wear vrs dollars? cordless drivers...

Yeah, I actually did burn out one of the Milwaukee 12 volt lithium impact drivers when I was putting up my shed. Kind of abused it a bit. But the upside is I was able to get a refurbed replacement pretty cheap from CPO.

I really like these little units and they are almost always my goto cordless drill/drivers when in the shop. For bigger jobs, I get the heavier duty units out.
 
Panasonic is the best. Defalt is junk in no time in my shop, (Black&Decker can roll of a cliff for all I care anyways), Makita lasts a while, no experience with Bosch or Hitachi. The best I've used is Panasonic. I've gone through about five of the 15.6NiCad drills. Last year about this time I picked up three of the drill driver kits. 14.4LiIon, came with a drill, and an impact. So far they are holding up really well. My only complaint is the light does not come on with the trigger. Not a big deal, I've gotten used to it.

I don't know how many of the other companies have caught on yet, but brushless motors are the only way to fly. They use less juice, last longer, and are stronger for a given voltage. The Panasonic's are also water proof. ;)
 
Thanks Vaughn i saw you mention this use in a previous post but I am curious about say a guy on a jobsite putting down a deck and driving 3" screws into joists all day long. :D That would surely be a work out for any tool. I know when way back some tool review crowd must have been fine woodworking did a test of similar nature the Panasonic 15.6v came out tops. But alas that is history now. :)
Might be a work out for a 12V tool but my 18v Dewalts take a steady diet of that kind of thing.:D Well between that and driving 5/6" x 6" screws into headers and screwing down roofing. So far I have only had to replace them when they jump off the roof never yet have had one just fail. But than again I wouldn't buy a 12V anything I was looking to work all day.
 
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I just purchased 2 double lithium batteries for my makita 18v lightweights.
Seems like I never have to charge them.

My buddy phil, who installs alarms, spoke to me this afternoon and told me about his cordless purchase.
He was looking for a screwdriver, and went to HD.
Found a milwaukee 12v on sale from 159 to 100.
The milwaukee rep was in the store, and gave him a coupon for a free lithium battery for the screwdriver.
He then opened a HD charge account, and got another 10% off, so not a bad day for him.
 
ok, karl. if i read you right your saying send off the batteries and get them rebuilt? or are you saying to get the panasonic lithion model..?

I'd get the new ones. Unless the old drills have some life left in them, and the batteries are just shot from age. Then it'd be a coin toss. The batteries are $60-70 a piece. For me the drills have about had it by the time the batteries crap out. Then I have good batteries, and nothing to put them in.
 
I have endured all the previously described experiences with NiCad and methyl-hydride battery powered drills . Finally pulled the trigger on 18 volt Makita drill and impact driver with 3ah lithium batteries. Great and satisfying success. I have used these tools "hard" since 08.
still using the same batteries. Also these batteries power--6 1/2 saw---recipro saw- and angle grinder.I will add that I did add 2 additional batteries to the mix. Up to this point I can tell no difference between the original and latter added batteries in performance.
 
Yeah, I actually did burn out one of the Milwaukee 12 volt lithium impact drivers when I was putting up my shed. Kind of abused it a bit. But the upside is I was able to get a refurbed replacement pretty cheap from CPO.

I really like these little units and they are almost always my goto cordless drill/drivers when in the shop. For bigger jobs, I get the heavier duty units out.
Brent your little shed is in no way going to abuse a good tool to the point of self destruction. My yellow one drives more roofing screws before lunch than in your whole roof. The first one has more metal roofs under it belt than I can to count. The only reason that is my first one is because it had a fetish for jumping off roofs. It still works to this day but it has been retired to shop work because it has become temperamental some time it works some time it well not so much.
 
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