Official Luthiers Forum!

My old craftsman electric (corded) hand drill appears to be on its last legs. Any recommendations for a replacement?
Thanks,
Steve

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

I got angry with my battery powered stuff and threw it all away. i could not find a corded drill at Home depot. I bought a cheap corded drill and used my coupon at Harbor Freight. Variable speed, and works like a charm. I think total cost was about $7.00. Oh yeah, and the batteries don't run out on it. Now if I could only hold it perpendicular to my workpiece I'd be all set.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

I've had real good luck with this kit Steve. Had it several years now.

http://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-DS18DVF3- ... i+DS18DVF3

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"I've been had again"
Tim Benware
Creedmoor, NC

I have had my 2 makita drills for probably 15 years now and have never had a problem with either one. One is a 3/8" cordless with 2 rechargeable batteries and the other is a 1/2" with a chord. I have been very happy with both.

I just had to buy a hammer drill for sinking anchors into cement so I bought the DeWalt 1/2" hammer drill on sale for $79.00. So far I have drilled a couple hundred holes in cement with no problems. It has a switch to turn off the hammer part so you can use it as a regular variable speed drill. It seems like I good drill, light and easy to handle with plenty of power.

I like the cordless but I wouldn't want to rely on it as my only drill.

Bob

Buying a drill is like buying a car.
How much you want to spend to make to wheels go round and round?

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

I used to use Porter Cable but now about the only brand left that is any good is Milwaukee. I have a M12 cordless 3/8" drill and it is very powerful, yet very light due to a lithium battery.

I bought a lithium ion Makita two pack (drill and impact driver) about 5 years ago and it's been unbelievably good and handy. We used it endlessly as we built our house. Quick recharge. Long lasting. Super powerful.
Now that the house project is done the only hassle with having a rechargable is that all batteries bleed off, even when not being used. So if you need the thing only once every few months in a guitar shop there is a good chance that the battery will need charging whenever you reach for it. The cure for that would be to keep it on a bench in your shop - somewhere in sight so that you think to pop the battery on the charger every once in a while.

Phil

I just got a Lithium Ion Ryobi and it seems to be a nice drill. I've got a corded one too but rarely use it in the guitar shop. The new batteries do a really good job.

Makitas are great drills. My only complaint about any of them is the replacement cost of batteries. You are almost better off buying a new drill.

For cordless drills for cabinet work I buy whatever is small and cheap - Ryobi lithium lately. I used to buy Makita stuff and was happy with it, but when the batteries died it was cheaper to buy a whole new kit than replace them. Ebay sellers now sell replacement batteries at semi reasonable prices, so I have replaced some 12 volt batteries for a Makita drill and saw combo I have.

I bought the Ridgid 18v cordless several years ago. It was expensive, but it is the best drill I have ever owned, corded or not. If you register it, it is lifetime guaranteed, including the batteries. I'm on my second replacement set, no charge.

I just had my 18v DeWalt 1/2" cordless die after about 6 years of good service. This is one of the most used tools in the shop so I replaced it with a Milwaukee M18 that uses a lithium battery - it's lighter, more powerful and runs smoother. It's worth a look if you have the budget.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

A cheap corded drill will outwork a cordless. I bought a cheap ($19.95) Makita VSR drill years ago and it is still going strong. If you just need one at the bench it is probably the cheapest option.

Cordless Metabo. German engineeringbliss. I have a small Powermaxx 4.8v dedicated for string winding. And, a small and light 7.2v for all my hand drilling needs on a guitar. Plenty of power. I do have a drill press and a larger drill for occasional bigger things. But, it's nice having just the right size for the job.

The latest offerings from the aforementioned brands are pretty nice too.

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Pat

I have a DeWalt corded drill that I use whenever I'll be drilling for any length of time. I bought it reconditioned for $50, years ago. I'll always have a corded drill in my shop. I don't think that the brand for the corded drill makes a lot of difference as you can get a very good drill for a modest cost, much better quality:cost ratio than for cordless.

I also run the Milwaukee M12 cordless drill and an impact driver. I bought the driver as a set coming with 2 batteries and a charger. I bought the drill without the batteries and charger, as I already had those with the driver. For working around the shop these are all that I need, favouring light weight over power.

You can buy extended life 12 volt batteries, which would be nice, but the regular ones hold a charge for quite a long time under normal usage conditions. The biggest advantage of the extended batteries is the knob shape at the end of the handle, I dropped my drills a few times when I first got them as the end of the handle shape is smooth.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Had a DeWalt for years. Still works fine although I don't use it much in the shop. Used to buy PC, but the last cordless I bought was junk and made in...well not in USA. Even replaced the batts in both packs and that only lasted a year.
I am looking at Milwaukee lithium.
This brings up one of my pet peeves though. Why do all the cordless drills look like tennis shoes? Getting a bit too racy for me...

I have the 12v Dewalt Drill/Impact kit and really like it. It has plenty of power for practically anything I need to do in the shop. I'm not driving 3" screws, or drilling large holes. It has great balance, charges relatively quickly and it's light.

Huh. Well that's good to know. Think I will check that out.

Mike

"This brings up one of my pet peeves though. Why do all the cordless drills look like tennis shoes? Getting a bit too racy for me.."

Because you have to replace them about as often as tennis shoes.

A friend of mine bought the Ridgid with the lifetime warranty which supposedly included the batteries and had to argue the point to get them replaced. They finally did, but said it was a one time replacement only.
I bought a Ridgid drill, but not the one with the lifetime warranty. The batteries died (wouldn't hold a charge) much sooner than other brands I had.

I bought a Rigid 18v Lithium Ion combo - drill, driver, light, and radio for $180 two years ago, and am very happy with them. They have the smaller sized batteries that need to be charged more often, but they are much lighter, which was what I wanted.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

although the times i've used a hand drill on a guitar are indeed few, something without a cord is a good idea. keeps from bonking the finish. i'm partial to bosch myself.

[quote="Clay S."]"This brings up one of my pet peeves though. Why do all the cordless drills look like tennis shoes? Getting a bit too racy for me.."

Because you have to replace them about as often as tennis shoes.

quote]

No kidding!



So, where are the Red Wing boot cordless...I don't wear no stinkin tennis shoes.

I bought a Festool drill several years ago when remodeling my bathroom, and it's a great drill. A bit pricey though.
Actually, a lot pricey. Can't slow it down though, and the battery charge seems to last forever.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Those are a bit over my budget and requirements, Don.
I have always used a 12V when they were Nicads. I'm past the house building and cabinetmaking phase of my life, so have been looking at Milwaukee 12V. I'm seeing one with a 4AH LI battery (!) that weighs under 3#. Anyone that can think of a reason not to buy a 12V for drilling through bridge pin holes or tuner holes? Don't think I really need the testosterone of a 10# 20V cordless hammer drill anymore...

The 18V Milwaukee I just got is surprisingly light but I use it around the house and I need to drive 3" deck screws. The 12V should do what you need to do.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"