Bosch drill bit the dust

[DavidV]

Cordless bosch 14.4 V NICad Brute bit the dust last weekend. I am bummed. That was probably the most used tool I own. To finish the job I was working on I picked up a corded Dewalt 7.5 amp drill but I really miss the cordless convenience. I know you get what you pay for so I am not going to drop money on a cheap drill that I will regret later. Just wondering what kind of recommendations people have.

 

[Dune]

I use a pannasonic 18 volt. I think the other companies may have caught up with pannasonic battery tech by now though.

 

[seige101]

For something you use every day and is made to last you can't beat milwaukee's line of cordless tools. The Lion batteries really make a big difference.

If you are looking for something that will get the job done, and can be replaced cheap ya can't beat ryobi for the price though.

 

[billb3]

I have a lot of DeWalt tools that use the same 18 volt batteries.
18 volts is fine, but sometimes those 14 volts are lighter and preffered.
I had a bunch of Makita 12 volts with the tube batteries, but finding the batteries is getting tougher.
I went with the Makita 14 volt (red batteries).
Been OK.

Bosch is supposed to be decent, too.

Really need to handle a drill in the store to see if the balance and weight is good for what you are doing most of the time.
I like a small drill if using over head repeatedly or in tight spaces.
Wouldn't attempt using it building a deck.


Tried an odd named 25 dollar battery drill from BJ's. Junk, so bad I threw it out.
Felt and ran like it had a 'D' battery inside the rechargable battery shell.

 

[fossil]

I had a DeWalt cordless (I think ~14v.) for years, and loved it, but it finally bit the dust a few years ago. I replaced it with a DeWalt DC759 18v. drill/driver, and it's one of the most used tools I own. I love it. I also have the little DW936, a 5 3/8" circular saw, that does a pretty surprising amount of work, and I recently bought the DC385 cutoff saw (cordless sawzall). So, I have two chargers and a number of battery packs that power all these tools. No problems ever with any of them, except that after some years of operation the old 14v. batteries all seemed to develop a "memory" and no longer accept a charge. The 18v. system shows no signs of doing that (yet), and the chargers have obviously been re-engineered. For the little light duty stuff, I have a Black & Decker "Pivot Driver", with a rechargeable tube battery that slips into the handle...a very handy and reliable tool that also gets a lot of use. Rick

 

[madrone]

Bosch.

 

[semipro]

I agree with all the above as far as quality.

You've got to consider Rigid though if only because of their lifetime battery warranty. I don't think they measure up to most of the units mentioned but batteries are expensive to replace.

 

[dvellone]

I agree with all the above as far as quality.

You've got to consider Rigid though if only because of their lifetime battery warranty. I don't think they measure up to most of the units mentioned but batteries are expensive to replace.

I'd second that. Once a battery dies you might as well buy a whole new drill kit for what replacement batteries cost. If Rigid is offering a lifetime warranty on their batteries it would be hard to pass that up. I recently purchased their portable table saw and I'm completely impressed with the quality and warranty. The fence is the same quality as a stationary saw fence.

 

[TMonter]

The latest consumer reports has a good take on the cordless drill group and most of the 18v/19v drill set did really well (Top 3 were DeWalt, Hitachi, Makita at 280, 200 and 280 bucks respectively). I have a craftsman I've had that I bought on a contractor's recommendation after he bought one and it held up as long as his DeWalt unit. I've had it 6 years now and have go through two sets of batteries and it's still chugging along.

 

[rowerwet]

I use a makita 18v Lion white drill it has great power, I use it at home for my projects, the 1.5 amp hr battery doesn't last as long as the 3 A/H, but the charge time is 15 min. I also use the 10.2 makita drill driver set, that one is more aimed at light screw driving (I use the impact to remove screws and the driver to install screws in nutplates at work) and shorter smaller wood screws. I also use a 14v dewalt at my boat building site, it was my home use drill, but the charge time is long and the makita kicks its but.
For serious work I recommend the blue makita 18v, one guy at work got it instead of the white, it is a brute, still charges in 20 min., and there are lots of other cool tools that use the same battery, like the cordless circular saw, it works great for thinner (up to 3/4") plywood cuts.

 

[ecfinn]

I agree with all the above as far as quality.

You've got to consider Rigid though if only because of their lifetime battery warranty. I don't think they measure up to most of the units mentioned but batteries are expensive to replace.

Be careful relying on that Rigid lifetime battery warranty. Its only administered by Rigid service centers, not Hope Depot. So if your battery dies you must take it, in person, to one of their service centers and they'll replace the batteries. Only one problem there aren't very many of them and the ones I can find have terrible hours so I can't get there. The closest one to me is about an hour from my house and is only open 9-4 weekdays. Its not like I'm in the middle of nowhere either, I'm north of Philadelphia. I basically need to take a day off to get my batteries replaced.

I'm not saying its not worth it, but please do your homework before buying one based upon the battery warranty.

Eric

 

[fbelec]

i 've used plenty of different drill. money wise ryobi is ok. strength i have a bosch 9.6 volt drill that i owned for 10 years. it will spin a 12 dewalt backwards batterys are cheap 36. 00 ea they last years. i own a milwaukee 18 volt hammer drill/driver i will never by milwaukee cordless tools again the batterys don't last 2 years they are expensive and i blow a motor in the drill. does not take any abuse. i have a 14.4 volt craftsman. other than strenght it's better quality than milwaukee. i jusr blew the second charger for my milwaukee and the battery power sawzall kills batterys quick. all in all milwaukee electric tools are great. their battery tools suck. i'm still using my bosch and craftsman.

 

[semipro]

I agree with all the above as far as quality.

You've got to consider Rigid though if only because of their lifetime battery warranty. I don't think they measure up to most of the units mentioned but batteries are expensive to replace.

Be careful relying on that Rigid lifetime battery warranty. Its only administered by Rigid service centers, not Hope Depot. So if your battery dies you must take it, in person, to one of their service centers and they'll replace the batteries. Only one problem there aren't very many of them and the ones I can find have terrible hours so I can't get there. The closest one to me is about an hour from my house and is only open 9-4 weekdays. Its not like I'm in the middle of nowhere either, I'm north of Philadelphia. I basically need to take a day off to get my batteries replaced.

I'm not saying its not worth it, but please do your homework before buying one based upon the battery warranty.

Eric

Maybe things have changed but our local Home Depot used to send the batteries in for you for replacement. I agree on the homework though. For someone that avoided it as much as I did when in school I sure do a lot of it on the web before big (okay small ones too ) purchases.

 

[mayhem]

Still using the 9.6V black and decker cordless I bought from Wally World. The battery is just now giving in after several thousand charge cycles and 13 years. Not bad for $30. Used it as my only drill, a screw shooter and on occasion a hammer...did all the screwing and unscrewing for a couple moves, drove about 1/4 of the screws for the sheetrock in my house, assembled my kid's playground (one of those medium sized pressure treated u-build-it deals) and drilled countless little bits and pieces. I think this is atypical of the brand and I managed to get the magic battery too becasue there is no way it should still have anyhting left.

When I replace it I will be moving to a premium brand (which from a B&D is almost anything I suppose). I would gravitate towards any brand that offers lifetime batteries...the only remaining question after that is the voltage, so go to the store and try each one out...the 19v models are very powerful, but mgiht be too heavy for the regular tasks you have for it...which are probably different from mine.

 

[fbelec]

i've always had good luck with rechargable batterys. that's why i am so pissed about two sets of batterys from milwaukee. when i had a pager my batterys would last 8 years. the biggest problem with cordless tools owned by home owers is leaving the battery in the charger for days if not weeks on end. that just drys up the battery and they're junk in months. my bosch is very old and one battery is junk the other is still great. thinking about it it's over ten years old.

 

[rowerwet]

what tipped it to Makita for me was the battery charger technology, Li-Ion batteries and really any multi-cell set up battery needs each cell monitored during charging, other types aren't as dangerous when over charged Lithium Ion will burn. Most chargers put one voltage across the contacts for the battery pack, when one cell hits full charge the charger stops, leaving the rest of the cells at whatever level they are charged to. Makita lithium Ion chargers monitor each cells voltage during charge, and make sure each cell is at full before stopping the charge. On the 18V this is all the little contacts on the yellow tang, the big bars on either side of the battery are the power connections. Some other companies are starting to do this with their chargers, but that is why your batteries will die after a few years on other manuf.
The other thing to look for is a charger that "floats" Makita has this feature, my dewalt does also, this means that the charger will charge the battery to full, stop charging, monitor the power level in the battery pack, and charge it again as needed. My old royobi charger charges all the time it doesn't shut off or float, this is what ruins the battery pack over time. Chargers that have lights that change from charging to floating are the way to go.
Makitas also have a chip in the battery and charger that keeps a memory of the number of charges and the health of the battery.

 

[fbelec]

what tipped it to Makita for me was the battery charger technology, Li-Ion batteries and really any multi-cell set up battery needs each cell monitored during charging, other types aren't as dangerous when over charged Lithium Ion will burn. Most chargers put one voltage across the contacts for the battery pack, when one cell hits full charge the charger stops, leaving the rest of the cells at whatever level they are charged to. Makita lithium Ion chargers monitor each cells voltage during charge, and make sure each cell is at full before stopping the charge. On the 18V this is all the little contacts on the yellow tang, the big bars on either side of the battery are the power connections. Some other companies are starting to do this with their chargers, but that is why your batteries will die after a few years on other manuf.
The other thing to look for is a charger that "floats" Makita has this feature, my dewalt does also, this means that the charger will charge the battery to full, stop charging, monitor the power level in the battery pack, and charge it again as needed. My old royobi charger charges all the time it doesn't shut off or float, this is what ruins the battery pack over time. Chargers that have lights that change from charging to floating are the way to go.
Makitas also have a chip in the battery and charger that keeps a memory of the number of charges and the health of the battery.

learn something new every day. that makita sound like a intelligent buy. how long have you own this? and how often do you use it? i owned 2 makita when i first started on my own. 7.2 with flashlight and a 9.6 volt. they still work just need batterys and a charger. they are about 25 years old. if i'm not mistaken makita was the first cordless that everyone on the job owned before other companys made them.

 

[rowerwet]

Makita has the name in the aviation mechanic world, there are still guys working with the old 7.2 and 9.6 drills, I think their 18V Lithium Ion tech has put them back at the front again. I use the 10.2 V driver/impact duo daily, almost all of the 20+ mechanics where I work have a set and some had them since you could first get them. I used my 18V white Li-Ion drill for about a year until the 10.2 came down in price (size and weight beat power for pulling screws), some of the guys still use their big drills full time and they go great, one of those guys got his when it first came out at western tool, about 6 months before HD had them, his is still going strong. I now use my white 18V for my home drill, I bought it used off of Ebay so I don't know how old it is but no issues yet. The makita rates second to the panasonic drill except in price, it is about $100 cheaper, the kit they sell at HD with the impact driver is a good deal, you don't know how much you can use an impact driver until you have one.
For normal around the house projects the 18V is great, if you do serious contractor type work I hear the 18V blue Li-Ion line is the way to go, the guy at work who got that instead has a house he bought that needs a lot of work, he uses it for work and home and loves it. I is his main gun in his current major project, putting up a 12X20' hip roof shed, he bought 3 extra 3 A/H batteries for his drill and other tools and barely had to use any corded tools.

 

[TreePapa]

I have a Ryobi 18v LithIon combo I've had for a couple of years now and I am frequently surprised and how good the tools actually work and how well they hold up. I don't work in the field in my day job, but I use the tools around the house, when building at the (Calif.) Renaissance Faire, and when helping out friends. The 18v drill has plenty of power for my needs and good battery life, the sawzal is useful, and the circ. saw is really nice 'cept for the awkward safety switch. Even w/ the safety switch, I reach for the 18v, thin kerf Ryobi saw much more than I reach for the old faithful Skill77 (worm drive).

I've also have a Makita 12v niCad-battery drill that I have had for more than 10 yrs now and 'cept for having replaced one battery and needing to replace the other, it still works great. Don't have the power of the 18v Ryobi, but its a real workhorse. It's on loan right now to some friends who are fixing up their townhouse. And I have a Panasonic 12v niCad drill that I inherited from my brother-in-law. It works purty well, for all that it prolly older than the Makita.

I also have at least two corded drill (Milwaukee and Bosch) that rarely get used because it's so much easier to grab a cordless drill.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[paanta]

I got a 14v Makita lithium ion impact driver (the white and black one, not the "pro" model which just has a bigger battery) and I rarely touch my reliable-but-corded DeWalt drill anymore. It's fine for 90% of my drilling and 100% of my screw/nut driving. It puts out almost enough torque to take the lug nuts off the car and it's great because you don't have to press down or counter the torque of the driver...it zips 3" screws in practically all by itself. Way better on the hands if you're installing a lot of screws. 2 years of heavy amateur use on and it's still going strong. I'd definitely recommend it (or the regular Makita 14v drill). Can't go too wrong with a Bosch, either...my 12v PS-10 is super.

With the lith-ion batteries, when the power starts to fade STOP drilling. They don't like to be fully discharged (at least on the Makita). They were replaced under warranty, and it hasn't been a problem since, but just be aware of that little quirk.

 

[struggle]

After the batteries went belly up on a dewalt I had and now a battery pack is bad on my Makita I am going back to using a corded dewalt drill.

AS convenient as the cordless is I do not use it enough to justify replacing battery packs that cost more than a good corded drill does.

I think in the long run if you figure the cost of replacing the battery packs and proper disposal it would be shocking.

I am done with them personally as an avid home remodeler.

 

[rowerwet]

before you buy replacement batteries or a new drill set, go to one of those batteries plus places a couple of the guys at work have gone there and gotten good results having them repack the battery packs for older or unusual brand drills, the price is very reasonable $25-30 and they don't have complaints about the new batteries. All battery packs are just a fancy container for a bunch of cells wired together, there a only a few manufacturers of the cells so replacing them with a cell intended for a cell phone is very easy.

 

[DavidV]

As was suggested to me on a woodworking site, I purchased a replacement Bosch drill on Ebay. Shipped to the house for 36 bucks. No battery included. Not a problem because I have 3 batteries and 2 chargers for this drill already. Nicad is an older technology and on the way out....so I got a deal. It will serve my needs quite well for another year or two and at a much lower price point than LithioumIon tools.

 

[gzecc]

If you batteries are still good, try and buy another of the same drill on ebay. The batteries are whats so expensive.
I am sold on Milwaukee power plus. I have the older heavy 18v non lithium.