Advice on drill/driver...

Just bought the 18V Li Ion Impact Driver from Makita, about $214 US, with 2 batteries.
2 weeks ago. I LOVE IT.

15 minute recharge, seems to outlast my 14.4 Hitatchi Drill considerably (and is much easier to wield) smaller, and 1 pound lighter. Doesn’t sound like much, but its very noticeable difference. I’ve had really (really) bad tightness and pain in my right forearm and shoulder from making my (not very old) old drill get the job done, day in-day out. Thankfully this issue started clearing up immediately.

Been using it to attach metal studs, as well as put 2×4 bracing under stairs this week with 2 1/2 inch decking screws one handed and sideways! Works great, and much quieter then my Dads Ryobi. He’ll be upgrading to mine.

I’ll be using this for more Construction type work, and, likely woodworking too. The Hitachi is now resting comfortably in the shop. Will still be fine for woodworking, and “lighter duty tasks”.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Van Gogh -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

Thanks, scott. If I can get a better suited drill for the same price as new batteries for my XRP, then I’m going that route. The Makita’s are on sale locally so I’ll go look closer at them.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Mot,

Check McFeely’s Square Drive catalogue.
http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/MK-6980-X/Makita-12V-6980FDWDE-Cordless-Impact-Driver-and-6217DWDE-Driver-Drill-Combo
The link has a price of $206.00USD for a drill/driver and an impact driver, two batteries and a charger. The web page said the sale price ended 10-31-05, but it still is the price shown on their current page.

14 volt, drill/driver plus impact driver plus flourescent work light, batteries and charger
$229.95 USD. Hurry Limited quantities available…blah blah blah.
http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/MK-6935-X/Makita-144V-6935FDWDE-Impact-Driver-w144v-6337DWDE-Driver-Drill-ML143-Fluorescent-Work-Light

I think they are trying to unload anything less that the newer 18V units.

Happy Hunting!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Thanks, Doug…I’ll take a look!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Mot, I got a Fein 14V drill that is awesome! It was rated right at the top of a 11 14.4V drills in Popular Woodworking a little over a year ago. My Dad uses a 18V Dewalt. I used it to install a ceiling fan and decided I would never buy a drill that heavy, so a 14V works for me. Here is a link to that review: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/upload/contents/335/DEC05PW70-7514.4%20DRILLS.pdf I got it for $99 shipped from Coastal Tools. It was a Christmas Sale 2005 price. 2 batteries, 35 minute trickle charger. Third lightest among all tested. The Makita and Dewalt were the other two top dog’s, but given that I lucked upon a brief half-price sale I couldn’t pass it up. If it died today, I’d rebuy it.

-- Jeff, South Carolina

Did you check the date on the batteries. Dewalt warranties them for 2 years. I had a bad battery, & the dealer replaced it, no charge. The date is printed on the battery.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Mot,

BTW, I like your new Solanum arachnia makeover!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Thanks Dick. My father mentioned the same thing, but they are 3 years old.

Doug, yeah, it was such a funny toy that I had to use it as an avatar. It’s how I feel today…like a goofy looking potatohead in a funny suit.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

I have the Festool C12, and, admittedly, I haven’t done a whole lot of shopping around since buying it (as a part of the sander/jigsaw/drill tool package), but the motion control geek in me loves the whole brushless motor thing. And I’ve used it extensively with a sanding drum…

But I’d also check with your local electronics store for aftermarket batteries, usually the plastic that these things are packed in are just packaging for a bunch of stock size cylindrical cells, and you can probably swap those out at your local Batteries+ or components store for quite a bit less than DeWalt wants.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

Oh, that’s a good tip, Dan. They are smoked anyway…worth it to see about rebuilding them.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

You can re-build the batteries. Dewalt 18V uses 15 sub-C batteries. They are actually pretty common, Radio Controlled cars use them a lot. I looked into this a while back and unless you’re willing to buy enough cells to rebuild your battery and the batteries of every other Lumberjock member it’s not cost effective (this may have changed). If you pull the battery apart you may be able to find the bad cell and replace that but there is some truth in keeping all the cells the same.

Interstate battery sells replacement batteries at a good price, but I haven’t tried them. For the last 2 years Dewalt has run a battery sale around Christmas time (Lowes, Home Depot etc.). Two 18V XRP batteries for about $100 US. Not a bad price. I’ve also picked up a second drill with 2 batteries (not the XRP but I don’t really need that much run time) for less than two new XRP batteries. It’s always nice to have 2 drills. Keep one loaded with the drill bit and the second withe the screw driver.

-- Che.

I agree che on the XRP thing. I’ve actually never noticed better runtime with them anyway. The only thing I really liked about them was the one handed chuck. I looked into buying the cells, and it’s not cost effective. I actually found them through a radio control whole saler.

I did find a sale on two 18V batteries for $140. I also found a sale on a double charger/conditioner that comes with one 18V battery for $129. It charges all DW batteries… still thinking about the Makita LiOn drill as well…

I’ll work it out this week!

Thanks for all the replies.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

If lightness is what you seek, LiIon is the way to go.

I got a free B&D drill with a cordless nailer purchase. Both 18V. After 2 weeks with the Makita (and previously having a 12V B&D and a 14V Hitachi) I can’t believe how HUGE and BULKY it is. Cumersome really, but It probably won’t see a lot of use – some, because the Makita broke some (really really) cheap drill bits this AM. My fault for getting the cheapies. I did like not having to switch bits, just swapping drills.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Van Gogh -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

When you look into Lithium ion technology you will see that the batteries are 40% lighter /smaller so you can get an 18 volt power unit that is about the same weight and size as the 14.4 volt units of yesterday.
The most important point with Li-ion technology is that fact that they take 1000’s of charges and still run 95 -97% capacity.
They also load faster if that is a concern for you

You guys already know about the old cells so I wont bore you with more text.
What brand to buy? —-??? pick a “stubby” if you can.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Big Orange Box store has lifetime batterys, Dead battery take it back for replacement.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †