3/8" 18v cordless drill/driver recommendations?

[Bob Ross]

(feel free to move this to OT if it's not bicycle-centric enough)

I want an 18volt 3/8" cordless drill/driver for around-the-house construction & repairs. I'm sure I don't need "the best" but I don't want something that I'll need to replace in another 12 months. I had a modestly-priced Black & Decker several years ago that worked great until exactly two weeks after the warranty expired...since then I've been making do with my grandfather's 50-year-old corded drill.

Last I looked Makita, DeWalt, and Hilti were considered the shiznit. Any specific recommendations?

Thanks.

[Jonathan]

Rigid has a free battery replacement program if that matters.

[doctor855]

This isn't 18v and it's not 3/8" chuck but for most things it is superior to a regular screw gun. Impact is where it's at.

M12â„¢ Cordless Lithium-Ion 1/4" Hex Impact Driver M12â„¢ Cordless Lithium-Ion 1/4" Hex Impact Driver | Milwaukee Tool

[nspace]

I bought a combo from Rigid, an 18v cordless drill and 18v impact driver for about the cost of some other 18v cordless drills on their own. They have been working fantastic, batteries hold their charge for long enough and the build quality seems nice.

I'll echo what Jonathan said, biggest selling feature for me was lifetime warranty including batteries. Batteries dying are pretty common thing to wear out with most cordless tools and a new battery can sometimes cost you $70-$90...so long term, I thought this was good option. There are enough Home Depot's around to support you as well.

Impact driver is nice to have, but it drives the screws in really fast which isn't good for a lot of applications where things are a bit torque sensitive like drywall or certain woods. At least that's what I found. Building a storage loft in my garage out of 2x4's was a breeze with the impact driver though!

[TMB]

I bought a combo from Rigid, an 18v cordless drill and 18v impact driver for about the cost of some other 18v cordless drills on their own. They have been working fantastic, batteries hold their charge for long enough and the build quality seems nice.

I'll echo what Jonathan said, biggest selling feature for me was lifetime warranty including batteries. Batteries dying are pretty common thing to wear out with most cordless tools and a new battery can sometimes cost you $70-$90...so long term, I thought this was good option. There are enough Home Depot's around to support you as well.

Impact driver is nice to have, but it drives the screws in really fast which isn't good for a lot of applications where things are a bit torque sensitive like drywall or certain woods. At least that's what I found. Building a storage loft in my garage out of 2x4's was a breeze with the impact driver though!

This is what I eventually moved to as well, the added benefit to the Rigid / Ryobi is that the battery packs can be opened so when they give up the ghost, and they will, I can take them to the local battery shop and get them rebuilt.

[marley]

Craftsman 19.2v - going on 11 yrs and both batteries still work - perferct for DIYer

[AngryScientist]

seems to me, in my experience that folks who make a living using their tools, in the majority choose the familiar yellow dewalt brand. that was good enough for me, and i have a nice 18v dewalt. it'd done plenty of hard work and keeps going, no complaints.

[dhoff]

I have put Makita, Milwaukee, Dewalt, Rigid and everything else sold in NY State through hard construction site workouts and regular use around the home. I also spent time speaking with a tool repair guy who is a warrantee service center for all of them.

Makita, Makita, Makita. The batteries do die, I got some bad ones and had to trade them in. But I will not buy a different brand again unless something changes dramatically.

I also concur with the poster above, if driving is what you want to do, get an impact driver. It will make a difference and last forever. I have driven literally thousands of ledger lock screws 6"-12" with an 18v Makita impact driver, sometimes as much as a hundred a day. A drill would have burned out long before that. If you must get a drill and make it work for all, invest. The difference between the cheep ones and the good ones is big in real application. Driving with a drill is hard work.

-doug

[echelon_john]

I bought a Makita 2-piece kit with an impact driver and drill a few years ago. After blowing through several other similar items from Bosch and Milwaukee, the Makitas are night and day better. Hold a charge forever, great torque, good ergonomics, fast charging. They're one of the few tools I have where, every time I pick them up, I think what a great investment they were. Buy from a reputable source and make sure you're getting the real deal (not from Home Depot; many manufacturers must cut costs to meet their price points and provide alternate models with cheaper parts) and you won't regret it.

The whole kit with impact driver, drill, 2 batteries, charger and case was <$300. Worth every penny.

[mjbabcock]

I bought a Makita 2-piece kit with an impact driver and drill a few years ago.
every time I pick them up, I think what a great investment they were.
$300. Worth every penny.

This is spot on with my experience. Well worth the investment.

[velocolour]

1 more for Rigid, their tools are awesome. The impact driver is a beast and is likely overkill for many applications.

I prefer a corded drill for stuff around the shop and cordless for construction and up on the ladder. The Dewalt 3/8th corded is a great tool!

[j44ke]

I have this drill from Hilti. Lithium ion seems key. The batteries have a lot of oomph. But they are also big and the drill can actually get in its own way sometimes, so I have a smaller cordless driver that really comes in handy. Amazingly, it is not a piece of crap, even though it looks exactly like some of those cheaper do-alls. The Hilti is WAY more drill than I need now (I wish I had it when I worked on houses,) but I was weak, it was on sale, and I am a sucker for good tools. The big deal on these things (other than the batteries) is the gears inside. There are fancy drills that go through gears like water and not so fancy drills that last forever. I am definitely not testing the limits on mine, but so far so good.