18v Cordless Drills

- Keep the 18V Makita Li-ion cordless drill?
Hi guys. I have just bought a new Makita 18V Li-ion cordless impact drill - for an arm and a leg. I decided fork out for something that will last me for years (with sensible battery rotation) for regular trade use. I haven't use it yet. My local hardware shop is having a Dewalt sale soon, where I could take it back for an 18V 3Ah (NiCd) impact hammer drill. Is anyone in a position to directly compare the two? Is there a difference in performance and/or build quality? There's almost no feedback out there on the new Li-ion Mak's, and certainly no comparisons with other brands, like Dewalt. Cheers.

A Makita has always been considered the cadilac of tools but because of price has seen limited production. The dewalt because of price and durability has been virtually adopted as the tool of choice for the construction industry. i currently own 2 14v cordless Dewalt;s and they have stood up to a 12 foot drop from a roof, installing over 10 lbs of 3" deck screws without a problem. My Makita cordless 18v i got for x-mas still sits in its box. Didnt really care for the fit in my hand for large projects and heavy use.

- Pros and cons of a 18V Makita Cordless drill with lithium-ion battery, and of a 18V Dewalt cordless drill?
Looking at one or the other for my dad for Christmas.. need some tips on the better drill and the better deal?.. Thanks!

A Makita has a chip in the battery that prevents battery memory from prematurely failing. The replacement batteries are more affordable, The drill is lighter, The better ones have a headlight. I am very disappointed in the makita saws-all though, not very strong and yet very heavy. I hate DeWalt, I have broke more of them due to cheap inner parts that even Ryobi. Go to http://www.tylertool.com/makita.html that is where I got mine new at the lowest price you can find ANYWHERE!!!!!!! You can buy virtually any Brand from this site whatever you decide. Thank GOD it's not a store I can drive too lol I'd go broke lol

- Keep the 18V Makita Li-ion cordless drill?
Hi guys. I have just bought a new Makita 18V Li-ion cordless impact drill - for an arm and a leg. I decided fork out for something that will last me for years (with sensible battery rotation) for regular trade use. I haven't use it yet. My local hardware shop is having a Dewalt sale soon, where I could take it back for an 18V 3Ah (NiCd) impact hammer drill. Is anyone in a position to directly compare the two? Is there a difference in performance and/or build quality? There's almost no feedback out there on the new Li-ion Mak's, and certainly no comparisons with other brands, like Dewalt. Cheers.

A Makita has always been considered the cadilac of tools but because of price has seen limited production. The dewalt because of price and durability has been virtually adopted as the tool of choice for the construction industry. i currently own 2 14v cordless Dewalt;s and they have stood up to a 12 foot drop from a roof, installing over 10 lbs of 3" deck screws without a problem. My Makita cordless 18v i got for x-mas still sits in its box. Didnt really care for the fit in my hand for large projects and heavy use.

- I am looking to buy an cordless impact drill or driver. Any suggestions?
Im not sure what the difference is between a drill and a driver. I do basic drilling into wood and metal, sometime steel. Any suggestions? I was looking at the Mikita 10.8 or the Mikita 18V

A You will not need the impact feature unless you will be "drilling" concrete from time-to-time. Also look at the price and availability of second and of replacement rechargeable batteries which do not last "forever". After the initial purchase you may find that in a couple years or so a new battery can cost as much as a new drill.

- Ryobi or Hitachi 18v cordless drill , which should i buy?
looking at these 2 drills which are on sale Ryobi comes with an impact driver ,which i have no use for. 99$ plus tax Hitachi comes with a flashlight and some bits which i guess i could kind of use 109$ plus tax The thing is i'd take the better drill no matter what the accesories any suggestions?

A Hitachi is by far the better make, i would also look at the battery's and see what type your getting probably nicad at that price but also amp hrs is also worth looking at. There probably isn't much in it in terms of the battery's but its always a good idea to check just to see what your getting for your money as most people don't. Either way i would go with the Hitachi.

- whats the difference between drill drivers & impact drivers?
I'm a self employed joiner who also goes out to install in our customers homes. I do a lot of decking and have gone through 3 cordless drills in 4 years. The first was a ryobi 18v combi, then a hitachi 18v drill/driver & a makita 14.4v drill/driver the clutch in first gear went on two and the ryobi just burnt out when attempting to drill 80mm wholesaws for spotlights. I was recently speaking to a friend of mine who's a plumber and he started speaking highly of impact drivers? sure ive seen them for sale but never researched them for myself. I really need something that packs a punch but will it be redundant for the work on the bench? also. What brand should i buy? I've always tried to buy blue bosch budget permitting, but of course it depends whats on offer. But what do they do that drill/drivers dont? if im gonna spend £300 on an impact driver then i want a good un. Appreciate your help, kind regards.

A what for the love of all that is holy has this to do with printers

- Where can i get a good deal on a 15 gallon air compressor.And a dewalt drill 18v cordless?
needed to find good deal on a air compressor, and a dewalt drill 18v cordless. thanks Dipset

A pawn shop, craigs list, harbor freight,tooltown

- Is there anyway to restore a dead battery pack on a 18v Dewalt cordless drill?
My cordless drill is a Dewalt, 18v XRP. it will no longer take a charge. is there a way to revive the pack? or do i need to spend $85.oo for a new battery pack?

A next time don't buy Dewault...they are famous for short life batteries...you can buy and aftermarket battery for your drill that will work better....Dewault wants your batteries to die so you buy new ones...they suck

- i have an 18v delta battery woodworking pack: drill,circular saw,brad nailer,jig saw. I can't find parts .?
can't find batteries or a replacement charger for these tools. is there any compatible battery that can be substituted?

A Here's the Delta/Porter Cable web site: http://www.deltaportercable.com/

- I have an 18v battery from a cordless drill that won't recharge.The directions say to precharge.How do I?
It is a Delta drill. The battery is a NiCd and not completely dead. No luck on their website and the store doesn't carry replacements.

A Manuel Page #9 Special Charge Modes If all lights go out when you put battery in charger, the charger has enter pre-charge mode. in approximately 5-10 minutes, the orange and red light should turn on indicating that fast charge has been initiated. If all lights remain off after 15 minutes, remove the battery. The orange light should glow. Reinsert the battery. If the orange light goes out when the battery is inserted and all lights remain off for 15 minutes, battery should be replaced.

- Can I use an 18V battery on my 15.6V Craftsman Drill?
I have a Craftsman 15.6V drill and want to know if I can just upgrade it to an 18V or more drill by just changing the battery. Can this be done? Will it fit in the drill? Assuming they are all craftsman batteries.

A YES you can do it if it fits. Did you know that a lot of drill manufacturers produce that exact same drills for different voltages? They have the same motors. The only difference is the battery they supply with it. I am not saying Sears is this way, but some are. If it fits then it will work and would probably work better. Sears and other manufacturers would not take the chance of making different voltage batteries so easy to get mixed up. They haev a return policy and don't want hundreds of drills coming back because people have burned them up by using the wrong battery. I know it will work. I have a 12 volt Dewault that I have been using 14 volt batteries in for years. It works better with the 14 volt batterieis.

- Is a DeWalt 18V cordless drill a good drill?
I went shopping for Father's day early and bought my husband a DeWalt 18V Cordless Adjustable Clutch Driver/Drill, is it a good drill? He is a really great father and deserves something good. His last drill was a Craftsman and crapped out after a couple of years. PS. I couldn't find a "tools" category so I figured this one was close enough.

A absolutely, The dewalt will out perform the Craftsman hands down. I have been in the construction industry for yearand theres nothing better than the Dewalt line of cordless tools. I would have went for the 14.4 tho, unless you got a hammer drill model. the 14.4 is lighter and the batterys arnt so expensive to buy x-tras of.

- What other drill batteries will work on a Milwaukee 18v drill?
Am wondering if Dewalt batteries or any other will interchange with my drill.

A Actually, many of those power tool batteries as well as the ones used in laptop computers can be opened and replaced yourself. Once you've opened them up you'll see a series of pen light batteries soldered together in a laptop. And in an electric drill, for instance, they use size "C" batteries. Check along the edges for a screw driver to pop it open.

- Is it OK if my brand new 18V Milwaukee Drill has small sparks coming out the vents?
I just bought a new 18v Milwaukee drill and after charging the battery full last night, I tried it out and noticed small sparks shooting out the vents when the drill brakes/stops. I know there is always some spark on the inside of a drill, but the outside? Is it just breaking in? Will it go away? I've read some reports saying this is normal, and some not. Don't really want to to return it, cuz it was the last box left on an awesome deal at the Depot.

A IT'S Normal.. Used it a couple more times and it will break in. Milwaukee is TOP of the line stuff. So lock it up after used. Thief like it alot. Mine get stolent in the back of my service truck still in box.

- What kind of Drill Bits do I need?
I purchased myself some WORX cordless drill, 18v. It did not come with drill bits for making holes. What kind of drill bits do I need? I dont have a particular project, just want to have it for the future. What kind of bits do I stay away from? Can I use my OTHER screwdrivers bits on this? Any recommendations would help. I do not know anything about tools. Thanks in advance

A go to a place like Lowe's and they sell a really nice pack of twist bits for drilling holes - from 1/16th to 3/8" - and this comes in a tough little box which you can have forever. For drilling bigger holes, I use a lot of "spade" bits - or "speed bores" - you can also get a bunch of different sizes of these at once. Then you can drill holes from 3/8" to 1 1/2". Then for screwing in screws, go to a lumber store and get yourself a magnetic bit holder - it's a magnetic tip for your drill - and you can stick different screw driver bits into that - you can get Phillips or torque or square drive or traditional screw drives. The best brand I've seen is Apex - I use these things all the time since carpentry is my business. One good place to get this stuff is a second hand store - sometimes there's piles of them, and you dig through and get a bunch of bits really cheap. A good drill is something which will be handy for the rest of your life if you only use it from time to time.