Power tools - advice sought

[shrub]

I'm in the market for a cordless drill and looking at a Predator at Placemakers for around $50.00. I have always bought good stuff, and my other power tools are Makita, Bosch etc, but I'm not a builder or a carpenter and they only get used a few times a year which seems a bit of a waste, so would I be better spending the extra cash on beer?

Are the cheaper brands any good or will I be cursing the fucking thing until I stick it on Tardme in frustration?

[scissorhands]

Generally the batterys go and you toss it. I would look at a model with cheap available battery replacements, or repacks from a battery clinic.

Should be able to get a new low end ryobi for less from TM.

Sometimes the grunt can be disappointing but all okay for most jobs

[bogan]

Think you can get some good deals on older tech cordless drill at the moment as the batteries are going to lithium of some sort. Not sure what the brands are like, but the main thing to look for are ones with bearings rather than bushings (sometimes plastic :facepalm:), think metal chuck ones are a good indication of decent build quality.

[huff3r]

I used to work at SCA so i can suggest go for quality. Ours had a 12 month warranty, and tended to last exactly 13 months regardless of how often they were used.

Customers tried to pull the whole CGA thing on us, but the truth is a cheap powertool cannot be expected to last.

[dogsnbikes]

I have brought cheaper range of power tools in the past only too find myself taking them back within 6 months...now most of mine are firestorm Range (black & decker)My cordless drill I have had for around 6 years and with the 18v battery it does what I need too with ease....totally recommend too go middle of the range and you will have more money for beer in the long run:yes:

[wysper]

I have gone back to the corded drills.
Got such a shock when I had to replace the batteries on my Makita. It was more than the drill cost initially. I am lucky that the number of times I truly would need a cordless is small. So I am happy with a mid range corded drill, more power, no battery problems.

[imdying]

A friend uses Milwauke 28V gear (drill, sawzall, 10" skill saw) and it's excellent. Cheap stuff is useless, get it with a cord.

/edit: Or rather I meant you can get a good tool with a cord for the same price as an underpowered cordless tool (cause the high powered cordless tools are kick arse... after seeing how much abuse they take, their portability and general usefullness, I wouldn't be a builder without them).

[Smifffy]

My old man has recently retired as a joiner and had always bought good tools. He had Makita cordless drills for many years. They served him well, until the batteries started dying. He got replacement batteries, and they were expensive. He bought one of those predator drills to tide him over one time while he was waiting for a replacement battery to arrive for a makita. He used it on one of the lighter duty tasks (he tended to have a few drills with different bits in them to save time, as he made more from putting cabinets together than he did from changing drill bits).

It seemed to hold up well, and soon the makitas got thrown in a bottom drawer somewhere, and he started using the predators exclusively. If (when) one gave up the ghost it was no real hardship to throw it in the wheelie bin and get another. The things got thrashed. One tip though: get a good driver bit to put in it, not the one it comes with.


Buy the beer. :yes:

[shrub]

Good advice. I have a big grunty Makita corded drill but I have a couple of jobs coming up that will make cords a pain in the arse and shitloads of screws to screw in. I used to have a fine De Walt cordless drill, but it got nicked and me buying kit like that for the work I have ahead of me is like a scooter rider buying full Alpinestar kit for the 3k daily commute.

[slofox]

I have a couple of Predator drills. They have served me well for quite a few years now (5 ish). The 14.4v batteries are crap though. The lower voltage model I have at home has wunnerful batteries that seem to stay charged for months at a time.

[imdying]

I don't have any direct experience with the Dewalt LiFePO4 gear, but from what I understand it performs similarly to the Milwauke 28V stuff.

[The Lone Rider]

I have a cheap cordless and it's fine for most wood screwing and removal.

Struggles a tag with drilling hard metal, but I use my drill press or corded bosch drill for that stuffy

[wysper]

I have a cheap cordless and it's fine for most wood screwing and removal.



Thats good expectations right there. The cheaper cordless ones are virtually glorified electric screwdrivers really.

[SPman]

With battery drills, these days, it seems to be the batteries that give the most trouble - or least life. I've recently had a 9.6v Makita battery give up after 7 months and it's partner in 14! yet, years ago they'd seem to go on for ever....I had a Predator as an emergency drill, a few years ago (when some prick broke into my van and lifted most of my gear..) - bloody gutless thing - I gave it to my son as soon as I got the replacement gear through (including the Makita with the crap batteries!).....

[Edbear]

I've got a Predator Magnesium skilly and it's been great so far. Got a nice t-shirt with it. Doesn't get much use but performs well with plenty of grunt, and came with spare brushes.

For hoime handyman use they seem to be fine. My old Sealey Cordless 12v drill is still as good as new so can't justify upgrading to a gruntier one. I bought a Skil 400w corded drill back in about '82 and it's still as good as ever, too.

[CookMySock]

Dont bother with cordless unless you really have to have cordless. Get a quality variable-speed corded drill with a keyless chuck. An inverter is great for power tools too - goes well with an angle grinder in the back of your vehicle - you will never get locked in again! :shutup:

[MadDuck]

I'm in the market for a cordless drill and looking at a Predator at Placemakers for around $50.00.

You get what you pay for. This range is designed for the home handy man. Not for trade.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I'm in the market for a cordless drill and looking at a Predator at Placemakers for around $50.00. I have always bought good stuff, and my other power tools are Makita, Bosch etc, but I'm not a builder or a carpenter and they only get used a few times a year which seems a bit of a waste, so would I be better spending the extra cash on beer?

Are the cheaper brands any good or will I be cursing the fucking thing until I stick it on Tardme in frustration?

My Makita 12V drill fell off my bench in the EQ and it has bent the spindle. Makes it hard to drive a screw or drill a hole, lemmetellya.

After much hmmmming and haaaaaaing I ended up buying a Makita 14.4V cordless (Nicad) for $189 from placemakers. I figured I dont need Li Ion or Li Po batteries, and while a hammer drill would be sometimes useful, I already have one, and I dont need a $600 cordless drill. ( I do however WANT one, which isnt the same thing these days).

[HenryDorsetCase]

those cheap Predator drills are only single speed, too IIRC

[motor_mayhem]

I have a couple of g-force things, a jigsaw and a hammer drill and an angle grinder from the red shed. Have had the angle grinder since 2008 and haven't had a problem with it, the others from 2009. The corded hammer drill probably has the busiest life, the switch jumps from drill to hammer drill by itself sometimes and I suspect the blade holder and the drill end are not completely square on but you don't really notice it at all. I would go corded drill over cordless any day as I hate having to remember to charge the batteries. Though if I was going to get a battery drill I would look to at least a Firestorm one if not Dewalt or Makita

[jaffamont]

I use a Hitachi 18v cordless. Nothing but good things to say about it. Came with a free torch that uses the same batteries. Amazing how handy that is (also good for draining the batt so you can keep it tip top). I think one of the most important thing with the cordless stuff is the charge time on the batt. A real pain in the ass having to wait a few hours for the cheaper ones to charge.

[The Lone Rider]

Thats good expectations right there. The cheaper cordless ones are virtually glorified electric screwdrivers really.

Well it can do a bit more than that. I'm quite happy with the one I have.

[ellipsis]

....I was never going to let cheap chinese, taiwanese, aussie made under licence in china, british made under licence in belize etc , ever infiltrate my tool box...after all this is serious shit, my life were talkin' about here...la de da de dah...all my good shit broke or did its best for thirty years...now my tool box is full of cheap shit that works fucking hard is cheaper to replace than to buy new brushes for 'good ones, my request for fathers day, birthday pressies from the kids was always...get me a new cheapy wood cramp, can never have enough...now its...get me a twenty dollar 100mm grinder...perfect..

[shrub]

I ended up buying a Ryobi 18v for $100 on the recommendation of the very switched on young lad behind the counter, and while I was queuing a bloke came up and said he had one and used it for work (sparky) and had thrashed it for over a year with no problems and wouldn't look at anything else. I am well pleased with it so far.

[wysper]

Well it can do a bit more than that. I'm quite happy with the one I have.

True, that was perhaps a little harsh :shutup: I must admit the power drill is a little less 'wieldly' than the cordless was. Much harder to use one handed LOL.

[Hoon]

My Black and Decker 14.4v firestorm is still going strong after 7 years. Yes the batteries will die after a few years but if you are handy with a soldering iron you can rebuild the battery pack (http://www.astromart.com/articles/article.asp?article_id=587) with new sub c cells or even used RC car batteries off trademe if you're tight like me.

The added benefit is that you end up with 2-4 times the battery capacity it originally had.

[Laava]

As a tradie, I am appalled when I am forced to use cheap battery drills on the odd occasion. [Other peoples places] Def get a small Makita variable speed elec drill. It will last forever and is able to do screws as well without just whizzing them in and snapping off the heads.

[Edbear]

Best battery drill you can buy is the Panasonic. You'll pay for it, but ask the furniture manufacturers, and they'll tell you it's the only one they'll use. Of course they use them constantly all day, so the $500 price is worth it to them.

My Son-in-law uses Makita 18v for his plumbing business and won't buy anything else, but again, he needs the gear to work hard all day.

[Ocean1]

Best battery drill you can buy is the Panasonic.

Panasonic rare earth magnet motors are the best commercially available units in the world.

But for overall quality I reckon Fein make better power tools: http://www.fein.de/corp/au/en/fein/innovations/handymaster.html

[Laava]

Best battery drill you can buy is the Panasonic. You'll pay for it, but ask the furniture manufacturers, and they'll tell you it's the only one they'll use. Of course they use them constantly all day, so the $500 price is worth it to them.

My Son-in-law uses Makita 18v for his plumbing business and won't buy anything else, but again, he needs the gear to work hard all day.

The OP doesn't want to outlay that much for something that will seldom get used. IIRC

[LBD]

You cannot go past a cordless Stanley brace and bit....40 years of use in my life time, battery good as new and has never needed charging as long as I have owned it.

Bit hard on the arms after along day but....

[gsxr]

I have brought cheaper range of power tools in the past only too find myself taking them back within 6 months...now most of mine are firestorm Range (black & decker)My cordless drill I have had for around 6 years and with the 18v battery it does what I need too with ease....totally recommend too go middle of the range and you will have more money for beer in the long run:yes:
I agree. For around $120.00 with a spare battery a 18 volt B&D Firestorm will give you all the grunt you need and for years to come. The batteries in mine seem to last a long time unlike some of the cheaper ones I have tried in the past FWIW

[Edbear]

The OP doesn't want to outlay that much for something that will seldom get used. IIRC

Yup, See my previous posts... :yes:

[SPman]

The OP doesn't want to outlay that much for something that will seldom get used. IIRC
We've got a Festo skillsaw and router in the tool cupboard - lovely to use, but, thank christ I didn't have to buy them. (there are 2 Hitachi and 1 Makita skillies and a big Makita router in there as well, so they don't get used much.....)
For general use, the Makita 18v NiCad kits are cheap(ish) and should last well. I've got a little AEG 12v LiIon battery drill for tight spots and screws - heavy as fuck but really short and was only $120 at Bunnings!

[ynot slow]

Trade me is the go,check out new/buy now special or cheaper top end like makita,bosch,dewalt etc,I had cheaper $25 mitre 10 /placemaker drills but the battery would be dead when wanting to use,got a 7.2v dewalt off trademe 5years ago for $50,replacement battery is cheap(compared to drill price)and the 7.2v dewalt has enough grunt as cheaper 9.6 and 12v drills.

[Owl]

I have an 18v Ryobi and find it absolutely useless for my needs. If I have a task requiring the cordless, I need a good 8 hours lead time to charge the battery, cause it will be flat:facepalm:

I'd like something with shorter charge times and something that actually holds a charge:yes:

[spookytooth]

Bit of a thing with tool batterys make sure they are dead flat before recharging,and ones that are on specail are often the ones that have been sitting around in the shop a long time,old batterys even if not used can start to not hold there charge.See if they have a date they were made stamped on them, 2 years stitting around is not good for em

[Swoop]

Got a nice t-shirt with it. Doesn't get much use but performs well with plenty of grunt, and came with spare brushes.
A well-performing T-shirt is a fine thing indeed!
Very handy to have a brush to keep the t-shirt clean!














:innocent:

[Owl]

make sure they are dead flat before recharging

Certainly no problem there:laugh:

Doesn't seem to be a date stamp and works the same now as it did when I received it (about 6 years). It was a replacement for a stolen Wagner 18v (cheap), though that worked much better than the Ryobi.

The story is the same with the replacement line-trimmer. All the bells/whistles, but not half as good as the original:facepalm:

[Edbear]

A well-performing T-shirt is a fine thing indeed!
Very handy to have a brush to keep the t-shirt clean!

:innocent:

Most definitely! I always believe in high-performance T-shirts, even on a low-performance bod like mine... :yes:

[bungbung]

I have an 18v Ryobi and find it absolutely useless for my needs. If I have a task requiring the cordless, I need a good 8 hours lead time to charge the battery, cause it will be flat:facepalm:

I'd like something with shorter charge times and something that actually holds a charge:yes:

I totally agree. I had used to have a dewalt for work. It got stolen a few years later, by then I had changed jobs and weren't on tools anymore.

I didn't feel I could justify a flash drill when I also needed to replace all the (uninsured) tools taken at the same time.

I bought a Ryobi and everytime I needed to use it it was flat, such a waste of money.

I have since bought another dewalt. Honestly - for occasional use, unless cordless is a must, I'd rather have a corded drill for the same kind of money.

It'll end up cheaper in the long run.

[pete376403]

there's a lot to be said for putting the battery on charge when you've finished with the tool, rather than just before you need it.

I've got a 12v B&D, drill is perfect but battery is stuffed, new battery cost more than a replacement 14.4v B&D with two batteries.
One battery on the drill, the other on the charger works for me.

Serious holes (eg 25mm spade bit through timber framing, or masonry drilling) get done with the mains powered Ryobi.

[Ocean1]

there's a lot to be said for putting the battery on charge when you've finished with the tool, rather than just before you need it.


Maybe convenient, but the thing that'll kill most types of battery quickest is keep them charged. Flatten them regularly, if they won't be used for a while leave them flat.

[Edbear]

Maybe convenient, but the thing that'll kill most types of battery quickest is keep them charged. Flatten them regularly, if they won't be used for a while leave them flat.

You'll need a press or sledge hammer I found, standing on them just doesn't do it... The other problem is in reassembling them for the next use...

:facepalm:

[Laava]

I totally agree. I had used to have a dewalt for work. It got stolen a few years later, by then I had changed jobs and weren't on tools anymore.

I didn't feel I could justify a flash drill when I also needed to replace all the (uninsured) tools taken at the same time.

I bought a Ryobi and everytime I needed to use it it was flat, such a waste of money.

I have since bought another dewalt. Honestly - for occasional use, unless cordless is a must, I'd rather have a corded drill for the same kind of money.

It'll end up cheaper in the long run.

Absolutely. Ni-cads tend to not hold their charge for too long and anything else is back to expensive again. I use a 14.4v Hitachi 3.0 ah Li-ion and find it awesome as I use it literally everyday. It has near wrist snapping power and will easily power a 54mm hole saw thru wet pine. But it was $750 bucks with 2 batts and an impact driver[which is a useless item]

[Swoop]

Honestly - for occasional use, unless cordless is a must, I'd rather have a corded drill for the same kind of money.

It'll end up cheaper in the long run.
Speaking of "the long run"...
My father handed over his corded electric drill to me some years ago and it has done well. Battered and bruised it may be, but functions well.:yes:
A black and decker.
Manufactured in 1954.
"Made in China" can fuck off.