What kind of drill would you need to drill through the firewall of your 4Runner ? [had to add that to keep it relevant to this forum ]

Hey my dad has this old old old Sears Craftsman electric (plug-in) drill... it seems anemic to me...

Sears had a sale today on drills....

They had a 13.8 volt, 600 RPM one for $40...

Then I look at some other drills.. (portable) DeWalt, Porter Cable.... 13.8 volt, 600/1200 RPM, 350 torque -- most around $150...

What would be a good one to do simple household stuff (like making a hole in the firewall to run wires through)... but not be overkill (i.e., don't want to spend that much, but want something that will work..)

 

if you dont plan on building a deck or an addition to your house with the drill check out ebay for an 18v drill for $30 or less.I got one and i dropped it twice from a 10ft ladder while working on my deck and it still works great.

 

A drill... DUH@!

 

4Fonz:

I've had 3 cordless drills. For what its worth, I had the same intent like you: "good enough for household projects but not overkill."

I first started out w/ a cordless Black & Decker 9.something volt drill. Not the Firestorms but the green ones. I bought about 5 replacement batteries and a Snakelight (which I really like). Well the drill broke after 2 years of light to moderate use. The chuck is stuck (no rhyme intended) and won't unstick. Oh did I mention those batteries don't last very long?

I moved up to a 14.4V Porter Cable cordless drill which also came w/ a 6.5" circular saw (Costco deal). I will say that this is definitely the way to go. I can't tell you how many projects in the garage I've done and also on the 4runner which the PC handled w/ no problem. The batteries definitely last a long time w/ heavy use and the recharger recharges the batteries fairly quickly.

The next step up is the contractor's grade drills (19.2V) but i think thats too much for the average and above average user.

i think what you need is a flexible extension too. that space underneath the instrument panel is very tight.

Bob

 

Definitely get a cordless drill. Next thing you want to do is get one with the highest volt battery that you can get. That will help alot. Other than that, Dewalt is a very good brand, get one of them. Just a side note, use a titanium or cobalt bit to drill through your firewall! They are stronger than steel! :fireman:

 

I just saw the Porter Cable one at Sam's Club for about $180.
It was 18.2v I think.

It came with a nice black plastic case, two batteries, and more.
They are HUGE though.
Not sure how easy they are to work with a battery that is so big.

I'm still using a Sears 9v that I bought around '95 or so, and it works great.
It doesn't have the keyless chuck though.
My next drill will.

I am eyeing that Porter Cable one.

 

Check out this Craftsman Cordless 18 Volt Cordless Drill

It seems like a quality tool when I checked it out at the store. I spoke with one of the regional managers and asked about the origin of the 75th Anniversary Tools and was told that many of them are the upper line products re-badged/painted in the grey/black. Other wise they still have the lifetime warranty and the good service.

Best of Luck

Andrew

 

I was in the same boat as you a while back. I needed a cordless drill to do average around-the-house kind of stuff. I had just bought a house, so I knew the drill was going to see a lot of work. I got a 12v Ryobi for about $40. Seemed like a good deal to me. I outgrew it in about a month. I didn't want to pay the big bucks for a good one, so I bought a corded drill that will push though anything. My next drill will be 18v, period. Probably a DeWalt as they are by far the best shop tools I've ever used. The DeWalts are pricey though: ~$200. I can get a Craftsman for about half that, but I hate scrimping on tools.

Here's my advice... decide on what kind of power you need, i.e. 12v, 14v etc. Then buy 2 steps up from that. If you look for a good deal, it won't be significantly more... maybe $20-$30 difference. That way you won't outgrow it as fast.

HTH

 

Mine is a Milwaukee, bought in the early '90s. I think it was around $180 plus I bought an extra battery. It also has a red holster with it so I get that "John Wayne" feeling when I wear it, no extra charge. The case was replaced under a recall, the switch has been replaced and the moter finally had to be replaced, it did a lot of screwing and Viagra didn't help. :rolleyes:

Because I can't use a hammer for more that a few minutes it has been used to reside a house in wood paneling, enclose a screen room with studding and siding, convert a carport to a garage and build a new entryway into the house. That was before we moved to where we live now.

I also went the inexpensive route and ended up returning it for one that would do the job. I repair it because it is cheaper than replacing it and it is like an old friend.

But for heavier work, like concrete, I also have a 3/8" craftsman.

 

I am also in the market for a cordless drill. I am looking at a hammer drill though as with the hammer function you can drill through concrete. Our job just bought a really sweet Milwaukee hammer drill, the problem with it is it's a 14.4V and it runs out real quick. But it's sweet though. They are expensive.

I am looking at the Dewalt or the Milwaukee 18V and up hammer drill. Dewalt seems to be the way to go as everyone tells me their Milwaukee shot up on them after a bit of use (at least the hammer function did).


and the Dewalt, which is usually stronger


I also heard Makita's last too.

 

I like that Dewalt. My brother in-law has the combo pack with the drill & round saw.

If I get a new drill, it would probably be that, or a top of the line Craftsman.
With Sears, you can get the extended warrenty which is nice.
Something breaks, they pitch it into a pile for service later, and you get a new one.

I bought the extended service plan for my heavy duty 1/2" impact wrench.
Corey

 

If you are talking seriously about spending money then you have to go for makita 24v It is the dogs danglies, my brother-in-law is a carpenter and he only uses makita cordless everything , skill saw, two drills, jigsaw & chop saw all 24v all cordless and all well used and sworn by.
the drill will go into brick without the need for the hammer part as he uses a special drill bit called a carrot bit and it goes trouhg walls like knife through butter.
says that dewalt is not as well made.
just my $0.02

 

Hey all--

LOL..wasn't getting e-mails, thought the thread had died..

But thx, GREAT advice..just what I needed.. thought I was the only one w/ that dilemma...

(Am I seeing things or are there more and more smilies every day...)

:rolleyes: