Need a new drill


Ronn W

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My old Craftsman drill (with a chord) just died.  It was light and, at 3 amps, powerful enough for dilling wood holes and driving screws.  What I have found on line are all more powerful - usually 7 to 8 amps.  I bought one and its too heavy and too powerful to be able to drive a long phillips head screws without slipping.   I am looking for suggestions for a lower powered chorded drill.  Any ideas???

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Sorry Ronn, but choices for a corded drill for driving screws will be a very limited set. There's always a drywall gun, but they don't do high torque very well.

Is there a reason you don't want to go cordless? A cordless impact driver is a much better choice, especially with Phillips screw heads. With the impact action, there is far less cam-out, like probably 1/10 the amount, or less. Plus the cordless will be lighter and more ergonomic.

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I too would like a small form factor corded drill.  My reasons are different from yours.  I want the small form factor of 12volt stick battery Bosch or Ridgid with the higher RPM's of a corded model.  I get by with a corded 7amp but, as you say, the weight and size are awkward.  With variable speed (and maybe a clutch) one good small form factor 3000 RPM corded model could work for both of us.

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It sounds like a 12v small cordless drill is what would fit best for you. I tried searching for smaller corded drills but there just isn't much market for them anymore.

There are some in the 4-5 amp range like this one. https://www.lowes.com/pd/BLACK-DECKER-5-2-Amp-3-8-in-Keyless-Corded-Drill/50449290 or at amazon https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-Corded-5-2-Amp-DR260C/dp/B00T2VJ93C/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=corded+drill&qid=1597079634&sr=8-3

or this one. https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-5-5-Amp-Corded-3-8-in-Variable-Speed-Compact-Drill-Driver-with-Bag-D43K/205216326

Or this one at menards https://www.menards.com/main/tools/power-tools/power-drills-impact-drivers/tool-shop-reg-3-4-amp-corded-3-8-drill/ed190/p-1450235173190-c-9072.htm It's really cheap and I question the quality but for the price you could afford to keep a spare around.

 

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I wish Porter Cable hadn't discontinued the 664 T-handle 1/4" drill (2500 rpm).  I have one that I bought new with the Rockwell name on it, in the mid '70's.  That was the smoothest running power tool I ever had in my hands.  It ran as smooth as a sewing machine, and the variable speed was the best ever too.  I still have it, but it needs brushes, and bearings.  I just did a Google search, to make sure I was remembering the model number correctly, and did find that parts are still available.  Going to order parts now.

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I don't think this is what you're looking for, but just in case I thought I'd post it. I bought my dad this Ryobi 4 volt electric screwdriver when he was having issues with his hands. I don't think you'll be drilling massive holes with it but it's a great little screwdriver.

Milwaukee has a ton of 12v  tools that are lighter weight but still seem powerful enough.

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Lots of options out there!  Corded would not be one that I'd suggest but, to each their own.

Green, yellow, red, they're all pretty much the same.  Each have a few pros and cons.  My only suggestion with cordless is to stick with a brand to cut down on chargers.

For what it's worth, I've been hearing a lot of great things about Rigid's warranty and customer service.  I don't own any but, if I were in the market, I'd certainly be giving them a serious look.  I own the green and the yellow but, am not loyal to a brand.

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11 hours ago, ..Kev said:

Lots of options out there!  Corded would not be one that I'd suggest but, to each their own.

Green, yellow, red, they're all pretty much the same.  Each have a few pros and cons.  My only suggestion with cordless is to stick with a brand to cut down on chargers.

For what it's worth, I've been hearing a lot of great things about Rigid's warranty and customer service.  I don't own any but, if I were in the market, I'd certainly be giving them a serious look.  I own the green and the yellow but, am not loyal to a brand.

All the same matters. I use and like makita cordless. Same charger same batteries. The time to buy batteries is December. They are half off. And lithium can sit on the shelf indefinitely. They don't leak on their own. I was so happy to make the change to cordless. I still have a corded Milwaukee 1/2" hammer drill. Still works good but adds time to the work.

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If you go cordless, look at the manufacturer's entire cordless line and go with the one that has the tools you may someday be wanting. Dewalt, Makita & Milwaukee have extensive selection of cordless tools, though I believe Milwaukee has the edge there.

Ryobi has a lot of cordless tools as well, but they are definitely several notches below in terms of quality & usability. That is not a knock against them, just a statement of their market position. They are a terrific value if your demands are not great, but in a commercial setting where they're used all day they just don't stand up.

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Y

On 8/12/2020 at 11:49 AM, Mark J said:

Well Yeah!  'Cause you can tie the cord to something ;).

Yes. and the one 12 V cordless that I have will not hold a charge long enought to slap together a 4' x 8" plywood table.  I have very little experience with cordless but it seems that they are more expensive in the long run and weigh more because of the battery (I want light weight).  

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I think you will be delightfully surprised by the current cordless offerings.  I wasn't originally enthusiastic about cordless toos, but I've had 12V (Milwaukee) tools for years and love them.  The batteries hold a charge very well for months and months and hold enough charge to do multiple jobs.  And they charge in a couple of hours.  I figure any weight penalty is ofset by cord freedom.

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I have the DeWalt 12volt cordless drill, screwdriver and impact driver, and I love them. Handy size, light and for most projects, the batteries are adequate. I find I can build a shop cabinet without changing batteries unless I am using Confirmat screws. With a couple of spares on the chargers, I haveyhad a time where I had to wait for a battery. They charge in 30 minutes or so. They have a 3 AH battery now, but the 2 AH works ok for me.

They recently came out with a 12 volt brushless version that is down right tiny, but supposed to be more powerful and have even more battery life. I am trying to figure out a way to justify them. Let's see: the 3lb weight if my existing kit makes my carpel tunnel syndrome flair, and the 2 1/2 lbs of the new one will help.....yeah, that works.

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I bought the Dewalt 12V brushless impact driver and drill for my portable kit.  They are quite a bit lighter than the 20V models (which I have in my garage shop) but still have plenty of power.  Mine came with 3Ah batteries and use the same charger as the 20V batteries.  I'm quite happy with them.

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If your experience with cordless is from the NiCad era, which it sounds like, Lithium-Ion is a completely different animal.  You get full performance right until the battery is dead and it stays charged.  I bought my 18v drill/impact in 2012 and have been through a set of brushes and the batteries are still going.  I only use a corded drill for sanding now as the cordless can't really handle continuous use like a corded can.  For regular drill stuff, there's a reason you can't find a corded one.

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