# Outdoors > Gear and Equipment >  Which cordless drill to buy????

## Scouser

Hi guys, to all you tradies...which drill to buy for round the house DIY.....Bosch....Dewalt.......Wilwaukee....?

which one NOT to buy.....?  :XD:

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## gonetropo

never a millwaukee, i found out the hard way
millwaukee, ryobiand aeg are all out of the techtronics factory in taiwan/china
father in law likes his dewault gear, best drill i ever had (and it got used hard daily for over 5 years) was a bosch 36v cordless

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## 223nut

Opted for dewalt after having a good run with one in the past, been very happy with the set up but sure not the cheapest...

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## von tempsky fan

Iv got a Milwaukee fuel 18v with impact driver kit, it's pretty good. As a ex tradie it ticks all the boxes.
Best cordless I ever had was the Hitachi 18v it is a bit more compact.

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## gonetropo

@VTF. i've got the same kit, its been a disaster. 4 battery fails in the first year, clutch fail on the drill ( drilling 6mm holes in timber at the time). impact driver failed as battery wiring fell to bits.
never ever again

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## Sarvo

I was a Makita fan - but ended up with a new Dewalt set from a FM on here and now think Makita is #2

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## 40mm

hitachi, get the mean one and never replace it. look after the batteries.

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## southernman

I am pretty invested in Milwaukee (Canada), and Makita (NZ) few battery failures, I use the 3/8 and 1/2 inch impact guns every day, sum times for several battery changes, support and battery price, is something worth looking into, locally, before you by, only brand ive had a poor run is Dewalt, and the cheep China brands.

 One thing to bear in mind, there is often two grades of tools, professional and home grade, Cause its a business right off, I buy pro grade on most everything, Ive got grips and housings worn and missing, on my impacts, grinder and 1/2 hammer drill in Canada, still keep running, 

 Sure beats dragging a flippen, air hose around in the mud and snow. ah the old days.

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## 223nut

@southernman impact drivers are bloody amazing, use them on the snow grommers at work so much nicer than skinning knuckles using a socket set. Nice and quick when your lying in the snow with hydraulic oil dripping on your face

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## Scouser

Hmmm guys, all the usual suspects, i should be able to get discount if i use my factory pass to buy a 'professional grade' one @southernman 

always wanted a Dewalt......buy once cry once  :Psmiley:

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## ebf

Dewalt or makita.

The makita 18v range of tools is awesome. My van is starting to resemble a mobile makita cordless showroom  :Thumbsup: 

Try to get brushless versions of the tools, wel worth the extra $. Less battery use.

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## Shearer

Used Metabo at work. Pretty spendy but seem solid.
At home I use Bosch green and haven't had any issues, but then small home jobs aren't very testing. Even with a 2.5 amph battery.

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## Shearer

> Dewalt or makita.
> 
> The makita 18v range of tools is awesome. My van is starting to resemble a mobile makita cordless showroom 
> 
> Try to get brushless versions of the tools, wel worth the extra $. Less battery use.


Massive range of tools from Makita too.

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## Fireflite

Another option is to wait until October (so I was told) as Hitachi are in the process of being rebranded to *Hioki*.
They are supposed to be releasing a new series or (drills,grinders,jigsaws,drops saws etc) that will be dual voltage capable.
They will be able to be run by battery and 230ac.
Could be a very good option, time will tell!

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## mikee

Panasonic. still using it  every day but batteries are no longer available so nearly time for replacement. I also have a makita 18v brushless which is a total piece of shit given what it cost.

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## gonetropo

> Panasonic. still using it  every day but batteries are no longer available so nearly time for replacement. I also have a makita 18v brushless which is a total piece of shit given what it cost.


you can get the batteries repacked if the drill is stil ok.
batterymasta in christchurch or the battery cell in wellington do a decent job with good quality cells

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## Maca49

Parts for DeWhat are a pain in the rectum, I cant communicate with them as no one answers them, good tool, pain in the butt to repair,
Milwaukee and AEG are worse

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## res

I have been impressed with my 18v 5ah cordless ryobi one,  admitadly Its probably only diy grade but I have been hammering it for the last couple of months and wish I had upgraded from my old 2.5ah makita years ago

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## Sarvo

:Oh Noes: 

Well @Scouser  if you not confused more than when you started this thread - I be buggard

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## gonetropo

> Well @Scouser  if you not confused more than when you started this thread - I be buggard


well if you are going to use a cordless drill to do that make sure its not on hammer action  :Psmiley:

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## rupert

Have used European brands, American brands and Japanese brands. The best after sales service was from Makita, so I've tended towards Makita because I don't want to be stuck with something that does not work.

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## 40mm

ask the guys who service em.

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## longrange308

Aeg for me

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## Maca49

The guys that service like to go for the tools with great backup. Makita, Bosch, Hitachi, Metabo, that’s my good list!

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## Max Headroom

I wouldn't bother with black and decker.

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## Maca49

> I wouldn't bother with black and decker.


It’s DeWhat

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## Friwi

HILTI. And watched the competition settle in the dust in my rear mirror :-) I ll  Say no more.

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## bully

I've got aeg no problems.

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## 308

> Hi guys, to all you tradies...which drill to buy for round the house DIY.....Bosch....Dewalt.......Wilwaukee....?
> 
> which one NOT to buy.....?


For round the house I'd get an AEG

I splashed out for a Milwaukee and was disappointed, an AEG would be about the same for less $$

As others have said, Hilti, Metabo, Panasonic, Hitachi and DeWalt are all good but around the house if a Ryobi works ok then fuck it, why not? I only say AEG cos Ryobi would be too shameful..

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## kiwijames

Ive seen a bunch of tradies moving to AEG from Bunnings. So far nothing but positives. Im running Makita and its good. Just not as good as the hype as with much of the better known gear.

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## 257weatherby

AEG, tough as old boots

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## Ruawai

I have had Makita for  years had two batts pack up after about 6 years and Makita replaced them straight away way out of warranty. The charger went at about 10 years. My vote would be Makita they have looked after me.

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## 2post

One thing you must get is a 1hour/fast charger.
I'm a Bosch man and have had no trouble with it, I have just upgraded to brushless and use my old gear at home, once you buy a brand it's hard to change as you don't want to carry different batteries and charger. My Bosch impact driver has 1/4" hex and 1/2" square with makes it a winner for me.
Our company buys AEG and seem to get a good run out of it (I don't use it as I have my own gear) I would recommend AEG for home use as its cheap.

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## southernman

Next door neighbour, came over last night, and gave me a battered, dirty Milwaukee 3/4 drive cordless impact with a 6amp battery, found in on the side of the road, "you have more use for this" aursum, 
 Just cleaned it up and works fine,

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## tanqueray

Im a tradie and my colleagues and I have used them all. Have had bad runs with dewalt and milwaukee. Panasonic are what we all use now, definitely the best of the current crop.

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## Max Headroom

If you've bought one of the multi packs ie drill/driver/grinder/torch/sabre saw of the same brand, I'd be interested to know how it worked out.

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## Happy

We fix them every day. De Walt is the one too buy 

Been doing heaps of warranty work on Makita and Hitachi lately

Like ute manufacturers chasing Kw They all chasing Amp Hours. Result = when the tool jams they are melting armatures , switches and brush holders 

Guys turn up at the counter moaning their tits off. Like putting a turbo on a lawn mower the frame cant handle it ..

Seen similar before. The manufacturers will catch up on next redesign maybe...  Not seeing any De Walt failures....

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## Max Headroom

> We fix them every day. De Walt is the one too buy 
> 
> Been doing heaps of warranty work on Makita and Hitachi lately
> 
> Like ute manufacturers chasing Kw They all chasing Amp Hours. Result = when the tool jams they are melting armatures , switches and brush holders 
> 
> Guys turn up at the counter moaning their tits off. Like putting a turbo on a lawn mower the frame cant handle it ..
> 
> Seen similar before. The manufacturers will catch up on next redesign maybe...  Not seeing any De Walt failures....


Are these guys tradies who work their gear hard, or weekend DIY'ers, or both ?

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## JoshC

I had good a Hitachi set, drill/impact driver. Both died/burnt out. Replaced batteries twice. Far out the batteries aren't cheap! 

Couldn't justify spending that same sort of coin on replacement tools for DIY, and needed some when I built my shed, so rocked into Mitre10 and bought their cheap Black and Decker 18v set. 

Those tools are still going strong, have done easily twice the amount of work and were a fraction of the price! 

Found the impact driver in the sandpit last week, full of sand, don't know when the boy took it out there. Thought it'd be stuffed, but no, blew it out with the compressor, sat it by the fire for a night to dry out and it's still going  :Thumbsup:  :Wtfsmilie:

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## gonetropo

far cheaper to get batteries repacked than replaced.

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## Shelley

Hitachi have a slight edge in battery technology, but not tools, dewalt have a rep on power but it’s not really that deserved, markita  has technology and ergonomics nailed, plus fast charge and a fan in the charger...but only in the top end stuff, you can expect to spend about a grand on a good makita drill and impact combo with metal gears and brushless technology 2 6amphour batts, a double charger with fast charge and a fan and a nice box to hold it all in. Once you star
charge. Once you start to use them you can see why it’s worth it, especially in the hand, the ergonomics makes them comfortable to use and the fast charge lets you use them for a long time.

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## woods223

I use Makita impact driver,drill and wrench in mechanical w/s plus home use. Boy and work-mates use Makita in building industry. No-ones had a problem with their gear.
Work-mate uses AEG impact driver and drill out field servicing and is happy with it.
Both good brands to use IMO

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## 300CALMAN

Another vote for Dewalt. I have a set of the 12volt ones (drill, impact and screwdriver) which are awesome around the house for most things. They are light and plenty powerful for most DIY jobs and I have given them absolute CRAP. I have one of the pro 18v drills for bigger stuff but It's still relatively new. Repacking batteries yourself for a Dewalt should be possible.

Although I have to add I have an old Riobi impact driver that just keeps smashing in big wood screws. It has NiMH batteries and weighs a ton.

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## Markgibsonr25

I have a lot of the milwaukee stuff.Mainly for 3/4 impact and ratchets.The drill chuck is less than ideal.I have had zero battery failures and some of the batteries are 5yrs old.I had  free repair when one of the impact drivers bounced down the road at 100 km/hr so no complaints .

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## Maca49

> We fix them every day. De Walt is the one too buy 
> 
> Been doing heaps of warranty work on Makita and Hitachi lately
> 
> Like ute manufacturers chasing Kw They all chasing Amp Hours. Result = when the tool jams they are melting armatures , switches and brush holders 
> 
> Guys turn up at the counter moaning their tits off. Like putting a turbo on a lawn mower the frame cant handle it ..
> 
> Seen similar before. The manufacturers will catch up on next redesign maybe...  Not seeing any De Walt failures....


Their backup for parts is a bloody pain!

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## Maca49

Makita have a good drill/impact deal at present with a free blower skin chucked in!

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## Max Headroom

For me, DeWalt 18v drill and driver, also 12v Worx drill for small jobs and tight spaces. Don't like the Dewalt Drill chuck, spits the drill out too often. 
The impact driver is indispensable. Can't imagine how I did without it.

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## tanqueray

What sold me on Panasonic initially was seeing an 18v Panasonic and 18v Dewalt at opposite ends of a steel rod and having their triggers pulled - the Panasonic turned the Dewalt backwards. I burnt two dewalts out using big hole saws and augers, and their chucks loosen of their own accord.

Then again the weekend warrior will never notice the difference between an ozito and a festool, so if it’s just for diy go cheap.

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## 6x47

It's a shame Panasonic are a bit of an orphan as the quality is absolutely top grade. We all know about how good their lithiums are, and they can clearly make good motors too.

My son considered going Panasonic for trade use but in the end went Makita coz most of his workmates use them. Handy to be able to borrow batteries in an emergency

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## gonetropo

years back i had a panasonic 12V drill, eventually one of the batteries died so i gutted the pack out fitted a cord and had a 12V gel cell alarm battery in an slr mag pouch with a curly cord leading to the drill.  i could get thru a week without a recharge.

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## Gibo

Black N Decker bro! Job done...... :ORLY:

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## gonetropo

> Black N Decker bro! Job done......


B&D (no the tool ya filthy buggas) went thru a period when it was pure crap. i had a B&D corded drill that lasted 15 years until the chuck died. 
TBH if its domestic use only then its ok. we are talking the "weekend warrior here" and not hard work

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## Gloves

I'd happily recommend the milwaukee 18v fuel.. use them day in day out at work (marine engineering
) for heavy drilling, tapping, tightening bolts etc and they're pretty abused never manage to kill one in 5 years while a Metabo grinder in the same workshop lasts about 6 months.

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## Shearer

From all these reports it sounds like it's the luck of the draw more than the brand of the tool.

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## 223nut

> From all these reports it sounds like it's the luck of the draw more than the brand of the tool.


Same goes for the modern ute... There's lemons in all brands

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## southernman

Here's the cordless in my mechanics truck, less the hammer drill as its at home

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## distant stalker

The aeg reads up well for the money, they appear to be doing a big push to increase recognition and uptake. I use dewalt, nothing amazing but nothing bad either. As others have mentioned its important to consider the specific models not just brands. We went through a phase of just using cheap gear and throwing away when it broke, was cheaper then maintaining higher price point gear. That was 10 years ago now though. Cousin went makita when his gear got stolen and its all going well for him, we used it on a remote site with no power and batteries held up really well

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## mikee

Personlly now I'm looking for smaller size tools (did I just say that) as they make my job easier, hold a 18V drill over your head undoing screws holding linings on to install cabling soon gets you reaching for the 10-or 12V jobbie at 1/2 the weight. AEG with its 6 year warrenty seems like a good thing too.

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## 40mm

For the money I would buy good quality second hand stuff over cheap disposable shit any day.

I choose to keep my eyes open for deals when they come up and buy before I actually need it.
It takes time, but saves money and i have a shit ton of real good gear that owes me stuff all to show for it.
And it is better than supporting the chuck away mentality of humans these days.

Be kind to the next generation and only buy good quality stuff that will last.

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## Smiddy

Have Mikita 1/2in impact, drill, grinder, the new 6ah batteries sure woke the grinder up,  just got the 3/4in impact and am a little disappointed with its performance.
Will be getting the 3/4in milwalkie soon as I know a few mechanics with them who say they are amazing and beats swinging on a 6ft pipe undoing shit 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## Gibo



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## Max Headroom

I have a DeWalt Li ion 3ah battery that I have dropped twice, and now distrust. There are no visible signs of damage, but to be safe I have it in the garden shed, away from house and garage.

Where should I send it to have it checked out?

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## gonetropo

you cant get it checked, what happens is that the lithium tends to "spider" out and reach the opposite electrode, short out and ignite. this is the main reason that lithium polymer was invented as to stop the shorting out. 
there are some pretty good infos on youtube,

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## Max Headroom

Where best to dispose of it then?

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## gonetropo

probably with someone you dont like

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## rewd

> Where best to dispose of it then?


Send it to Ms Sage via parliament under "recycling".

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