I have a 14.4 Dewalt I use (and abuse) at work, and an 18 volt ryobi at home. Both are good drills for their uses. The dewalt has passed the torture tests so far with no problem, and the battery life is ok. It came with the cheap plastic keyless chuck that I broke after about 3 weeks. Was replaced with the good steel chuck and has been abused for 3 years since without a problem.

The ryobi I have at home has done everything I can expect a home drill to do with no problems and has really good battery life. I'm not sure It would hold up as well as an everyday beater though. Time will tell if it can stand up to punishment.

Based on experience of the 2 brands I use, I would choose the dewalt simply because I know it will hold up.
If you'e looking for a good around the house use drill the ryobi will work for you just fine.

porter cable or dewalt or makita are ok until you  get a Bosch. I know that panasonics are nice, and milwaukee and ridgid make hard core durable stuff. My local dealer told me that Porter cable was bought out by someone like Black and decker, and that it is gonna be falling in quality. Then took all my old porter cable shit back and gave me Bosch. 24,18,14,12 volt stuff. All of the drills are better. I wouldnt get porter or dewalt anything really.

all brands are the best about one thing or another....

if you want a router: Porter Cable
if you want a recip saw: Get the sawzall(milwauke)
if you want a circ saw: get the wormdrive mikita
if you want to bust some concrete: Bosh is the only way to go

if you want a basic drill: get a black and Decker
if you want a basic drill that has had some of the major components upgraded from standard fare BS then painted yellow instead of orange and marketed to death: get a Dewalt

If you want a badass drill designed from the ground up with a contractor in mind....one whose batteries can charge faster than you can run it out...

Get a Rigid

ETA: with the best warranty

I'm definately going against the grain here, but I'd say anything but dewalt. I use Makita but I really like the Bosch and the Porter Cable and Milwakees are pretty good too. Some Dewalts work some don't,  I was in the guys shop who builds all our cabinets one day and I asked him about all the brand new Makita drills. He said the year before he bought a bunch of  dewalts for the shop and within the year they were all dead, he showed me the box of dead drills (I didn't count but there were ALOT of drills in there)and I ask him if he was sending them back to dewalt, he said, "ya, with a note telling them to stick them up thier ass." Dewalt may make a few good tools, thier framers saw has lasted me longer then any other, but I haven't had any luck with any of thier other tools. We bought a 12" planer to plane and reuse a bunch of barnwood and it died the 2nd day. We took it back and got another (free exchange) it didn't even make it a day, so we returned it for another, it lasted a day or two. When we took it back my boss spent the extra money and bought a Hitachi, that was about seven years ago and he still uses it. We spent 2 weeks solid planeing barnwood (it was a huge recycle project) with it after we bought it and its still works great. I could go on and on about dewalt. Its going to be hard not to replace the framers saw when it dies but dewalt has got thier last dime from me.

Years ago I burned up a Ryobi 12V.  The POS had plastic gears and was not up to the task.  I replaced it with an 18V DeWalt 1/2" hammerdrill (pistol grip style.)  This thing has lasted years of hard use.  The pistol grip is great for getting leverage on it, but not so great for balance or using a screw gun.  The t-grip is better for that.  My wife can hardly pick the thing up (PERFECT!!!!!) due to its weight.  

From the School of Tim Allen, I'd like a 24V drill!  Just because...

Ryobi is shit.....

DeWalt 18 volt.  Use one every day, tough as nails.

Although Dewalt is basically a beefed up Black and Decker, I have had good luck with them.  I have an 18V Drill/Driver that has been going non-stop for several years with absolutely no problems.  I also have a smaller 7V screwdriver that I absolutely love for its portability and just overall handiness.  I use it more than any of the other cordless tools I have.  I did have one 18V battery that took a dump about 6 months after I got it, but that can happen with any brand.

I am a big fan of Porter Cable power tools.  I don't have any experience with their cordless line however.

Not overly happy with either of my two Makitas.  Neither have been abused, and both decided to have clutch problems at the same time.  (ain't that great?)

Quoted: Milwaukee! I have the 18 volt, it's a beast. Dewalt is popular on job sites around here, you can always borrow a battery, but for my money the Milwaukee is a better tool.

+1

Best is what works for you....as this thread illustrates.

I happen to like Sears drills for everyday use, they're solid and they're soooo much cheaper than the high-ends. For work, I use a Bosch, but the company paid for it. It's very tough.

Quoted: Dewalt XRP. The 14.4 has 400 lbs torque and metal transmission.

+1

Quoted: I have dropped my DeWalt 14.4 XRP off of a 200 foot tower and had it bounce a good 6 feet into the air when it hit, and worked just fine (and still works great) after I got down to go get it.

Makita.

Everyone else except Panasonic uses NiCd crap. Remember that the drills and motors are not the most expensive part of the package. The battery packs comprise the BULK of the cost. I got my Makita 18V NiMH for something like $120 after the rebate. It came with TWO battery packs that sell for about $90 each. So if you figure wholesale cost of the battery packs to be $80 (I priced out solder-tab NiMH batteries of comparable size and when you add it together, its about $80-$100) each, I basically bought two batteries on discount and it came with a free cordless drill

NiMH is simply WORTH the extra cost. It has 2-3+ times the capacity of NiCd, and is capable of handling the extra power demands of high performance drills. Li-Ion is better but expect to absolutely buy a new pack in 2-3 years due to the breakdown of the Lithium-ion chemistry (whatever ion it uses), plus the cold weather performance of Li-Ion isn't anything to write home about in case you need to use it in the cold/winter.

Check to make sure the cordless uses NiMH. DeWalt, Milwaukee, Porter, Craftsman, etc... are almost all made in China/Mexico (I think even Makita is made in Mexico or the US in fact, LOL). DeWalt played tricks with describing their battery packs. I know for a fact that as of mid-2005 when I was looking to a buy new drill kit, ONLY Panasonic and Makita had NiMH battery packs. I bought the 18V (I think it was 18V, could have been higher) Makita and it kicks serious ass. It has enough torque to snap galvanized screw heads when you try to use them in thick wood w/o first drilling pilot holes. But it can also be adjusted to provide just enough torque and minimal RPMs to clean the chamber on my AR-15 using a rod and chamber brush

When you are now buying:
DeWalt
Milwaukee
Craftsman

You are buying the NAME. Milwaukees are not the same Milwaukees from 2 decades ago. The same applies to Craftsman. DeWalts work fine but I do not like NiCd batteries. They SUCK: low capacity, extremely bad memory effect, and did I mention low capacity?

Companies like Makita and Panasonic adopted NiMH because the Japanese backers had contacts in the NiMH battery field. DeWalt, Milwaukee, etc... did not adopt NiMH because the typical person buying cordless drills doesn't know the difference between the NiMH and NiCd. They just hear "rechargeable" and "cordless" and off they go to the checkout counter.

I have NEVER had any positive longterm experiences with NiCd anything. I always found myself either buying replacements or replacing the NiCd cells with NiMH. My cordless phone kicks ass but the NiCd pack sucks. I ended up having 15 min of talk time / 1 day standby before requiring recharging. Discharging the cells did nothing. I took apart the pack and soldered up NiMH cells and had a new pack that cost 1/2 the price of a replacement pack, with 3 times the capacity and practically no memory effect.

NiMH

Quoted: Quoted: I have dropped my DeWalt 14.4 XRP off of a 200 foot tower and had it bounce a good 6 feet into the air when it hit, and worked just fine (and still works great) after I got down to go get it. homepage.mac.com/rockhell/.Pictures/smells_like_bullshit.jpg

Call bullshit all you want, I will even show pics of the tower I was working on if it makes you feel better.  I install antennas for my companies wireless network to these tall towers all the time.  You are bound to drop something sooner or later.  I know what I am talking about, you don't.

Quoted: Quoted: I do heating and air and it's nothing for me to put in 2000 zip in sheet metal screws a day. Dude, 2000? With all the posting you do here you aren't using 200 a week. In all honesty I have a bucket of 500 in the back of my van now and it will last me a month. Then again I do service and installs, not a lot of duct, if you are knocking tin I can see you using a bucket every couple of days but not 2K in one day.

I drop a lot And even a 6 inch duct gets AT LEAST 6 screws.  I hate repairing broken duct more than I hate putting it in.  I hate it so much that I have a week left doing it, then I"m going to Truck driving school

Plus all the houses we work in are 2500 sq ft + and the main builder we work for has 3-4 house side by side.  We get all our duct work for all the houses in the group at the same time.  I spend a day hanging all the boots in all of them and putting duct together and sleeving it.  The next day we set all 3 units, put on the plenums and start measuring lengths to each drop.  We never put more than 2 y's in any run unlike some companies that will put one big supply line and branch off it.  It's a tad more costly, but we are getting customers from other companies  So I've got 3-4 houses where all you have to do is start putting runs together and screwing it together, taping it, and moving on.  3 people together can move pretty damn fast and we can usually get 3-4 houses done like this (if they are all side by side) in a 6 day work week with 3 of us.  But because of weather and my bosses other full time job we haven't worked much the past few months.  Maybe 10 houses in the past 3 months.  That's another reason I'm about to start driving a truck.

Quoted: Makita. Everyone else except Panasonic uses NiCd crap. Remember that the drills and motors are not the most expensive part of the package. The battery packs comprise the BULK of the cost. I got my Makita 18V NiMH for something like $120 after the rebate. It came with TWO battery packs that sell for about $90 each. So if you figure wholesale cost of the battery packs to be $80 (I priced out solder-tab NiMH batteries of comparable size and when you add it together, its about $80-$100) each, I basically bought two batteries on discount and it came with a free cordless drill NiMH is simply WORTH the extra cost. It has 2-3+ times the capacity of NiCd, and is capable of handling the extra power demands of high performance drills. Li-Ion is better but expect to absolutely buy a new pack in 2-3 years due to the breakdown of the Lithium-ion chemistry (whatever ion it uses), plus the cold weather performance of Li-Ion isn't anything to write home about in case you need to use it in the cold/winter. Check to make sure the cordless uses NiMH. DeWalt, Milwaukee, Porter, Craftsman, etc... are almost all made in China/Mexico (I think even Makita is made in Mexico or the US in fact, LOL). DeWalt played tricks with describing their battery packs. I know for a fact that as of mid-2005 when I was looking to a buy new drill kit, ONLY Panasonic and Makita had NiMH battery packs. I bought the 18V (I think it was 18V, could have been higher) Makita and it kicks serious ass. It has enough torque to snap galvanized screw heads when you try to use them in thick wood w/o first drilling pilot holes. But it can also be adjusted to provide just enough torque and minimal RPMs to clean the chamber on my AR-15 using a rod and chamber brush When you are now buying: DeWalt Milwaukee Craftsman You are buying the NAME. Milwaukees are not the same Milwaukees from 2 decades ago. The same applies to Craftsman. DeWalts work fine but I do not like NiCd batteries. They SUCK: low capacity, extremely bad memory effect, and did I mention low capacity? Companies like Makita and Panasonic adopted NiMH because the Japanese backers had contacts in the NiMH battery field. DeWalt, Milwaukee, etc... did not adopt NiMH because the typical person buying cordless drills doesn't know the difference between the NiMH and NiCd. They just hear "rechargeable" and "cordless" and off they go to the checkout counter. I have NEVER had any positive longterm experiences with NiCd anything. I always found myself either buying replacements or replacing the NiCd cells with NiMH. My cordless phone kicks ass but the NiCd pack sucks. I ended up having 15 min of talk time / 1 day standby before requiring recharging. Discharging the cells did nothing. I took apart the pack and soldered up NiMH cells and had a new pack that cost 1/2 the price of a replacement pack, with 3 times the capacity and practically no memory effect. NiMH

Regarding making new battery packs... I have four cordless drills right now that have dead packs.  Two use the same packs and the other two are different.  I was thinking about rebuilding the packs with NiCads, but like you said, NiMH is so much better.   How much more did it cost to rebuild with NiMH versus NiCad?   What kind of charger did you get for the NiMH?      

I wanted to rebuild my NiCd cordless drill packs, but the cost of NiMH batteries (I think they were C sized) would have amounted to around $80 min just for new batteries. Remember that each battery cell is about 1.2V DC , so for a 9.6V pack, you will need 8 of these batteries.

I did rebuild the battery packs for my cordless phones. They used three AA sized batteries. I simply cut out the wrap, and re-soldered in the NiMH AA batteries and wrapped it. I kept the same charger since they can handle the charging current typically used for NiCd batteries.

For AA batteries, I think NiCds are generally rated in the 500mAh - 600 mAh range, whereas NiMH can reach up to 2.5 Ah (2500 mAh).

I have a 24 volt DeWalt that'll snap yer wrist ..

DeWalt XRP battery = NiCd

No matter how you spin it, it's NiCd. It's great until the memory effect kicks in... I've never had a NiCd battery that did not suffer from the memory effect

Quoted: I wanted to rebuild my NiCd cordless drill packs, but the cost of NiMH batteries (I think they were C sized) would have amounted to around $80 min just for new batteries. Remember that each battery cell is about 1.2V DC , so for a 9.6V pack, you will need 8 of these batteries. I did rebuild the battery packs for my cordless phones. They used three AA sized batteries. I simply cut out the wrap, and re-soldered in the NiMH AA batteries and wrapped it. I kept the same charger since they can handle the charging current typically used for NiCd batteries. For AA batteries, I think NiCds are generally rated in the 500mAh - 600 mAh range, whereas NiMH can reach up to 2.5 Ah (2500 mAh).

I rebuild NiCad packs all the time.. I usually use at least 1100 or 1200 MAH batteries.  I just have not gotten around to fixing my drill packs.  I have not replaced NiCads with NiMH before. I  guess I need to check into this.   I hate to keep buying drills when the only thing wrong is the battery pack.  

I try to avoid NiCd if possible. I have never gotten excellent life out of NiCd batteries. For instance, the Tyco 9.6V packs I had for my R/C cars would die out after maybe 2 years. They'd only hold enough charge for 5-10 min and then they had to be charged.

My cordless phones started running out of juice with a 10 min phone call. That was the last straw.
The AA's are easy and cheap to do, just buy the soldertab NiMH AA batteries and replace the NiCd cells.

I have about 8 Craftsman cordless drill battery packs, all of them which are either dead or lose charge after 1 or 2 days of storage. NiMH does not store power for long periods of time (more than 4 weeks or so) so don't use them in clocks or smoke detectors. For those applications, Lithium or Alkaline work much better.

Quoted: Quoted: I wanted to rebuild my NiCd cordless drill packs, but the cost of NiMH batteries (I think they were C sized) would have amounted to around $80 min just for new batteries. Remember that each battery cell is about 1.2V DC , so for a 9.6V pack, you will need 8 of these batteries. I did rebuild the battery packs for my cordless phones. They used three AA sized batteries. I simply cut out the wrap, and re-soldered in the NiMH AA batteries and wrapped it. I kept the same charger since they can handle the charging current typically used for NiCd batteries. For AA batteries, I think NiCds are generally rated in the 500mAh - 600 mAh range, whereas NiMH can reach up to 2.5 Ah (2500 mAh). I rebuild NiCad packs all the time.. I usually use at least 1100 or 1200 MAH batteries.  I just have not gotten around to fixing my drill packs.  I have not replaced NiCads with NiMH before. I  guess I need to check into this.   I hate to keep buying drills when the only thing wrong is the battery pack.

That is an EXCELLENT idea. I have a Makita 9v drill (yes, it's old and it was a gift), and the $40 battery packs keep dying on me. It'd be awesome to be able to rebuild the battery packs with NiMh cells. I better get looking into this.

Quoted: I need to get a new cordless drill, I like the 12.0v to 14.0 v models, I want to get a good one so it's going to be in the $175 to $200 range. What brand is holding up the best?

Why has nobody said "get both" yet?

I have 2 dewalts, one 12v one 14v.  I don't pay attention to which battery goes in each one.  They both work fine.  

Hitachi.  The DMR series rocks and the NiMH batteries recharge very fast.  

Quoted: Quoted: Dewalt XRP. The 14.4 has 400 lbs torque and metal transmission. +1

+2 I've been using one for a couple years now and have finished my basement, built a deck, built several fences, etc, etc with it.  It's balance of power, weight, and battery life have made it a fantastic tool for performing a variety of tasks.

Bosch.  I use a Skil made by Bosch.  It was recalled and replaced/upgraded to a newer more volt model for free.  I bought 4, two for gifts, two for personal use.  All are giving excellent service.  Me thinks they are the 18 Volt model.

We beat balls off a DeWalt 18V at work.  It is truly a beast.

If I were to buy new, Bosch would be number one, DeWalt number two.  You can find these on-line much cheaper than in the big box stores, usually.  

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I have dropped my DeWalt 14.4 XRP off of a 200 foot tower and had it bounce a good 6 feet into the air when it hit, and worked just fine (and still works great) after I got down to go get it. homepage.mac.com/rockhell/.Pictures/smells_like_bullshit.jpg Call bullshit all you want, I will even show pics of the tower I was working on if it makes you feel better.  I install antennas for my companies wireless network to these tall towers all the time.  You are bound to drop something sooner or later.  I know what I am talking about, you don't.

200 fucking feet?  If you dropped a solid ball of the plastic the drills are made out of it would break...and you're telling us a complex drill with a thin plastic covering took the fall and still works like a charm?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I have dropped my DeWalt 14.4 XRP off of a 200 foot tower and had it bounce a good 6 feet into the air when it hit, and worked just fine (and still works great) after I got down to go get it. homepage.mac.com/rockhell/.Pictures/smells_like_bullshit.jpg Call bullshit all you want, I will even show pics of the tower I was working on if it makes you feel better.  I install antennas for my companies wireless network to these tall towers all the time.  You are bound to drop something sooner or later.  I know what I am talking about, you don't. 200 fucking feet?  If you dropped a solid ball of the plastic the drills are made out of it would break...and you're telling us a complex drill with a thin plastic covering took the fall and still works like a charm?

Yep.  One of the battery clips got broke, and the rubber in the grip got gouged, but thats about it.  Belive what you want, you are the one with no clue.

DeWalt is not a beefed up Black and Decker, SOME Black and Deckers are beefed down DeWalts.

Ryobi, Ridgid and Milwaukee are all owned by the same company.

Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. (TTI) purchased Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation from Atlas Copco in January, 2005.

Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd
24/F CDW Bldg., 388 Castle Peak Rd., Tsuen Wan
New Territories, Hong Kong

Bosch and Roto-Zip are owned by Skill, if you look at the newer higer end Skill drills they are Boschs wrapped in cheap red plastic.

The same goes for Ridgid, their newer high end tools look a lot like Milwaukee tools wrapped in Home Depot orange.

Quoted: 200 fucking feet?  If you dropped a solid ball of the plastic the drills are made out of it would break...and you're telling us a complex drill with a thin plastic covering took the fall and still works like a charm?

My company only uses DeWalt drills.  I have seen them take falls and abuse that NO other drill has taken...  These drills are used by hourly emplyees that could care less how they treat the company tools.  In short they are abused.  I have seen them run over by the company van, thrown off a 4 story roof (not dropped, thrown), used to drive 8" long 1/2" shank screws and much more.  

I believe him when he says his drill survived.  

Dewalt works the best, but is the most expensive.

The best value for the money is Ryobi 18v. Home Depot also has liberal return policies if you happen to break it.

im a black and yellow guy even though the batteries sometimes suck

Keep in mind that an 18 volt Craftsman or Ryobi drill does not perform anywhere near as well as a 12 or 14.4 volt Dewalt of Milwaulkee.  There are many other factors to consider than the nominal voltage.

Quoted: Dewalt.  The 12V is a perfect balance of power VS weight.  The 14V is more powerful, but a touch heavy for my taste.  The 18V is too danged heavy to be a one-handed drill/driver for me. I bought a used 12V dewalt 5 years ago off ebay, roofed 3 metal buildings with it, and hung drywall in 3 houses with it.  It is tired now, but still going.  Not bad for 50 bucks (including charger and 3 batteries).

What you say has much merit,expecially if you are working over-head and one handed!!!!

Drills are like guns as they are both tools,and each has there limitations!!

I prefer the lighter drills for the over-head applications!!!


Bob

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I have dropped my DeWalt 14.4 XRP off of a 200 foot tower and had it bounce a good 6 feet into the air when it hit, and worked just fine (and still works great) after I got down to go get it. homepage.mac.com/rockhell/.Pictures/smells_like_bullshit.jpg Call bullshit all you want, I will even show pics of the tower I was working on if it makes you feel better.  I install antennas for my companies wireless network to these tall towers all the time.  You are bound to drop something sooner or later.  I know what I am talking about, you don't. 200 fucking feet?  If you dropped a solid ball of the plastic the drills are made out of it would break...and you're telling us a complex drill with a thin plastic covering took the fall and still works like a charm?

It's amazing what turf(grass for you wobblegobble)will absorb!!!

I think he is telling the truth(why would he lie?)


Bob

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I have dropped my DeWalt 14.4 XRP off of a 200 foot tower and had it bounce a good 6 feet into the air when it hit, and worked just fine (and still works great) after I got down to go get it. homepage.mac.com/rockhell/.Pictures/smells_like_bullshit.jpg Call bullshit all you want, I will even show pics of the tower I was working on if it makes you feel better.  I install antennas for my companies wireless network to these tall towers all the time.  You are bound to drop something sooner or later.  I know what I am talking about, you don't. 200 fucking feet?  If you dropped a solid ball of the plastic the drills are made out of it would break...and you're telling us a complex drill with a thin plastic covering took the fall and still works like a charm? Yep.  One of the battery clips got broke, and the rubber in the grip got gouged, but thats about it.  Belive what you want, you are the one with no clue.

You know, I'm not necessarily calling you a liar. Hell, I have no way of knowing whether or not you are telling the truth. I just find it FUCKING bizarre that any power tool could survive falling off a 200 foot tower.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I have dropped my DeWalt 14.4 XRP off of a 200 foot tower and had it bounce a good 6 feet into the air when it hit, and worked just fine (and still works great) after I got down to go get it. homepage.mac.com/rockhell/.Pictures/smells_like_bullshit.jpg Call bullshit all you want, I will even show pics of the tower I was working on if it makes you feel better.  I install antennas for my companies wireless network to these tall towers all the time.  You are bound to drop something sooner or later.  I know what I am talking about, you don't. 200 fucking feet?  If you dropped a solid ball of the plastic the drills are made out of it would break...and you're telling us a complex drill with a thin plastic covering took the fall and still works like a charm? Yep.  One of the battery clips got broke, and the rubber in the grip got gouged, but thats about it.  Belive what you want, you are the one with no clue. You know, I'm not necessarily calling you a liar. Hell, I have no way of knowing whether or not you are telling the truth. I just find it FUCKING bizarre that any power tool could survive falling off a 200 foot tower.

I tell you what.  I will post pictures of where I dropped it from tommorrow.  We were installing 3 wireless internet access points up on a tower in Elgin, Oregon.  We had a crane suspend us in a basket so we could install the bracing and mounts for the antennas.  I was using the drill, and when I was finished, I went to go put it back in my tool belt, and I missed  I will even post pics of the drill too if you would like.

The pics of the install are on my computer at work, which is why I will wait until tommorrow to get them.  

There's an old Ma Bell tower up the road from here. It's a 250 footer. That's a long way up, dude.

Quoted: There's an old Ma Bell tower up the road from here. It's a 250 footer. That's a long way up, dude.

Yes it is.  I wasnt exactly "confortable" working up there.  But we got the job done.

Especially since the crane operator had a knack for making that baset sway a bit while we were working

Re: the notion that Rigid is the same as another brand in a different package-- if you look at many of the tools out there, it is clear that many of the brands put their names on items manufactured in the same facility.  For example, one of the Rigid brand sanders was pretty close to identical to the Metabo brand of the same class sander.  This does not mean that either one is crap.  Likewise, there is a professional grade Craftsman sidewinder saw that looks pretty much the same as a Dewalt, except for the fact that the C is black and the D is yellow.   In this case, both are again fine saws.

Declaring across the board that one brand is crap is probably setting oneself up for being mistaken.  Generally, you get what you pay for with minor exceptions.  

I have heard positive feedback about all of the upper level namebrands, and it appears that a number of "pros" whatever that term means are happy with Ryobis, even though me being a tool snob, I'd blanche at the notion of Ryobi making something besides fishing reels.

getting back to the original issue, I would say that a person would be shortchanging themselves if they bought a cordless driver without looking at an impact driver.  They really do kick ass regardless of the brand, but the Hitachi, Makita, Panasonic and Rigid versions would be on my shortlist depending on budget and need for bells and whistles.  

Quoted: Dewalt is a BS hopped up overpriced black and decker!!

I'd rather have a tool that won't let me down when I need it most than any warrenty.

I had a B&D screwdriver that I used for radio tower work. The PLASTIC tranny failed on me at the worst possible time while I was doing a job with 2 $600 per hour cranes. I ended up wasteing 90 min of crane time un-harnasing comming down and going back up with a replacement tool. THAT NIGHT I went out and bought a DeWalt 7.2v driver with a metal tranny and since then its been thrugh hell and back and it still ticks fine!

I guess you know were my vote went.

I also use an 18v Dewalt Hammer drill for drilling masonary. With a decent bit it will go in like butta!

-JIM-

Quoted: Milwaukee! I have the 18 volt, it's a beast. Dewalt is popular on job sites around here, you can always borrow a battery, but for my money the Milwaukee is a better tool.

I had a feeling everyone would vote for DeWalt.  It probably is the best choice for household/construction/etc.  Craftsman, Porter and Makita are similar.  Just pick your favorite color.  I own 2 18V DeWalts.  If you are going to get just one, go ahead and get one with a hammerdrill setting.  You won't use it much, but it will be worth every penny once you do.

But, if you want one that will hold up to .mil, machine shop w/ concrete floors, etc type use, the Milwaukee is the only one that will hold up to the kind of punishment that soldiers or metalworkers can inflict on a power tool.  

Be warned..an 18V drill will break #6 screws and small (like under 1/8") drillbits at full torque.  And, if you don't have good forearms, an 18V drill can also get heavy, fast.

Milwaukee

Quoted: Quoted: I have dropped my DeWalt 14.4 XRP off of a 200 foot tower and had it bounce a good 6 feet into the air when it hit, and worked just fine (and still works great) after I got down to go get it. homepage.mac.com/rockhell/.Pictures/smells_like_bullshit.jpg

I wasn't going to say it, but I saw a machinist drop an 18V DeWalt from about 8 feet onto a concrete floor and gave up the ghost on the spot.  So did the other 3 DeWalts that got dropped from about that height.  Floor 4, DeWalt 0 = Milwaulkee from then on.

ETA:  Ohhhh, it fell on grass.  Okay.  But you got to admit, saying your drill fell 200' and still works sounds farfetched.  And all my cordless tools are still DeWalts.  I just don't drop them on concrete from too high up.

DeWalt 18V