There was a thread on hole hawgs recently but wondered what the jury says about DW vs. Milwaukee in your basic 18v drill?

You might include your experience on how long batteries last (per charge, or even how many months or years before replacement) and if you think they lose money on the drill and make it up when you have to buy batteries...

Dewalt. I have owned my DW for over a year and have not had to replace the batteries yet. When I'm doing a prewire (and it's not freezing cold) my batteries will last 2-3 hours, depending on the size of holes I'm drilling.

My old partner bought a Milwaukee set with a sawzall, drill, light, and circular saw. The only piece that didn't break was the circular saw, and that's because he never used it. I've had my DW fall from the top of a 20' extension ladder and the only thing that happened was the case cracked by the trigger, but it worked perfect.

I don't know if this translates, but

While passing some time in a store yesterday, I scanned an article in a woodworking magazine about 14.4 volt portable drills. They tested some ten models, and the deWalt and Makitas were the Editors' picks. The separate tests, each on a full charge, were driving lag bolts or drilling 1" holes with a paddle bit.

I haven't bought any deWalt tools, and the only Milwaukee I have is a plug-in Hole Shooter. But I made a mistake some fifteen years ago with that Hole Shooter and it twisted my arm so badly that I had to wear a brace for six weeks...and that Milwaukee is still working fine. I am on the third power cord, and the gears, or maybe the brushes, sound like hell when it is in reverse. Since I only put it in reverse to remove a drill bit when I am tightening by hand, this is not an issue. And no, it doesn't have a keyless chuck, but sometimes I macho up and just grab the chuck and tighten a bit in it.

If you have the budget, Milwaukee just released their v28 series.

28 volt Li-ion batteries with charge status indicator, significantly more power and run time than a 24v battery, and less weight than an 18v battery.

This thing sounds like a winner...

I have seen the v28 cordless 1/2" drive drill/hammer with 2 batteries, smart charger, and a case at electrical and plumbing trade houses for $450-475... I asked Santa to bring me one...

The brand new Old House Journal has an article on cordless drills with a sidebar on advanced batteries in the market like the 15.4v and 18v Panasonic Ni-Mh (which my former partner swears by) and the Li-Ion that I spoke about above.

They state that "most major manufacturers will be introducing this technology in the next 18 months".

I have to say that Panasonic's ratcheting chuck is my favorite among any brand...

I've got the big Bosch 24 volt kit & added the jig saw. I beat the crap out of it. Works pretty well. The drill is too heavy, but when I need power that baby has a lot of torque. Has T-handle. I dropped it off 6 foot step ladder on to concrete, it landed on corner of battery, plastic split but that's it. Still works fine. Had it about 2 years. The armature/brushes stink bad but it still rock & rolls! Last week I drilled a 3/8" hole through 8" foundation on one battery. Sometimes I work harder than smart. Same day I went & bought Bosch corded hammer drill, what a difference! My small cordless I carry in belt is an old 7.2v Makita. Had that thing since like '87? 2 motors, 2 switches, lost track of batteries. Put keyless chuck on it in like 15 years ago. Small, light weight, like an old pair of jeans! Awsome tool! Perfect for trim out. Also have a couple of 16.8v Craftsman I've picked up refurbished for cheap over the years. The batteries only last a year or so, but the drills are indestrucible. Old Makita right angle 9.6v been tossing around for 15 years or so, gone through a couple of switches.

Craftsman. Buy the silly $15 dollar warranty. They will replace the batteries too with that warranty! I will go through at least one battery in the year, which makes it worth the cost. $80 for a Dewalt battery.
I have never owned a worse drill than a Dewalt, well though it might be possible the Porter cable is a tie. The only good thing about them is everyone has a charger laying around somewhere to charge your batteries.

Dewalt 18v vs. Milwaukee 18V

I have both of them.

The Milwaukee is 2.5 years old and has broken/been serviced once and the charger failed once. Milwaukee, I believe, now has a five year warranty.

The Dewalt is a year old and hasn't broken yet, but the brushes sound a little bit suspect. Not sure what Dewalt's warranty is.

The Dewalt batteries charge faster.

The Dewalt has a slightly nicer case.

The Dewalt will not stand up, it has to be laid on it's side (minor gripe). The Milwaukee will stand up and the battery is reversable.

Both are darn nice drills. Both have nice ratcheting chucks.

I have the 18V flashlight for the Milwaukee, and love it.

You may also want to check out the Home Depot Rigid house brand. They seem pretty nice as well.

Well I used my Makitas for 10 years before I gave up on their crappy charging system and faulty batteries. I'd have to second the Craftsman brand (which I just bought) but I'd buy the high end one that uses the DieHard batteries.

Panasonic, while I haven't used one, would probably be a good choice as they OEM batteries for a zillion different companies. (A zillion is a lot!!!). I wouldn't buy a Milwaukee cordless drill, but I would buy their other products.

I would stick with companies that have good reputations for charging/batteries.

Makita 14.4 is one of the best drills made. I like it a lot better than my 18v Milwaukee.

Look at the Panasonics.

FOr my Day to day Kick around drill I use a Ryobi... Cheap at the depot and hasnt failed in a year+ of service so far

I was referring to Makita's 6095D 9.6v stuff, which was the industry standard cordless drill for years.

Having used most all types...I gotta say try Ridgid.....



THXRick

Believe it or not...Ryobi. We beat the crap outof this stuff everyday. The 18v One+ series is great. They make every piece of equipment you would ever want all work off the same battery.

I have a Craftsman 19.2 that will not go as far and as hard as the ryobi.

Mike

We have had great luck with the Ridgid 18V from Home Depot. Very well designed and balanced and last Dec they offered lifetime warrenty on the tools, chargers and batteries.