Better drill for hard use? Milwaukee M18 "2904" or ...?

[chim]

My original DeWalt DCF889 went away in favor of the DCF899. The DCF889 only had ~400 ft-lbs max tightening. The DCF899 does everything I need now and unless I buy a quarry and work on Euclids, it'll be the last one I need.

Below specs are for the DeWalt DCF899, and I believe Milwaukee has similar capability. I posted somewhere about a tie in a contest between this DeWalt and a Milwaukee. The specs below are for the DCF899 and I believe the Milwaukee was similar. We pitted them against each other removing lug nuts from a 10K Gradall.

Since then, DeWalt came out with the DCF900 which has 1030 ft-lbs of fastening torque and 1400 ft-lbs of breakaway. I'm guessing that Milwaukee probably also upped the ante.

Max Fastening Torque
(3 Speeds)

1. 100 ft-lbs
2. 300 ft-lbs
3. 700 ft-lbs

1200ft-lbs breakaway torque

 

[IndyIan]

For a home owner or occasional user, I think Rigid is the best choice due to free replacement batteries.
My 18V Rigid 1/2" hammer drill is 15 years old now, doesn't get daily use but has been abused quite a bit. I don't use the hammer function too often(sometimes the whole thing is the hammer though... ). Now my 10 and 12 year old boys use it, and its surviving them as well.
I'd get two if you can't have a day without it and if you manage to break one, or the batteries die, use the other while your free replacements comes in.
I got a free pair of Li-ion 3 amp/hr batteries maybe 9 years ago now when one of the ni-cads started failing. I won't buy another brand unless they start free battery replacements. I am enjoying my new Rigid impact wrench too, seems as solid as my old drill.

 

[spitter]

Even after buying the M18 1" impact, I still wind up using a 4' breaker bar to loosen the most stubborn nuts. Leverage is everything. I'm thinking about picking up one of those torque multipliers. It always seems like the worst rusty nuts are in the tightest spaces. OH, the fun of living in the rust belt.

 

[big bubba]

Bosch corded hammer drill

agree, i only go w/Bosch power tools now, cordless ok for light duty that's all

HD19-2D | 1/2 In. 2 Speed Hammer Drill with Dust Collection | Bosch Power Tools

HD19-2D

www.boschtools.com

 

[Langanobob]

I have a Metabo SB 18 LTX BL hammer drill that I’m happy with. Powerful and nicely made in Germany. I’m willing to pay more for cordless tools that are not made in China.

I haven’t quantified the battery life but the three 5.2 Ah batteries it came with last a long time. The batteries are CAS, which means they are compatible with about 25 European tool manufacturers, which with the exception of Festool, we have hardly heard of in the US so that part is of little value.

You have to be careful ordering Metabo tools online. There is the bright green Metabo branded HPT line which are Hitachi and also some of the dark green Metabo tools are no longer made in Europe.

 

[5030]

Only Festool stuff I've seen are woodworking tools like Dovetail tools.

Do keep in mind that much like a chainsaw chain, drills in any drill motor (cordless or corded or air powered drills), the drilling efficiency (and the wood cutting efficiency on saw chains) is totally dependent on how SHARP the drill's or saw chain is.

With saw chains, there are numerous sharpening devices on the market, from the Stihl File and joint to a Dremel with an appropriate sharpening stone to the Timber Wolf and it's Carbide burr to a chain grinder like the Oregon / Tecomec grinder and the skill level to obtain a sharp tooth on a saw chain is pretty low, whereas correctly sharpening a twist drill or dressing a carbide insert coring drill not only requires a special grinding wheel but the skill to apply the correct relief and edge geometry and with high speed steel twist drills it also entails correct grinding skill, especially when offhand grinding. It's an acquired skill that takes patience and practice as well as a steady hand and good eyesight.

The issue with drill sharpeners is, the marginal ones do a poor job or are limited in scope (drill Doctor) and they are expensive too, especially the professional drill Doctor (I have one and they retail for well north of 2 grand) and the clamp to your work bench ones result in a very marginal grind because they cannot hold the correct angles consistently.

With drills correct cutting angles as well as the balanced cutting edges are paramount and few people can actually grind a twist drill offhand and get the angles correct so people toss dull drills and get new ones.

Problem with that is, larger ones (3/4" and larger) are expensive to buy and expensive to replace when dull and a dull drill will not cut for beans no matter how much grunt a drill motor can deliver.

I offhand sharpen all mine but that is something I learned as a young apprentice in a machine shop but only the ones that I can see the cutting point on, the tiny ones get tossed (as they don't cost an arm and a leg).

You can buy the cheap Chinese drills or the ones at HF but they don't last, you have to buy quality heat treated drills for them to last for any time. I tend to buy Cleveland Twist or Triumph which are both domestically made and not cheap plus the Triumph drills are all TIN coated (Titanium Nitride) which provides a boundary layer of plating that promotes chip flow from the cutting edge).

So, in summation, a dull drill won't drill no matter how much grunt your drill motor has just like a dull saw chain loop won't cut (just makes sawdust).

My 2 cents......

 

[boatmoter]

I am specifically looking at this kit:
M18 FUEL™ ½” Hammer Drill Driver | Milwaukee Tool

The street price is ~$350 for it. I need a solid drill for mild steel and other hard uses on a farm. I have been told the M18 batteries are the best in the business. I am not impressed with the DeWalt cordless stuff I have generally. It is great for normal homeowner use but, the batteries die early and have short lifespans. The DeWalt tools I have don't work well on my farm. I am looking to start the conversion process to another brand.

While this drill is not required to be cordless, that is preferred for obvious reasons. I need something reliable and durable though so, I question the expense of owning another cordless drill. I have a 3500W generator so, I can power a big plug-in drill if that is better. The problem for me is that the local options are DeWalt and aren't impressive. There is a ~$160 electric drill at Lowes which might be a reasonable choice.

I am not mixing sheetrock mud or grout for tile floors but, 3/8" holes in 1/4" mild steel or anchors into concrete are not that uncommon either. I have a small drill/driver for light tasks so, I am not worried about using my new drill for simple tasks around the house.

What are my better options in the $200~$400 range for a hard heavy-use hammer drill? I'm thinking "buy once, cry once" here.

TIA,
Sid

you should check out Ryobi,much cheaper, but use the Ryobi 18vt 4.0 lithium batteries,they last a long time on a charge,my batteries ate 7 yrs old and still going strong and the drill is 18 yrs old and I use it to run out nuts & bolts when repairing or maintaining my vehicles

 

[MarblemountLane]

My old dark blue Ryobi recip saw just went up in smoke after I pushed it too hard, so I picked up a new bright green one. I recently had a Ryobi inflator quit (electronic controls, not pump), so bought a Ridgid. It’s hard to swap, once you’re invested in a battery system.

My dark blue Ryobi drill is showing its age, so I mostly use the Ridgid I bought after a bright green Ryobi hammer drill failed, and its replacement had such bad chuck and control that I returned it and swapped brands.

Yes, I know the same company owns Ryobi and Ridgid now. I’d say both are OK for home use, but I saw a lot of Hilti before I retired from operating powerhouses. Funny thing: the Electricians had a lot of DeWalt, the Carpenters liked Makita, our Station Machinists moved from Milwaukee to Hilti except for a few things like magbase drills.

 

[Shenandoah MF1760]

Anyone that mentions how good their 20+ year-old tool is hasn't considered that their tool was probably made somewhere else, possibly by a different company under different quality standards. You can't buy "that tool" anymore.

I have a fair bit of the Dewalt stuff as it had a good reputation and I can find a yellow tool in the grass after my kids have used it. But they ain't what they used to be. Now they're "Built in the USA with global materials." and are just one of the more expensive offerings in the Standley/Black and Decker line.

I have a battery sawzall of theirs that just died after getting splashed with drain water. I'm leaning more toward Milwaukee, but I fear they're not what they used to be either.

This site Power Tool Manufacturers and Who Really Owns Them - 2023 shows who owns a particular tool brand name.

 

[Shenandoah MF1760]

One thing I failed to bring up with regard to batteries is the significance of DeWalt going from 18V to 20V.

Both the 18V and 20V provide the same open terminal voltage...

Just to mention that DeWalt has adapters that allow the different form factor 20v batteries to work in the old 18V tools. The DeWalt adapters also prevent the use of the larger Ah 20V batteries. They also have a line of 60V tools now.