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Poll: What kind of cordless drill-driver do you use?

What kind of Cordless Drill/Driver do you use?

  • Bosch

    Votes: 21 8.3%

  • Craftsman

    Votes: 16 6.3%

  • DeWalt

    Votes: 64 25.3%

  • Festool

    Votes: 9 3.6%

  • Hitachi

    Votes: 14 5.5%

  • Makita

    Votes: 45 17.8%

  • Milwaukee

    Votes: 11 4.3%

  • Other

    Votes: 15 5.9%

  • Panasonic

    Votes: 16 6.3%

  • Porter-Cable

    Votes: 9 3.6%

  • Ridgid

    Votes: 11 4.3%

  • Ryobi

    Votes: 22 8.7%
  • Total voters
    253
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I use a Bosch 9.6. I haven't picked up a 14 or 18 volt drill that I would want to drive lots of screws with. I used my first Bosch 9.6 for 5 or 6 years as my primary when I was doing this woodbashing stuff for a living. It was fine, never had a battery problem, but it didn't survive the shop owner taking it off my bench one weekend and breaking the trigger - grrrrrr. He paid for the repair, but it always had too much runout after re-assembly. I gave it to some guy to fix for himself when I moved.

I lucked onto another Bosch 9.6, basically the same but with keyless chuck about 3 years back. It doesn't get the same kind of use the old one did, but I am equally pleased with it.

I have a Makita 1/2" corded hammer drill for the odd time I need that. I also an 80's vintage corded B&D 3/8" that refuses to die, as much as I wish it would, that gets used when a lot of holes need drilling.
 
For many years (10+) I have been using the 9.6 volt Dewalt reversible variable speed clutched drills. I use two at work in the small engine shop where they are used in extreme fashion. I get approximately two years from a set of batteries and then I buy a new drill with two batteries and take the old one home where having an A1 battery is not so critical. The other guys use 18 volts Ridgids. they are good units and very powerful, but heavy. The 9.6 volt Dewalts are nice and light, so using them all day is not hard on the body.

cheers
 
Stuart Ablett said:
You should have made that a multiple choice poll, I use Panasonic, Ryobi, Makita and Bosch :D
Click to expand...

My thought to the letter, or first comma as it is. :thumb:
I have 3. In order of age, I've got a Makita 7.2, the one with the separate batteries, that I got back when I was installing stereos that is 19 or 20 years old now. Replaced the trigger once, and replaced the battery, and rebuilt the old battery (which doesn't work very good). A Ridgid 18V X2 that is about 3 years old, and it's little brother the 12V X2 when they were starting to close them out at 70.00 for a lighter (NOT!!) smaller drill. Well it is lighter than the 18V unit. :D
I've been very pleased with all 3. Jim.
 
My first cordless was a 9v makita. I then graduated to a 12v dewalt. When the chuck gear in the dewalt jammed - at the worst possible moment - I ran to the local sears hardware center, and picked up a Craftsmen 19v cordless. It still works well, but, like the older dewalts, the chuck is awful. I've tried to swap this out for a jacobs chuck. After removing the craftsmen chuck, I discovered the jacobs 1/2" replacement was incompatable. So Im stuck with the old crappy check.

I do like the 18V Ridgid XPS though. And one day...I will have it.
 
I believe I may have something from all of the above manufacturers, come to think of it. Does that mean I have a disorder? Am I just now discovering that I collect cordless drills like some other collect Stanley planes? Holy smokes! Thank you for this poll. I now know I have to seek professional help. :D

I would even be tough pressed to say which one I use most. They all seem to be better for some things vs. others.
 
I've got two black and decker drills, an old 12v that I need to ship the batteries off to be updated, plus a younger 18v which I really like for just about all of my shop duties. My father upgraded his tool kit to the new Lithium dewalt, and gave me his Ryobi 18v kit. so I'm at the homeowner level, but shouldn't run out of drill/drivers any time soon.
 
For drilling, I have a Porter Cable 12V that I've had for about 7 years now. It still works great but it is getting close to time to have the batteries rebuilt. For driving, I used to have a Dewalt 12V that I loved, that is until the smoke came out of the batteries. I replaced that with one of the new Lithium Ion Bosch drivers which is also great, but doesn't have the power of the Dewalt.
 
Cordless drills seem to be addictive. My collection consists of a classic 7.2 V Makita, a Festool CDD 12 FX AS/ES-Set and a Makita BHP440SFE. Additionally, I plan to get one of these when they will become available in my neck of the woods.

Regards,

Christian
 
I've had Bosch and Panasonic. I think the Panasonics are better in power to weight ratio, but the Bosch are tougher and more durable. For my cabinet building hobby and household chores the Panasonic is fine but I wouldn't recommend it for a construction site.

In the last purchase decision I first bought a Bosch Tough 14.4V and I returned it because it was so bulky and heavy compared to the Panasonic. But, after a couple months of light use, the Panasonic chuck broke (the keyless internals). It took the Panasonic repair center 2 months to get a replacement and according to them it was because the chucks were a hot item. This was a little over a year ago and things may have changed.

I have two older Bosch NiCad 12V drills that I love. I may keep buying new batteries for them as they are so nicely balanced and light...joe
 
Two Millers Falls, a Stanley, and an unmarked egg-beater type hand drills, and a Millers Falls and a Stanley brace. They take care of all my cordless drilling needs. I prefer the Millers Falls egg beaters to the Stanley, the wood is much nicer and they just feel better. The Stanley brace is very well made and works well, but has no wood it's all metal, whereas the Millers Falls on has nice red wood that just glows. They all make pretty good screwdrivers, especially on screws with buggered up heads.

:)

-Mike
 
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Mike Herring said:
Two Millers Falls, a Stanley, and an unmarked egg-beater type hand drills, and a Millers Falls and a Stanley brace.
Click to expand...

Thanks for reminding me Mike. I almost forgot my most reliable cordless drill; a Millers Falls, ratcheting, reversible No. 732. Looking at the pic I realize she deserves a little TLC.
 

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glenn bradley said:
Thanks for reminding me Mike. I almost forgot my most reliable cordless drill; a Millers Falls, ratcheting, reversible No. 732. Looking at the pic I realize she deserves a little TLC.
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Glenn, if I'm not mistaken, yours has variable speed, too. :D I'll have to go dig mine up and take a couple pics. ;)
 
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