Shopsmith Forums

I started with the Ryobi power dill for my first cordless drill. It was an effective piece of equipment but now has come the time to replace it. Since I use the power drill and power driver combination, I limited my choice to either the Makita or Milwaukee cordless drill sets.

After some research on both drill sets, one apples to apples review suggested that Milwaukee was the better drill, and it was also $60.00 cheaper.

I attached the review here for your convenience:[
Milwaukee 2691-22 18-Volt Compact Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit

IMHO they are all o.k. until the batteries go bad. The cordless stuff is priced too preciously to wear out so soon. The best one is the cheapest one. Probably a Riobi.

If you are worried about batteries go with the Ridgid brand, under their service agreement they have lifetime battery replacement.

Frankly I think the 12 volt lit is a better choice. Plenty of guts for most home owner use and if you are using it in your job I would go with Ryobi, if they break you tose them and get another. Can't afford to have down due to you drill in repair shop.

I received an 18V Porter Cable set for Christmas with two batteries and have been very pleased so far. Granted, that brand isn't what it used to be but I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth. The drill doesn't seem to have the torque that a 12V DeWalt has and the casing is definitely lighter but with the battery on, the weight gets tiring after a while.

Although one of the originals, I never got used to the old Makita feel and the tubular batteries but I haven't used the newer models. I have a little 12.3V (+/-) Black and Decker that has lasted 7 or 8 years under light duty, surprisingly. I replaced the battery just a few months ago and I had that thing plugged in ALL the time. It is very light so it's great for repetitive over-head jobs with sufficient power. This is just my experience, but it seems to me that those NiCad batteries all last about the same length of time, regardless of brand. I guess it depends on how much you're willing to pay for replacements. However, I see a definite difference in grabbing power and torque between the low end brands I own and the DeWalts and Ridgids of the world at the same voltage.

I've never touched a Ryobi so I can't speak to it.

I have three. Two DeWalt and a Porter Cable. The DeWalt tools have served me well for several years. The PC is almost new because I don't use it. Don't have a good reason why, just don't.

I will have to say my favorite cordless drill is a Craftsman 19.2. I have had it for probably 10 years or so and it still is going strong. It came with 2 batteries and charger which was given to me as a gift one Christmas from SHMBO and so far both batteries are still charging and holding up. I also have a DeWalt 18V XPR combination set which is still almost like new which I picked up a Home Depot on a deal that I couldn't walk away from. The complete set (drill, driver, reciprocating saw,circular saw, flash light, charger & 2 batteries) I got for $199.00 which went back to $499 a week later. Guess that's one of the benefits of working at Home Depot when deals like this show up. Also have cordless compact Rigid driver which I use for shooting screws.

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DT aka Agent orange is a POS
Liar Liar his wonky comb over is on fire

I purchased the above Milwaukee Combo kit about 6 months ago from HD. So far they have served me well and are quite adequate for the average home owner/craftsman. I am however 'not' satisfied with the runtime of the included batteries. Although expensive, I would have to recommend the opotional batteries if your needs dictate that. There is no doubt in my mind that Milwaukee makes a high caliber product. I'm sorry I don't have any other drill or driver to compare it to.

Okay I mentioned it and it seemed to go over like a lead balloon.
Ridgid tool line offers lifetime replacement of the batteries under their service contract which is free.

The biggest complaint I hear from people on cordless tools is the cost of replacing dead batteries. At times a single battery will cost more than the person originally paid for the tool, charger and two batteries.

Now help me understand, you walk into Home Depot and walk out with a Dewalt, Milwaukee or some other make, and you know you are going to be faced with the batteries going bad. And you complain about the cost.

Why not buy the Ridgid?

Agree with you 100% Ed. That's what separates smart people like you and stupid ones like me. Kidding aside, it was an impulse buy with gift cards my daughters had given me and the special at the time was too good to pass up. At times like that, stupid people like me do not reason things through. Never have, never willl hehe. I do have some other Rigid tools I have had for some time and they are all of excellent quality with a few extra's built into them that other manufacturers don't seem to think of.