Power tools - advice sought

[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!

[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 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 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/i...ndymaster.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