the best cordless drill i've ever owned....
 

over the past 15 years i've gone through a number of different cordless drills for work, i use them to take just about anything you could imagine apart, i usually "damage" one about every 6 months to a year.
for the longest time i used makita, but their quality went downhill imo when they started with the plastic chucks.
i had a bosch which worked good but was a bit large, was hard to drill in tight places with it.
i had a few craftsman drills, upper and lower line....
anyway i either kill the brushes or they simply melt or the switch dies.....or the batteries won't hold a charge.....you get the idea.

well i found a drill that has for almost a year taken the abuse i throw at it, the batteries still hold a charge like they're brand new, and charge fully within 15 minutes, the torque clutch still is great and the brake still works......this thing will still snap p2 bits if the clutch is fully engaged.
with the 2 batteries, flashlight, charger and drill it's about $80 at lowes, add the 1 year direct replacement warranty for $10 and you're covered.

this drill is 12v and fits in tight places easily and is pretty light.......i also use it with 3" hole saws and it doesn't even phase it :)

http://www.hitachipowertools.com/store_item.php?iID=511&arrPath=1,2,22,p511,

anyway that's my review if you need a durable quality cordless drill :)

I still have the makita I bought 6 or so years ago, but if I ever need a new drill I will be glad I read your review!

We have a 24 volt Milwaukee at the shop. I love it.

i liked the higher voltage drills but getting under a dashboard to go through the firewall made it a tricky job with some, this thing is pretty small compared to the power and features it has :)

18v Milwaukee here. Bomb proof. Love it.

I have a lot of Hitachi's power tools, but for cordless drills, I chose Panasonic. The 15.6 and 12 volt models are lightweight and powerful. I doubt the Hitachi will give anything but good service, but do try the Panasonic drills sometime. Panasonic's impact driver, 7202 model, is superb.
jurgen

18V Dewalt.

14.4v Dewalt just wont die. Love it....around 12 years old.

Hitachi makes awesome tools. I have their pneumatic finish nailer and it's dynamite.

Me too. 14.4 and I thought, "when it goes I'll replace it with an 18v....then a 24v."

Now its lasted so long I'd be willing to get another 14.4 if they make them. Do they? Mine has sat in the charger for weeks and maybe even months at a time, only to be taken out and used incessantly for days on end. It takes and holds a great charge, I've used the butt end of it to hammer a few things.:eek:

It is indestructible.

Dan, I'm not sure if the 14.4 is still around. I hope it is. I had the same plans on upgrading but now I'm quite comfortable with the power/weight ratio....I need no larger. The XR batteries are great. When they go I'll rebuild the packs.

DeWalt 14.4 is still around. Have had the 18v for a long time. Cant kill it.

OH, I forgot that I also use my 18V DEWALT for a HAMMER sometimes.Been 10 years.

I went over to OSH last night and looked to see if the 14.4 is still there. It is.

$179.99 and $199.99. Not sure the difference, maybe a plastic case or something. They are styled a little more smoothly than my old one but I'd buy another in a heartbeat when mine goes.

How do you know where/who/how to rebuild the battery packs? What's involved? Cost vs just buying an all new replacement that will last another....10? possibly 15 years? At least for my level of use.

A new XR pack will run $50+. Replacement batteries can be had for $20 or less and you may be able to source higher MaH (From OE 1.7 to 2.4) units to increase run time. My drill came with two packs so I will likely do them together. If the top unscrews it's a no brainer. If the top is glued on it's more work.

I have the same Hitachi. No problems here except the batteries are losing their edge after 3 years.... pretty good IMO.:)

Timely thread, as I'm about to make a purchase on a drill/palm sander/bandsaw. Any recommendations on a good online site for tool purchases?

Check out amazon.com

And I'm very pleased with my Bosch 9.6v.

Hitachi here also, 14.4 li-ion, very nice drill

Sarc,
A few years ago I replaced my old Rockwell 1/4 sheet finishing sander with a Porter Cable palm sized round finishing sander. It last until a few months ago when I took it to my daughter's low rent apartment, plugged it in and the household current must have been wrong somehow - fried it! DOH!:eek::mad:

I decided to replace it with a DeWalt palm sander. Frankly, it felt good in my hand, came with a nice shopvac connection and a plastic case and the price was right...can't remember? I want to say $69.99 (?). I've only used it once on a project and it worked great. I'd recommend it, so far.

Woodworker's Supply:
http://woodworker.com/