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Cordless drill with metal gearbox?

59K views 121 replies 49 participants last post by  CMP 
#1 ·
Does anyone have any firsthand knowledge of any cordless drills, in current production, that have metal gears?

I've freaking had it with Milwaukee cordless drills. I'm a Milwaukee fan, but I've torn up more cordless drills in the last 5 years than I ever hoped to own. I've personally gone through at least 4 or 5 18 volt drills, had a couple 28 volt drills rebuilt (each at least twice) and I just tore up another one yesterday (while drilling 6-5/8" holes with a holesaw in 5/8" drywall). Time for a change.

The last 18V I tore up, I tried to do some research and came to the conclusion that all cordless drills have plastic gears now. I switched to the 28V on the promise by the Milwaukee rep that they have that sorted out now, and the gearbox is sturdier. Not so, I'm here to tell you.

I need a bulletproof cordless drill. Survey says.... ?
 
#61 ·
Some of the older drywall I have ran into is pretty dense so I could see how using a 6'' hole saw on in a cordless could wear it out. I am all for using a cordless as much as possible, and the clutch in my drill has bitten the dust because of it. If my drill starts having a hard time drilling something, ill grab the hole hawg.
 
#62 ·
Just so I'm clear... I don't just use my cordless drills to drill 6-5/8" holes. I've worn them out drilling holes well within spec. I'm perfectly willing to admit that I exceed the drill's rated capacity on a regular basis. My only lamentation is that a cordless drill is not made with the same gearbox as a similar corded version. I'm simply saying how I want to use a cordless drill, and I'm seeking a cordless drill with a rating that will withstand the duty I will put it to.
 
#64 ·
The thing about the big holesaws is the flywheel action. When you let off the trigger, you can hear a defined "ker-thunk" in the gearbox when the spinning stops. I very much suspect that this is where the lion's share of the wear and tear comes from.
 
#68 ·
I think the reason that they dont come with the same gearbox is because the corded versions require alot more torque to turn. And you have a limitless supply. If the battery ones had the same gearboxes they would probably last for 3 minutes of use.
 
#69 · (Edited)
I think the reason that they dont come with the same gearbox is because the corded versions require alot more torque to turn. And you have a limitless supply. If the battery ones had the same gearboxes they would probably last for 3 minutes of use.

Huh?

The corded drill would have metal gears because there's more power in an AC motor, and that power is always there.

The last sentence of your posts makes it sound like they manufacturer is willing to trash the tool to save the battery.





Here, Marc, get one of these puppies!::

 
#70 ·
a call to 1 800 sawdust today reveled that all milwaukee tools have metal gears gearboxes and metal bearings ........ so why is my 28v milwaukee a POS


and marc why not take the right angle atachment off of the v28 drill and have a cordless d handle drill - its got to be stronger than the v28 hammer drill/driver just a thought
 
#72 ·
I agree the V28 is not so great. And like an ass I just bought another one. Im just gonna take a little better care of this one. No more 6 inch holes with the hole saw. I didnt feel like getting a new system. I already have 18v nicade and 28v lith. 18 volt dewalt at home.
 
#75 ·
And now its time for a mactip.... When cutting out for 6" Halo cans a spool of #12 or 14 will make a perfect template to trace. If you put a dot or an x where the center is, you can look up thru the hole and see where to put the spool to line it up. Course a circle cutter or a circle marker works just fine as well, but mine is somehow always hard to locate when I need it. There is always wire spools handy. I cut with a cordless roto-zip.
 
#83 ·
DeWalt service centers have a $99 maximum price rebuild option for your tools. Cheaper than a new $300 hammer drill.
Yeah but it's the principal. I don't want a drill that I've got to repair twice a year (my personal experience with Dewalt). It's a PITA and you feel like you're getting ripped off. I'd rather buy something new every 2 years than keep repairing the same drill.
 
#84 ·
A 6" + hole saw cutting drywall will certainly require much more torque than a 7/8" bit cutting through a 2x4. Its the reactionary torque resistance that is eating up the clutches and transmissions in these cordless drills. Everytime the drill goes from spinning freely, to an abrupt stall, or has significant centrifugal loading on the chuck (i.e. like a flywheel), the gear train experiences tooth shear forces near or above the design limits.

As you all know, one of the primary selection features of any cordless drill is weight, followed by runtime. Manufacturers can save significant weight by changing steel gears to die cast zinc or to plastics - or a hybrid of all three materials. However, any design will have a limitation on how much resistance to torque the gear train can handle without breaking gear teeth. Corded drills, by design, are heavier duty, and heavier to boot. They can also handle torque resistance much better than a lightweight cordless model. They also have much higher torque outputs (in excess of 900 in-lbs).

Bottom line is that there may never be a cordless drill out there with ALL the features folks want, plus a bulletproof transmission that has a torque resistance comparable to a corded model.

Also, if you are going to use a cordless drill for drilling 6" holes in drywall, use the low speed setting. The gear reduction will improve the overall handling of the torque resistance, and extend the life of the drill.
 
#86 ·
The only plastic gear on nearly all battery drills is the outer ring gear that shifts in and out when you are changing drill speeds. The inner planetary gears are almost always all metal. Only on the really cheap Harbor Freight drills are a some of the inner spur gears plastic, but they do not see enough torque to ever shear or break.

It is not hard to swap out a drill transmission or clutch if they fail. Both Dewalt and Milwaukee are very easy to buy parts from. Transmissions or motors usually cost $20.00 to $30.00 each plus shipping.
 
#88 ·
The ease of getting parts and service is what worries me the most, when buying strange brands.
 
#96 ·
I'd happily wait in line for the one person to get my money. During certain hours, many stores don't have a single person... only the self-checkout. Those things tick me off.

I do, however, like the touch screens many convenience stores have to order sandwiches and salads and stuff. They're very efficient. The self-checkouts... no so much.
 
#98 ·
RE:Drills






Get a Dewalt they last longer
I have 2 and a Milwuakee hamer drill the clutch sticks alot :mad:on the Milwauakee especially drilling though concrete walls.
Both are Hammer 18 to 14 volt drills and just hanging a simple outbox or run of conduit can be a real pain in:censored:. The Dewalt is alot better and hardly stickks when changing gears. I had to have the Milwaukee fixed twice already. The Dewalt keeps on kickin.
I like :thumbsup:the Dewalt is bulletproof over :mad:Milwaukee.
Especially hanging panels,lighting fixtures,and conduit runs.

:rockon:
 
#101 ·
To the OP, my Milwaukee 28v drill is all metal gears, same kit for 5 years now. The rheostat finally went. Other than the trigger not going to the end of it's resistance range, I've not had any problems. Just to be clear, I have beaten the living heck out of this drill every day of it's miserable life. I’m just going to order a new rheostat for it and I’ll keep on putting paddle bits in it. I’ll let ya know when I finally do strip a gear.
 
#102 ·
I have had an assortment (hammer drills, sawzalls, impact guns, impact hammer, bandsaw, 1/2" RAG) of Milwaukee 18v nicad tools on my truck for about three years now, with me and whatever apprentice using them on different jobsites and the temperature swings in the back of a pick up all of them are holding up better than any other brands we have in the crib.
 
#103 ·
With the new lithium-ion powered drills we decided to switch to get more power from lighter drills and more holes per battery charge. We bought a new Makita, new Milwaukee M18, a new Hitachi, and a DeWalt XRP DCD970 and had our guys use them for the past two months. We learned a lot by comparing the drills. Hitachi was the quick reject as it has a chuck that drops bits all the time and has the least power and stalls the most. Makita's have long been a favorite as they hold up better than any other drill we have used over the years but their latest LXT model does not seem to really put out the power their specs would lead one to believe.

The Milwaukee M18 has the most power according to its specs and the smoothest clutch, and a great all metal gearbox, but has overly sensitive overload protection and only a 2-speed ranges. The M18 also has the same kind of side handle mount as the new Ridgid 18v drill which can only be mounted at exactly 90 degrees to the main handle. When I am drilling in very tough material and really need two hands to keep everything under control I like to have the side handle at less than 90 degrees and with the Milwaukee and Ridgid drills I can't do this.

The DeWalt XRP did not start out as anyone's favorite but after its first month of use by the different crews it is now the top choice of everyone. It’s 3-speed gearbox really makes a very big difference in performance. Number 2 and 3 settings are like 1 and 2 for other drills, the XRP has what amounts to a granny gear that delivers a lot more usable torque from the motor and battery pack.


check this out - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jb-7fgDW_U


With the lithium-ion batteries there is a draw limit or they overheat and a safety circuit cuts out power or they discharge faster and you don't get as much useful work out of a charge. Being able to use the ultra low range on the DeWalt with large hole saws or drill bits makes a big difference and often the holes actually get cut just as fast as their is no stalling (quite noticeable with the Makita, Hitachi, and Milwaukee lithium-ion drills).

We have cut 6-1/4" holes in 1-1/8" subflooring and through stucco & OSB using the DeWalt and Blue Boar TCT hole cutters and we could not have done it any faster with a Milwaukee Hawg stud drill. Actually I prefer the DeWalt cordless as it is a lot easier to control if the drill binds up and a heck of a lot safer than the Hawg.

I have come to realize that to get the most out of a cordless drill the 3-speed gearbox is key to staying within the comfort zone of the drill motor and the battery pack. I see now that using new modern cordless drills with old fashioned hole saws and self feed bits and expecting good performance was not very bright on my part. The right hole cutter makes a huge difference in performance, and in the long run on the life of the drill. I figure if it takes 10 times as long to drill a hole by using a bi-metal hole saw or self feed bit, that this is also shortening the drill’s life by 90%. The easiest thing to do is use a modern hole cutter that puts a lot less stress on the drill and provides much better performance.

We cut a hole in 1-1/8" Sturd-I subflooring using a new Lenox bi-metal hole saw and it took a couple minutes which was no surprise and burned the wood which was also no surprise but when we recharged the M18 we had used it took more than 30 minutes to get back to a full charge. We tried using a new Milwaukee Selfeed bit and it still took 40 seconds to bore a hole through the subflooring and it too took a lot out of the battery. We had a Blue Boar TCT hole cutter that one of our guys had been using all week and I tried it out and the next hole took 10 seconds, as did the rest of the holes we cut and continued to cut using the same battery pack for the rest of the day.

Charge times for the different batteries varies quite a bit. The Milwaukee M18 takes 45 minutes, Hitachi about 30 minutes, and DeWalt and Makita both take less than 15 minutes. With DeWalt and the Makita drills we only need one spare battery pack on the job.

We have learned to use the M18 drills differently and when using "hungry" hole cutters like the Blue Boar TCT that we need to start slowly to avoid the overload protection taking over. The DeWalt XRP drills have been the best overall with one exception. The XRP chuck tends to lock up and we need to use a small pair of channel locks to loosen it. We have decided to go with the DeWalt DCD970 drills and the Blue Boar TCT hole cutters for all our trucks and after all our testing are pretty confident we are making the right choice – no doubts whatsoever about the Blue Boar hole cutters though.
 
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