I've accepted that my power drill/driver disappeared last year, though
I've still got one battery and the charger. I need to decide what kind
of replacement to get.

Do I need 18V? I assume not. My intended uses are in the home, including
renovation: putting up drywall, mounting cabinet doors. I doubt I'll
want to drill masonry on my own. I also assume I don't want a hammer driver.

Of what's available at Home Depot or Lowe's, what's recommended? What
considerations are there? Some of the products are distinguish from each
other only by features whose usefulness to me I can't ascertain.

On Nov 29, 12:19*pm, Harlan Messinger
<hmessinger.removet...@comcast.net> wrote:
> I've accepted that my power drill/driver disappeared last year, though
> I've still got one battery and the charger. I need to decide what kind
> of replacement to get.
>
> Do I need 18V? I assume not. My intended uses are in the home, including
> renovation: putting up drywall, mounting cabinet doors. I doubt I'll
> want to drill masonry on my own. I also assume I don't want a hammer driver.
>
> Of what's available at Home Depot or Lowe's, what's recommended? What
> considerations are there? Some of the products are distinguish from each
> other only by features whose usefulness to me I can't ascertain.

There are tool reviews from a few places like Consumer Reports,
Popular Mechanics and more. If I was looking I would consider a kit
where you get many tools. Maybe Ryobi the line has the most tools.
LiIon wont last as many years as Nicad but are lighter. I had a 9.6v
Makita that did all I ever needed till it was stolen. HD Ridgid brand
has a lifetime warranty even on batteries, thats what I went to. For
around home 12v is more than enough and I find myself picking the
lighest tool most often a 9.6v. There are some real small, ight, LiIon
mini tools that are nice. B&D is not going to do much work before its
broke. Getsomething that the batteries and charger work with other
tools, a Ridgid charger charges 9.6 up to 18v, im sure other companies
offer this.

Harlan Messinger wrote:
> I've accepted that my power drill/driver disappeared last year, though
> I've still got one battery and the charger. I need to decide what kind
> of replacement to get.
>
> Do I need 18V? I assume not. My intended uses are in the home, including
> renovation: putting up drywall, mounting cabinet doors. I doubt I'll
> want to drill masonry on my own. I also assume I don't want a hammer
> driver.
>
> Of what's available at Home Depot or Lowe's, what's recommended? What
> considerations are there? Some of the products are distinguish from each
> other only by features whose usefulness to me I can't ascertain.
Hi,
Don't you want to use the spare battery and charger for your next drill?
I got a De Walt 14V screw driver and drill kit which has been good to me.

"Harlan Messinger" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I've accepted that my power drill/driver disappeared last year, though
> I've still got one battery and the charger. I need to decide what kind of
> replacement to get.
>
> Do I need 18V? I assume not. My intended uses are in the home, including
> renovation: putting up drywall, mounting cabinet doors. I doubt I'll want
> to drill masonry on my own. I also assume I don't want a hammer driver.
>
> Of what's available at Home Depot or Lowe's, what's recommended? What
> considerations are there? Some of the products are distinguish from each
> other only by features whose usefulness to me I can't ascertain.

Depends on how you actually use the tool. IMO, 18V stuff is just too heavy
for 95% of typical homeowner use. I have a 15.6V Panasonic that I love
because of the weight/power ratio. I bought a 12V Rigid for one of the guys
to use in the shop where he was going to be working on a ladder or lift.
Plenty of power for driving small sheet metal screws and gets the job done
for $49.

Tony Hwang wrote:
> Harlan Messinger wrote:
>> I've accepted that my power drill/driver disappeared last year, though
>> I've still got one battery and the charger. I need to decide what kind
>> of replacement to get.
>>
>> Do I need 18V? I assume not. My intended uses are in the home,
>> including renovation: putting up drywall, mounting cabinet doors. I
>> doubt I'll want to drill masonry on my own. I also assume I don't want
>> a hammer driver.
>>
>> Of what's available at Home Depot or Lowe's, what's recommended? What
>> considerations are there? Some of the products are distinguish from
>> each other only by features whose usefulness to me I can't ascertain.
> Hi,
> Don't you want to use the spare battery and charger for your next drill?
> I got a De Walt 14V screw driver and drill kit which has been good to me.

Are the batteries interchangeable among manufacturers? I'd thought of
that. I still have to check what my remaining battery's voltage *is*.
It's marked on neither the battery nor the charger. I need to drag out
my voltmeter.

"Ed Pawlowski" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:NPhYk.7170$(E-Mail Removed):

>
> "Harlan Messinger" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I've accepted that my power drill/driver disappeared last year,
>> though I've still got one battery and the charger. I need to decide
>> what kind of replacement to get.
>>
>> Do I need 18V? I assume not. My intended uses are in the home,
>> including renovation: putting up drywall, mounting cabinet doors. I
>> doubt I'll want to drill masonry on my own. I also assume I don't
>> want a hammer driver.
>>
>> Of what's available at Home Depot or Lowe's, what's recommended? What
>> considerations are there? Some of the products are distinguish from
>> each other only by features whose usefulness to me I can't ascertain.
>
> Depends on how you actually use the tool. IMO, 18V stuff is just too
> heavy for 95% of typical homeowner use. I have a 15.6V Panasonic that
> I love because of the weight/power ratio. I bought a 12V Rigid for
> one of the guys to use in the shop where he was going to be working on
> a ladder or lift. Plenty of power for driving small sheet metal screws
> and gets the job done for $49.
>
>
>

isn't there one brand that offers free replacement battery packs?
Ryobi?

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

> I've accepted that my power drill/driver disappeared last year, though
> I've still got one battery and the charger. I need to decide what kind
> of replacement to get.
>
> Do I need 18V? I assume not. My intended uses are in the home,
> including renovation: putting up drywall, mounting cabinet doors. I
> doubt I'll want to drill masonry on my own. I also assume I don't want
> a hammer
> driver.
> Of what's available at Home Depot or Lowe's, what's recommended? What
> considerations are there? Some of the products are distinguish from
> each other only by features whose usefulness to me I can't ascertain.

IMO:
-- variable speed
-- Two max speeds (drill bits and screw bits)
-- Reversible
-- Nice if there's a stop clutch to stop spinning upon release of
trigger
-- Two batteries (one in use, one charging)
-- Variable Clutch
-- No key chuck needed to change bits/drivers.

My last driver drill has those features & it's the best I ever had.

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 13:19:05 -0500, Harlan Messinger
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I've accepted that my power drill/driver disappeared last year, though
>I've still got one battery and the charger. I need to decide what kind
>of replacement to get.
>
>Do I need 18V? I assume not. My intended uses are in the home, including
>renovation: putting up drywall, mounting cabinet doors. I doubt I'll
>want to drill masonry on my own. I also assume I don't want a hammer driver.
>
>Of what's available at Home Depot or Lowe's, what's recommended? What
>considerations are there? Some of the products are distinguish from each
>other only by features whose usefulness to me I can't ascertain.


I'll throw in a pitch that you consider adding a power screwdriver to
your tool kit, not a "drill" shaped one, but one shaped like a fat
screwdriver. I've been using them for years, my latest one is a
Hitachi and it's got plenty of power, two speeds, fwd-reverse, and
spindle lock so you can also drive manually if need be. Fast battery
charge, something like 45 minutes, came with two batteries. I rarely
use my battery powered drill for driving screws unless it's a really
big job and I want to drive them fast - the drill will drive them
quite a bit faster then the powered screwdriver. But the PS is really
convenient for 95% of the stuff I usually do and much easier to
control to avoid stripping out the head of the screw and gets into
tight areas the drill won't.

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 18:55:50 -0800, SteveB wrote:

> "Ed Pawlowski" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:NPhYk.7170$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> "Harlan Messinger" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> I've accepted that my power drill/driver disappeared last year, though
>>> I've still got one battery and the charger. I need to decide what kind of
>>> replacement to get.
>>>
>>> Do I need 18V? I assume not. My intended uses are in the home, including
>>> renovation: putting up drywall, mounting cabinet doors. I doubt I'll want
>>> to drill masonry on my own. I also assume I don't want a hammer driver.
>>>
>>> Of what's available at Home Depot or Lowe's, what's recommended? What
>>> considerations are there? Some of the products are distinguish from each
>>> other only by features whose usefulness to me I can't ascertain.
>>
>> Depends on how you actually use the tool. IMO, 18V stuff is just too heavy
>> for 95% of typical homeowner use. I have a 15.6V Panasonic that I love
>> because of the weight/power ratio. I bought a 12V Rigid for one of the
>> guys to use in the shop where he was going to be working on a ladder or
>> lift. Plenty of power for driving small sheet metal screws and gets the
>> job done for $49.
>
> Ditto on that. I got an 18v Dewalt for a gift, after previously owning 9.6
> Makita for decades. I still get out the 9.6 for smaller jobs, as it is
> lighter. I would like a battery hammer drill, and a handheld screwdriver
> for those times when those would do best. One size does not do all.
>
> Steve

Avoid the DeWalt DW925 hammerdrill. In fact, I would avoid DeWalt all
together. I got the DW925 hammerdrill as part of a kit. The locking chuck
does not lock, dropping drill bits all the time. The clutch is worthless,
driving deck screws through the wood on setting 1. I have had the set for
a little over a year. I am on my 3rd drill! Give me a Milwaukee any day.
Or a Makita or Hitachi. Porter Cable used to make good stuff, but now
bought out by B&D.

On Nov 29, 12:19*pm, Harlan Messinger
<hmessinger.removet...@comcast.net> wrote:
> I've accepted that my power drill/driver disappeared last year, though
> I've still got one battery and the charger. I need to decide what kind
> of replacement to get.
>
> Do I need 18V? I assume not. My intended uses are in the home, including
> renovation: putting up drywall, mounting cabinet doors. I doubt I'll
> want to drill masonry on my own. I also assume I don't want a hammer driver.
>
> Of what's available at Home Depot or Lowe's, what's recommended? What
> considerations are there? Some of the products are distinguish from each
> other only by features whose usefulness to me I can't ascertain.

One nice feature is a light that illuminates the surface you are
drilling, the ridgid I have has a light but it misses my work area,
some new Liion have a battery gauge. With 2 speed for home use the
smallest unit works, my 3v screwdriver still gets worked since its
light and so does my cheapo 4.8v B&D and I have 12 and 18v heavy
stuff. If its going to be real occasional use LiIon might not be good
for you as I have heard batteries last 2-4 years, just like your cell
phone. I have old Makita packs from 1984 that are finally dead and
many from the 90s that still work so LiIon hasnt passed the longevity
test yet. For someone that uses a tool every day LiIon may be great
but a replacement 18v LiIon Ridgid battery the one with most amps is
like 110.00 with tax, the tool was maybe only 120 with the smaller amp
18v LiIon. So you get the tool for free these days but pay retail for
new batteries.