skip the 18 volt line. i got the 36volt combo kit from dewalt and love it. thats all the tools you need. "power of corded without the cord"
I have a Milwaukee 28V line. Not quite as bulky and not quite the same power, but I've had them for 3 years now. Batteries are still good... and come with a 2000 charge or 5 year battery warranty.
Oops!.....Don't forget about HILTI's cordless line......there definetely top notch.
Hilti's cordless tools ARE top notch. They are the first company to offer a cordless T6... First ever 36V drill... SWEET!
Tough. They just don't have all the fancy features that some of the companies offer. Just a good, tough drill.
No matter what you decide to get, don't get it at the lowest-priced online outfit. Warranty may be an issue and 1). they may be out of business next week and 2). they'll require you to ship it somewhere for 6-8 weeks.
I understand. I get my cordless tools at Sears or HD. Why? Warranty issues. They are really easy to get a replacement set WITHOUT cash out of your pocket.
Isn't Millwalkee owned by Ryobi now?Roger
YES! And that sucks, since I own Milwaukee tools!
don't buy dewalt from home cheapo or blowe's. They use plastic parts in their drill that they sell at those stores - go to grainger or a store like that to buy dewalt - they are more expensive for a reason.
This is not entirely true. HD & Lowes have multiple versions of tools. They carry home owner grades and contractor grades. If you want to compare, you need to compare kit to kit... model # to model #. Yes, some of the drills (even Dewalt) have plastic gears... but the contractor versions do not.
Besides, $28 at a tool doctor, and 4 minutes of your time... you can have a new transmission installed (or do it yourself... it took me 8 minutes my first time!)
I've probably dissected a dozen dead drills from the major drill brands - Dewalt, Porter Cable, Milwaukee, Ryobi. They ALL have metal gears for all three stages of reduction. They ALL use name brand electric motors - mostly Johnson. Some brands use the exact same motor as their competitors do - maybe the windings are different. There are only two major manufacturers of Lithium batteries in the world, so chances are these are all the same as well. Quality engineering on a drill is not really rocket science, so I doubt there are major differences there. They all have similar support and warranties.
Bottom line - If the specs on various brands are similar, chances are they are 97% the same between brands. Buy whatever brand is on sale that week, or has the hot poster girls, or whose color matches your tool box. Any difference you perceive in quality between brands is probably illusory.
This does make sense.
Now, some input from me:
Have you considered Sears? Craftsman is a well known name brand. I don't know who is making their drills now. It used to be B&D. However, Craftsman drills are pretty cheap, and you can buy an extended warranty.
Overall, they are a pretty good drill... and my buddy bought the warranty... the extended warranty will cover it if you knock your drill off a 30' lift, it splits into 30 pieces...
You bring it back in pieces, and they give you a new drill!
You can't beat a warranty like that!
When my Milwaukee 28V set finally dies, I'm going to Sears. You see, Craftsman is really a good name. No one on the jobsite has their stuff (hand tools or electric) which helps with theft reduction, and the person behind the sales counter is NOT ALLOWED TO ASK why you are bringing your broken tool in... even when there are electrical marks all over it!
Have a great day!
