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My first was a Makita 12 volt that the batteries slide up into the handle (stolen). My second and third were Freud 13.2 volt (one still works but stays in the shop). My fourth drill is a DeWalt 9.6 volt (getting weak and the chuck slides in and out about a quarter inch now). My fifth drill is a Porter Cable 14.4 volt (job site drill). Kinda surprises me that I’m on my fifth drill in about ten years. The 3/8″ corded drill lasts forever now.
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I started with a 9.6v makita, got it about 14 years ago, then the cordless hammer-drill, and drywall gun, the hamer-drill got stolen, the drywall gun sucks, got another 9.6v drill. Most of the time, I plug in a regular drill. I'm kind of waiting to see what technology brings next.
*this will make you sick, 7 or so makita 9.6 ranging from the keyed chuck with the metal case up to the variable speed with the key less chuck, still use some of them but as back ups and shop stuff, 6 dewalt ( defalt ) 18v combo kits, they seem to last about a year before the battireis start to turn and the recip saws give up and start making strange noises.( however i have only had two of the dewalt drills give up, one with a snapped chuck spline and one where the nylon gearing just went.) as for the default stuff i think i am done with just about anything they make that takes a battery, i love the scsm ( have 2 ) and i love the table saw fence but the rest of the saw compares in no way to the new bosch. for drills i have switched to the Hilti cordless with the 12v 3ah battires ( have two), they will run circles around the dewalt and come with a hefty warranty but for over 300.00 i guess you get what you pay for. i will stop my rant now. on a side note i am not the only one who uses these tools, i provide tools to myself and 5 employees. my personal tools last far longer than the ones in the boys hands, i have caught them standing right next to a plugged in hole hawg using an 18v dewalt with a 3" forstner bit chucked.blah blah blah
*Believe it or not, I bought a Craftsman 12volt keyless drill 3 yrs ago and it is still going strong. I bought it as a back up gun for the occasional screw/ drill bit because it was a great price, $60.(w/2 batts.) I have abused that thing relentlessly. It has fallen off 8ft ladders onto concrete, it has weathered rain and snow. It has never failed. one battery is getting "soft", it will only last about half as long as it used to. I have worn out more expensive drills with less abuse(Makita). Porter Cable works great too.
*had default 14.4 for a number of years then battery died so I gave it to my compadre and bought a PC 12v now Im ready to get a Makita 12V.
*I think I've bought about 5 and still have all of them. Two of the 9.6 Makitas, got the first in about 87. They both still work, but they feel like holding a club nowdays. Those had the most durable batteries. Also have the 9.6 right-angle, kind of anemic but handy sometimes. I also have a 12v Dewalt pistol grip, and a new 12v Makita with the black NMH battery. This Makita is the best, but doesn't get used much cause my hand likes the Dewalt. Also have a Craftsman cordless drywall gun which has put up a lot of rock and was well worth the $100. I think I am going to check out rebuilding my own batteries- I love my Panasonic saw, but those batteries, ($110) got weak fast from my normal abuse. Dewalt batteries seem to be good for about 2 years of abuse. Now I want a Milwuakee cordless screwdriver.
*Bought a Dewalt 14.4 volt about 7 years ago. Burned it up a couple years later. Bought a Craftsman Professional 16.8 Volt and a Craftsman Professional 14.4 volt. Both are still going strong, and have been used and abused heavily. Got another Craftsman 16.8 volt as a back up. Good thing too, cause I lost the other one. Left that sucker on my bumper, and drove off. I still had the case, charger, and one battery. Well, the back up drill got stolen, so I had to get another one. Now have 5 batteries for the 16.8 volt, and three chargers. I still abuse it a lot though, and it still keeps going strong. James DuHamel
*Got four out in the van right now. Two stick style Mak 9.6v., one Mak 9.6v right angle, one Dewalt 18v ............ also saws, Dewalt 18v 5 3/8" and Mak 9.6v.......I actually use the 9.6v for real tight spots as well as shingling.
*Got four of the Makita 9.6's Dropped one from about 30' onto a concrete floor and sheared the chuck shaft off right at the case housing, so it's for parts.But the one I use most now is a Dewalt 12v. Got it free one day. While at a stoplight in left turn lane, I was behind an S-10 pickup loaded to the gills and this drill in the plastic case was sitting on top. Light turns, guy driving floors it and as he rounds the corner, the drill flies into the gutter. I stoppped quick, got it, and took off after him ( No...really ! ) but he was LONG gone.....Case had "A. Hill" written on it with a magic marker, but no one in the phone book with that listing....so A Hill, from Johnson City, Tn....I'VE GOT YOUR DRILL....and thanks :)
*First one was a Hitachi 9.6 in 1987then a Bosch 12 in 93 or 94Now I have a 3 year old Dewalt 14.4 w/ the saw and 4 batteries and I got a second drill from DW for Xmas.T
*Hate to admit this, but my wife bought me a B&D about 6 years ago, and it's still going - except the batteries are wearing out. (Now's my chance to get a "good one"?) It's been dropped, clobbered, and otherwise mistreated, but it still keeps movin' on. May be I'll just get new batteries.Cliff.
*Alot !1980... 4.6V or something makita , 7.2V makita X 2 , 9.6V black & decker X 2 , 12V millwaukee X 2 , 12V Bosch X 2 , 12V PC , 14.4 PC X 2 , 18V Dewault & 19.2 PC . That's 14 Total. I guess . Favorite for day to day would be the 14.4 PC
*I've had a Makita 9.6 for about 12 years. I just bought a 14.4 DeWalt in the kit with dual batteries. There have definitely been a lot of improvements over the years. Its nice to have two at the ready all the time. I also have an old B&D corded model thats been around for about 20 years. I refited it with a clutch chuck awhile back. When it comes to the tough jobs this is the tool I usually reach for even though the DeWalt 14.4 does seem to have the potential to crack a wrist.Steve
*rezb Another homeowner, One day we will rule the world.back in '97 or '98 I bought a bosch 12 volt from harbor freight for ad price of 79bucks, case, charger and 2 batteries. factory reco factory perfect as the say. it arrives but only one battery. i call they say misprint. one battery only. send it back at their cost and they'll refund. or they will give you a 10% discount if you keep it. now we're down to 71bucks. the drill was great. fit the hand like a glove. so i think. gee, 79bucks. so i buy another so 2 batts, 2 chargers, two cases, two drills.both clutch mechanisms mess up first week. 5 dollar charge to send in to bosch and they fix free. first comes back with a new clutch kit install works perfect. a workhorse for years till i drop it off ladder and the bit. it literally sticks into the wooden floor like a dart in a dart board with the rest of gun still suspended off the floor and the batteries went flying and split the pack and never got around to playing with it to see if it will fix.i was thinking of the damage a foot would have sustained by that falling drill. the other gun was returned by bosch. will kind of. i sent in a 3310 and they sent back a 3315 model new and has been my everyday drill for well... still is and everyday. seeing that i am now in the market for a new drill you can bet who im going to buy after. now if i can just find a 14.4 for 79bucks.............
*From this post ;longest lasting drill goes to makitas 9.6. I had two of them for many years . The last battery just died. I THINK IT IS THIRTEEN YEARS OLD. Im thinking surely not , but surely yes. Then the 12 volt makitas. Two of them. They lasted a long time to, but my they are clubs to the dewalt. I have two 14.4 dewalts . Just got my last for this past Christmas. Yall can bad mouth dewalt all you want , but the "feel of the drill" has sold me to never falter from them as one of them is four years old. I love their miter saws and the table saw I have also. oh yea, I've got a bosh 9 volt something. has a key chuck. Nice little drill, as I find that I pick it up a lot also as it will drive 3 inch screws straight home. Makes me wonder what we are thinking sometimes when we spend so much money . That one cost me 50 dollars almost new at a pond shop.
*I started with the makita drill the first year they came out and have owned almost every brand made since then. We use them both in the cabinet shop and out in the field. When you have a job to install 1200interior commercial doors and hardware,you tend to go through alot of batteries and drills. We do a fair amount of these type commercial jobs. I stuck with bosch and Dewalt for a few years, now have mostly Makita and PorterCable. I like Panasonic drills for cabinet work as they are generally the most power for the small tool size, but are more costly. Where you buy them is important also. I now buy these tools at either Home Depot or another large chain store because they offer free replacement if it breaks. Keep your reciept, and just take them in and swap when busted. We've had a number of power tools replaced in the last few years.
*The ones I have that still work are DeWalt 12v and Milwaukee 14.4v. I like the DeWalt just fine, but that Milwaukee is one nice drill...
*Just one, a pc 19.2. I have had it three years and it goes and goes.
*All right.... maybe twentysomething years ago, Black and Decker 6 volt nonremovable battery drill...my brother was doing a lot of formica work back then and had bought one of these new creations. I asked him, "can it drive a screw into wood?" and he says yes, but it's slow. He was right. When he saw mine, however, he said "you got a good one". Apparently his was only a 4.8 volt unit. The thing worked well for me as a power screwdriver, still needed to predrill holes mostly, though. A few years later I got my first real cordless as a Christmas present (from my mother-in-law, no less), a 9.6V Makita stick basic model, pre keyless chuck days. Still have it.Since then, have added just about every 9.6V stick tool Makita makes, including 2 drills, right angle drill, saws, etc...My stock of about 6 batteries was getting old and hard to hold a charge so I decided to upgrade to a higher voltage. Bought the Bosch 24V combo with drill, circ, light, and free recip. Of course you really need 2 drills, so I picked up another drill when HD was dumping the line for $100, less than the cost of a new battery. Now I have 3 batteries, 2 drills, and the other stuff. They are heavy as all get out, but the power is nice. Hardly ever have the need to use the kind with a tail any more.Just went down to the shop and noticed the original 6V unit still hanging there on a nail. Even had a trace of a charge in it. Might fire it up just for old times sake...probably will still drive a screw into wood, slowly...Rich.
*Like most everyone else, I had the trusty ol' Makita 9.6 volt stick. Good little drill. Way back when, I had a little Skil 7.2 volt 2 speed cordless drill. I think I still have it somewhere...Had a couple Dewalt 12 volts. What junk. Burned one up and the company I bought it from replaced it for free and then I promptly burned up the second one. No faith in Dewalt tools.My newest cordless is a 12 volt Metabo. This thing is awesome. Blows away everything for power up to and including the 18 volt drills. A little more expensive than some but worth it I think. Got some features that most other drills don't have too like a one piece keyless chuck with an auto locking spindle. Nice.Well, there's my 2 cents.-Sawdaddy
*I'm surprised with you Americans very few milwaukee owners here. Whats the story? I've got 2 milwaukee 12V Bought the first one quite a few years ago they were the first to offer a 1/2" cordless it has worked so well for me, when the batteries started to die I bought another 12V instead of upgrading to a 14V or 18V. Was working on a remote jobsite lately where they had Dewalt 18V drills I was using them to screw in hangermates into Tgi's and the Dewalt would not drive near as many hangers per charge as my Milwaukee.
*Kevin -I'm with you. I've had great luck with Milwaukee tools. But they're just not popular around here. Not sure why that is.
*Here, here! One Milwaukee 12V, many years old. Original batteries won't hold a charge overnight in Michigan winters, but they are so old I don't mind abusing them. Throw them on the rapid charge for a few minutes and they drive a couple dozen screws. Slow though. My old corded 3/8's Milw. needed a trigger switch so I screwed treads and risers on a flight of stairs recently with the 12V--took all afternoon. It seems everyone else around here nails their treads on.Hate yellow, am curious about Panasonic, Metabo, Hitachi, and Bosch. Must be getting old, the old 3/8's corded seems awful heavy. I'd like to stay light with a new 12V or 14.4V. I don't do anything crazy with a cordless like drilling sill plates, or hammering concrete. Just trim work now.
I got a 9.6volt Makita back in 88, work horse for many years, old one with a keyed chuck and a metal case. Bought a 12volt Panasonic in 99, great drill - but the batteries went out sooner than I thought they should have, bought another 12volt Panasonic in 01 cause I needed batteries for the old one and a saw - for the money might as well get another drill too
saw 9.6volt Makita batteries the other day for $26 and am thinking I might have to bring the old drill back into service - seems like a small price to pay for a working quality drill
3- Makita 9.6v 2- Dewalt 18 voltBob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
I used up a 9.6 Makita and a PC jus' building this house. Gotta get something else soon. Wondering if battery sizes will follow Moore's Law (that computer chip capacities double every 18 months and price halves), so that next year I can get a 300V for $10.
Only four. Makita 9.6 about 14 years old, Dewalt 9.6 about 12 years old, both with really feeble batteries...haven't the heart to toss them yet. The dewalt actually has alot more power than the Makita.
Two Panasonic 15.something...brake's gone on one of them - haven't bothered to replace it yet...but delightful drills to work with.
Cloud -
There have been discussions for 40 years about big leaps in battery technology. But nothing so far, and nothing on the horizon that I know about.
Never owned one. I like the old plug it in and don't worry about dead batteries kind. Ive had the same drills for a really long time, so long I forget when I bought them....sears 39.00 kind.There are fast carpenters who care..... there are slow carpenters who care more.....there are half fast carpenters who could care less......
My stinkin PC 19.2v clutch went west today about 2 years old now have two dead PC drillsboblVolo Non Voleo <2 weeksJoe's cheat sheet
Bobl- Is that different than goin' South? - Ken
think it's the sameboblVolo Non Voleo <2 weeksJoe's cheat sheet