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 ), 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

[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.

[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.