question on cordless/battery drill

[rnln]

Alright, at least I got one person now.

Josh,
I have used both Dewalt and Makita but not Rigid. Dewalt batery is expensive. On the drill itself, if I select Dewalt and Makita a little careful, I can say the Rigid cost a little more, but life time warranty on rigid batery is a very good option. Have you ever used Dewalt or Makita? If you have, how would you compare about the power and performance?

[porsche4life]

Listen... We use cordless tools almost every day... The 18v Makita is the favorite... We've had makita, dewalt, rigid, and ryobi....

[Rufblackbird]

Originally Posted by milt

Not sure what I'd buy if I had to get new. Perhaps Bosch. Or more Makita although I can't stand the new graphics.

Milt, might wanna reconsider the Bosch. The transmission (or clutch??) just went bad on my 18v lithium impact drill on the high speed setting, though it still works fine on the lower speed higher torque setting. Had it for just over a year, and used it maybe a few times a month, no major work. Gotta go find the warranty info, or see if Lowe's will do anything for me...

[myamoto1]

Originally Posted by rnln

Alright, at least I got one person now.

Josh,
I have used both Dewalt and Makita but not Rigid. Dewalt batery is expensive. On the drill itself, if I select Dewalt and Makita a little careful, I can say the Rigid cost a little more, but life time warranty on rigid batery is a very good option. Have you ever used Dewalt or Makita? If you have, how would you compare about the power and performance?

I've used a few Makitas, but not for any length of time. So I can't really compare them to the Rigid. When I bought my Rigid, it looked like the best bang for the buck and I've been happy with the purchase. Heck, I just used it last night to drive in several 3" screws.

From what I remember (which isn't much) when I researched cordless drills, Panasonic were among the best, but were out of my price range. Not sure these days who gets top billing, but I'd have no problem buying another Rigid. Just make sure whatever you get has a "2 speed clutch". Not sure what the technical term is, but it allows you higher speeds for the easy stuff and a lower speed (higher torque) setting for driving longer screws.

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by lendaddy

I was a Dewalt guy until I got the new Makita 18V lithium. It is tiny by comparison and I LOVE it. Charges in 15 minutes and is crazy powerful (450 inlbs). I have never been so pleased with a tool.

Makita 18V Compact Lithium-Ion Drill Driver - BDF452HW at The Home Depot

Probably the best right now, both the drill and the driver. Got to get the larger battery for long run time.

[rnln]

The dewalt I have has more than 5 speed settings. The lower you set, the lower power it drills at. The higher you set, the faster and stronger it drills. Let say if I leave it at 1 or 2, I only can drill about an inch of the 3" screw (just saying for an example), then the drill clicks without going. If I set it at 5 or max, the drill will drive the screw all the way in. Is this what you meant "clutch"?

Originally Posted by myamoto1

I've used a few Makitas, but not for any length of time. So I can't really compare them to the Rigid. When I bought my Rigid, it looked like the best bang for the buck and I've been happy with the purchase. Heck, I just used it last night to drive in several 3" screws.

From what I remember (which isn't much) when I researched cordless drills, Panasonic were among the best, but were out of my price range. Not sure these days who gets top billing, but I'd have no problem buying another Rigid. Just make sure whatever you get has a "2 speed clutch". Not sure what the technical term is, but it allows you higher speeds for the easy stuff and a lower speed (higher torque) setting for driving longer screws.