Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Power Tools). This thread is read-only.
Well, my old Makita 6404 is getting flaky on me, and although I will probably repair it, I’m going to keep it as a backup and get something new for a primary corded drill.
What do you guys like?
Here’s what I’m considering:
Dewalt DWD112. Advantages: Everyone seems to like it, even the keyless chuck. More power than almost anything else I’m looking at. Bubble level in the casing. 3-year warranty. Disadvantages: No lock-on button. Made in China, although apparently a few are made in Mexico too. Kinda heavy at 4.1lb.
Bosch 1006VSR. Advantages: Pretty light weight at 3.4lb. Made in Malaysia. Disadvantages: Not as powerful as the DeWalt. Variable speed apparently doesn’t go down to very slow speeds. 1-year warranty.
Makita 6407/6408. Advantages: Choice of keyed or keyless chuck. Good experience with Makita in the past. Made in USA (!!). Available with case. Lightweight at 3.1lb. Disadvantages: Less powerful than the others. Kinda pricey for what you get. Some reviewers say it bogs and breaks under load. 1-year warranty.
Milwaukee 0240-20. Advantages: Equal in power to the DeWalt. 5-year warranty. Disadvantages: Heaviest of the bunch at 4.25lb. Considerably more expensive than the DeWalt. Made in China. Plus I’m still a little pissed off at Milwaukee.
Hitachi D10VH. Advantages: Stupid cheap at under $30. Lightweight at 3.1lb. Moderate power. Comes with case. 5-year warranty. Disadvantages: Seems like more of a homeowner drill. Lots of complaints about broken chucks, although at this price I could replace the chuck and still come out ahead. Can’t find where they’re made.
Opinions? Thanks.
For a corded drill I’m a fan of Bosch, but to be honest I’ve mainly only used a hammer and SDS for the past 10ish years so I’m skewed towards the big ones with a cord, when I just need to make pretty lil holes I use one of my cordless DeWalts.
I use the dewalt myself and it is a great drill. Never had a problem and the variable speed trigger works great. I wouldn’t choose another. I also have the 1/2″ model, also a great drill. I have makita and milwakee drills but they collect dust now. To be fair the dewalts are newer production then the other 2 i have.
Theultimatehic wrote:
1 minute ago, Theultimatehic said:I use the dewalt myself and it is a great drill. Never had a problem and the variable speed trigger works great. I wouldn’t choose another. I also have the 1/2″ model, also a great drill. I have makita and milwakee drills but they collect dust now. To be fair the dewalts are newer production then the other 2 i have.
That same DWD112 model? I see DWD110s still available for sale out there at the same price; it looks like the difference is they upgraded the chuck and chucked the storage case.
Oh crap. Mines the 110. Oops
Theultimatehic wrote:
5 minutes ago, Theultimatehic said:Oh crap. Mines the 110. Oops
I don’t think there’s a whole lot of difference. Where was yours made?
Just curious, why not Ridgid? They have a LSA that is actually good if you follow the rules they have regarding it. Good quality tool and Milwaukee and Ridgid are made under the same parent company. Also Hitachi is a Chinese company and I’ve never seen one made outside of China. They make great tools though and Hitachi is a well though of brand on all Continents
dwasifar wrote:
11 minutes ago, dwasifar said:
I don’t think there’s a whole lot of difference. Where was yours made?
I’ll look when i get back to the shop. Not sure if I’m gonna go back today. But i wanna say Mexico.
Corded drill I have a Milwaukee magnum that kicks ass, I have. Cheaper keyless chuck dewqlt that’s so so picked it up at ace for 40
Jimbo
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ChrisK wrote:
54 minutes ago, ChrisK said:Also Hitachi is a Chinese company and I’ve never seen one made outside of China. They make great tools though and Hitachi is a well though of brand on all Continents
Pretty sure Hitachi is Japanese, like Makita, but it’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen a made in Japan power tool. So you’re probably right that it’s Chinese made.
I’ll have a look at the Ridgid.
ChrisK wrote:
2 hours ago, ChrisK said:Just curious, why not Ridgid? They have a LSA that is actually good if you follow the rules they have regarding it. Good quality tool and Milwaukee and Ridgid are made under the same parent company.
I did go and look, and you’re right. Might just have a new frontrunner.
I would say makita a friend of mine has dewalt and was smoking drilling a 3/8 spade Bosch daredevil into wood .or a older Milwaukee ?
Also what are you looking to use the drill for ? My highschool has a old makita 3/8 still going strong I regreased awhile back
CATERPILLAR wrote:
29 minutes ago, CATERPILLAR said:Also what are you looking to use the drill for ? My highschool has a old makita 3/8 still going strong I regreased awhile back
The old makita drills never die it seems. Don’t have any newer makita ones. You’d think they would be just as good still.
Theultimatehic wrote:
6 minutes ago, Theultimatehic said:The old makita drills never die it seems. Don’t have any newer makita ones. You’d think they would be just as good still.
Very true all of mine are still going strong ??
Why not a 1/2″ drill so once the old 3/8″ is fixed you’re not left with two of the same thing?
All my experience with 3/8″ drills has been that they’re built to a low price point while the 1/2″ drills are built like tanks. Harbor freight is the only 3/8″ drill I think is worth the price, and only because it’s dirt cheap.
Are you looking for a brand new drill or used ? If you think about getting a 1/2 drill I highly recommend this drill I have two of the older versions and they run flawlessly . found this one on eBay usually they cost around $200 ish .
jeffmcmillan wrote:
20 hours ago, jeffmcmillan said:Why not a 1/2″ drill so once the old 3/8″ is fixed you’re not left with two of the same thing?
Well, because…
Uh, because it’s…
Uh…
You know, that’s a really good point.
You changed my thinking on what I was doing. I went out to HD and Lowe’s to look at drills today and although I still didn’t really have a 1/2″ drill in mind when I left the house, I came back with one:
The internet user ratings on 1/2″ drills kind of back you up. Certainly they did for this one. The 3/8″ Hitachi has really uneven reviews, and when you read between the lines you get the impression that the people who do like it don’t have a lot of experience to make a comparison. But go up to the 1/2″ model and the reviews are a lot more consistently positive and knowledgeable. It’s 9 amps, at 4.6lb it’s light as 1/2″ drills go, it has a lock-on button, and it was stupid cheap for a 1/2″ drill: $79, and I had an 11% coupon, bringing it to $70.31. With this drill in the store I don’t know how Lowe’s ever sells any of their competing Kobalt model, which has about the same power specs but weighs 6lb and costs $10 more.
I’m still a teeny bit unsure about this decision. The 10-amp DeWalt 1/2″ was not that much more: $99, or $88.11 with that coupon, and it has a rotating handle. But it’s heavier, and it doesn’t have a lock-on button or a case. And the case, strangely enough, was what finally tipped me. I like having a case. Keeps things organized. But as you can see, I haven’t fired it up yet, and I may still decide to go back for the DeWalt instead.
Sorry, Caterpillar; that 6302H you found looks mighty nice, and I want it, but I’m leery of buying things like this from random ebay sellers, and the best price I’ve found on it outside of ebay is $129. Can’t justify that; I’m already stepping outside what I would have spent for a 3/8″. But hey, I am gonna fix my 6404 again, so I’ll still have that.
As much as it pains me not to push you towards a Dewalt like mine, I think you’ll be very happy with that one, especially for the price.
dwasifar wrote:
On 1/18/2017 at 0:42 PM, dwasifar said:
Pretty sure Hitachi is Japanese, like Makita, but it’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen a made in Japan power tool. So you’re probably right that it’s Chinese made.
I’ll have a look at the Ridgid.
I think the cheap Hitachi stuff comes from China but it think the more expensive stuff in made in Japan.
Wow! I totally thought the other way. Are you thinking of bringing back the Hitachi because of your familiarity with the Makita? I just looked up that Hitachi and it looks, at least based in reviews, which I hate to rely on, to be a pretty decent little powerhouse.
Hitachi tools aren’t bad if you stay away from the entry level cheap stuff, at least with a 1/2″ you get a metal chuck that will last longer than a shit 3/8″ keyless plastic one, that drill can handle quite a bit, 10 amps is a very powerful drill so you may not need that depending on what your doing
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My experience with Hitachi power tools is mostly with their miters saws and they are fantastic. I personally like em better than the similarly equipped Bosch and DeWalt saws I’ve used, once you get past the god awful plastic flair!
dwasifar wrote:
10 hours ago, dwasifar said:
Well, because…
Uh, because it’s…
Uh…
You know, that’s a really good point.
You changed my thinking on what I was doing. I went out to HD and Lowe’s to look at drills today and although I still didn’t really have a 1/2″ drill in mind when I left the house, I came back with one:
The internet user ratings on 1/2″ drills kind of back you up. Certainly they did for this one. The 3/8″ Hitachi has really uneven reviews, and when you read between the lines you get the impression that the people who do like it don’t have a lot of experience to make a comparison. But go up to the 1/2″ model and the reviews are a lot more consistently positive and knowledgeable. It’s 9 amps, at 4.6lb it’s light as 1/2″ drills go, it has a lock-on button, and it was stupid cheap for a 1/2″ drill: $79, and I had an 11% coupon, bringing it to $70.31. With this drill in the store I don’t know how Lowe’s ever sells any of their competing Kobalt model, which has about the same power specs but weighs 6lb and costs $10 more.
I’m still a teeny bit unsure about this decision. The 10-amp DeWalt 1/2″ was not that much more: $99, or $88.11 with that coupon, and it has a rotating handle. But it’s heavier, and it doesn’t have a lock-on button or a case. And the case, strangely enough, was what finally tipped me. I like having a case. Keeps things organized. But as you can see, I haven’t fired it up yet, and I may still decide to go back for the DeWalt instead.
Sorry, Caterpillar; that 6302H you found looks mighty nice, and I want it, but I’m leery of buying things like this from random ebay sellers, and the best price I’ve found on it outside of ebay is $129. Can’t justify that; I’m already stepping outside what I would have spent for a 3/8″. But hey, I am gonna fix my 6404 again, so I’ll still have that.
Very nice choice 😉
ChrisK wrote:
2 hours ago, ChrisK said:Wow! I totally thought the other way. Are you thinking of bringing back the Hitachi because of your familiarity with the Makita? I just looked up that Hitachi and it looks, at least based in reviews, which I hate to rely on, to be a pretty decent little powerhouse.
No, I mainly said that because DeWalt is more of a known quantity for me. But I had a chance to read more reviews and at this point the only thing that’s likely to make me take it back is the weird positioning of the reverse switch; I’ll know whether that’s a problem when I test it out for the first time.
Cr8ondt wrote:
1 hour ago, Cr8ondt said:My experience with Hitachi power tools is mostly with their miters saws and they are fantastic. I personally like em better than the similarly equipped Bosch and DeWalt saws I’ve used, once you get past the god awful plastic flair!
I have a Hitachi chainsaw and I like it. It’s branded Tanaka, but it’s piece-for-piece identical to the same saw sold under the Hitachi brand:
Hitachi even ditched the green color for the chainsaws. They used to be Hitachi green, now they’re orange like every other chainsaw. Anyway, it’s a good saw; not a Stihl, but decent.
like i said before my friend has the DEWALT DWD112 8.0 Amp 3/8-Inch VSR Pistol-Grip Drill with Keyless All-Metal Chuck . It isnt that good of a drill and was smoking a lot using a 3/8 bosch daredevil spade bit . while my 1/2 makita way older powered through the wood like no problem.
dwasifar wrote:
34 minutes ago, dwasifar said:Hitachi even ditched the green color for the chainsaws. They used to be Hitachi green, now they’re orange like every other chainsaw. Anyway, it’s a good saw; not a Stihl, but decent.
Green is actually my favorite color but the way Hitachi molds things into strange organic shrilly messes is horrible…. on the flipside there’s Porter Cable’s 20v subdued colors and overly Millennium Falcon look that is equally hard too like. But looks aren’t what matter to me(you should see my wife lololol JK).
CATERPILLAR wrote:
6 minutes ago, CATERPILLAR said:like i said before my friend has the DEWALT DWD112 8.0 Amp 3/8-Inch VSR Pistol-Grip Drill with Keyless All-Metal Chuck . It isnt that good of a drill and was smoking a lot using a 3/8 bosch daredevil spade bit . while my 1/2 makita way older powered through the wood like no problem.
The wood was smoking, or the drill was?
dwasifar wrote:
1 hour ago, dwasifar said:
The wood was smoking, or the drill was?
drill and quite alot
CATERPILLAR wrote:
11 hours ago, CATERPILLAR said:like i said before my friend has the DEWALT DWD112 8.0 Amp 3/8-Inch VSR Pistol-Grip Drill with Keyless All-Metal Chuck . It isnt that good of a drill and was smoking a lot using a 3/8 bosch daredevil spade bit . while my 1/2 makita way older powered through the wood like no problem.
I’ve heard of a couple drills smoking easy from dewalt
Regarding the 3/8″ to 1/2″ thing: As I considered whether to move up, I had a nagging feeling that I had done it once already. I’m thinking to myself, didn’t I buy a big drill before? Where is it now? Why does this seem familiar? And then I remembered – the “big drill” was the Makita 3/8″ I bought in 1993, and I’d moved up from this 1/4″ drill:
Remember when the 1/4″ drill was more or less the standard? Now you never even see them.
This, by the way, is probably why I hold a drill like a pistol with my index finger on the switch. Look at it; there’s no other way you could hold it.
so tiny lol
dwasifar wrote:
1 hour ago, dwasifar said:Regarding the 3/8″ to 1/2″ thing: As I considered whether to move up, I had a nagging feeling that I had done it once already. I’m thinking to myself, didn’t I buy a big drill before? Where is it now? Why does this seem familiar? And then I remembered – the “big drill” was the Makita 3/8″ I bought in 1993, and I’d moved up from this 1/4″ drill:
Remember when the 1/4″ drill was more or less the standard? Now you never even see them.
This, by the way, is probably why I hold a drill like a pistol with my index finger on the switch. Look at it; there’s no other way you could hold it.
Nice I have an olde Milwaukee 1/4 hole shooter drill love it 🙂
JimboS1ice wrote:
1 hour ago, JimboS1ice said:I’ve heard of a couple drills smoking easy from dewalt
I have heard more then a couple ??
I would do Bosch or Dewalt
I have a 1/4″ B&D that I inherited from my Dad, it works beautifully:
[External image (i.imgur.com), not copied]
BMack37 wrote:
28 minutes ago, BMack37 said:I have a 1/4″ B&D that I inherited from my Dad, it works beautifully:
Very nice I will have to take a picture of my 1/4 Milwaukee when I get home
BMack37 wrote:
3 hours ago, BMack37 said:I have a 1/4″ B&D that I inherited from my Dad, it works beautifully:
I had a drill like that back in the late 1970s.
I have bronchitis right now, and that drill is exactly the color of what I’ve been coughing up.
dwasifar wrote:
36 minutes ago, dwasifar said:
I had a drill like that back in the late 1970s.
I have bronchitis right now, and that drill is exactly the color of what I’ve been coughing up.
That fuckin sucks man hope ya get feeling better ?
Thanks. It’s a real drag. I can hardly do anything without getting tired out.
BMack37 wrote:
6 hours ago, BMack37 said:I have a 1/4″ B&D that I inherited from my Dad, it works beautifully:
[External image (i.imgur.com), not copied]
Have the same one
Here is my 1/4 Milwaukee hole shooter. When I got it the handle was melted a little and was very dirty and forward,reverse tab was broken.
CATERPILLAR wrote:
13 hours ago, CATERPILLAR said:Here is my 1/4 Milwaukee hole shooter. When I got it the handle was melted a little and was very dirty and forward,reverse tab was broken.
What do you do with all these tools you rehab? Surely you’ve got more than you can use. Do you just keep them, or do you sell them, or what?
dwasifar wrote:
52 minutes ago, dwasifar said:
What do you do with all these tools you rehab? Surely you’ve got more than you can use. Do you just keep them, or do you sell them, or what?
Well depends some are my high schools and the rest are mine I collect makita 😉
What’s a cord?
Sorry to sound ignorant but what is the love for corded drills? I can see if you were at a bench doing repetitive drilling 8 hours on end but I have not plugged in my Bosch corded drill in 10 years. Cost?
20 years ago I had a place for corded stuff because the cordless technology had not evolved to where it has today.
So school me. What are your needs that make this better?
rrmccabe wrote:
34 minutes ago, rrmccabe said:What’s a cord?
Sorry to sound ignorant but what is the love for corded drills? I can see if you were at a bench doing repetitive drilling 8 hours on end but I have not plugged in my Bosch corded drill in 10 years. Cost?
20 years ago I had a place for corded stuff because the cordless technology had not evolved to where it has today.
So school me. What are your needs that make this better?
Because some of use still have a love for corded . I know I always will and because I can’t afford having all cordless and sometimes I don’t have time for charging batteries and because I collect tools and restore them
Yea cordless comes at a cost and what sucks is having that investment and having batteries start taking a crap.
So I get all that and just asking 🙂
Some of us are in a shop. Corded drill have more power as well. When your drilling large holes thru steel you don’t grab the cordless. When repetively drilling all day you dont want a cordless. Even the crane has a power source for corded tools, sometimes cordless dont cut it even when in the same catagory. Other times cordless makes sence. Like working on a ladder, who wamts cords to deal with lol. Both are great and what you do for a living makes a huge difference on what you need.
Theultimatehic wrote:
12 minutes ago, Theultimatehic said:Some of us are in a shop. Corded drill have more power as well. When your drilling large holes thru steel you don’t grab the cordless. When repetively drilling all day you dont want a cordless. Even the crane has a power source for corded tools, sometimes cordless dont cut it even when in the same catagory. Other times cordless makes sence. Like working on a ladder, who wamts cords to deal with lol. Both are great and what you do for a living makes a huge difference on what you need.
Well said ?
Theultimatehic wrote:
18 minutes ago, Theultimatehic said:Some of us are in a shop. Corded drill have more power as well. When your drilling large holes thru steel you don’t grab the cordless. When repetively drilling all day you dont want a cordless. Even the crane has a power source for corded tools, sometimes cordless dont cut it even when in the same catagory. Other times cordless makes sence. Like working on a ladder, who wamts cords to deal with lol. Both are great and what you do for a living makes a huge difference on what you need.
Yea no doubt about all that.
I do a lot of steel work and my cordless stuff stacks up pretty well against any 3/8″ corded drill I have owned. If I had to do some drilling in thick steel my 1/2″ Bosch would make sense.
I just dislike cords 🙂
Thanks for input.