Best Battery drill?

Apr 1, 2007
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Yer every now and then i do. We have teams of installers and teams of sparkies but every now and then i help out with the frame work.

Lol i turn 3rd year 1st of july, so roughly the same time.
I've just quit my company though for that exact reason in that i'm learning sfa but i have another job to pick up straight away just gutted i lose 140 hours worth of holidays but it'll be worth it.

Anyone know if the festool T15 has the hammer drill setting? I'm looking moreso for a combination of hammer / drill. Can't afford a fully fledged hammer drill for a while yet :thumbsdown:
Thats freaky... I turn 3rd year on the 1st of July as well! :s

Your lucky you had a team of installers, I'm currently the "roof bitch". My job is to tech screw all the brackets down, put the rails together, grind out the tiles, put the rails on, lift the panels on the roof and then clamp them down. And they wonder why I wanna leave/quit/get paid more...

Seriously, I feel like killing myself most days at work.. **** you "Eco-Friendly" Australia.
 
May 8, 2007
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Anyone know if the festool T15 has the hammer drill setting? I'm looking moreso for a combination of hammer / drill. Can't afford a fully fledged hammer drill for a while yet :thumbsdown:

The T15 isnt hammer, but the power and torque for a 15v 2.6Ah Li-ion drill is just outstanding. This thing will drill into concrete like butter, and change the torque and speed settings and its like a butterfly screwing s**t 4# screws into hardwood. Also its so light you think its a toy. Down side the standard kit with the 2 chucks is $750 and with brilliant right-angle chuck and eccentric chuck is $950.

If you want to get an awesome drill, the prices of the Festool C12 have plumeted to around $550 and that includes all the chucks :thumbsu:


[must add the disclaimer - Im not employed by Festool, im just a Festool`o`phile]
 
Dec 18, 2005
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Lol yes i've been on the website since and they look very good, good reviews as well. With tax time coming up i'm set to pocket a few grand so it's not that unacheivable i might have to look into it. :thumbsu:

Atm i'm leaning towards festool or dewalt i want something that will last and be good value. A light drill would help heaps!


Yeah i've had those days to just making up the verticals. Mostly i just run the ac/dc drop them fit off the disconnect / fuse box etc.

The past two weeks i've had a "knee problem" so the tradesman has been doing my s**t job crawling through insulation clipping while i've been fitting inverters and lifting panels to the installers haha

I'd reccomend getting out of it if it's all you're doing because as you know there's not much learning happening it's a labourers job. I couldn't stand it so this new company does house bashing will be good to learn switch wire etc (ive done the theory but pointless without putting it in practice)
 
May 8, 2007
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Dec 18, 2005
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Cheers that looks very good indeed. I'm leaning towards pro/festool atm. Might work a couple days of my new job to see our work range and what i'll actually need a drill for would help heaps haha.

I'm like a boy in a candy shop reading all these reviews and dreaming of what could be :p
 

its game on

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May 9, 2007
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I see your point. But thats the pros on Li-one. I was asking why you think all Ni Cad are crap.:confused:

My Ni-Cad is unstoppable. Its not so much the battery type, but the quality of battery and drill

Been a pro tradie for a long time and employ people, we just don't buy Ni Cad's anymore. They're old hat, don't throw your working Ni CAd set up out but when it won't recharge properly it would be crazy to buy anything but Li Ion setups.

With Ni Cad a chemical reaction takes place which slowly degrades the battery with regard to capacity (amper/hours capacity, that's why they lose charge in the tool box after a week) and also the total number of recharges. I can tell you that no pro tradies are buying anything cordless ie: drills/drivers/grinders/jigsaws without Li Ion batteries.
 

its game on

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Thats because the majority of tools now come with Li Ion, but to say NiCad batteries are about as useful as a 386 computer is plain silly.

You answered the question yourself, the majority of tools do come with LiIon batteries because they are better than NiCad.

The point you seem to be missing is, that like a 386 they are old technology. If you love your NiCad set up that's fine by me, but the OP wanted some good advice for a drill that had "rooted" batteries and no torque. Guess what? Those "rooted" batteries are bound to be NiCad's and I like all pro tradies, we're glad they've been superceded. If you run a business and use the tools like we do, you'd understand.
 

Brad Roo

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Here's the best tip you are going to get in this thread.

De Walt, yes, they are quality just don't waste your money buying them.

The Black and Decker Firestorm range is made from the exact same internal components as the De Walt range.
 
Apr 1, 2007
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Here's the best tip you are going to get in this thread.

De Walt, yes, they are quality just don't waste your money buying them.

The Black and Decker Firestorm range is made from the exact same internal components as the De Walt range.
Haha,are you sure? I'd never buy a black and decker firestorm drill.. I've seen so many busted up ones its not funny.
 

Brad Roo

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You don't know what you are talking about and I have no interest in debating the matter.

To the others in this thread that want actual good advice, ignore these hardware dicksizers and take my advice.

Over and out.
 
May 8, 2007
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You don't know what you are talking about and I have no interest in debating the matter.

To the others in this thread that want actual good advice, ignore these hardware dicksizers and take my advice.

Over and out.

Sorry mate you dont know what you are talking about.

Firestorm to Dewalt are the equivalent of Maktek to Makita. They are the cheaper domestic (inferior) version. They do use similar parts and technology, and in some parts casing, but are completely seperate. And i bet 100% they have different battery cells even though both Li Ion.

Also, as to the us called hardware dicksizers, your way off. Most here are tradies, as i am, 20 years in the business. So what is your qualifications to make such a big call on us?
 
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Sorry mate you dont know what you are talking about.

Firestorm to Dewalt are the equivalent of Maktek to Makita. They are the cheaper domestic (inferior) version. They do use similar parts and technology, and in some parts casing, but are completely seperate. And i bet 100% they have different battery cells even though both Li Ion.

Also, as to the us called hardware dicksizers, your way off. Most here are tradies, as i am, 20 years in the business. So what is your qualifications to make such a big call on us?
Agree.

Don't know what your problem is Brad, but to tell people Firestorms are basically the same as Dewalt is an absolute lie. Every tradesperson knows a Black and Decker is nothing compared to a Dewalt.
 
May 2, 2007
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Question, what are de Walt drills like these days? Was thinking of buying this.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/dewalt-...r-drill-kit-with-2-x-3-0ah-batteries_p0036587

Would only be for a lot of house maintenance, small electrical jobs for mates/family atm but do need something decent enough in case I did go back to being a full time sparky.

Also I've never used an impact driver, how useful would it be? Very nearly bought the above drill with one of those include at the Easter sale for $300, did only have 2ah batteries and no hard carry case though.
 
May 8, 2007
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Question, what are de Walt drills like these days? Was thinking of buying this.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/dewalt-...r-drill-kit-with-2-x-3-0ah-batteries_p0036587

Would only be for a lot of house maintenance, small electrical jobs for mates/family atm but do need something decent enough in case I did go back to being a full time sparky.

Also I've never used an impact driver, how useful would it be? Very nearly bought the above drill with one of those include at the Easter sale for $300, did only have 2ah batteries and no hard carry case though.
Go for it, Dewalt make a good product that is varied with different battery products being released all the time. It won't be long before corded power tools are in the minority and limited to specialist production.
Once you pick a brand you stick to it because of the batteries and chargers, and with Dewalt don't get sucked into the 20v hype as it's all marketing because they're only 18v.
2ah is a bit lightweight for a drill, 3ah is ok as they do the trick and you will have a spare that charges fast.

Also I couldn't live without my Makita impact. Just love it.
 

artichokeHearts

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not of recent years but i have used quite a few brands of cordless drills
one that stands out as excellent usability and all the rest is Panasonic
this was the one
and i am sure they have improved on them since then
 

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May 2, 2007
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not of recent years but i have used quite a few brands of cordless drills
one that stands out as excellent usability and all the rest is Panasonic
this was the one
and i am sure they have improved on them since then
I have the hammer drill version of that one I bought way back in 2002. After only a couple of years the unusual locking sleeve mechanism stopped working, which didn't matter too much for normal type drilling but made it practically useless for holding a masonry bit on hammer.. After about 3 years the brake stopped functioning as well. It still works now though but a couple of weeks back the reverse button stopped working. Was a very expensive drill for the time too, had the advantage of the new style of batteries though.

edit - 12v version of this
panasonicdrill.jpg
 
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artichokeHearts

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I have the hammer drill version of that one I bought way back in 2002. After only a couple of years the unusual locking sleeve mechanism stopped working, which didn't matter too much for normal type drilling but made it practically useless for holding a masonry bit on hammer.. After about 3 years the brake stopped functioning as well. It still works now though but a couple of weeks back the reverse button stopped working. Was a very expensive drill for the time too, had the advantage of the new style of batteries though.

well at least you got many years out of it...and if your a little handy with electrics...take the screws out and see whats going on....
that what i do
 
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