wiegie Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 This year I said "screw it" and decided to just ask my dad what he wanted for Christmas. He took all of 1.5 seconds to think about it before replying "a cordless drill". (And when I asked if he wanted anything special, all he said was that he wanted an extra battery -- and then he said that it would be a bonus if I could buy a drill such that the battery could be interchanged with other power tools (that, I assume, I will be getting him as presents in the future) .) So, any recommendations? (I'm guessing that he will mostly use it for home-repair stuff, but it's not beyond the realm of possibility that he will use it for construction of some sort or another--I'm not looking to drop a couple of bills on the drill, but I'm not planning on getting him a K-Mart blue-light special either.) Thanks in advance for your suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 I bought my Dad a DeWalt cordless drill for his birthday. It may be a little out of your price range but it's a great drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junebugz Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 (edited) I can say from experience the 9.6v Ryobi they sell at Home Depot is worthless. I have used and like DeWalt, Porter Cable, and Ridgid. I recently got a Hitachi miter saw and have been pleased with it but I have not used their drill. I wouldn't go with anything less than a 14v though, but would guess an 18v is ideal since other cordless tools like a trim saw or recip saw would be better suited with at least 18v. Does he have any other cordless tools already? ... that might narrow your brands down for you Edit to add: I have a friend who does electrical work all year long and he uses Craftsman and seems pretty happy with them. Edited December 13, 2006 by junebugz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 I can say from experience the 9.6v Ryobi they sell at Home Depot is worthless. I have used and like DeWalt, Porter Cable, and Ridgid. I recently got a Hitachi miter saw and have been pleased with it but I have not used their drill. I wouldn't go with anything less than a 14v though, but would guess an 18v is ideal since other cordless tools like a trim saw or recip saw would be better suited with at least 18v. Does he have any other cordless tools already? ... that might narrow your brands down for you Yeah I fell into the 9.6v Ryobi trap. It's OK for very simple jobs that don't require any torque, but it doesn't cut it for me anymore. I've asked for a new drill for Christmas. Hopefully getting a DeWalt, Makita or Craftsman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 I bought my Dad a DeWalt cordless drill for his birthday. It may be a little out of your price range but it's a great drill. Yep, got one as well. Extra battery too. Awesome battery life, nice torque settings, 2 speeds. Great unit. Don't go less than 18 volts. http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_det...?productID=8780 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holy Roller Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 I can say from experience the 9.6v Ryobi they sell at Home Depot is worthless. I have used and like DeWalt, Porter Cable, and Ridgid. I recently got a Hitachi miter saw and have been pleased with it but I have not used their drill. I wouldn't go with anything less than a 14v though, but would guess an 18v is ideal since other cordless tools like a trim saw or recip saw would be better suited with at least 18v. Does he have any other cordless tools already? ... that might narrow your brands down for you Edit to add: I have a friend who does electrical work all year long and he uses Craftsman and seems pretty happy with them. All good brands but DeWalt is usually overpriced. My son the carpenter says 18v is a must. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 I agree with the above. You need to buy an 18-volt drill to be sure to have enough power to do most jobs around the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Yep, got one as well. Extra battery too. Awesome battery life, nice torque settings, 2 speeds. Great unit. Don't go less than 18 volts. http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_det...?productID=8780 :Homerdrool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Wiegie, the DeWalt I linked to above is a $368 unit, you can get it here for $209: http://www.tylertool.com/dedche1118vc.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Wiegie, the DeWalt I linked to above is a $368 unit, you can get it here for $209: http://www.tylertool.com/dedche1118vc.html Ooh, thanks. I'm not sure Santa has the bankroll this year to get me this, so maybe Darin will have to make a post-Christmas purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holy Roller Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Apparently there's lot of good drillers here at the Huddle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Dewalt's a fine product line, but I've seen Black & Decker 18-volt drills on sale recently for about a hundred bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 depends on how much he will use it.... alot....dewalt or porter cable not alot....ryobi, craftsman 18v too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junebugz Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Wiegie, the DeWalt I linked to above is a $368 unit, you can get it here for $209: http://www.tylertool.com/dedche1118vc.html eBay find ... $189 brand new Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyr0802 Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Apparently there's lot of Tools here at the Huddle. Fixed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 eBay find ... $189 brand new $20 shipping and handling not included. From my link, free shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junebugz Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Firestorm from Black & Decker at Lowe's not sure of the quality but seems like a decent price and comes with 2 batteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junebugz Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 $20 shipping and handling not included. From my link, free shipping. Math lesson for today ... $169.99 Buy it now $20.00 Shipping $189.99 Total Plus Lowe's has that model on sale for $199 and I am sure they will ship it for free too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Math lesson for today ... $169.99 Buy it now $20.00 Shipping $189.99 Total Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Math lesson for today ... $169.99 Buy it now $20.00 Shipping $189.99 Total Plus Lowe's has that model on sale for $199 and I am sure they will ship it for free too! stick to book titles tiny!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junebugz Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiefjay Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 depends on how much he will use it.... alot....dewalt or porter cable not alot....ryobi, craftsman 18v too Good point about the Craftsman. When I bought my 18 volt a few yeas back I thought I was getting the top of the line but it's already starting to bite it. It jams up when trying to drill through tile, concrete, etc... Just wasn't made for that I guess. I don't do that much carpentry and other home improvement jobs for it to be biting it already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Good point about the Craftsman. When I bought my 18 volt a few yeas back I thought I was getting the top of the line but it's already starting to bite it. It jams up when trying to drill through tile, concrete, etc... Just wasn't made for that I guess. I don't do that much carpentry and other home improvement jobs for it to be biting it already. i have the 18v ryobi and have done some remodeling....nothing too extreme. the battery life isnt the greatest, but it does the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junebugz Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 i have the 18v ryobi and have done some remodeling....nothing too extreme. the battery life isnt the greatest, but it does the job. does this mean that if you let it sit for 2 weeks it is dead? i just ask because my 9.6v if it sits for a week dies ... so i just figure with an extra 9v then it should at least hold charge for another week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Yep, got one as well. Extra battery too. Awesome battery life, nice torque settings, 2 speeds. Great unit. Don't go less than 18 volts. http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_det...?productID=8780 That's the one I got him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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