Ok. Hope this doesn’t cause too much of a stir but I’m looking at either the Dewalt 14.4v cordless or the Bosch 14.4v. Any preferences out there? I have the Dewalt 12v but have heard lots of good about the bosch.
Let er rip.
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Replies
Bosch Brute Tough.......can't bust 'em.
Had and heard about lots of bad luck stories with Dewalt drills lately. Mostly bought from Home Depot. I'd go with Bosch.
Thanks. Decision made. Bosch it is.
try the panasonic they are tops above all the rest
In all fairness, I don't think you can really say that Panasonic is better than the rest.
Sure they are good. Very good in fact. Until you drop one. An inevitably, cordless drills get dropped. Saw a brandy-new Panasonic fall off a 6' step ladder and break the housing beyond repair. A sad state of affairs cuz that was one sweet little drill. Lots of good choices out there.
I've dropped my Bosch14.4 a number of times and feared the consequences but she kept on humming
Once with an old 12 volt Bosch she fell from 6 foot up and landed nose first in the woodsubfloor stuck like a dart. Still worked fine after that, just glad it wasn't my foot it hit.
"just nail that board up there!!!"
"look, lady..."
As an alternative to the drill driver, I was thinking of getting one of those 14v Makita cordless impact drivers. Are they usefull? I hear they make swift work of driving long screws ie decking etc. Maybe worth the investment? What are some other applications?
I've dropped my DeWalt 14.4 twice from 3 floors up on scaffolding outside (I'm a slow learner). It cracked the plastic housing and jammed the gears and popped the battery off. The first time I was worried, but I twisted the chuck which reset the gears, ignored the cracked case, and it still works fine. I didn't worry much the second time, just kept on going. I went with the 14.4 instead of the 18 because of the extra weight while climbing.
Dusty n Lefty
I bought the Makita impact driver to install ss screws in an Ipe deck ... an amazing tool - I was seriously blown away by how good it was ... installed several thousand screws and just can't say enough good about this tool .... goes under the category of 'best tool I ever bought' ... Bill.
As far as the impact drills go, awesome tool. There isn't much difference between the 14 and the 18 volt. The torque is the same just a difference in battery run time. Both I believe come with a quick charge. Dewalt does have a package deal where you can get two batteries quick charge and drill for around $256. (found mostly at tool distributors)
Also, when it comes to tools at HD or Lowes, some companies, Dewalt for example, do have two lines of products, Contractor and a DIY line. That is why that Dewalt drill you just bought two months ago cant hold a charge for sh*t or the chuck is worn out. (Those are the problems I have encountered first hand.)" Looks good from my house!!"
I like the mak, milwaukie dont care for the pc, donno about the bosch but I do know is default customer service stinks the guys at the factory service center near me are as worthless as screen doors onna submarine.
Darkworksite4:
El americano pasado hacia fuera ase la bandera
Shoe, you said DW has 2 lines of tools, how do you tell them apart? You're not talkin' bout that orange B&D line are you?
Rick, the "homeowner" type DW tools have a yellow hard plastic handle while the "contractor grade" have the black rubberized grip on the back of the handle. The B&D "Firestorm" is a grade below both supposedly.
Thanks diesel, all my DW tools are contractor grade but I'm definitely disappointed with DW in more ways than one. The "extended" XP battery is a joke. The old style held a better charge and lived longer. And ... I'm still upset with what DW did to Emglo Compressors. My wife is from Johnstown and Emglo was a great local company there. DW moved in, bought them, and moved them out. I used to buy from them as a great American company but never again.
the "homeowner" type DW tools have a yellow hard plastic handle while the "contractor grade" have the black rubberized grip on the back of the handle.
Diesel,
Here are two pics of two model 972 DW drills I own. The XRP was made oversea's, the other in the USA. Hard to tell from the photo's, but they are a slightly different color, and if you look close, don't look the same.
The XRP in a piece of $hit compared to the original, in terms of workmanship, and battery life......But it was $100.00 cheaper.
Even the "contractor grade" are junk IMO.
Jon
You're preaching to the choir Jon. While every company has it's cherries and it's lemons.....I think Dewalt has more than it's share of lemons. I stay far away these days. Been riding the Bosch train for about a year now and have no plans on getting off soon.
"While every company has it's cherries and it's lemons....."
Diesel,
Every red tool I own (Milwaukee) seem to be a cherry. Maybe it's a color thing.
Jon
Then you probably don't own the Milwaukee 10" circular saw. Gotta admit though, it did take me a minute to think of poor Milwaukee tool! All my corded drills are Milwaukee. Also have two 7 1/4" circ saws. Other than that 10" saw, I've got no complaints.
That color coding you did there was quite witty....you're sharper than I am!
wanna see something funny ill post a pic of a dewalt drill with a replacement chuck (made for a makita) on the dewalt gun. Its at work ill post a pic tomorrow.
" Looks good from my house!!"
Dw calls the lesser line "Compact" and the upper line "Heavy duty". The compacts have the plain batteries instead of the XR series. As said the HD's have the overmold grip. I have heard many complaints on the new three speeds, I bought one on ebay and the torque collar would not move and it was almost new.
im not sure how to tell the diff but i was told by two diff tool salesman, whom i know so it wasn't to try to make a sale, they know where i will go for my tools. I will try to find out where this rumor came from." Looks good from my house!!"
Impact driver is a GREAT tool for driving screws, you can use to drill too if they have the hex end detent attached. I got the 14V Dewalt only b/c I already had a 14V DW hammer/drill/driver other wise would have gone with Makita. It is amazing how easily they drive screws. The only thing you lose is some control from the variable speed on your drill/driver. Impact driver is very balanced and compact tool, which I love, and after hours of use my wrist is no longer sore!
Edited 4/13/2004 1:21 pm ET by Rick
But these impact drivers are pretty much for heavier duty driving right? Not best used for smaller more finesse screws? Or am I wrong?
If you develop the right "touch" you could do it all with the impact driver as they don't actually go into "impact mode" until they meet some resistance. Personally, I use a Bosch for drilling, a Makita impact for screws, and I have this handy little 7.2 volt yellow cordless screwdriver that I use for hardware and such. The screw driver accepts hex-shank, so I keep and few bits around for it and use it to drill a small pilot hole in a pinch. The screwdriver gives me very good control for soft brass and whatnot. Sounds like a lot to keep track of, but it keeps me from having to change bits frequently.
I gotta agree though, impact drivers of any brand immediately become a "must have" after the first time you try one.
Yea, you're right tool about small screws. But diesal is right the driver has a 2-stage "kick" the first is fairly high speed drill only and then the impact kicks in. Kind of like the guy who changes the tires on your car. The driver goes fast at first then "bang, bang, bang" the impact kicks in. I would think small drill/driver is a must for finesse work b/c of control and versatility and then an impact for continuous driving.
As an alternative to the drill driver, I was thinking of getting one of those 14v Makita cordless impact drivers.
If you invest a little more in the Panasonic Multi-driver you will have both. I've bounce tested mine a couple of times without a problem. However...
The literature says, "don't use the three jaw chuck attachment in impact mode." They aren't kidding... thump, thump, thump. That's the sound of my boot heel impacting the general region of my wallet. Still kicking myself for disregarding that one.
With the possible exception of my hammer, the Panasonic Multi-driver is probably the most versatile tool I own.Kevin Halliburton
"Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men." - Solomon
I like my Dewalt 18v. Its my second (first was stolen). I actually have alot of dewalt tools and they all perform well. I have noticed that dewalt doesnt seem too popular around here and i'm kind of wondering why.
Bosch, Dewalt, Panasonic, Milwaukee, Porter Cable--------pretty much, I think you look for the best deal. None of the leading manufacturers make a drill you'd be unhappy with. Personally, I own a Bosch Compact 12V and a Porter Cable 14.4.
Another good resource for researching opinions with specifics to performance is Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/228013/ref%3Dsd%5Fstr%5Fhi/002-9512630-6732856
Sure is fun shopping for tools!
"None of the leading manufacturers make a drill you'd be unhappy with."
HF,
I can think of two, DeWalt and Craftsman. Then there's Skill and Chicago Electric, but they aren't really "leading mfr's." DeWalts quality has really gone downhill since they started being produced overseas. The worst is the batteries. the only one I have left is 7 years old. The 2 year old ones are shot.
Jon
Are you encountering your current drill to be ill-suited for specific tasks? Or just in the mood for a new tool? If you have alittle time it might be a good idea to invest in some high quality bits, cutting oil, maybe a good keyed chuck or good jacobs keyless, and new battery for the current drill. I think you might be suprised what a big change the right bits can make, when drilling tough materials I often find the short(less than 2inches long probably) bits can make a pilot holes in metal instantly whereas a long bit is going to vibrate around too much with any drill regardless of voltage. The money spent on good bits(or getting your current ones sharp), cutting oil, chucks, etc will just buy accessories you can use even if you go with a new drill.
-Ray
Bosch.
Who Dares Wins.
heard wonderfull things about the new hitachi cordless impact driver but have yet to try it myself, same with panasonic drill/driver.
i have the bosch for versatility, the batteries fit my jigsaw, drill, and the planer, so i always have a charged battery with all those spares. there are other drills as good, but bosch hands down wins in jig, and planer.
Regarding the Bosch cordless. I saw the manual online and noticed that it says to unplug the charger when not in use. Does that also mean not to have a battery constantly charging? I think I read somewhere a while ago that there are two kinds of chargers. The "smart" kind that charge and then stop and the kind that have to be unplugged when the charge is complete.
Anyone know of this?