Cordless Drill
 

Looking for a new cordless drill. As telling of my age I want one that has a LED light..old eyes. Anyway is there a big difference between the 12 v and 18v drills. Not using it for commercial use just home project. Also would like something that is somewhat compact. Some that have seen are really big.

Tough to beat the Makita drill and impact kit. I loved my Dewalt 18v, but it was huge. Bought the Makita combo at HD one day and love it. Lightweight with a light on it, love it. I hang 50+ doors a year and really like it. Make sure you buy impact ready bits and accessories for it.

Yup, the black and white 18v makita is the hot ticket. We use them all the time and they don't quit.

Put it to you this way, I have the blue-green Makita drill with 18v Lithium Ion battery. I packed it away when I moved back down to FL. Didn't use it for almost a year or so. Wife wanted something hung up and battery still had a good charge. It lasted for about a month after I started using it again before it needed a charge. It came in a combo kit where I also got a flash light, circular saw, and a sawzall. Both saws get used and they work well too.

Dewalt hammer-drill. You wil not be sorry!

Stupid question. I see the combo's of a drill and "driver". or a all in one unit. Any recommendations on one over the other? And what does a driver do that a drill won't?

I have been using this kit for a few years and I am a fan:
ExpressTools.com: Makita LCT207W 12V max Lithium-Ion Cordless 2-Pc. Combo Kit

Small, lightweight, continuously rechargeable, I rebuilt my wood deck last year, change tires, run drywall screws all the time. I still own one of the original 9.6v greenie drill/drivers and the new Li/ion kit is better.

I hate cordless drills. I use my Bosch hammer drill and cords with portable generators more than the cordless drills.

We run almost all of the brands. The men just buy them when they need it. they are not loyal to any particular brand. They seem to like the 18V Makita compact Lithium ion the most. it is small, and powerful. For home use, you don't need the impact driver. I am a big fan of impact drivers, been using them since they came on the market more then 20 years ago, you don't really need it unless you are doing lots of driving screws. We also have a couple of the Home Depot specials, Rigid. I know they beat the hell out of them and it seem to hold up well. Cheaper too but not as compact as the little Makita. they like them becsuse of the life time guarantee. In the shop, we use all Bosch cordless tools because we use one charger for all of their batteries. they are compact too and we do not require massive torque in building cabinets and other woodwork.

Cordless Drill
 

I have a set of the Bosch cordless drill and hammer drill/screwdriver. Both work well, use the same type of battery so they are interchangeable, are small/light and seem to have pretty good battery life. They do not have a built in light, though. They use the quick insert hex head drills and bits rather than have a chuck.

DeWalt 20V compact drill. The smallest, most powerful long battery life. I have had 3 Milw's, Bosch, Ryobi and Makita in the past. The 20V Dewalt kicks their buuts. So small and light but with enough torque to drive in 5/16" lag bolts all day. Comes with two quick charge batteries, 1 in the charger, the other in the drill. Has LED light. You will not be disappointed.

Just my .02¢

I've had different brands of li drills come through the pawn shop. I kept the Milwaukee set.
Jim

They are all so much alike there really isn't that much difference between them IMHO. Look for the best buy. With Father's Day this weekend most will be on sale.

Buy the one that the color of it matches your shoes and it least you'll look good using it.

The life time battery guarantee HD offers on Ridgid is the best deal going that I know of.

wrong. I researched the crap out of Makita drills and didn't skimp on a cheap combo pack of drill/driver. I dropped more dollars on this drill as all gears are metal in the drivetrain, the cheaper combo packs are nylon and other cost cutting corners.

I buy my stuff right, and once.

Makita 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion 1/2 in. Hammer Driver Drill Kit-DISCONTINUED-BHP454 at The Home Depot

I don't use a drill often enough to enjoy a cordless. Never charged when I need it, then the battery gets lazy and won't charge, etc.

Just got a cheap plug-in model from a pawn shop and a 50' extension cord.

He's not wrong, but you have to compare a professional level drill to another one and not one that's designed for home owners. You pay for that up front.

I bought the Ryobi Lithium Ion 18v drill & driver combo online from homedepot.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-ONE-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Drill-and-Impact-Driver-Combo-Kit-2-Tool-P882/203406854#.UbYAP5xIpcU

$99 for the pair. I am very impressed with the driver.

I think it comes down to intended use. If you are going to use it a lot and the batteries will go through many cycles then maybe a high end professionsl model is right for you. If however you are just an occasional user around the house then maybe a $99 Ryobi is the better choice.