessee:
14.4v DeWalt cordless drill
18v Dewalt cordless drill
3/8" Makita corded drill
Makita drywall gun
14.4v DeWalt impact driver
12v Makita impact driver
Air-powered 1/2" impact driver for the really big stuff
1/2" Milwaukee rt. angle drill ("The Arm Buster")
Bosch "Bulldog" SDS rotary hammer drill
A small rechargable Craftsman impact screwdriver (nice small spaces)
Drill press
On occasion, a brace, an eggbeater and other outmoded but still useful means of drilling/driving.
Mike Hennessy
PIttsburgh, PA
Edited 3/6/2009 7:31 am ET by MikeHennessy
Most often, I use a Craftsman 19.2V. Sometimes , a Skil 12V.
Let's see,
Milwaukee V28 Li-On Hammer drill
Milwaukee V18 Li-On Drill Driver
Milwaukee V18 Li-On Impact
Ryobi 18V Impact
Porter Cable 18V Drill Driver
Bosch 10.8v Li-On Drill Driver (2)
Bosch 10.8v Li-On Impact
Bosch 10.8v Li-On Right Angle
Milwaukee 1/2" Hole Shooter Corded
Milwaukee Right Angle Corded
Bosch 3/8" Corded
You JUST CAN'T HAVE to many drills and drivers.
I also use a corded drill from time to time on heavy screw driving, i.e. with construction work rather than fine woodwork. Battery drills of any type just don't have the power.
Let me explain. . . A 750 watt (1 HP) corded drill will draw 6.5 amps at 115 volts input. (P=EI from Ohm's Law). An 18 volt battery drill would need to draw 42 amps from its battery, which it might for a few seconds to generate 750 watts. But it's not that simple, because gearing of the drill comes into play as well, as to how many screws you can drive on one charge.
The category that is missing, which is what I have, is an 18-volt cordless impact driver/drill made by Milwaukee. I just spent three years building a house and it was the tool used most often.
In tight corners I like to use these Craftsman impact drill/drivers. I was impressed when I used it the first time, even if they are single speed. On another trip at Sears I bought a second one. For tight spots, they are great and they do the job. For sure they are not my first choice on daily basis.
Best,
Serge
- Learn from yesterday, work today, and enjoy success tomorrow -
http://www.atelierdubricoleur.spaces.live.com
Thats rediculouse. i cant believe so many people use those huge, bulky, moster 18V drill-drivers. theres no sense in having a battery that big. i have an old 9.6V Makita. that battery lasts forever. and theres no lack of power. i mean im not driving lags or anything but it doesnt bog down for everyday woodworking tasks. im blown away at the polls. let me geusse all the 18V owners have one of those flashy 100 pound dewalts. lol. and im suprised nobody voted for the tiny impact drivers. those thing are awsome. and small.
Congratulations on your first post in over two years of lurking.
If you read the posts in the thread you will see that there are many of us using small impacts.
The 18v drivers come in handy for many of us that use our tools for bigger things than projects that fit on a card tray. I've even used an 18v Metabo to spin up and start a balky lawnmower. Think your 9.6 Makita will do that? Will it power a 5 inch holesaw?
................................................
Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.~ Denis Diderot
Corded drill with a 1/2 in chuck is a sleeper tool. More people should have them. 1/2 to get the bit bits, and a cord because it doesn't run out of power.
Like most all of you, I also use a wide variety of air powered, corded, cordless 9V-24v, manual screwdrivers (plastic & wood handled), antique to brand new, hand-me-down's, passed-arounds, found on the sidewalk, "borrowed" from a neighbor...Drill/Drivers.
I usually find that the Drill/Driver/Screwdriver that I find closest to when and where I need it works the best!
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