Best drill for KDill ?

Looking to purchase a KDrill this season and will need to pair it with a drill .
Dewalt or Milwaukee are the choices , but not sue what one to get ! M18 fuel or DCD991.
Have heard a few grumbles about handles breaking on the M18s. Any suggestions ???? I have a couple of Dewallt drills purchased from a big box store and they are a P.O.S. . I will never buy power tools from a big chain store again as I am sure they buy seconds or cheaper models that look like the big boys but cant perform ! I am leery of Dewalt because they stoop to that level to sell a tool .
Thanks

cheers wrote:

I have a couple of Dewallt drills purchased from a big box store and they are a P.O.S. . I will never buy power tools from a big chain store again as I am sure they buy seconds or cheaper models that look like the big boys but cant perform ! I am leery of Dewalt because they stoop to that level to sell a tool .

So you buy a tool based on how it looks rather than by the model number?

This link will take you to DeWalt Reconditioned Tools

I have the M18 no complaints at all. Far as the handle ,put it on correctly, and check it once in awhile,but use it, don’t be like me,using without, damm near twisted my thumb off.

why would I want a reconditioned dewalt ? I don’t understand your response

I think other common choices are the Rigid, mainly because of the warranty, and the Milwaukee Mud Mixer.

I have three first gen fuels. Two on 2nd gen clam plates. I had one break slightly after repeated use using a 6″ while not being tightened fully. As said, if you use it, you need to tighten it frequently. I use a third with a 4″ using the side handle, no problems, barely comes loose ever. Super light setup for poking around.

I have the dewalt and have zero complaints…buddy has a fuel…took out the gear box before he even used it on the kdrill…milwaukee charged him to fix/replace it..he was just doing some things around the house with it nothing along the lines of abusing it in my opinion and the 1st time he went to cut a hole the handle broke halfway thru…that is why I went dewalt..and at the time they had a deal on the drill and impact with a free sawzall that was also pretty persuasive

M18 fuel for me. Great prices ( free batteries) come November if you can wait.

I run a generator and have 200′ of extension cords and just run a corded black and decker drill. I usually drill 5-600 holes each time out so don’t mess with gas or batteries.

cheers wrote:

why would I want a reconditioned dewalt ? I don’t understand your response

Your post made it sound like you wanted a top end drill at a discounted price. Factory reconditioned tools/equipment are a viable alternative verses buying new off the shelf.
I have bought a reconditioned Porter Cable roofing nail gun. It has served me well for many years.

Now do you understand my response?

Nothing wrong with the big box stores. Just have to get the higher end models. Most of the 3 speed dewalts work , 995, 996 and so on. Watch for deals or shop around on Ebay.

Huntindave wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>cheers wrote:</div>
why would I want a reconditioned dewalt ? I don’t understand your response

Your post made it sound like you wanted a top end drill at a discounted price. Factory reconditioned tools/equipment are a viable alternative verses buying new off the shelf.
I have bought a reconditioned Porter Cable roofing nail gun. It has served me well for many years.

I now understand what you are saying however you are wrong about me wanting discounted price. I have very little buying choices locally,the only choice is a big box store or online . The local big box store don’t tend to sell contractor quality tools,just look alikes with similar model numbers that may have a sufix added to them .So when I walk in to buy a dewalt 18volt drill I don’t get to see a DCD991

Milwaukee came out with a Gen 3 model this year where the handle attaches differently to the drill. Should help alleviate the breakage issue, if it matters to anybody.

Generally, you need a brushless drill with atleast 650 in/lb of available torque.

Cheaper brushed drills will burn up.

Go through Thomas tool in burnsville. Chris down there is a good guy. He also does their repair work.

Thanks

I’ve got Dewalts. My 996 will begin to smoke running an 8″ Nils bit after the second or third hole. 6″ is no problem.

That being said, I would go with a Milwaukee. Wayyyyy to many good reviews to recommend anything else.

wildbeaver wrote:

I run a generator and have 200′ of extension cords and just run a corded black and decker drill. I usually drill 5-600 holes each time out so don’t mess with gas or batteries.

That’s a lot of holes! :).

I think with just about any brand you need to make sure you get the high-end, brushless drill. I used to have a cheaper dewalt drill that worked alright for around the house, but it had a plastic clutch, and just didn’t have a ton of power.

I now have their brushless compact drill/driver and it is a beast compared to the other one.

I would think Milwaukee or dewalt would serve you well, I’d go Dewalt since I happen to have a bunch of their tools already. But if I had Milwaukee stuff, I’d go that direction.

philtickelson wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>wildbeaver wrote:</div>
I run a generator and have 200′ of extension cords and just run a corded black and decker drill. I usually drill 5-600 holes each time out so don’t mess with gas or batteries.

That’s a lot of holes! :).

I think with just about any brand you need to make sure you get the high-end, brushless drill. I used to have a cheaper dewalt drill that worked alright for around the house, but it had a plastic clutch, and just didn’t have a ton of power.

I now have their brushless compact drill/driver and it is a beast compared to the other one.

I would think Milwaukee or dewalt would serve you well, I’d go Dewalt since I happen to have a bunch of their tools already. But if I had Milwaukee stuff, I’d go that direction.

This^

Look at their other tools and see what you have or may want. Both drills get the job done and are top-notch if you go with the top of the line, brushless model. I run the Milwaukee Fuel for an 8″ K drill mainly because that’s what my other tools are. If you take into account the time to start a gas auger or propane (even at 1 pull), it will beat any of those through ice under 12″ and is about the same through 12-18″.

I rarely fish ice over 18″ thick. 90% of my ice fishing is done at first ice or late ice running and gunning only fishing where I mark fish. I have no time for the crowds, littering, etc. that comes with the drivable ice (not to mention the slower metabolism of fish in the dead of winter). Due to those reasons, I dumped my gas auger and will never look back. Enjoy the new set-up.

These drills are not designed for drilling 8″ holes in the ice FYI. They are made to drill 1/4″ holes in wood and steal, and screw in deck screws. Why does Clam or another company not come out with a power drill made for the clam plate?

bigcrappie wrote:

These drills are not designed for drilling 8″ holes in the ice FYI. They are made to drill 1/4″ holes in wood and steal, and screw in deck screws. Why does Clam or another company not come out with a power drill made for the clam plate?

My guess is the market for ‘drills purpose-built for spinning a large auger through ice’ <<<<< the market for contractors, carpenters, handymen/women or general folks looking for a reliable drill.

That and I assume it would be prohibitively expensive for CLAM to design and manufacture a power drill from scratch for the hundreds or thousands of CLAM drill plates that are sold every year.

bigcrappie wrote:

These drills are not designed for drilling 8″ holes in the ice FYI. They are made to drill 1/4″ holes in wood and steal, and screw in deck screws. Why does Clam or another company not come out with a power drill made for the clam plate?

Perhaps you should go grab the largest Milwaukee Fuel Hammer Drill with handle attached and a 12amp battery and reevaluate that statement. If this thing is only made for 1/4″ holes and deck screws then you must use a crane as a can-opener.

Clam wouldn’t stand a chance in the power tools market with any drill. Their clothes, shacks, and rods have already taken a major quality hit the last 5-6 years. A cheaply built, niche drill wouldn’t be worth the time to develop.

bigcrappie wrote:

These drills are not designed for drilling 8″ holes in the ice FYI. They are made to drill 1/4″ holes in wood and steal, and screw in deck screws. Why does Clam or another company not come out with a power drill made for the clam plate?

They do have a drill specific to ice fishing…

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Phil hit the nail in the head – economies of scale put a specialized ice version at an immediate competitive disadvantage.

A couple years ago, I know one of the bigger auger brands was talking with Milwaukee, but I’ve not heard of any recent progress on that front. My guess, too risky a venture considering how effective the Fuel drill already is at the task.

They already fixed the handle issue for ice anglers and also have top quality batteries. Maybe Milwaukee should start making heated ice shacks?