hi im danny guys im new here just not new to the hobby . im having real trouble getting honest reviews on combi drill kits .
ive narrowed it down to 3
i would really grateful if any one has any experience of any of these . ive never used milwaukee but heard good things any advice will be welcome
Are you set on 18V? I have a DeWalt 18V set and wish I had something smaller for small projects around the house and woodworking. There have only been two instances when I was glad I had the bigger set, drilling/driving into concrete, and drilling about 50 holes in landscaping timbers. It's never let me down, but it's more than I need 99% of the time.
My neighbor has a Milwaukee 12V, he uses it for around the house type stuff, and some light work stuff like removing interior panels n cars. I used it once when I was helping him put up a railing, to install the brackets, and I wish I had one. It's so much lighter and compact, easier to get into tight spaces, and it did the job just fine.
I have a Dewalt 18V too, I've oft considered getting something smaller. The batteries for that thing cost a small fortune (granted they last a while), and it is waaaay overpowered for most tasks, its far to easy to strip out screws/bolts, outright snap them in half, or drive way too deep into the substrate if the clutch is set wrong.
About the only time I've needed the power is when driving deck screws or large hex screws, and the deck screws are only hard because I don't usually bother with a pilot hole when using them. Of course driving deck screws is a serious battery eater so half the time you are waiting for charging, even with 2 batteries.
In hindsight I would buy one of the lighter ones (12V?) and a corded drill for where high power is needed.
I have a Dewalt 12V combi and a very nice Bosch 18V drill. I always reach for the Dewalt first. Smaller, lighter, plenty of power. The Bosch is really a great tool, but it's overkill for 90% of my drill/driver tasks.
I have the first generation Milwaukee M12 drill and impact driver and find they are just the right size for just about any task. Light, easy to handle, small enough to get into tight spaces and still powerful enough for nearly any household task (and most contractor ones, as well). The installer that did our kitchen cabinets used 12v tools as well, so that should tell you something. The new second and third generation tools are even better.
If starting with 12v now, I would probably look first at the Milwaukee Fuel line of brushless for the extra power and run time. The M12 Fuel tools have more power than the 18v tools from just a few years ago. The regular brushed tools from Milwaukee, Bosch or DeWalt are all good choices, as well, and cost quite a bit less than the Fuel line. You can find combo kits in the $100-$150 range for any of those, while the Fuel combo kit will run twice that. The Makita 12v lags quite a bit behind the others on power, so I'm not ready to recommend them until they come out with new models.
If you are dead set on 18v, then any of the kits you linked should be fine. They are all designed for heavy contractor use, so will have no problem with homeowner tasks.
Just held and used a 20v LiON dewalt and if I didn't have a few items that ran the 18v I'd consider switching, it's nice powerful light and is supposed to charge very quickly without the NiCad issues
Given that they all have Li-ion batteries from good manufacturers, I don't think you can go wrong with any one of those sets if those are the only options you're considering. But as others have hinted, they're probably overkill for most woodworking besides large carpentry projects.
My 12V Li-ion drill/driver and impact driver combo kit can do 95% of what my 18V drill can do. The only advantages of my 18V drill over the 12V set are that the 18V battery lasts longer and the 18V drill has a 1/2" chuck instead of a 3/8" adjustable chuck or 1/4" hex chuck.
thanks for the input guys. im really trying to stay away from dewalt ,as these are whats going to be replacing a ni-cd
18 volt dewalt . very disappointed with batterys and chuck.. i agree the fuel is a good choice but $ 456 dollars for a 12 volt….. im starting to lean towards the makita 2005 as this seems to have plenty of power for masonary and such . i may in future want a cordless circular saw so they should all use same battery….......
I have (4) Makita drill/Drivers including a hammer drill model. I also have several Dewalt tools and they are all good tools. I don't have any Milwaukee tools, but I understand they are quality tools. My advise is to see what the contractors are using. They seem to favor Dewalt. Every time I see a workman using a power tool, I stop and ask how he likes that particular tool. Lumber yards that cater to the trades is a good place to seek advise; not the big home center place. Go to the place the professionals go to for tools.
It's too bad there is no interchangeability (as far as I know) between different brands of batteries. That forces us to stick with a single brand. I guess that's good for the maker if you can convince consumers to choose yours, but it would be better for us if we could interchange batteries. That's because not every tool of any particular brand is necessarily superior to all its rivals (yes, I know, Festool) I like to mix and match brands whenever possible to get the individual tools I think will work best for me.
I know you don't have them on your list, but I like Ryobi's 18v. tools. The price is certainly attractive, and I've had good luck with both drill and driver. Although I have them, I don't use other 18v. tools much, such as angle grinder, trim saw, reciprocating saw, and calking gun. And I've never felt 18v. is overkill, but I agree it's not always necessary. I have had 12v. Makitas, but only the NiCad versions, which all gave up the ghost eventually. I gave away all my Makita drills (2 or 3) rather than replacing the batteries.
My advise is to see what the contractors are using. They seem to favor Dewalt. Every time I see a workman using a power tool, I stop and ask how he likes that particular tool. Lumber yards that cater to the trades is a good place to seek advise; not the big home center place. Go to the place the professionals go to for tools.
You can certainly ask contractors and tradesmen about tools, but consider that the guy using the tool very likely wasn't the one who made the purchasing decision. He'll still have good insight about what he likes or doesn't like about a particular tool.
There is also a lot of regional variation. For instance, at one of the hardware stores I buy for, Milwaukee is the dominant brand in sales. At the same time, our store 200 miles away sells a ton of DeWalt and very little Milwaukee. We barely sell Makita any more at any of our locations. My understanding is that Makita and Hitachi are bigger on the west coast, however. You don't see any Hitachi around here at all. All are good brands for various tools, but some are more popular in certain areas.
flinty, I take it from your links and the comment about the price of the M12 Fuel that you are in the UK. I have no idea how much difference that makes on price and availability of certain tools. Don't discount DeWalt offhand. The new lithium ion tools are leaps and bounds better than the old 18v NiCad ones you are replacing. If you do want to look at 12v (they'll be more correctly labelled as 10.8v in European markets), the DeWalts have a different handle shape and feel than Milwaukee, Makita or Bosch, due to how the batteries attach. You might prefer how they feel.
I'm seeing a lot of guys wishing they had a smaller driver for basic tasks. I have a Craftsman Nextec drill and driver set. Its 12v, very light, very ergonomic, and fairly inexpensive. I've completed projects that required 100+ 1 3/4" screws be driven into 3/4" ply, and the battery showed no sign of dying. I've had mine for well over a year now (maybe even two years) and have used both the drill and driver countless times. Its a gem.
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