[PrettyPaisley]

I need a drill. I've had little rechargeable Black and Decker Walmart specials in the past but I need one that will last but NOT break the bank. Not looking to build a house, I just need a drill.

There seem to be impact drills and drivers but what's the difference? I just need it to be easy to put the bit in and would prefer to rechargeable batteries last for more than 6 months without having to be replaced because they no longer hold a charge.

 

[arabian knight]

A impact driver is driver uses both bit rotation and concussive blows to power-drive screws through the thickest, or densest of woods.
That is for the serious contractor or for a home owner that has several large jobs to do. IMO unless you have a tone of things the impact driver would be way over kill for you.

 

[PrettyPaisley]

Okay good. Thanks. I'm far from a serious contractor.

 

[AlphaPilot]

I highly recommend the Black and Decker Matrix. It's cheap and you can buy different attachments. And if the motor system cooks, you can buy a new one for under $50. I remodeled a house with B&D Tools and was impressed. I was going to go with Milwaukee and bite the bullet, but I tried them out and they operated fine but were much heavier which fatigues your arm when you're working on anything above your body.

I would buy Black & Decker BDCDMT120IA 20-Volt MAX Lithium-Ion Matrix Drill and Impact Combo Kit first. It will do about anything you want. You can add other attachments as you need them.

 

[PrettyPaisley]

Wow. It's gets decent reviews.

Thanks!

 

[Wendy]

I wouldn't recommend Black & Decker. We have had 2 & they were both junk.

 

[Nevada]

Impact drills also accept impact bits, which have a hex shaped shank instead of the round shank of standard bits. The hex shank keeps the bit from slipping. Here's what an impact bit looks like.

 

[jwal10]

I have this http://www.portercable.com/Products/Category.aspx?catPath=4272.6122.6123.6126 Because it came as a set and my DS gave it to me. As Nevada said it has a collet that you pull back to insert the driver or bit. Never falls out and the bit never slips because you don't get it tight enough. I have a very bad left hand and never seem to be able to get a keyless chuck tight enough. They do take a special bit, 1/4" hex but are very affordable as a set. It also holds the driver good, never falls out. They have a lot of torque and with a socket adapter you can drive BIG lag bolts too. Like when you are fastening a deck board to the side of a house. If I had to choose 1 I would get this....James

 

[jwal10]

Also, they are very compact and light, Shorter from the front to back than the drill. I love it. You can use it for everything. Worked great for putting roofing tin on, too. DS bought it because we are off grid, to build his cabin. We have 4 batteries, a 5 1/2" skill saw, a light, both drills and a demo saw. We charged them with a 12v charger with solar power. Didn't have to run the noisy generator all the time. We built the cabin and all are still working great....James

 

[Nimrod]

I have a hammer drill. I think it is the same thing you are calling an impact drill. You can switch from regular drilling to hammer drilling. The drill just turns the bit for regular drilling. When set to hammer it shoves the bit into the material in pulses like someone was hammering on the end of the bit while it was turning. The hammer setting works much better for drilling through concrete with a masonry bit.

Black and Decker seems to be a bit schizoid. They make the cheapest junk on the planet but also some decent stuff too. Do your homework.

Get a variable speed reversing drill that accepts 3/8 inch bits. The variable speed is nice if you are drilling through metal because you should use a slow speed to avoid overheating the bit. I use mine to drive screws. If you can reverse the drill you can take them out too. A drill that will accept up to 3/8 inch bits will let you make bigger holes but also will have more power than a 1/4 inch one. You will need that power for making bigger holes.

 

[painterswife]

I agree. A good impact drill is much more versatile in the long run. It comes in very handy when fencing, repairing the chicken coop and general house hold repairs.

 

[simi-steading]

A hammer drill hammers into the work. An impact driver impacts in the direction of rotation...


A hammer drill for drilling rock or stone or similar, and an impact driver for installing fasteners.

 

[AlphaPilot]

I think Amazon Reviews speak for themselves when trying to find any tool product, just look for good reviews and you will be fine. They all offer certain warranties now to stay competitive. I still think the Matrix system is the way to go since you can basically have 5 to 7 different tools for the price of 2 or 3. You also keep the same battery system all the way through (20 volt) which is a good happy medium. The 12v system is great for light work. But the B&D 20 Volt Tools are just as light as the Bosch 12V tools (which I also have). I spent $300 on 3 Bosch 12v tools and ended up using my $70 B&D combo more because I like it better.

EDIT : I definitely recommend getting an impact driver. It makes setting in torx screws MUCH easier. It also helps with any kind of fasteners that have a hex or 1/4 head. (Metal roofing, siding, concrete screws, etc) I never suggest using phillips head screws with an impact. I just don't use phillips at all because it seems inevitable you strip the head when you want to remove the screw years later.

 

[PrettyPaisley]

The Amazon reviews are decent.

But the two crappy little cordless screwdrivers I've had in the past that no longer hold a charge were Black and Decker.

$300 isn't that awful I don't guess. Not for several tools in one. $70 is better but not if it falls apart, you know ? I'll have to check to see what the warrant is like - just to be safe.

 

[painterswife]

Rechargeable batteries need to be replaced after 3 or 4 years. It is just a fact.

 

[fordy]

I need a drill. I've had little rechargeable Black and Decker Walmart specials in the past but I need one that will last but NOT break the bank. Not looking to build a house, I just need a drill.

There seem to be impact drills and drivers but what's the difference? I just need it to be easy to put the bit in and would prefer to rechargeable batteries last for more than 6 months without having to be replaced because they no longer hold a charge.

.............jwal10 has the best (small)drill driver available ! They will fit a Lady's hand and the impact driver Removes Unwanted screws as well as it drives new screws . I have the same set of Porter Cable battery powered drill\driver and they are the best tools I've ever had for their size ! They are not cheap , but you get what you pay for when buying these kinds of power tools . Cheap IS as Cheap Does so keep that in mind !
.............The best strategy for building with wood screws is to PRE-drill a smaller hole than the screw and then install your screw , to preempt cracking the wood . , fordy

 

[Allen W]

How often are you out of reach of an outlet when your using a drill?

 

[Nevada]

The Amazon reviews are decent.

But the two crappy little cordless screwdrivers I've had in the past that no longer hold a charge were Black and Decker.

$300 isn't that awful I don't guess. Not for several tools in one. $70 is better but not if it falls apart, you know ? I'll have to check to see what the warrant is like - just to be safe.

I don't know that I would want a cordless hammer drill. You usually get one of those for tough jobs. But they don't have to be expensive.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-heavy-duty-variable-speed-reversible-hammer-drill-68169.html

 

[fordy]

plus tax . yPaisley;7288241]The Amazon reviews are decent.

But the two crappy little cordless screwdrivers I've had in the past that no longer hold a charge were Black and Decker.

$300 isn't that awful I don't guess. Not for several tools in one. $70 is better but not if it falls apart, you know ? I'll have to check to see what the warrant is like - just to be safe.[/QUOTE]

...............Porter Cable usually has a sale on their battery powered
tools prior to Christmas @ Lowes . I purchased their 20 Volt Drill\Driver set for <than $200 . , fordy

 

[farminghandyman]

my son had his dewalt stolen and bought a Ryobi with the Lithium-ion batteries, (he first tried there nickel cad batteries and was very disappointed and is sold on the lithium ion ones,

Dewalt is basically black and decker's commercial/industrial line,

when Black and decker did there home owner line they basically ruined there reputation on the commercial market, they bought back the Dwalt name (once famous for there radial arm saws, and were made by Black and decker at one time)

and rebranded there commercial and industrial line of tools Dewalt, at one time the only difference was the color, when they were running both lines .

if your dealing with occasional use consider a corded tool, (cheaper and will last for decades and no battery to go bad on you,

I have 5 gallon buckets full of dead dewalt batteries, they will die on one in about three years, I use them enough and have enough 18 volt tools that I buy two about once a year, (I try to keep 5 or 6 batteries working) , yes at one time I was a contractor, but now farm/ranch full time, I do love my cordless tools, but many times I have considered just going back to the corded tools as there no fricken batteries to die and crap out on one,