18v Cordless Drills

- Will I gain more street cred on the construction site if I hold my Makita 18v cordless screwdriver sideways?
They be str8 trippin at my mad skillz, yo!

A The best way to earn your street cred is to learn how to "quick draw" a nail gun by pulling it out of your pants and securing two pieces of wood together in less than half a second. If you can do it without shooting your nuts off, nobody else will mess with you.

- Carpenters, what cordless set do you recommend?
I have just started woodworking and would like to start a cordless collection. I'll start with the basics: drill, circular, palm sander, router. Can you all recommend a good brand. I know Dewalt is top of the line but it is out of my price range. My father has a small set of Ryobi 18v and seems happy with it. Is this a good set? Please also recommend some other necessary tools. I have several hand tools: screwdrivers, plyers, clamps. I'll probably start building simple projects: bookshelves, a ladder for a bunk bed, a child's drafting table.

A There is no blanket brand that is best for every single tool. And to go cordless with every tool is not wise. No, Dewalt is not top of the line, they just have a rep. This is my list on many years experience. Drills - Panasonic, yes Panasonic, makes the finest drills around. Pick up one of the cordless combo packs with a drill and impact driver and you will be astounded at the performance and accuracy of the tools. They are the only drill maker that delivers torque at even levels no matter what speed the chuck is spinning. In other words, other brands derive higher torque by spinning faster which makes for sloppy work if you dig in too deep or start off at top speed. These are the best cordless drills and priced near Milwaukees. I gave my Dewalt cordless to my Dad after discovering Panasonics. Don't buy a hammer drill unless you are doing extensive work with concrete drilling. If they are out of your price range, go Craftsman as their replacement batteries are dirt cheap. Keep a decent corded drill around just in case. Circ Saw - Many fine brands out there, but Bosch fits my hand very well. Pick up the saw and see how it fits in your hand. Circ. saws must be comfortable or you will make sloppy cuts. If you need high power and are cutting very thick pieces of wood a worm drive Skil Saw is the way to go. Comfort and weight is key and Bosch works best for me in this dept. Cordless circ saws are a waste of money in my opinion. The battery life is horrific on any brand I have used. If these are too much money for you (Bosch circ saw is around $110), then I really don't know what to say. Just buy anything that is comfortable and in your price range. Sanders - Porter Cable makes great sanders. Again, stay clear of cordless in this department as the batteries just can't keep up. If you are working on a tight budget, skip the sander all together and spend more on better saws and drills. Elbow grease replaces any sander at 1/100th the price. Router - Porter Cable again in this dept. Honestly, I won't go near any other brand router. The true cost of a router begins AFTER you buy one. Bit sets are very expensive and you may be better off buying trim that matches the type of edges you want. Cut them to size and glue on the corners. Those are the tools you listed. Cordless tools have advantages when used properly. Anything that runs for long periods of time (sander, jig saw, etc) will be a huge disappointment to you. If you absolutely must have one of those cordless combo sets and Dewalt is too expensive, go with Craftsman or Ryobi. If all you have is some hand tools and you want to make furniture properly, be ready to shell out at least $1000 on power tools. It sounds like the things you want to work on are indoor projects. For the projects you listed, skip the circ saw and buy a miter saw. Making things for around the house is very rewarding so keep at it. For shelves, go buy a $100 miter saw (Lowes has a Hitachi for $100 I believe as does Ryobi and Craftsman), wood glue, a Craftsman cordless drill (get corded if you do not already have one, cheap cordless drills can't match the power of a corded drill), a carpenters square, a level, and some screws. Sand the pieces first, assemble, and finish with some stain. Build up your skills with the basics first and things will make more sense when you go shopping for power tools. Have fun!