/diy/ - Do It Yourself

Milwaukee is pretty solid. Some of the higher end Dewalt stuff is good too. Stay away from anything that feels light and has a plastic chuck. Battery powered drills are nice, but basically every company that sells them changes the design every five years so your battery becomes obsolete and the only way to fix it is have it completely rebuilt or buy a new drill.

my tips.
do cordless.
18v lithium-ion. way better than older NICADs
it will allow you to work in more places comfortably.
get a combo kit
cheaper than getting tools and batteries separately and will give you two batteries usually. wit 2, u wont miss the cord
brands i prefer are rigid or Milwaukee. the former has lifetime warranty on batteries, so free batteries. just make sure your kit is registered.

18v Makita drill.

They are more expensive, but they will last for a very long time if not pretty much forever. I have them in my business and they see some heavy workloads and keep on truckin'

If you want more than one tool at roughly the same price as the Makita, get a Rigid 18v combo that comes with a regular screw drill and a impact driver. Its about $200 at Home Depot, and they have lifetime warranties. Can't beat that.

Thanks guys

>>528942
the planned obsolescence is why i was considering going corded.

>>528947
I was told to avoid combo kits, under the whole "get what you pay for" thing. Is that not true?

I've literally destroyed drills before. I currently use a Dewalt 20volt and am very pleased with it. I haven't managed to break it yet given that I use it regularly.

>>528946
I have a Rigid sander that is pretty solid, but the lifetime warranty thing is kinda bullshit. You have to jump though hoops to register it. I thought it was fucking ridiculous that I had to send product info via snail mail to get the warranty. You can't just go to an HD and have them switch it out either. They have to send it away if they can't fix it.

>>528948
If you're actually going to use all of the tools in the kit they can save you money. The only problem is sometimes the tools in the kits are cheaper versions of the stand alone products. I agree with the NiCad comment as well. They're not horrible and are pretty cheap but they're bigger, more bulky, and usually take longer to recharge. Over all it's just older tech.

>>528948
If you buy from shit tier brands, of course. All brands (even the good ones) offer combo kits. I would NOT go from a low end Dewalt combo kit though. I have have purchased their 4 piece kit that sometimes goes on sale for $200 and its garbage. The last Rigid kits I've seen and used seemed great for DIY'er and even if the lifetime warranty takes a little effort if you're not using it every day to make a living it shouldn't be a big issue if you even have an issue with them.

>>528955
>>528956
Thanks

Since the thread is already here, would you mind me asking other tool related questions? i was considering getting a dremmel down the road, for more intricate work. any dos/don'ts for that? getting mixed opinions on which one is best

>>528955
this. research the kit u r interested in. check model numbers,battery info. value combo kits tend to contain older models of batteries and tools that may not match up with the bare tool version or may have a slow charger etc.

>>528957
i dont know jack about dremmels/rotary tools, and would also like info on them. i got a multitool, do i need a dremmel?

>>528957
Sure, and I'm not the expert on dremels but if you're going to be doing intricate work or have other uses for it. I think the 3000 would work best. I'd definitely want variable speed and corded

>>528957
Dremmels are toys. The bits are shit expensive and the actual quality of the product is poor. That said, I'm sure there are plenty of people here who own one. Just know that they aren't the only rotary tool in town.

>>528963
Is there a particular difference between the 3000 and 4000? would i be loosing anything by choosing one or the other?

>>528969
http://www.foredom.net/

I'm looking at this, but there seems to be a lot to look through.

anyone uses milwaulkees m12 rotary tool before? opinions?

>>528969

This. Dremmel, these days, is a hobby level light or medium duty tool. That are great if thats all you need but will fail on you if you ignore their duty cycle or try to do anything heavy duty with them

>>528970

If you want to spend the money on a 4000 you might as well get a die grinder or try and get a Dremmel used (which is what I did). I paid $45 for a Dremel 4000-6/50 (the one with a billion accessories). If the accessories aren't a big deal to you just get a die grinder and accessories as needed. They are much more heavy duty. Everyone makes them too. Makita, DeWalt, Craftsman, Ryobi, Festool Black and Decker. If you don't value your life you can even get one from Harbor Freight.

OP rigid is a good brand if your planning on using the unit and then tossing it (you will destroy the unit if you are planing to use it beyond home owner specs). When choosing long term use think about warranty and replacement parts. Makita is one of the best in both of these points. They are also easy to get drills with metal chucks or replacing their chuck keys when you loose it. You should buy a corded tool because your just starting and have no real idea what your going to need. Saying you need the basics doesn't tell you if you really need a 7 1/4 saw or a big bady. As projects come up you will get a better sense and can figure out your needs. If you want to go cordless expect to replace them (them being the batteries) every 3 years if your hard on them. Dewalt this year is coming out swinging with some really powerful tools and the Milwaukee 20v are impressive. What ever the brand you pick once you go with cordless you marry the brand and kinda have to stick with the one that brought you and for choice there is really only 3 good range tools Dewalt, Makita and Milwaukee. Rigid does not have quality (long term) (though they do have a saw I quite like) and King has good tools like tile saws but not for pinners or drills. Also important to note depending on where you buy the tool they might not take your Serial number and thats a sign they are not planning on helping you with warranties later on. IE home depot and home hardware don't give a fuck. Most smaller places can and do try to out price them. Lastly do not buy Makita in white because they are a lower quality that just well suck...

>>529151
Thanks for the info

>>528924
When shopping for drills, look for the ones that have Jacobs chucks on them since these will be the better ones.
The drill chuck will actually say "Jacobs" on it: http://www.jacobschuck.com/

Dremel-style tools:
all are cheap and they aren't a substitute for a drill or milling machine, but they are still handy to have around. Get a corded one with a constantly-variable speed control of some kind. I have the 300 XPRs, which seems to be the 4000 now. $130 or so....

Foredoms are nice but not necessary most of the time, and the cord gets in the way. Their grinding precision is only important if you are grinding on glass, eggshells or other very-brittle stuff.

>>528970
OP, I dont know if you're gonna be around, but the 3000 vs 4000 is the 4000 has more accessories and it also is better at keeping constant velocity when applying pressure. I believe it also has a higher speed. 32k vs 35k rpm.

No, Dremels are not tools that you can beat on everyday in a professional sense and expect it to keep working, but I have a feeling in your case that it will suit you just fine. I don't see many scenarios where someone who isn't familiar with a die grinder would need one though Bosch and Makita, again are great if you at some point realize you do need something substantially more powerful. (I love both of mine).

Also, one other thing if you decide to get cordless tools, I'd try to stay within the same family (Dewalt, Makita, Bosch, Rigid, etc). You can sometimes come across batteries on clearance (rare, but it happens) and its nice to be able to have a few batteries that work with all your tools.

If you could swing it:

http://www.cpooutlets.com/makita-lxt601-lxt-18v-cordless-lithium-ion-6-tool-combo-kit/mktnlxt601,default,pd.html?start=4&cgid=combo-kits&prefn1=voltage&prefv1=18V&prefn2=brand&prefv2=Makita&srule=price-high-to-low

If not:
http://www.cpooutlets.com/factory-reconditioned-makita-lxt239-r-lxt-18v-cordless-lithium-ion-1-2-in-brushless-hammer-drill-and-impact-driver-combo-kit/mktrlxt239-r,default,pd.html?start=6&cgid=combo-kits&prefn1=brand&prefv1=Makita&prefn2=voltage&prefv2=18V&srule=price-low-to-high

I selected that as it gives you an actual driver and an impact which is nice when you need the extra power unscrewing or screwing something.

>>528924
milwaukee is pretty superior to anything. makita is 2nd, rigid is 3rd.

dewalt if you dont want to spend alot, and it will do the job you need it to but one of those 3 are yuor best bet

>>529445
>milwaukee is pretty superior to anything. makita is 2nd, rigid is 3rd.

that is absolutely wrong though

duss, hilti, mafell, festool, ever heard about them?

I've worked in construction for the last 10-11 years, and there's always been a bias towards Dewalt drills from what I've seen. I've used many of them, I own one - the bigass old~er school 18v XRP, which I've dropped from two stories up several times and still works fine.
Having said that though, since it's your first and only drill, the only caution I'd give is that you might want something that has some torque - in case you're ever doing any heavy work. The batteries of cordless drills have evolved quite a bit in the last 10 years and I'd bet that a good 18 or 24V could handle just about any job though. My Dewalt can bore some pretty big holes in wood and will last a while drilling into thick steel, but it's no match for a corded drill for obvious reasons.
It'd be fine for what you said you're going to do though. Ohh, and put a 1/2" quick-change chuck on the drill. The quick-change part (where you just hold it to tighten/loosen) is pretty standard nowadays, but drills still seem to ship with 3/8" chucks... Which is fucking stupid.

>>529467
why would you need to have a hilti drill if your doing shit around the house, that shit is for serius fuckin shit

>>529445
No, not really. Milwaukee has some nice stuff, but their line is not consistently good as I feel it is with Makita. I love their corded tools, but their cordless brushed stuff isn't all that great. I haven't tried their new brushless drills, but I hear it's got some excellent battery life.

>>529467
Festool is 'high-tech' has quite a few accessories and some of their products would survive a construction site day in and day out, but their drills are garbage. I can't comment on some of their other stuff (haven't had a chance to use them on-site) I do like their miter saw, its extremely nice.

Hilti, yeah for sure has some durability but the only construction professionals that use it generally lease it. They are extremely expensive to get you to lease their products instead of buy outright.

I've owned and used virtually all brands and types of drills so ill break it down for op 4chan style.
overpriced waste of money tier: festool
god tier: hilti, makita, milwaukee, bosch
good tier: dewalt
meh tier: rigid, ryobi
shit tier: everything else
for the most part, you get what you pay for.

If I was op, i'd get a 12v lithium-ion combo kit (drill & impact driver) either milwaukee, makita, bosch or dewalt. the 12v are cheaper than 18v and will have more than enough power/battery life to meet your needs. just remember to use em every few months to keep the batteries working.

for corded I prefer the old Metabo I happen to have over the newer Makita. But the Metabo is also 30 years old, so I don't know if it really reflects the current situation. But I don't like the Makita speed control/trigger.

For cordless the Makitas I have around are quite nice, no complaints there.

>>528924
>Doesn't really matter if corded or cordless
Does matter :-) Don't buy cordless unless you NEED it to be cordless. Personally I think cordless tools are always a compromise and they're only worth it if you absolutely have to have cordless functionality, and then ideally you want two batteries so you're never caught short.

>I would like to hear your opinions
If just brand will do Makita, Bosch, Ryobi, Skil.

>>528971
I would agree with the previous poster that Dremels are, relatively speaking, toys. But saying that you don't have to know any satisfied users personally, you can find them on any forum where people might use a small motor tool like that. Most are very happy with their purchases.

Personally I think you can do a lot better, but if you buy the right one (and that would mean corded all the way as far as I'm concerned) they can have a long and trouble-free service life, as long as they're use appropriately.

Foredom on the other hand make proper professional-level tools. There's simply no comparison between them and a Dremel in just about any respect. They cost more of course, but not a lot more than the higher-level Dremels any more. And you absolutely do get what you pay for when you buy a Foredom, which I don't think is true when you buy the most expensive of the Dremels (or any competing consumer-level mini drill).

There are guys out there who have bought secondhand Foredom motors made in the 70s, new handpieces and then used them all day every day for years without incident. There isn't a plastic-bodied motor tool that can touch that kind of service life, especially if you ever want to be able to grind continually for hours.

>I'm looking at this, but there seems to be a lot to look through
Need help with making a selection just shout.

Did OP post wat drill was eventually picked?

>>531417
OP here, no choice made yet. I have until the 15th to decide. Went to Home Depot to get hands on. What's the deal with makita's brush-less motor set? is it inherently better?

>>531824

Their old drills last for decades and have plenty of power, I don't know what it could offer over that. Maybe is smaller or lighter for the same performance? Hell, maybe its just marketing. Don't feel that you are losing out by buying a "normal" Makita drill, they are beasts. I have a bunch of old 9.6 volt tools from them that are all 20+ years old and they still work fine.

>>529479

Did I ever say that? I just pointed out that Milwaukee sure as hell isn't the "best" brand for power tools out there.

>>529483
>Festool is 'high-tech' has quite a few accessories and some of their products would survive a construction site day in and day out, but their drills are garbage.

Which drill did you use? I have the CXS in 1.5 Li and it's a pretty good allround drill for the house, I'm thinking of buying a C-15 or a Bosch GSR 18 V-Li as supplement to the small CXS.

>>531844
T15, for around the house they'd be fine.. but the T15 is almost $500 and I have a hard time believing that it'd take a beating like a Makita would. It felt cheap and the driving power wasn't all that great.

>>533179

Felt cheap? Festools have some of the best finish of all power tools, along with Fein and Mafell. Plus they're actually precise, with most other manufacturers it's a hit and miss if the tools actually work with the needed precision.

I bought a C15 and it worked and looked pretty good. I paid 550 Euro, included were the two extra chucks and 2 new 4,2 ah batteries. Just the drill with charger and battery would have cost me 450 Euro, just 50 more than any other compareable set from any other professional tool producer.

Overall the C15 was too clunky and big for me, plus it was pretty slow for drilling, just 1500 rpm. Couldn't complain about it's power though.

I returned it and I'll get a Bosch GSR 18 V-Li instead. Stronger than the C/T 15, decent rpm speed, not expensive & I already have 2 bosch batteries and a charger. I just hope the drill doesn't wobble, which is unfortunetly often the case with most drills.

I don't think its usually worth the price for a home hobby user to buy true 'industrial-grade' tools.

For most trades there is high-end industrial level tools that cost 6-10X what the ones at Home Depot or Lowe's cost. And the $400 drill doesn't DO anything that the $50 one from Lowe's won't do. It is built a bit better, but then it is also intended to be used 8-16-24 hours a day (in a factory setting) and so it is built sturdier and replacement parts are more easily available (once you know where the regional supplier is). A hobby user is never going to use a tool that much, so is it worth paying for?

Somebody just doing stuff around the house can go get a $50 drill from the local tool store and probably NEVER wear the thing out.

The only think I don't like is battery-powered tools, because they have obsolescence designed right in. The batteries fail over time no matter how much or little you use them--and once you can't get batteries for the thing, you can't use it anymore. A corded tool can work for decades, and the main thing to wear out is usually the cord--that you can fix yourself easily.

>>533197
>I don't think its usually worth the price for a home hobby user to buy true 'industrial-grade' tools.

That's absolutely true, but working with great tools is much more fun than with crappy tools. Plus it satisfy the autism, like buying the latest iphone instead of a normal phone that works just as well satisfy the "must-have" autism.