Option 1: Panasonic 14.4V Li-ION Drill/Driver Combo
Option II – Makita 18V Li Ion Impact driver/ hammer drill Combo
Option: III – Dewalt ?

My requirement: I am planning to finish my basement and also planning to put a new deck. I have concrete basement. so will do some concrete drilling. Cost is not an issue; Just want to buy the best one. I don’t find many reviews on Panasonic, but read some good reviews on Makita at Amazon.

Since I will not be buying another drill/driver combo for at least for next 5 years or so, I want to be sure I buy the best one. So what are your suggestions? Does 18 Volt better than 14.4 volt?

Thank you all for your help

Seth

Do not rely on cordless power alone for your masonry drilling needs. Buy yourself a good Bosch hammer drill, theyre about $110-$130 and save your battery power for other tasks, it will drill through masonary faster than anything cordless.

I totally agree with blacknumber on the masonry drilling issue. If you have a lot of holes to drill, then go corded and Bosch is a very good choice.

As for voltage, blacknumber also makes a valid point. The best balance between battery longevity between charges and fatigue from constant use, normally makes the 14.4 volt products the better choice than the bulkier and heavier 18 volt models. However, those new Makita L/ion units might sway you their way.

IMO, this is not something that we can tell you to any great certainty because which tool feels best in your hands is more of a personal choice than anything else. If you anticipate this driver being in your hand almost non-stop for hours on end, then the weight and balance of it become very important. More so, than if you are just picking it up, driving a few screws and putting it back down again.

Batteries for these tools are specific to the manufacturer and the tool series so remember that you have to live with your initial choice down the road. Makita has a huge choice of cordless tools. If you intend to buy other cordless products, then look at what Panasonic has to offer compared to Makita because batteries and chargers don't come cheap. Having one brand of tools that use one type of battery makes life simpler and saves you money.

Secondly, batteries (regardless of manufacturer) all have a lifespan. Don't expect to be using the same batteries five years down the road. I have owned Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita. None of their batteries have lasted that long, regardless of voltage.

Blacknumber and I disagree when it comes to Ryobi. I won't suggest for a second that Ryobi is in the same league as the other brands mentioned here. However, Ryobi is my current tool of choice, primarily due to the whole battery issue. Makita, DeWalt and Milwaukee routinely improve their product line to compete with each other. Batteries for their tools are horrendously expensive and they become obsoleted far too fast.

I have several tools around that are perfectly good but the cost of the replacement batteries make me cringe. Ryobi has approached the whole issue differently. They make only 18 volt products and use one battery for all of them. Batteries are inexpensive and many of the tools can be bought individually instead of as a kit with charger and batteries.

As someone who is quite familiar with Makita, DeWalt and Milwaukee tools, I can honestly say that for the money, the Ryobi stuff is very good. Do their drills have as much torque? Nope. But I don't care. Rarely will the drill not do the job as well as the other brands will. And if the drill fails on me, I will toss it out and buy a new one with no regrets because the price allows me to do so.

If I was still in business and making my living from my tools, then I would have no issues about spending the big bucks for the top brands. Even though I am retired, I still use my tools alot and found the Ryobi tools more than adequate for my needs. Something for you to think about.

-gh

Yes, go with the Panasonic.

As for me, all I can do is report on my own first-hand experience with the Ryobi tools I am now using in comparison to all the DeWalt, Milwaukee and Makita products I have owned over the past thirty years.

But since this is about your needs and not anyone else's, you should take your time to assess your overall needs for various cordless tools to use in your projects. There is more to cordless than just the variable speed reversible drill.

While I agree that Panasonic makes excellent products, the current line is very limited in comparison to Makita, DeWalt or Ryobi. First-hand trials will also tell you a lot about each brand but those trials must consist of putting the tool to actual use. Go and try them all and then make up your own mind.

However, I went into a store and picked up a couple of these tools and I couldn't imagine using one of them for any length of time. They are enormous, heavy, and awkward! And they cost $300.

I like what blacknumber1 says, get a 14v cordless and a corded hammer drill for the concrete. The hammer drill will probably last the rest of your life.

I read the test carefully and found it to be a well-written article for the most part. What was missing is this. They did not disclose the MSRP of each of the tools tested.

A two-pack of Ryobi 18 volt batteries can be had for $39.97 at Home Depot in the US. Try and buy ONE battery for any of the other tools for that money.

A Ryobi 18 volt (CTH 1802K) has a four out of five star rating at epinions based on 25 reports.

The 18 volt DeWalt sells for $209.00 at HD
The Ridgid is $189.00, the Bosch is $259.00, the Makita is $199.00 but the Ryobi can be had for less than half the price of any of those drills.

The test of drilling such large diameter holes in hardwood certainly taxed all the drills to the max but in the real world, how many people ask a cordless drill to perform such a task? Without even reading the owners manuals of each of the drills tested, I can pretty much guarantee that not one manufacturer rates their drills to bore holes that large in softwood, let alone hardwood.

As I said in my initial post, there is a huge difference between selecting a cordless drill for occasional household usage and selecting one that you make your living with. For heavy duty tasks such as the test put to these drills, I have a Milwaukee corded right-angle drill and a Hole-Hog drill. I don't expect my Ryobi to have the same torque as a product costing two to three times as much. Only an inexperienced tool buyer would think that way.

For driving screws and drilling holes less than a half inch, I use the Ryobi cordless drill or the impact driver. If I have to change batteries a little more often than I would if I used a Makita Lith/Ion, so what? I am prepared to accept that minor inconvenience in exchange for the ability to buy low-cost battery packs and low cost cordless tools. Rarely do I use my Ryobi right-angle drill but it has already proved its value several times. The same can be said of the chainsaw and the recipro saw. And if they puke, I will take them back to HD and complain.

Most likely, they will give me a new tool to replace the non-working one because Ryobi is exclusively theirs.

It's all about selecting tools that will meet the needs of the job at hand because replacement parts for even the most expensive products will be hard to come by six years down the road.

So, What is the good corded drill I can buy? Bosch ?

Thanks everone for your help

Do yourself a favor and get the Makita Li Ion impact driver/hammer drill set. That impact driver is simply the best of the breed and the hammer drill will suit all of your smaller hole (up to 1/2") needs in concrete. Just get your hands on them all and you won't buy anything but the Makita. I have used my set for about 6 months now and love it.

Panasonics have a lot of problems,the DeWalts are outdated dinosaurs,and none are on par with the Makita Li Ion stuff.

You asked about which one being the "Best",right?

I use these tools 10 hrs a day, 5.5 days a week. The little 18v circular saw that was in the dewalt kit is OK too but only for pretty light stuff.

I have a large bucket at home that has a lot of makita, ryobi, bosch, black n decker cordless drills in it. They are in retirement at the moment, my wife uses the bosch from time to time...

One I would like to try but have no justification for is the new 36 volt DeWalts. They claim to have the same power as corded tools, but weigh no more than 18 volt models since they use the newer lithiom ion technology. They are pricey though.

As far as the advice to use corded to save your batteries--this isn't true. Nicd batteries benefit from being used completely and regularly.

I agree with a comment above on renting a quality hammer drill for a day or two instead of buying one unless you have future projects in mind.

The last two I have gotten, a 15.6 with Nicads, and a 15.6 with Lithium Ion, both have had the batteries quit holding charge after a relatively short time. My old 12 volt units did considerably better, although they did not have as much power.

It also appears that they changed also some things in the construction of the units, particularly in the output and chuck area. If the new units see any amount of sideload, the nose gets very hot, perhaps a bushing instead of a ball or roller bearing. The chuck quality also seems to have been diminished.

I have been following this thread hoping to find something better to replace the Panasonics.

I bought a complete set of 18V drill, saw etc. Don't use it much, both battery burnt, one even smoked. I bought a 12 volt right angle drill, one year later, the battery burnt also. The battery and charger were sooooo expensive. For the same amount of money buying the batteries, I bought the complete set of Ryobi everything, 18V including sawsaw!! I have using them for earthquake retrofit on two houses and it survived, drop from 8 ft to cement, survived. Still working!!! A little less torque than Dewalt but much much cheaper and last longer. I treat them as disposable tool and they refuse to die!!!

You will think twice about cordless products when you have to replace 2 batteries that sets you back over $100. I have found myself using more corded tools recently. Especially for tools you hardly use such as a sawzalls or circular saws, get corded tools so they last forever. They are superior, plus you can pass then down to your grandchildren. Batteries go bad whether they are used or not. My personal opinion, get a light weight cheapie cordless drill for small jobs like installing blinds, installing door knobs etc. For things you have to screw that require torque, pull out the corded drill. I have been there done that for many years doing sheetrock and decks and the like. Need the speed and power of the cord. I would rather use my generator with a cord drill then a cordless drill.

Being a builder, I agree with the Ryobi argument. The Ryobi gets 99% of your household jobs done just fine. Get over the need for the 18V $300 Dewalt, the economics just do not make sense. Invest in a corded 1/2" drill, which will be very inexpensive for a good one.

I had the dewalt combo. Yea, it's a great drill and saw, but it's heavy and the battery loom around 100 bucks and they don't last no longer, especially if you don't use them everyday.

I got couple of 19.2V drills off ebay for little money and they drive screws just like the 300 dollar dewalt.

I will tell you you buy the expenive ones and you will regret it when the batteries go in about 18 months. But, if you don't mind spending 200 bucks every 24 months on batteries then get the contractor's elite tools.

I realize that this thread started a couple of years ago, but battery technology is rapidly changing. Many people think they've learned certain 'truths' about batteries (memory, wearing out, temperature range, etc.), that actually only apply to certain types of battery designs.

Batteries could last forever. We don't have any that do yet, but the newer lithium-ion batteries last significantly longer than the batteries of just a few years ago. The new Makita LXT 18v batteries will go through 2.5 times more cycles than a Ni-Cad batteries.

In another 5 years it's hard to tell what we'll see. But there are some reviews of what's currently out there at the site in the link.

I ended up buying a Panasonic cordless and Bosch corded. I am very happy with both

I would recommend an 18V cordless hammer drill. They have plenty of power and battery run-time to handle concrete, and they also do all the drilling and driving of a regular cordless.

A good value would be the Bosch 15618. We rated it #7 of 15 and it received high scores in all areas except weight.

The DeWalt DCD970KL is our top-rated hammer, but it's expensive (about $350) compared to the 15618 at around $200.

Charlie

I am still happy with my cheap Ryobi 18V set. It sure out last the Dewalt 3 times longer for earthquake retrofit use which really really put them through hell.

If you want power, go for the highest voltage. You can not compare the best 14.4V power of the best and most expensive brand to the 18V cheapest brand!!! You want more power, get the 19.?V or even higher voltage!!! You have to look at the weight penalty too.

I can tell you, I am seeing more and more contractors using cheaper cordless tools!! I have Borsch, Makita and Milwakee, they are all good, just not Dewalt.

I just bought a whole bunch of the Ryobi non Li batteries for my old set of tools on close out, so I think I am good for a long long time!!! So I better stay out of the new tool talks!!! I still love my set though!!!

Cheers

Panasonic EY6432GQKW

lots of power and decent battery life

I've got a website that reviews a number of Dewalt cordless hammer drills. You can check it out at -
Dewalt Cordless Hammer Drills

I personally use DeWalt on the job site and it's a workhorse. Dropped it off a couple of roofs and it still works fine. However, I picked up a 18V ryobi at Home Depot for $40 (some weird special) and for around the home it's just fine. I've used it in many applications without a problem.

Porter Cable are fine drills as are Bosch and Metabo. I can't speak to their ability to fall from a roof and still work thou...LOL

If you want a cordless drills guide then visit and learn more, but anytime you can get a drill pack, you'll save money and the cordless tools that are part of the kit, are helpful.

Personally, the cordless drills we like the most when working indoors are the ones with a built in LED light. We always fight for that drill because it's great in dark areas.

I bought this Bosch PS10 baby litheon 12v screw driver / drill. This is more of a driver than a drill. I like it alot.

I put up shelves and Rubbermaid FastTrack's in the garage, and also drilled though that Fasttrack metal with it.

It is small and light but surprisingly capable. This is my only drill. If I were to buy another drill I would probablly go for a corded one for heavier jobs. So far I have never done a heavier job ....

Best, Mike.