Cordless (hammer) Drill Help-Questions

I have a certificate at Home Depot and want a cordless drill. I have a regular cordless drill and rarely use it to actually drill holes. More as a screw gun. I am interested in one of those types that ratchet in the screw like a hammer drill but not sure what model and I dont want an actual hammer drill. I thought I would walk right into HD and buy one but the selection is endless.
Should I get a screw gun only or one that also has a chuck (so use with drill bits) with hammer capability?
Need experienced advice. Thanks.

I picked up 3 Milwaukee tools a few years back and love all three. The drill & hammer drill came in a two tool kit. Then I picked up an impact drill for taking tires on and off. All are 18vlt fuel and the one I use the least is the hammer drill but it does come in handy. I love the impact for taking tires on and off. On any long trip the impact goes along with me.

I don’t think you want a hammer drill. I think what you’re looking for is an impact driver or possibly just a good cordless drill.

A hammer drill is a drill that vibrates the bit to help the drill bit penetrate masonry. They are used exclusively for drilling in concrete, brick, and other masonry surfaces.

An impact driver uses and impact mechanism to generate greater torque. Which is helpful when driving screws. Impact drivers also are more comfortable to use because they do not twist in your hand as much as a cordless drill does when used to drive screws.

Here’s an impact driver.

I’ve driven thousands of screws using just a good old cordless drill. Unless you’re driving screws day in / day out or driving large lag bolts or other heavier fasteners, you might be better off just to get a high quality cordless drill because it will be more versatile.

An impact driver is a one trick pony: It drives.

Grouse

I have the Dewalt 20v lithium ion max. I absolutely love it. I use it for everything from building projects to working on my vehicles. Been pretty hard on it and it has held up well.
DT

Mine is the impact driver. Forgot to add that.
DT

Being on jobsite with many different kinds of drills with different people, they are all good. Yeah some lemons here and there but overall they all are perform well.

I’ve ran ridgids, DeWalt, Milwaukee, on a Hitachi right now and all are solid drills which you get what ya pay for. Ridgids didn’t last to long but was very pleased the way it performed for the price.

Hammer drill gets annoying, but I do find it starts the screw in wood faster than no hammer. Appreciable difference for residential use, idk.

Thanks guys. You have cleared things up for me. I want a driver now but its really hard to argue with Grouse’s point. Especially since I could use one unit at home and one at the cabin. I’ll have to sleep on it.

I built a new 12×16 deck this spring. Before starting the project I wanted to replace my 13+ year old 18V Ryobi. It has served me well doing projects around the house during it’s time but is becoming weak.

A carpenter friend of mine said you really can’t go wrong with Mailwaukee, DeWalt or Makita. We discussed it more and found out that several guys he works with run the 12V Milwaukee’s and are really happy with them which is the direction I went. Ended up with the set in the link below.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M12-12-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-3-8-in-Drill-Driver-Kit-with-Free-M12-1-4-in-Hex-Impact-Driver-2407-22-2462-20/204463967

I built the whole deck using this set and never once had a problem. Even hung the 16′ ledger board driving in 18-5″ screws using the impact driver before swapping out the battery. I was very impressed with.

I really like the size of these units not being large, bulky and clumsy. I can even put the better half to work with these and not hear about arm fatigue. This is my first impact driver and find myself using it for car and ATV work.

IMO you really don’t need to spend the extra dollars for more volts past 12V or the HD battery like the Fuel for at home applications.

My next purchase… Makita Refurb

I run Milwaukee Fuel. Something to pay attention to. Many kits (all brands) do not include batteries and charger, just the tool. Make sure what you are buying. My DeWalts are all 18 volt and now I’m having trouble finding 18 battery’s or tools. They are moving towards 20 volt stuff.

If you pay attention the box stores often run sales on multi tool kits to get the price per tool down. Downside is you spend more up front.

Tools –
I think I like talking tools just as much as fishing.
I run 3 crews and I let them pick their brand.
2 crews run Dewalt
1 runs Millwaukee
I make sure they are all 20 v lithium.
Can’t go wrong with either, and both have just as many tool options, however Millwaukee may have a couple more brushless tools.
As a Residential GC I like everything battery powered. I tell my guys that when I see an extension cord it cost me money. LOL

I also have some Makita but I just don’t think they are as HD.

And there is always the HILTI option, very spendy but OMG power and battery life.

I will never drive another screw without an impact driver. Much faster, minimal cam-out, and much more control.

I’ve personally got a bunch of 18v Dewalt at home, which are decent if you’ve got lithium batteries. However Dewalt doesn’t seem to like the larger Amp Hour lithiums for some reason.

At work we have Milwaukee Fuel, and once my Dewalts at home start dying off I will probably transition to Milwaukee. I really like the adjustable power some tools have, and that Milwaukee has an assortment of battery sizes. I believe they go all the way up to 9 amp hour now. Though they do get quite a bit heavier when doing so, and 9ah is way overkill for a drill….

You could also have the best of both worlds and get a drill/impact driver 2 tool combo kit. All the major makers offer this 2 tool combo.

I’ve run Milwaukee, DeWalt, Bosch, and Hitachi. The lithium ion versions are all good nowadays. I personally like Milwaukee the best and I’ve never had a Milwaukee tool die on me. Only issue is that the batteries are 80% the cost of the new tools, so it’s hard to justify buying new batteries when the finally die. Although I see there are generic batteries on sale for all the major tool brands.

Nothing, however, will stop my old school Milwaukee 14.4 and 18 volt NiCad tools. I’m still running a complete set of PowerPlus Milwaukee tools including a Sawzall, circ saw, and drill plus another 14.4 volt drill. These tools are over 12 years old and they will not die. I’ve had the batteries rebuilt twice and the tools just keep going and going.

Grouse

Home depot is where I bought the Rigid brand love both the drill driver and the impact driver. I graphics the impact before any other tool to drive screws. Plus the is a lifetime guarantee on the batteries. One goes dead and won’t recharge take it back to the store and they hand you a new one right on the spot. Have used mine about 6 years now and haven’t had to do anything to either one. I’d go with Rigid.

I’d go with Milwaukee fuel! My buddy works at Thomas Tool in Burnsville. They fix Milwaukee the least and sell it the most!

I have the 20V Dewalt Drill/Impact BRUSHED Combo. For the price, you cannot beat them. BUT, Milwaukee is a better drill at a higher price. It’s all preference. I replaced my old Makita drills with the Dewalts and I’m happy. I use the impact on everything I possibly can, best tool in my shop.

I bought the Milwaukee M18 combo hammer/drill/screwdriver and impact driver. Blaines has an awesome sale with $100 bucks off certain kits. I even use the drill for attaching to my K-Drill during ice fishing to drill 8″ holes in the ice.

Would you guys recommend the same screw/impact drivers for using with an auger attachment?

I run a brush less Hitachi hammer drill for ice fishing ,you can put it on screw or hammer. Brush less is the way to go it’s tougher,this what was told to me,. DK.

You won’t run a auger off of an impact, need a chuck to mount it.

Ended up with a Milwaukee M18 compact combo kit. They are the value point product from Milwaukee but they sure seem like super high quality.

Milwaukee doesn’t make anything low quality IME. Nothing but heavy duty, baby. The drill/driver is the gateway drug so you have to be competitive on those tools price-wise.

One totally awesome add-on to buy is get the flashlight that runs off the M18 batteries. It’s soooooo nice to have a really bright light and always have fresh batteries for it.

I used my M18 drill hard for 5 years and it hasn’t missed a beat. The batteries are now bad and in need of being replaced, but that’s the way it goes for all brands, can’t blame the truck for the tires wearing out.

I have never broken or worn out a Milwaukee tool. Corded or cordless. Batteries have worn out, but I’ve never broken or worn out an actual tool, even the stuff that I got used.

Grouse