Want to hear the GOOD, BAD and the UGLY on your cordless drill or drill-driver experiences. Want list:lasting quality, a chuckless bit that is easy to grip AND actually holds the bit securely, long-life battery, variable speed, carrying case, $125-150? Be very specific with model numbers since nearly all manufactures are making cheap, stripped-down-look-a-like models for Walmart, McCoy's, etc.. Thanks.

Dudley,

My favorite drills are either a Bosch or a Dewalt. I carry 2 of each in my truck. My best advice in shopping for a drill. First, what will it be mainly used for? will it be for lgith drilling and screwdriving. Or do you want to drill through a telephone pole. I would toodle on down to a tool store or a Home Depot and spend some time in the tool corral. Fondle each one, they might even have a display that you can try them. Also, inquire about their return policy. Home Depot is great if you don't like you can return.

Mike

Dudley,

I have a Makita 9.6V I've used for DIY around two houses. Its 8 years old and still works great. My corded drill is rarely used.

Do get a second battery.

I had a B&D I used for driving but I dropped about 5 feet onto cement and bent the chuck.

Makitas are the standard here for set
construction, where they have to move fast,
and do everything with those crappy dry wall
screws.

Many years ago, I gave my father a Sears
Craftsman model 315-111320, which he didn't
use, and it sat uncharged for a long time.
Recently I had a need for it, and to my great
amazement, it charged right up, and runs
like a champ. It's a lot stronger than it
looks.

-- J.S.

Gotta say that my Dewalt 14.4 is one of the best tools I own. Also, ditto on the second battery. I saw that Tool Crib now has a radio that doubles as a battery charger.

dewalt cordless / firestorm cordless
are batteries inter-changeable?

I have two different cordless drills. The one at work I have is a dewalt 18v. My home use one is a Craftsman 13.3 v.

Both are valuable. I can't see how I have gone so long without one.

Between the two, my craftsman seems to be the better one. For some reason, the dewalt has developed small cracks in the outer shell of the drill, and I have never dropped it (maybe someone got into my locker one day to use it, dunno).

Just be sure if you get one to get at LEAST two batteries, three would be better.

I just got a Firestorm 14.4V cordless drill from my brother. It came with 2 batteries and a 1-hour charger. It has 24 torque settings, which can come in handy with drywall screws (so you can set them to the right depth without breaking the paper) and it's quite handy.

The only complaint I have is that it doesn't have as much torque as I would like, but the only time I've run into problems with it is in drilling a 3/4" hole with an 18" auger bit , through about 20" of old wood. I don't think that any 14.4V cordless would be able to handle that amount of frictional resistance in addition to the drilling load, though.

Other than that, I've been quite happy. The one-hour charger is very handy, but it will probably adversely affect the battery longevity, as it's better for the battery to be charged slowly. 3 batteries would be better, but I don't know how many drill come with 3.

Good luck.

Dear Dud,
I've used all of the drills on the market. The one I am sold on is the Black and Decker Firestorm 18 volt drill. It comes with 2 batteries, a case with top storage for bits and such and at any Home Depot retails for around $ 130.00 including tax. I ran a 3" screw right through a 4x4 and it didn't grunt. The other drill is a Bosch 24 volt which retails for alot more. But that depends upon your needs.
Len

for DIY work around the house cant go wrong with 18v Ryobi from HD.

Ryobi makes all of craftsman power tools in same plants and badges them as Craftsman so its same basic drill for lot less.
If you do not like the RYOBI brand
(cant see why you wouldnt)
go with Black and Decker as they are the makers of Dewalt and make a superb home use product

as far a professional workload

get a dewalt or Bosch or Porter Cable or Milwalkie brand (personal choice)

18v hammer drill driver with at least 3 batteries and a car charger as well as regular charger and it should do anything you ever need a drill to do