/diy/ - Do It Yourself

[Anonymous No.650149]

First time on /diy/ since I think this would be the best place to ask about tools.

tl;dr is I need to pick up a drill driver.

Now the prototypical drill driver that every contractor ever uses was the 18v Dewalt, so I went to Lowes yesterday to pick one up only to find that there's an entire new line of Dewalt products... namely their 20v and 20v brushless lines
and they seem to be cheaper and have better batteries than than the old 18vs.

The typical 18v drill driver was like $199 with 2 batteries and the charger

The new 20v was similar price, but the combos are a better price.

DEWALT 4-Tool 20-Volt Max Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) Cordless Combo Kit for $299
Comes with a 1/2" drill driver, 1/4" impact diver, reciprocating saw and an LED light

but there's also:

DEWALT 4-Tool 18-Volt Nickel Cadmium Cordless Combo Kit for $299
Comes with the same pieces but in 18v and the light is a little cruddier

I also have a coupon for $25 off a purchase over $250... so It sounds like a I can basically get an impact driver, a reciprocating saw, and a light for $75.

Any input or thoughts? I guess the main thing would be NiCad vs Li-Ion and 18v line vs 20v line.
I'm also partial to Dewalt cus that's what every contractor ever uses and my Hitachi nail gun is a piece of crap.

Pic related, it's the 20v 4 piece set

[Anonymous No.650152]

>>650149
20v

[Anonymous No.650156]

>>650149
18v

[Anonymous No.650161]

>>650152
Same drill driver as in this combo is $199

[Anonymous No.650173]

recip saw and light aren't that useful.

drill and impact both do the same thing. drill > impact

cordless drill, cordless grinder, cordless skill saw is a nice combo

also I have 18v tools, i think 20v would be better. better power. but if you have some 18v tools already maybe better to stay with that line or brand of 18v tools.

[Anonymous No.650176]

>>650173
me again just looked at the price... $200 for a single dewalt drill is not a good price.

I paid 200CAD for mine but it's a 18v bosch and it came with 3 batteries.

[Anonymous No.650179]

>>650173
drill can drill and drive, impact can only drive screws, but drives them faster and stronger than the drill can

I already have a circular saw (corded) and I didn't see any combo with a grinder (5 piece combo adds a circular saw and a hammer drill for like $600+ so don't want)

I don't have any other 18v tools so I'd get no benefit of compatibility with existing tools by going with one over the other.

>>650176
yea that's why I'm leaning towards the combos so much...
>>650161 is $189 on Amazon

[Anonymous No.650180]

>>650176
if you won't use it frequently look one for a drill with 2 batteries in the under 60-90 dollars range.

2 minutes later:
i found a great set it's nice because most sets don't come with a hard case.
http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-DDB180-02-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Batteries/dp/B0046REI60/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1402266903&sr=8-4&keywords=drill+2+batteries

[Anonymous No.650184]

>>650179
you can drive screws with a drill just fine, i do it all the time... impact can drill if you get hex shank drill bits. if you want to waste your money get both but there's a lot of other tools out there that your other tools can't do. personally i'd rather a collated screw gun or cordless screwdriver before the impact.

ya and its annoying to have a cord on a circ saw :p especially when you need to put extension cord out and not a big job!

[Jesse No.650190]

>>650173

>drill and impact both do the same thing. drill > impact

[Anonymous No.650191]

The impact driver is great for lag screws and driving screws into steel stud, otherwise not much use.

The reciprocal saw is trash, corded ones are much better.

The big advantage of the 20v is that they are lithium ion, and once charged will stay charged for 5-6months.

If your not doing construction work skip the dewalt and get the Peter cable. They are less expensive, but made by the same company.

(Dewalt owns PC, and others)

The default xr line is great for a contractor, big battery and brushless so you can drive screws for 8 hrs

[Anonymous No.650193]

Lowes employe here, we are having drills on sale for father's day , and also 4th.

We usually do a dewalt or PC drill/driver with 2 batteries and charger on sale about 125$

[Anonymous No.650194]

>>650191
my bosch is 18v lithium, but ya, dont even consider nicad

[Anonymous No.650196]

>>650191
I'm not a contractor but I do a lot of shit around the house and helping friends, I have a huge air compressor and nail gun and circular saw that don't get much use but I don't regret purchasing them because when I do use them it's worth it.

My immediate projects are a deck and a fence.

The reciprocating saw isn't a big selling point beyond just an extra piece for the money, I've gotten by using my circular, though there are items where I would have used the recip if I had it in my inventory.

so far my leaning with the combo is more about getting a bunch of shit for $275 instead of 1 thing for $200 so idk

>>650193
great, I'll make sure to go see prices that day then... do you know if the coupons i have for $25 over $250 would stack with any father's day deals?

[Anonymous No.650228]

Li-Ion all the way. Its not even a question these days, you get so much more life and power out of the batteries per charge.

My most used tool at work is my impact driver by far. If you use it properly you will only ever have your regular drill out for... drilling.

Source: foreman for a general contractor for 8 years, maintenance and service when we don't have a large project going

[Anonymous No.650272]

>>650228
enjoy your amnesiac batteries

[Anonymous No.650425]

>>650149
That 18v drill is weak sauce. It can handle small screws but anything of a decent size needs the impact driver. Also the battery is only 1.5Ah.

Personally I use a Ryobi which can handle a lot more than that Dewalt and was $200 with a 1.5Ah and a 4Ah. People reckon they are shit compared to Makita and Panasonic but I've used it every day for 18months now and it's still going strong.

The only problem is its a fair bit bigger and heavier than the others so you can't really hang it from a belt.

[Anonymous No.650427]

>>650425
The other problem is brand snobs look down on you.

[Jesse No.650432]

Milwaukee Driver/Drill $200

>nothing is superior

>http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Drill-Driver-Impact-Driver-Combo-Kit-2-Tool-2691-22/100650378

[Anonymous No.650438]

>>650228
>>650272
Lithium Ion batteries are some of the best available for the price right now. They hold a good charge, they have significant recharge capabilities and the recharging rules are quite simple.

Lithium polymer batteries are even better but I don't know any tools that use them.

Rule of thumb with Li-Ion batteries is to not put them back onto the charger until you start loosing power in your tool. Any sooner and you start to interfere with how the battery discharges and any later and you have significantly discharged the battery which is not good for its longevity and should only be done as part of a full discharge/recharge cycle.

If you know anything about cells and batteries it takes 5 minutes to read how Li-Ion batteries work and to know how to properly use them.

If you know nothing about batteries you should probably look into that. I recommend NEETS.

[Anonymous No.650440]

>>650228
Just don't ever leave Li-Ion batteries in your truck during the winter. And don't use them outside when it's cold.

Don't get me wrong, I bought the 20v Li-Ion Dewalt driver and drill this past boxing day, loving them so far. Miles better than my old 14.4V Makita. But, I have had friends who have completely fucked over their Li-Ion batteries operating in the cold.

[Anonymous No.650445]

>>650440

They dont work in the heat either. This last Christmas it was around 45 probably nudging 50 behind the windows I was installing and my batteries that usually last 4 days died in an hour.

[Anonymous No.650509]

>>650196
Yes they will stack.

You just cat stack multiple coupons.


If you want a 10%off coupon go get a change of address packet from the post office. There should be a 10% off Lowes coupon in there

[Anonymous No.650654]

>>650440
>>650445

Have not had a problem yet with the Miwaukee M18 batteries here in the Midwest where it gets very cold, and very hot. Christmas was -15f, and July 4 was upper 90's for a few weeks.

[Anonymous No.650659]

>>650173
>>650179
>drill beats impact
>impact can only drive screws
wtf am i reading? what are you guys talking about. Dewalt impacts are more compact than their drill/drivers, and they are more than sufficient for drilling stuff around the house.

[Anonymous No.650725]

>>650149
I had purchased a 20v DeWalt cordless drill several months ago. I have no complaints about it and have used it in my college course we framed a house from the ground up. 1 battery could last the whole day if it wasn't -30C. The battery only takes less than a half an hour to charge. I had bought this just under $200 CAD when it was on sale.

Impact drivers are usually for heavy duty stuff and can be used everyday all day.

[Anonymous No.650728]

>>650438
Lipos aren't available for much beyond RC toys because they are really finicky about charging and love to catch fire/explode if you look at them funny. Pretty bitchin energy density though.

[Anonymous No.650748]

after going through quite a few drills over the years we bought the dewalt 20v drill and impact and both have been running strong for 3 years now. we've used them on everything from small to large projects including 2 decks and a barn

[Anonymous No.650804]

>>650149
>tl;dr is I need to pick up a drill driver.
buy a Festool

[Anonymous No.650812]

>>650804
This guy knows what's up.

[Anon No.650847]

>>650149
I present to you the Dewalt DCK296M2 - I have been eyeballing this as my next hammerdrill/impact driver kit purchase. Newest and strongest dewalt has out right now far as I can tell. 4.0mah Li-Ion batteries. longest lasting I have seen - previously the DCK290L2 only came with 3.0mah batteries.

[Anonymous No.650850]

have a dewalt 20v lth ion drill with 2 batteries brushed (dcd771c2). was 99$ special for holidays. had me worried originally as lower mah batteries designed specifically for 'bargain buy package' but honestly I have used it nonstop since january. built table from scratch using kreg jig... around 100 screws and held up just fine. I would go with that guy personally unless u are a contractor. save the recip saw for a harborfreight 20$ purchase

[Anonymous No.652162]

Lowes tag here. Our fathers day add shows the default 20v 1/2" drill driver, with 2 batteries, and charger for $99. Sunday only. That is $50 off

[Anonymous No.652211]

>>650149

Porter Cable has a decent 20v line, alot cheaper than Dewalt but if you can afford it go for Dewalt.

[Anonymous No.652218]

li-ion is lighter, charges faster, and doesn't have a memory effect. However, it has a fixed shelf/usage life and goes flat in cold weather faster.

[Anonymous No.652219]

Milwaukee FUEL best drill

[Anonymous No.652228]

dewalt was bought out by black and decker. theyre okay in my opinion. mikita is my go to brand, that and Milwaukee. get the drill uf you just need a good drill. if your not using the drill much (your probobly not) get the combo so you can have many tools

pro tip. if you have a 12v drill you can use wires and hook that shit up to a car battery and have a long lasting portable drill if you dont have access to a wall to charge

[Anonymous No.652248]

>>652228
>dewalt was bought out by black and decker
Huh? I thought Dewalt is related to Stanley?
Does it mean my DWD024k is crap now?

[Anonymous No.652251]

>>652228
Technically they are a subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker. Stanley and B&D merged in 2010. B&D had acquired Dewalt in 1960.

Milwaukee is owned by Techtronic Industries out of hong Kong, they also own ryobi, and also are an OEM for craftsman and rigid

[Anonymous No.652253]

>>652248
They are see>>652251
B&d have owned dewalt for longer than 99% of this board has been using tools

[Anonymous No.652257]

>>652253
o0o0o0o0 man. Should have just bought Makita or Boesh. I don't want my tools associated with "orange" colored ones. Oh well. That's what happens when one is too excited to buy a drill and not enough time to research. We're just victims of "sales talk" at one time in our life. That shit.

[Anonymous No.652266]

I know at lowes you can get a 20V dewalt with 2 li-ion batteries, charger and soft case for 99 usd. Might want to look into that esp if you feel like you don't really need the other stuff. It just dropped from 150.

[Anonymous No.652267]

>>652266
This weekend only. It is the new sale package, it has replaced the older 18v two battery kit we used to sell

[Anonymous No.652269]

>>652267
Oh then I would def try to scoop one this weekend. Although if OP can't hit the sale window then the PC version of that same set is 99$ not on sale. I use one a lot and it hasn't done me wrong so far.

[Anonymous No.652271]

>>652257
There's absolutely nothing wrong with dewalt. Just because they're the same company doesn't mean the quality is the same.

[Anonymous No.652284]

>>652271
Absolutely true. There's clearly different levels of manufacturing standards.

[Anonymous No.652315]

What do you guys think about this? It comes in a 70 piece box for about 250$ its 18V. I'm not going to use it very much but I would like to go trough metal with it some time

[Anonymous No.652323]

OP here

Thanks for all the input everyone, I'm glad this turned into a full blown discussion instead of just straight up answers. Very helpful.

To the Lowes guys, I'll be dropping by on fathers day with my coupons. Probably decide on the spot there between the solo 20v drill driver or the multi tool package.

$99 (-$10 coupon) seems like a great deal for the 20v line.

[Anonymous No.652609]

Prices went active today at lowes even though signage has not been changed.

Go get your cheap dewalt 20volt drills, and dealt reciprocal saws

[Jesse No.652620]

>>652315

Looks like a nice setup but I would just go for their 18v drill/driver combo for like $179 and then get a cheap drill bit set for like 20-30 bucks. I use a real cheap black and decker bit set and it works fine. Whenever I need to cut any metal I just sharpen the bits real quick on the grinder and they're good to go.

[Anonymous No.652862]

>>650228
Fellow pro, I have to disagree about the impact vs drill. I think it's largely a question of preference.

Me, personally, I can't stand that taktaktaktaktak racket. I use a drill/driver for everything, impact only comes out for driving lags.

[Anonymous No.652872]

>>650228


you probably know this but can drill with the impact using a spade bit and it's fucking godly.

[Anonymous No.653152]

OP here,
So I opted with getting just the drill driver, which ended up being $89 with an additional coupon I had.
Unfortunately it was actually the DCD771 model instead of the DCD780 drill driver that was in the 4 tool kit, I don't actually know what the differences are except the obvious shorter length. I'm guessing it's just less powerful.

For non-contractor applications it should be fine I hope so I just went with that instead of getting the bigger kit with the 780 and the impact driver, recip saw, and light.

[Anonymous No.653195]

>>653152
With the 771 you will have 500rpm less than the 780c2 , and the charger is not the "fast" charger.

For you, or really anyone not in the trades you won't notice any difference.

The only time I saw a real difference was driving 4" screws into treated for a deck , the 780 was a little faster

[Anonymous No.653196]

>>652862
Same here. I have one but it is only ever used for lag bolts, and for drop down ceiling lag eyes, with a special bit.

I have one buddy would uses a impact with cheap shipwrights for boaring into posts

[Anonymous No.653387]

I have been told by a carpenter who own his own construction company with many years of experience that dewalt uses plastic gears in their drills.

But on the other hand my dad is a plumber and like dewalt drills because his last set lasted him 8 years.

[Anonymous No.653422]

>>650173
Speak for yourself on that, chief. I use my reciprocating saw constantly. Bought the thing solo for like 30 bucks, just a low end Ryobi, but I use it all the time.

[Jesse No.653424]

>>652862

>I can't stand that taktaktaktaktak racket

ever heard of earplugs?

[Anonymous No.653428]

>>653424
WHAT?

[Anonymous No.653435]

>>653387
Your point being?

Light weight, self lubricating, lower inertia, resilient, ...

[Anonymous No.653452]

makita all the way
they have a brushless drill and impact combo. The drill can be used as a hammer drill too if you need it

Also, no matter how cheap...never buy ryobi

[Anonymous No.653466]

>>653424
NO, I DON'T WANT BUTTPLUGS

[Anonymous No.653469]

>>650149
I've had a 18v Hammer drill for like 9 years now. The thing is a beast still.
20v is great, and the chargers are able to be used with their 12v line.
A guy I work with has a 12v impact driver and then 20v everything else.

[Anonymous No.653471]

>>650149
Here's the bottom line-
Li batteries last longer than NiCd, retain full charges longer, and don't suffer from the extreme memory issues, and are typically always worth the higher price tag.

Higher voltage means that as the batteries die the engine keeps spinning as fast as possible.
Think of a dust buster or other shit tier household rechargeable device you used when you were younger. Remember how you could always tell that the battery was dying because it barely moved any air, or the drill would barely spin with any torque? Low voltage cells.
Higher voltage cells work harder as the charge is depleted.
Personally I hate rechargable tools. I have some corded ones that I swear by. There's a few jobs that I cant do within range of a 50ft extension cord (never stray beyond 50), and for those i have a shit tier craftsman set i got from sears.

[Anonymous No.653477]

>>653471
What's in these Lion packs exactly, and why don't they have the issues that laptop Lion packs have?

[Anonymous No.653538]

>>652872
You know, spade bits aren't the only bits that come with a hex shaft.

[Anonymous No.653555]

>>653477
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_battery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicad_battery

If thats too technical and dry a read for you its basically down to the materials used ion the cells of the battery.

Pic unrelated, its the first captcha image I got. Way to go google.