amptech

I haven't used a corded drill to rough-in since I got the Milwaukee Li 18V. I use a sharp 3/4" auger bit and have no trouble. Most studs around here the last few years are match-stick pine, just a little tougher than balsa wood. I usually go through 3-4 batteries a day. My corded drills only come out now when the hole saw size goes over 2-1/2".

william1978

How long do your drills last?

amptech

I'm still on my 1st Milwaukee 18V Li drill.

480sparky

OK, so when did you buy it, and how many entire houses have you drilled out with it?

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All responses based on the 2008 National Rat Code.

ArrrrrMatey

Are you saying that you use this drill:



That drill is super light and a pleasure to work with, but I never thought it would hold up to drilling studs all day.

Peter D

OK, I'm going to take a stand here. Drilling out a new house with a cordless drill is girly.

480sparky

And you would know because.........?

__________________
All responses based on the 2008 National Rat Code.

william1978

Amen.

Peter D

I am The King!!

william1978

480sparky

Aw, man. You totally ignored my girl with the drill thingy. I'm gonna stop worshipping you now!

__________________
All responses based on the 2008 National Rat Code.

Kevin J

The only ones I see going cordless are the AV crews, and all they drill are little 3/8'' holes. There ain't a cordless drill on the market that can outdo a corded drill on the yellow pine they use around here if you're drilling out a house for roping.

Peter D

That's what I'm sayin'.

Peter D

Most new homes here are built with furring strips so very little drilling is actually required.

amptech

I bought the Milwaukee 18V Li drill, 1/4" impact and sawzall last November. Since then it has been used on the rough-in of 2 houses, 4 churches, a dental office, 3 house additions and an insurance office. Everything else has been metal studs and pipe. I haven't had a battery go bad yet either. Call it girly if you want, but it's just too easy to jump on a baker's scaffold and wheel around drilling ceiling joists without worrying with a cord. And like I said, the framing lumber around here is pretty soft and floor joists are TJI. Just don't force the drill and avoid lugging and stalling and you'll extend the life a bunch.

amptech

That is not a Milwaukee drill.

ArrrrrMatey

No one said I was smart.

mikeg_05

Maybe a Pirate

g_core18

The Ridgids have enough torque to spare and they're pretty well priced.

Michael Winters

We tested a bunch of the new lithium-ion powered cordless drills and the one that impressed us the most was the DeWalt DCD970 with its 3 speed range gearbox. It's 2 and 3 settings correspond to the 1 and 2 gearing of other drills. Having the extra low range makes a big difference in both torque and battery charge life.

The lithium-ion power ratings from the manufacturer are lab based and really don't provide an accurate picture of the power a drill will provide in the real world. The overload circuitry will cut power to the motor before the maximum torque can be applied. Hitachi is the worst in this regard.

Recharge times also vary a lot with it taking twice as long to recharge the Hitachi and Milwaukee battery packs as with the Makita and the DeWalt (both were under 15 minutes).

The cutting tool makes a big difference and the designs are mostly good for corded drills but not so good for cordless. Lots of auger designs on the market but none are designed to make the best use of the power provided by a cordless drill. There are short auger bits on the end of a thin shaft and these will require a lot less power than the continuous auger designs but all are designed for fast cutting and minimize damage from hitting a nail and not for minimizing the power needed from the drill.

People have not shifted their thinking from old designs for the most part - one exception being the new hole cutters like the Milwaukee Big Hawg and the Blue Boar Self-feed TCT hole cutters.