Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Power Tools). This thread is read-only.
Homeowner. 3/8″ chuck. Lightweight.
I want a unit that the “convenient” forward/reverse toggle-switch that I won’t bump/switch easily during use.
Help?
They are available at places selling power tools.
Is the inquiry about which one to select?
wingless wrote:
1 hour ago, wingless said:
Is the inquiry about which one to select?
Yes.
Most people have gone cordless. The corded market is now more specialty.
At the extreme value end you will find Harbor Freight and I think Lowe’s still sells a Black and Decker model. Whether these work for you or not depends on your demands. Don’t expect much and you will not be disappointed. Just look for the return policy. Even Harbor Freight stepped up their game when they started doing free lifetime returns. I’m a contractor but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a specialty tool that I might use once from them.
There really isn’t a “midrange” market anymore in corded, as long as we’re not talking concrete and demolition tools.. The top end is models from Milwaukee, Makira, and Dewalt. These are contractor grade but like I said they are priced for the 70 year old contractor that is too cheap to buy cordless. You can almost just pick anyone. There are few differences. They use the same chucks (literally…they don’t make their own), and almost identical motors. This is really a “Ford vs. Chevy” debate. I prefer Milwaukee. Usually these are more pro oriented when you need a lot of energy like mixing plaster or drilling lots of holes in concrete. That is all I use my Milwaukee for. And by the way I bought it in 2006, to drill a bunch of holes for a pool cover and I finally burned up my old one.
The problem is the cordless stuff is now lighter and higher power than the corded models, and low prices too. So it has created a situation where they’ve almost dried up the corded market in drills. The cordless market has far more variety than corded. And I’m sure you can get say a Ryobi or Craftsman cordless cheaper than corded.
I don’t know much about the corded stuff but I do know you can find a cordless drill kit with 1/2 in chuck, variable speed trigger, brushless motor, and led light from pro brands at around $100. It is everything a homeowner needs. The reliability of a pro level brand and respectable performance, but with a more affordable price.