Cordless Drill Question and poll-Decision has been made

What to do???

  • Buy the two new 9.6 batteries

    Votes: 3 3.9%

  • But a new 9.6 DeWalt

    Votes: 6 7.8%

  • Buy the 18v Bosch and trash the DeWalt

    Votes: 21 27.3%

  • Buy the 18v and sell the DeWalt or give it away-if you want it let me know

    Votes: 28 36.4%

  • Other-please elaborate

    Votes: 19 24.7%
  • Total voters
    77
CAJUNLAWYER

CAJUNLAWYER

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Have a 9.6 DeWalt (NiCad)that the batteries have crapped out.
Options appear to be buy two new batteries at approx $90.00 delivered
buy a new 9.6 DeWalt(NiCad) for $89.99 thus leaving me with two 9.6's two good batteries and two chargers or buy a new Bosch 18v Lithium Ion for $99.00 (on sale from $179.99) and just trash the old DeWalt.
What would you do.
See post 46 for the answer
 
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I have an 18v DeWalt that I have used hundreds of times. It is tops. My Roybi and my B&D did not have the power or long battery life the DeWalt has. After seven yrs of use, it still works like new.

I would loan it to you but I still remember how you did your father with his drill.
 
I've been going through this exact same problem for 3 cordless drills now over the years. I make a simple decision and just tech up and buy new ones and buy an extra battery. It is cheaper and you end up with a better drill or what ever. I give my old drill to my mom or who ever will take it. They still work except the battery doesn't last long. My mom only needs to use a drill for about a minute or to max so it works. Otherwise, a yard sale with a fully charge battery to fake someone out, just put a buck price tag on it.

My latest upgrade was from Sears to Rigid. Then purchased a Skill drill & Skill saw cordless, both great tools! Cheaper then what you are looking into. But yes, your question is valid and the simple answer is NO, don't purchase a new battery, the drill will dwell on ya next and there you will have a new battery and a dead drill. Now what cha gona do?? Buy new.
 
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I've been in this situation, and it hurt to throw away a perfectly good Hitachi drill. But the batteries were as much as a new drill AND batteries, and I got higher voltage and better technology. Hard to believe that a cordless drill is garbage after the batteries go bad, but that's reality.
Disposable tools - I still have my Dad's ratchet wrench, hand saw and cast-iron level. They'll work forever.
 
Take your 12 volt battery charger and ZAP the Dewalt battery.

ZAP: determine battery polarity, turn on battery charger, touch charger clamps to battery poles for 10 SECONDS. The battery will now take a charge normally.

Don't know all the battery chemistry on why it works, but it does. 24 volts (2 chargers in series) does the job on 18 volt batteries.
 
If weight could be an issue, stick with the Dewalt, if not, I'd get the Bosch. An 18 volt has much more power, but can be awkward if leaning off a ladder and working at an odd angle.
 
Engineer1911 said:
Take your 12 volt battery charger and ZAP the Dewalt battery.

ZAP: determine battery polarity, turn on battery charger, touch charger clamps to battery poles for 10 SECONDS. The battery will now take a charge normally.

Don't know all the battery chemistry on why it works, but it does. 24 volts (2 chargers in series) does the job on 18 volt batteries.
Click to expand...

Does that really work? I have the same situation a perfectly good Dealt in the case with two batteries that will barely take a charge. I have just not been able to throw it it. I bought a whole Craftsman kit with light, saw, drill etc for less than replacement batteries. I know not the best but the same will happen to them so why pay more.

The age of planned obsolescence. Throw it all out.:mad: I still have two of my Dads corded drills. Built like tanks, plus all his hand tools.
 
I thought this thread was about using a cordless drill in a pool. Well, I guess it would be better than using one that's plugged into an outlet. :D
 
Engineer1911 said:
Take your 12 volt battery charger and ZAP the Dewalt battery.

ZAP: determine battery polarity, turn on battery charger, touch charger clamps to battery poles for 10 SECONDS. The battery will now take a charge normally.

Don't know all the battery chemistry on why it works, but it does. 24 volts (2 chargers in series) does the job on 18 volt batteries.
Click to expand...

Really? I'd not heard that one.
I'm down to one battery for my Dewalt, with two that no longer take a charge. Nothing to lose . . . gonna try that!
 
I own 5 different cordless drills and they all worked great for a year or so, then the batteries just wouldn't hold a charge for long. FINALLY......... I decided to buy an old fashioned CORDED Milwaukee Electric Drill. If I am going up on a ladder and need a drill for just a few moments I will take the cordless, but if I am setting up to do some serious drilling or need it for an extended period of time, I run the extension cord and use the Milwaukee.

IMHO they still have not made a cordless battery that LASTS for any great length of time, and like you stated, it is almost the same price to replace the batteries as it is to buy a whole new drill kit; that is how I ended up with five DeWalts! Buy a drill with the cord and your problem will be solved.

Chief38
 
14.4 volt here. Dewalt or Makita both are durable. the 18 volt have too much power (not according to Tooltime Tim) but I have snapped screwheads with a 18 volt, I have a Dewalt that survived my Housefire and 3 batteries, they are all over 5 years old and work great.
 
Caj, I have an 18V Dewalt with L-ion batteries. Great but heavy. I also have a Makita 10.8 impact driver. Works very well for me. But cost much more than a comparable Dewalt.

I bought a Bosch 12V L-ion drill when they first came out and it didn't last 2 weeks. Plastic gears inside broke. I took it back for a refund.

I have and like Bosch power tools very much. I have a few. But for cordless, I would stick to Dewalt or Makita.
 
I've used Dewalt and Bosch battery drills. The Bosch was a total piece of **** and lasted less than one year, the drill not the batteries, and went for warranty service twice before I just threw it away. The gears or whatever stripped out one time and the other time the whole head broke off. The next time it broke (gears stripped again) I threw it out.

The Dewalt was much better and lasted a couple of years or so with no issues, but the batteries died.

The last time I found myself shopping for a battery drill I ended up buying a 19.2V Craftsman, have no clue who made it. That was almost 5 years ago and I'm still using that drill with the original batteries. The battery life has shortened some but it's still going strong. It came with a regular drill, an angle drill, two batteries and the charger and it was $99.

That is the honest truth. My next battery drill will be a Craftsman.
 
I've got a few decades experience in the construction industry and Dewalt is pretty much the industry standard around here, however, for the non professional it may not be the best choice because of the cost of batteries. Ryobi is sold at Home Depot and their batteries are less than half the price of Dewalt and the tools work just fine for the average home improvement projects. My two Ryobi 18V batteries recently pooped out after several years of use and a twin pack of new batteries was about 60 bucks. HD had a sale on a kit that had a circular saw, drill, two batteries, charger, blades, bits, and canvas carrying case for $89.95 so I bought it instead.
 
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