Best cordless drill/sawzall- updated 7-26-08

[Kartoon]

My vote goes out to the new Ingersoll Rand IQV. very very nice drill, got the impact too. I will be looking for more tools as they make it so the batteries are interchangable within the volt family(7v, 14.4, 19.2)

My boss has snap on drill and it is the biggest piece of crap, doesnt hold a charge and is useless.

 

[darkshadow]

see thats what i tell people when they ask how good a cordless sawzall is: " its great BUT you have to remember it is a cordless, there not ment to be treated like a corded.

milwalkie super sawz all is best hands down, NO cordless will be as good as it, so if you treat it like tat you going to brake it in half

 

[cuervo]

I own only dewalt, there the way to go.

acording to dewalt.com and 3ed party testing the new 18V drill is more power full then the millwalkie 28 and even the dewalt 24, second only to the 36 dewalt. I use mine every day and an very happy, some good deals are on ebay.

as far as the resip saws, the main thing to remember is it is a cordless saw NOT an 11amp moter but a small 18v moter, if you think it is a cordded saw you will burn it out! they tend to use up batterys fast too. I have one and love it but for small jobs and i go slow and lightly pushing.

want a good corded saw and the millwalkie SUPERsawzall is hand down the best!





ALSO dewalt impact guns and cordless grinders KICK ASS!

Not that this means anything but dewalt is owned and produced by black and decker. I guess they wanted the pro market too.

 

[79BRUISER]

Dewalt is owned by Black and Decker. But Dewalt is built with heavier duty components. If you compare them side by side you will see a significant difference.

That being said, you will pay more for a Dewalt tool. But the Dewalt should last much longer.

I will admit to being less than impressed with the new Dewalt drills. My old style has held up better than the new one. The new one replaced the old one, until the old one replaced the new one again.

I have found that the new Nano 18v lithium batteries to be considerably superior battery. Although expensive. They are much lighter and run much longer than the nicad.

Any purchase should be made with the frequency of use of the tool in mind. Not everyone will use a cordless 550 ft. lb. Snap On impact regularly. But I have found mine to be irreplacable.

Most of us won't be happy with the chicago electric version either.

Professional mechanics, tradesmen, or even serious DIYers know the value of time versus money. To us time is money.

As you can tell I am a Dewalt fan. Have been for years, and will continue to be. I have a fortune in Dewalt tools. It is very nice to have the same batteries fit all my cordless tools. Two chargers and 8 batteries would be expensive to replace. I couldn't afford to replace them with other brands at this point.

I second the Milwaulkee Sawzall (electric) as one of the best saws around. Porter cable also makes excellent tools.

Sorry for rambling on and on, I like to talk about tools.

Bruiser

 

[tRustyK5]

For home stuff I bought a little Ryobi 12v Lithium-ion drill/driver. I was skeptical when I saw the size of it (no bigger than a glock) but it has performed way above my expectations. I love the Li-ion too...full power right until the end and then instant dead. 1 hour charge.

If it was a work tool I'd buy the Makita. DeWalt is crap in my book...

Rene

 

[Wrench]

DeWalt all the way, I have been using their cordless drills daily for the past six years and they always outperform other brands doing the same job. I also have the big DW059 impact and the sawzall, that combo is a lifesaver at the wrecker's. Just have to treat them like cordless tools--don't overheat or overcool the batteries.

 

[MNorby]

update:
I got this drill: http://www.makita.com/en-us/Modules/Tools/ToolDetails.aspx?ID=886

Works very nice. I love the lights on it for drill up under dashes or dark spots. Tons of power and nice battery life. Thanks for the recommendations thus far.

 

[454k30]

I use a craftsman. Works well for me and I use it a lot!

 

[buefchris]

Looks like I've reserected this thread from the dead.
I have a Dewalt 18v drill and it seems like every time I go and use it, the battery is dead. I can't ever get through a job without recharging it.
It's been a few years so I desided its time to buy a new battery.
wow, $95.00 for a replacment! Or spend $99.00 for a 12v Ridgid drill that comes with 2 batteries and a LED flashlight a no brainer.
Plus,another thing about Ridgid cordless tools, if you fill out the warranty and send it in,not only does the tool covered for a lifetime but the batteries are as well.
To my knowledge, no one else has that.
Needless to say, the Dewalt has been given away.

 

[dhcomp]

I've been a Makita guy for years....but really, after 2-3 years, i expect to replace the thing.

The newest one is the lighter 18V. Was $99 at home depot, but only came with one battery. Not a huge deal, as it charges in like 5-10 min.

Love it so far....super light.

 

[MNorby]

You can get those batteries rebuilt at battery shops for about half price of new battery cost.
Update on my tools. I have used the makita drill TONS! Only time I use my plug-in drill is on my notcher. Have used it to cut 4" hole saws through 1/4" plate no prob and if not careful it will spin you around in 1st or 2nd gear. Third gear the motor will stall before it spins ya. I have also bought a makita sawzall that uses the same battery. It will kill the battery quicker than the drill but the charger can charge it faster than I use the second battery generally. I haven't used my corded milwaukee sawzall since I got the cordless makita. I plan on getting the cordless 1/2" impact that uses same batteries too here soon.

 

[owenst7]

We've run our business off DeWalt since the early 90s...just recently started buying Makitas. We are all switching over to Makitas now.

Can't beat the Mag77s for skilsaws though.

We would be all Metabo if we could afford to have them dropped off roofs, left in the rain, stolen, etc. like all our other tools.