What's new

I need a new cordless drill

njpaddy

njpaddy

The 12v Ni-Cad batteries for the Porter Cable Cordless Drill & Flashlight set I bought 11 years ago are going and I'm not sure it's worth spending $100 or more for 2 new 12v batteries. Any replacement recommendations or makes to stay away from? I don't need the best, but I want something that works when I need it. I've been very happy with the PC but the flashlight is now killing off batteries in a few minutes. I looked at Lowes this morning and they had:

- DeWalt 4 piece combo (I like DeWalt but $400 is way too much for the few times I would use it)
- Hitachi Drill & Flashlight combo (Li-Ion)
- Porter Cable 4 piece set 18v Ni-CD (I'm leaning toward another PC)
- Kobalt 4 piece 18v Ni-CD

I really only need the drill and flashlight but for $150 or so I'd go for a 4 piece sets. I haven't checked a Sears store yet, but I see at their web site they have a Kawasaki set.
 
whereisandy

whereisandy

I had a Skil ni-cad drill and the batteries died within a year. I understand it's the nature of the nicad beast so I switched to a Li-Ion 12V Bosch and am very happy with it.
 
maxman

maxman

Milwaukee makes one nice drill let me tell ya. I did my deck last year with one and it was very nice to use.
I have a Sears Craftsman brand 12V and it's a joke compared to the 18V Milwaukee.
 
Kentos

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
If you can get to a Home Depot their Ridgid tools are actually quite nice. I am personally invested in the Makita ecosystem, but the Ridgid tools will serve a DIYer well IMO.

18v vs. 12v depends on how much power you want. If you spend a little more and go 18 you will have access to circular saws, sawzalls, jigsaws etc. 12v have them too but they are more geared towards plumbing and electrical rough ins.

Lithium battery technology is quite good now and I would never go back to NiCad even if they gave the batteries away.

YMMV ;) but when in doubt go bigger.
 
Phog Allen

Phog Allen

Kentos said:
If you can get to a Home Depot their Ridgid tools are actually quite nice. I am personally invested in the Makita ecosystem, but the Ridgid tools will serve a DIYer well IMO.

18v vs. 12v depends on how much power you want. If you spend a little more and go 18 you will have access to circular saws, sawzalls, jigsaws etc. 12v have them too but they are more geared towards plumbing and electrical rough ins.

Lithium battery technology is quite good now and I would never go back to NiCad even if they gave the batteries away.

YMMV ;) but when in doubt go bigger.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with Kent. I have always been sceptical of store branded tools. I don't care what store it is, the contracts always change and you are left with obsolete tools and batteries and accessories become almost impo$$ible to obtain. Home Depot/Ridgid is a different concept. I am pretty certain that HD and Ridgid are owned by the same conglomerate. Likely HD themselves. They are invested in the brand. For the life of me I cannot remember the name of the manufacturing company that produces the power tools for Ridgid but they have been around for a good while and I think they are under the umbrella too but that could be completely false. Anyroad, the Ridgid cordless tools with the Lithium Ion batteries carry a LIFETIME warranty. No bull, no hoops. The only real catch is you must register them within 90 days, no exceptions. Ask me how I know. I recently found myself in the same predicament as you. My Bosch 18v cordless drill/hammer drill's NiCads simply will not charge. A quick check revealed battery packs at nearly $90 apiece! A quick trip to Home Desperate revealed an 18v tool kit that contained a drill/driver, impact driver, two batteries, a soft sided carrying bag and aforementioned warranty for $179. I went ahead and jumped on it since I was rebuilding things around the house and needed one pronto. I flubbed it and went past the 90 day registering period but I still have "only" a three year warranty including batteries! I have driven about 500 screws with it and so far, no issues. It even has an LED light on the front of the drill grip that comes on when it is triggered. Nice. They are well worth a look. Just make bloody sure if you are going to keep it you register within 90 days. And do not wait til the end. You have to register online and then send in a form and the UPC code from the box. Hope this helps.

Cheers, Todd
 
Dusty1

Dusty1

I use Ridgid tools professionally for work, and while they are not the best equipment made, they do come with a lifetime warranty. This includes parts, labor, and yes even the batteries. I have had them repair many a drill and replace around a dozen batteries for free. It's the only way to go IMO.
 
njpaddy

njpaddy

Thanks for all the info guys, esp about the differences in batteries. I'm usually skeptical of store brand tools, but I'll give Ridgid a look along with the others mentioned. At least I was able to finish replacing all the broken plastic drawer rails in an old dresser with my drill today. The drill and battery held up fine, but I didn't use the battery-killing flashlight today.
 
incucrash

incucrash

My Dad worked for DeWalt and told me about other brands they serviced.


I believe he recommended Dewalt, Porter or Ridgid
 
Kentos

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
I THINK, Milwaukee, Sears, Ryobi and Ridgid are all made by the same company.
 
Infernal2

Infernal2

Kentos said:
I THINK, Milwaukee, Sears, Ryobi and Ridgid are all made by the same company.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if its true of Sears (Craftsman) drills but I know that Hitachi, Milwaukee, and Porter-Cable all provide routers for their line so its likely.
 
Phog Allen

Phog Allen

I finally searched a bit and it came up fast on Google. Emerson Electric. They own Ridgid outright and I think HD is their exclusive distributor for power tools under that marque. The plumbing tools are sold everywhere. I am sure they make other brands of electric tools.

Cheers, Todd
 
cnnc97

cnnc97

Another recommendation for Rigid here. I got the same package as Phog Allen mentioned above but I haven't used it much since I got it for Xmas. Lifetime warranty on the battery is hard to beat.
 
njpaddy

njpaddy

UPDATE: Bought a new cordless drill.

I decided not to go with Rigid because I saw posts complaining that Rigid refused to honor their "lifetime" warranty. Since I was happy with my old Porter Cable lasting as long as it did I replaced it with a 20V PC. Picked up a PCC600 at Lowes for $149 + tx. It came with drill, 2 Lithium batteries, charger and a hard case. Most internet sites showed it in a soft case, so I went with Lowes. So far I like the feel and balance of the drill, although I haven't used it much. Now looking at drill/driver sets to replace my old bits. If I wind up hating this drill for any reason, I'll be sure to post an update to warn others.
 
njpaddy

njpaddy

I like DeWalt, and even saw a ni-cad PC drill for around $80, but I decided to spend a bit more and go for Lithium. I don't buy tools often, and not a heavy user, so hopefully this one will last. Little things like faster charging and battery "gauge" also seemed cool. My wife always complains when I buy cheap and it breaks, so she's fine with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

laconic1
Wanting to get some new Li-ion cordless power tools
2 3
Replies
46
Views
4K
Mr Bedlington
Mr Bedlington
Top Bottom