Got Myself a Cordless Driver

[C*H*U*D]

Are the batteries in the Craftsman and Black & Decker models not removable? One thing I do like about my DeWalt is having an extra pack laying around that I can easily swap out.

[CODYBOY]

Originally Posted by C*H*U*D

Are the batteries in the Craftsman and Black & Decker models not removable? One thing I do like about my DeWalt is having an extra pack laying around that I can easily swap out.

They are a internal battery. I took mine apart to see if I could do a DIY and couldn't find batteries. Dito on the DeWalt.

[svt923]

I really like my Bosch driver. It has good control, is relatively light, and the battery lasts seemingly forever.

[bilinvic]

The Bosch was on my radar when I was shopping for a new driver, I like that brand.

[C*H*U*D]

I used to do tool tests for a magazine that my girlfriend worked at. The nice thing was getting to keep some of the tools tested. The Bosch tools were always some of my favorites no matter what the tool was.

I never got to keep any of the Bosch tools

[Tossedman]

I too use a Bosch PS20-2A. Great tool. Great clutch.

[BarHarborBasher]

Trust me I love impacts ... But I must say a drill is way more versatile.. I've been running the 12v Milwaukee RedLithium every day for 3 years building yachts .. all aspects of it... From the bling bling wood working to installing deck hardware... Simply the best mid sized drill/impact combo out there...Every guy in my shop owns a set... After a week I did as well with no regrets for what's that worth..

[WHITE-TRASH]

I looked at getting a 12 volt set but ultimately decided on a 20 volt dewalt impact & drill combo since it's triple duty for home, work and rc.

I machined down a 7mm socket and welded it to a busted bit shank for wheels and I have a set of small handle integy drivers that I toss in my drill handle and all.

[Reflektr]

Now I love my Dewalt because of the gentle clutch (for r/c related fine metric thread in aluminum etc...) But my Dad's Milwaukee driver for the same price allows you to lock the clutch for drilling (if you have the hex drill chuck) Or even giving screws another crank for good measure - Which the Dewalt 12v doesn't do... I'm a Dewalt freak, but the Milwaukee is just as good if not better. If my battery tool stable wasn't already full of black and yellow, for $100 I'd snatch one up in a heartbeat.

[rngrchad]

Right now, and not exactly in just my own opinion, Milwaukee M FUEL series IS the best cordless tools made. Heck, even my 1/4" m18 fuel impact has a soft setting that shuts the impact down until the screw is run flush then it will impact extremely slowly so it takes out all the guess work when running hardware in difficult places. It's still a bit much for RC but the M12 series offering both the impacting and the drill driver is the whip. I feel for RC the drill driver is a much much better choice than the impact however. Now if Milwaukee would just make a ONEKEY for their 12volt line, then we would have the absolute ultimate RC driver drill!!

[THX_138]

I did some googlin' to try to find what the #1 rated lipo drill, and drill drivers currently are and things have seemingly come back with Hitachi.

Wondering if anyone here has Lipo power Hitachi tools and your personal feedback about them?

Looking to upgrade from my old 12v Sears Craftsmen stuff to something like a 18v or 20v

Thanks in advance for any feedback available




Edit: I have since posting this been watching endless videos and reading an equal amount of reviews and find sadly that most all reviews seem VERY biased by who's doing them and the sponsors etc...

And have quickly learned to dig far deeper then a popular magazine or company review.

Digging deeper and investigating specifications, actual performance ratings etc... , I have learned a few key things.

1) The new 18v and 20v Li ion batteries for the brushless drills are identical and carry NO difference in power. Both the 18 and 20 put out the same specs. and the 20 will always have a little * after it because of this.
They perform exactly the same and last exactly the same time. ZERO difference.

2) Milwaukee seems to honestly have the best product based on all around specs. from actual torque, rpms, stall power, and overall length of battery usage vs. holes drilled and screws installed.

3) Hitachi is the ONLY of all manufacturers to offer a lifetime warranty on tool and 5 year on batteries.
All others offer 3-5 years on tool, and 1-3 years on batteries.

4) Milwaukee is the highest priced out of all compared

5) Makita is the highest priced on replacement batteries with the shortest battery warranty time.

6) Dewalt seems to offer the most trinket type gizmos on their tools, but repeatedly referred to as a homeowner tool

Conclusion... I'll do a bit more reading and listening to opinions, but I think Milwaukee will be getting my $$$
.

[WHITE-TRASH]

We have 4 or 5 drill & impact sets from Hitachi in 18 volt flavor at work and they have survived a serious ass kicking from guys who could not possibly give less of a damn about them. I'd say they are a good value for sure.

[Natedog]

DeWalt...I've used and abused them (mine was 18V nimh) in construction and personal life, nothing else compares imo. Dropped them from the attic onto concrete several times, no damage and keeps working, drills more 2" plus forstener bit holes through nail encrusted studs than a Makita and drill body has very little flex even then. Dropped into manky 5 gallon bucket full of nails, mud, rain water etc....pulled it out, pulled the trigger and finished the job...that was years ago...drill still worked when I sold it last year and bought 12V lion DeWalt set.

[rngrchad]

Currently Hitachi is pretty much the bottom level of the power pro tools. Good yes but not in the same league as DeWalt, Makita, Bosch or Milwaukee.

[C*H*U*D]

When we tested 12V drills, I got to keep this one. It was my favorite from the test so I was pretty psyched to get it.

The reason I liked it so much was because of the grip. All of the other drills had the battery inside the handle, so it always felt like you were holding the wrong end of a baseball bat when using it. Not what I would have wanted in a small drill.

The DeWalt fit was perfect and the drill size is nice in tight spaces. It's not as strong as my bigger DeWalt drill, but I find myself grabbing this one for 90% of the jobs around the house.

[SCREAMER]

I'm a Dewalt man. After 20 years of maintaining aircraft for Uncle Sam, I've seen every kind of tool put through the worst kind of abuse you can imagine. I never saw a single failure from a Dewalt drill.

When I first got into RC last year, I knew I needed something powered for all these little screws and headed to Home Depot to see what they had. I knew I wanted something small and stick type as opposed to a gun. Of course I walked straight to the Dewalt displays and found this little gem of a tool. I was shocked to find something I wasn't aware even existed until then. It's a gyroscopic screwdriver that can work at any angle and is controlled just like the throttle of a motorcycle. You squeeze the grip and that activates the gyro. You then twist your wrist whichever way you need the bit to rotate and the more you twist the more speed is applied. Deactivate the gyro and the driver completely locks so you can finish the last couple turns by hand. This little driver is incredibly intuitive to use and one of the few tools in a very long time that I'm excited about. Everyone needs to do themselves a favor and go check one of these out. I forget what I paid, something like $60-$70 for the driver, bag, battery, and charger but after using this thing for the past year, I can't live without it. Easily one of my favorite tools.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by SCREAMER

I'm a Dewalt man. After 20 years of maintaining aircraft for Uncle Sam, I've seen every kind of tool put through the worst kind of abuse you can imagine. I never saw a single failure from a Dewalt drill.

When I first got into RC last year, I knew I needed something powered for all these little screws and headed to Home Depot to see what they had. I knew I wanted something small and stick type as opposed to a gun. Of course I walked straight to the Dewalt displays and found this little gem of a tool. I was shocked to find something I wasn't aware even existed until then. It's a gyroscopic screwdriver that can work at any angle and is controlled just like the throttle of a motorcycle. You squeeze the grip and that activates the gyro. You then twist your wrist whichever way you need the bit to rotate and the more you twist the more speed is applied. Deactivate the gyro and the driver completely locks so you can finish the last couple turns by hand. This little driver is incredibly intuitive to use and one of the few tools in a very long time that I'm excited about. Everyone needs to do themselves a favor and go check one of these out. I forget what I paid, something like $60-$70 for the driver, bag, battery, and charger but after using this thing for the past year, I can't live without it. Easily one of my favorite tools.

I've never heard of that before now. Very cool! You must have gotten a steal because the kit you are describing is now $90-$100 which is a lot for a screwdriver.

[SCREAMER]

I do remember it being on sale, military discount doesn't hurt either. After owning and using it and knowing Dewalt quality, I'd say even $100 is still a fair price for what you get. I also forgot to mention that the battery life on this thing is incredibly long. I've never fully killed the pack and there's a handy LED gauge on the top. Once it gets to 1 bar and after I'm done working I'll throw the pack on the charger. No exaggeration, I have to charge the battery maybe once every 2 weeks and I use it almost daily.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by SCREAMER

I do remember it being on sale, military discount doesn't hurt either. After owning and using it and knowing Dewalt quality, I'd say even $100 is still a fair price for what you get. I also forgot to mention that the battery life on this thing is incredibly long. I've never fully killed the pack and there's a handy LED gauge on the top. Once it gets to 1 bar and after I'm done working I'll throw the pack on the charger. No exaggeration, I have to charge the battery maybe once every 2 weeks and I use it almost daily.

I want it because it's cool! I can make "Braaaap!" noises while screwing...

[deerco]

Originally Posted by SCREAMER

I do remember it being on sale, military discount doesn't hurt either. After owning and using it and knowing Dewalt quality, I'd say even $100 is still a fair price for what you get. I also forgot to mention that the battery life on this thing is incredibly long. I've never fully killed the pack and there's a handy LED gauge on the top. Once it gets to 1 bar and after I'm done working I'll throw the pack on the charger. No exaggeration, I have to charge the battery maybe once every 2 weeks and I use it almost daily.

Does it have a chuck or do you use hex end drivers?