Alright, I admit, I got scrooge-itis and bought a Sears brand cordless drill awhile back.  Today the lack of torque, even with a fully charged battery, caused the goddamn thing to slip and jam the screwdriver bit right into my thumb.  As I sit here typing it's dripping blood on my keyboard.

As I was about to head out the door to Home Depot to pick up the same 18 volt Dewalts I always buy at work, I thought maybe there was another brand that was "better" these days.  I have been a huge fan of Dewalt, and they certainly haven't ever let me down.  I know that Milwaukee and Makita are good brands as well, and I'm starting to hear good things about Hitachi and Bosch as well.

This will mostly be used for home use.  Wait, let me qualify that.  I build shit.  Lots of shit.  Today I finished up a canopy in the yard built out of EMT with 4x4 columns.  This week I need to finish my coffee table, the table I'm building for the kitchen to put the microwave on, and I need to get working on a dresser.  Chances are this drill will be involved in all three.  So yes, I need a quality tool.  It may also be called on for actual work (yes, I am a project manager that actually gets my hands dirty) at the jobsite as well.

Now that I've rambled on, please stand by for fresh poll.

Oh yeah, if you know of a place to get a better deal than Home Depot let me know.

I bought my 18v Makita form the Home Depot. A friend of mine thought his 18v Dewalt was 'the shit' and a guy called him on it by putting them against each other - chuck to chuck. When they were turned on against each other the Dewalt burned and died and the Makita just kept spinning.

Tagged

I am seriously interested in one of those 18v Dewalt 1/2 impact wrenches.................

I'm a DeWalt junkie too, so I can't tell you about the others.

I buy a lot of my stuff from Tool King.  Fairly good deals on factory reconditioned DeWalt stuff.

Makita or Bosch. I have a Makita angle grinder that's 14 years old. That's quality.

Try Amazon.com, I've found some good prices there.

DeWalt. I have one that will twist your arm off, damn thing is stout as all hell......

Quoted: Alright, I admit, I got scrooge-itis and bought a Sears brand cordless drill awhile back.  Today the lack of torque, even with a fully charged battery, caused the goddamn thing to slip and jam the screwdriver bit right into my thumb.  As I sit here typing it's dripping blood on my keyboard. Now that I've rambled on, please stand by for fresh poll.

Sounds more like operator error.

I just got a new Craftsman and it's got more than enough torque. So I don't know why you'd complain about it being cheap. Was it the blue Sears extra cheap brand?

But what do I know about good tools? I hang out at Harbor Frieght like a crack whore at a drug house...

HItachi makes some of the best tools out there

RYOBI!

Quoted: Quoted: Alright, I admit, I got scrooge-itis and bought a Sears brand cordless drill awhile back.  Today the lack of torque, even with a fully charged battery, caused the goddamn thing to slip and jam the screwdriver bit right into my thumb.  As I sit here typing it's dripping blood on my keyboard. Now that I've rambled on, please stand by for fresh poll. Sounds more like operator error. I just got a new Craftsman and it's got more than enough torque. So I don't know why you'd complain about it being cheap. Was it the blue Sears extra cheap brand? But what do I know about good tools? I hang out at Harbor Frieght like a crack whore at a drug house...

I would say yes, you have no idea what you're talking about.  Trust me, you'll be sorry you bought the Craftsman garbage.  If you actually use your tools more than once a month, do yourself a favor and take the Craftsman back now.

The brands in the poll all have their place, and are all good brands.

I use milwaukee - tough tools with mucho torque - Right behind Bosch in power.  I have 3 18v drills, beat the shit out of them and they still run like factory new.

One I use for cement mixing, paint mixing, drywall compound mixing, etc.  Smoked the motor once, but still runs like a champ.

My 18v hammer/drill I use for drilling through concrete, masonry, studs, whatever.  It's a beast in it's own sense.  I dropped it from a 2nd story rafter and broke the casing when it hit the concrete bellow.  I replaced the case, resoldered the wires, and it runs to this day in a great fashion.

My other 18v Milwaukee I use for my wood work, light drilling, etc.  All excellent drills.

My bro uses the makitas.  I really like the newer ones with the fiberglass compound body.  Really tough tools, but I haven't got to abuse them (since they're not mine).

At work we run the 18v dewalts.  I personally don't like all the different flavors that dewalts come in XR, XRP, XRP+, all that other bullshit.  I want an 18v drill period.  They're good drills though.  Not quite as powerful as the makita, milwaukee or the bosch.  I personally don't like the ergonomics vs. the other drills, but my coworkers do.  Go figure.  I can't tell you the logevity of them, some mfer keeps steeling equipment at work - and his favorite thing is the old dewalt drills (VS our new ones!).

The hitachi's are nice tools, I've used many of their corded tools, and some of their bigger free standing tools.  I like those (minus their CR10a2 tables saw - pos - but I digress) and I hear many people rave about their 14.4v drills.  Other than that - a blank.

Bosch makes good tools.  Never used any of their cordless tools either though.  Most powerful 18v if I remember right.

As for places to buy tools:

www.lowes.com
www.amazon.com

Lowes is by far the best price wise (crepot depot is a tool of the devil).

I have Dewalt power tools and like them.

Even a gang of commercial plumbers can't kill Bosch.  VERY nice, powerful, and not building a cheap line like Makita is.  Ops

Dewalt and Craftsman.

Period.

Dewalt.....as far as cordless tools, thats all I'll buy.

Corded tools dewalt is a different story....I prefer delta for big stuff (table saws, etc) or porter-cable for small stuff (routers, things like that)

Yeah, what the hell is the deal with Dewalt and the XRP etc. nonsense?  Can anybody decipher this stuff?  I buy them at work but I generally just run in and grab one, I don't look too closely.  This one is going to be paid for with my own (gun) money so I want it to be good.

we got a new Metabo (?) at work, 18v drill, clutch, etc..

I burned out the speed controller on it's first day.. now we do have an older one of the same model, other than the drive on it, it's holding out way better than the new one did.

I recommend Dewalt, have several myself and friends got plenty more.

Dewalt for the cordless! 14.4v XRP rocks.
The 14.4v XRP drill tops out at 450# torque, the 18v only has 50# more.

The XRP has metal gears.

Quoted: Dewalt and Craftsman. Period.

I learned a couple valuable lessons from my father. One of them I will remember forever....NEVER BUY CRAFTSMAN POWER TOOLS. I watched him try to keep a shop of Crapman tools running until I left for college. When I got back, there was not a craftsman power tool on the property.

Buy the best. Buy Bosch.

Planerench out.

Quoted: Quoted: Dewalt and Craftsman. Period. I learned a couple valuable lessons from my father. One of them I will remember forever....NEVER BUY CRAFTSMAN POWER TOOLS. I watched him try to keep a shop of Crapman tools running until I left for college. When I got back, there was not a craftsman power tool on the property. Buy the best. Buy Bosch. Planerench out.

as said above....craftsman power tools are fine.......if you only use your tools once a month.  


I agree though, after helping dad finish a room in the basement at our old house, and constatnly burning out craftsman saws and drills.....i won't be buying any of their power tools.


their hand tools, on the other hand.....GREAT stuff....them and snap-on is all I buy

Got a reconditioned Dewalt 12V 13 years ago, time for a new one. Looking at a ewalt DC759KA reconditioned for 165.
Gerry

RYOBI!

+1 Good tools.

Makita owns more patents to cordless technology and battery design then
all the rest combined .

Does it make them the best ???

Don't know , but it's good enough for me , and my 20 year old 7.2V cordless
drill is still going strong . While a Millwalkie , DeWalt , Porter Cable and Snap-on have
gone to the trash .

Quoted: Quoted: hand tools, .... snap-on is all I buy +1

Snap-on, Mac, Matco, Proto, K-D, S-K, Duro and some things Craftsman.....

I am a hand tool junkie but also a cheap bastard, so I buy at pawn shops and flea markets a few pieces at a time. I built a sizable collection up for pennies on the dollar scrounging.

For me, a commercial plumbing contractor...


Big Red


Milwaukee tools are the only way to fly for me!


My crews all run Milwaukee... and I have never had cause to complain... the newest 18v -1/2" Drill/Hammerdrill and the steel quick change chuck are a superior design, and just plain make me smile every time I use it.

Love em!!


Dram

Milwaukee!
I have had a 12v for about 9 years and have used it Professionally for 4. It it still going and I used it today. I have 4 batteries though.

Dewalt is the exact same as a Black & Decker (I know I service the machinery).



Samuel

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Dewalt and Craftsman. Period. I learned a couple valuable lessons from my father. One of them I will remember forever....NEVER BUY CRAFTSMAN POWER TOOLS. I watched him try to keep a shop of Crapman tools running until I left for college. When I got back, there was not a craftsman power tool on the property. Buy the best. Buy Bosch. Planerench out. as said above....craftsman power tools are fine.......if you only use your tools once a month.   I agree though, after helping dad finish a room in the basement at our old house, and constatnly burning out craftsman saws and drills.....i won't be buying any of their power tools. their hand tools, on the other hand.....GREAT stuff....them and snap-on is all I buy

I guess to each his own. I personally don't prefer the Craftsman cordless stuff: I'm a DeWalt fan.

Some of the guys on my work crew have used the same set of Craftsman cordless tools for a looooooooooong time and they've never had a single breakdown.

We use our power tools all day, every day. Our stuff has to be dependable and powerful.

I've found that DeWalt and Craftsman both outperform other brands on a regular basis.

Porter cable.

Quoted: Porter cable.

best corded power tools

If figure if my Warn Winch is using a Bosch motor to possibly save my life, then the bosch power tools must be good stuff!

Big fan of Dewalt as well. Not so big on Makita or Milwaukee stuff. Something about the Dewalts, just by feel (that may sound crazy), feel better.

I've also been using them full time at work for 10 years. And yes, have tried other stuff.

Dewalt works great for me. Really enjoy their products.

BTW, what do your guys use at work?

Quoted:  BTW, what do your guys use at work?

My guys use Dewalt cordless 'cause that's what I buy them.  We have a Makita circular saw that is awesome.  Most of the other subs tend to use Dewalt too, but much like this poll I think it's just because that's what people know.  I'll probably wind up with another one for myself just 'cause I don't want to gamble on one of the other brands.