Which cordless drill would you choose? Bosch or DeWalt?

[69Charger_440]

I'm looking into getting an 18v Lithium battery operated drill/impact driver combo kit for x-mas, and I have narrowed it down to these two brands.  They will be used for home projects and won't be subjected to the wear and tear of everyday use and abuse.  I know DeWalt seems to be pretty popular, but Bosch has some pretty good reviews.  I'm seeking any good or bad experiences with either brand. 

Thanks, fellas.

[ws23rt]

I work in industrial construction and the move to cordless tools is amazing.  The quality and versatility improves at a fast rate.  The power (batteries) has been the weak area from the start but improvements there is why small corded tools are not common on a job site anymore.
I would go with what feels good in your hand and shop for price as all the companies are working hard to one up each other on both fronts.
Another point one should beware of is brand name fixation. Some companies tended to sit back a bit with their name and get passed by with the new competition.
Find what will do what you need and resist buying more of a tool than you will ever need. You could pay extra for extra performance now (that you may not need) and next year find a better one at half the price.

[bull]

Neither. Milwaukee. Been using my first Milwaukee cordless hammer driver 5 days a week for about six years and it's never missed a beat. I now have six of their M12 power tools. Milwaukee always ranks 1 or 2 in the reviews.

[ws23rt]

Neither. Milwaukee. Been using my first Milwaukee cordless hammer driver 5 days a week for about six years and it's never missed a beat. I now have six of their M12 power tools. Milwaukee always ranks 1 or 2 in the reviews.

That's what the company I work for uses the most. It's hard to go wrong with what they have now but that market is moving fast.

[69Charger_440]

Thanks for your input, fellas.  I'll look for further reviews online concerning the Milwaukee drills, but the reviews I've read so far haven't been to favorable.  These reviews are from customers who bought the Milwaukee drills in Lowes or Home Depot.  Thanks again.

[Alaskan_TA]

I love the 18v Milwaukee stuff also. Several years & still going strong for some of them. I have not counted, but I must have close to 20 overall & they have been used hard in construction in all kinds of conditions.

[ws23rt]

Just a reminder----Getting caught up in which is better is a natural instinct. I always like knowing I bought the best of something but that feeling goes away fast. (Think new phones) The old ones work great but the new ones always are a bit better.
I give away a lot of old power tools to good will because of this and ask myself---did I get good value from that tool?---

It is true that many of us take pride in our tools as much as the projects we use them for. That is part of the fun and satisfaction of making and fixing things.

Let's face it --how many hours do we enjoy a finished project vs the hours we invest to complete it?

[bull]

True. There's probably little difference between any of them.

All I can say is though, I have owned many, many power tools and I've never used any as frequently and roughly as I have Milwaukee stuff and had it last as long. I've never even bought a replacement battery. I've seriously used that hammer driver probably 20-30 times a day, 5 days a week for about six years. Same battery I got with it keeps a charge for a week. None of the screws have ever even come loose in the housing after all that hammering. I swear I've never owned anything like it. I'm as cynical as anyone, didn't believe the thing would last a year the way I planned on using it but every day it keeps plugging away like the day it was new.

If all the cordless stuff is half as good you won't be disappointed with whatever you get.

[Dino]

I've always loved the Milwaukee brand but I have some very good Bosch tools as well. That said, I bought a Dewalt years ago when it was on sale and it works absolutely fine without any issues.  I've used it for tons of jobs as well.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of these.

[Fitz73Chrgr]

Makita.

[440]

True. There's probably little difference between any of them.

All I can say is though, I have owned many, many power tools and I've never used any as frequently and roughly as I have Milwaukee stuff and had it last as long. I've never even bought a replacement battery. I've seriously used that hammer driver probably 20-30 times a day, 5 days a week for about six years. Same battery I got with it keeps a charge for a week. None of the screws have ever even come loose in the housing after all that hammering. I swear I've never owned anything like it. I'm as cynical as anyone, didn't believe the thing would last a year the way I planned on using it but every day it keeps plugging away like the day it was new.

If all the cordless stuff is half as good you won't be disappointed with whatever you get.

Hopefully you didn't shoot yourself in the foot and the thing packs up tomorrow.

On a serious note that's pretty impressive that your still on the first battery as the battery is almost always what fails first.

[Patronus]

I generally buy the yellow ones. 18v though? Not too sure I'd stick with the old battery technology. Especially if you're not stuck with current tools.

[Charger-Bodie]

Mil-a-wau-kay

[bull]

Hopefully you didn't shoot yourself in the foot and the thing packs up tomorrow.

On a serious note that's pretty impressive that your still on the first battery as the battery is almost always what fails first.

Yeah, watch it grenade itself because I was talking it up too much.

Milwaukee makes a super duty 12v battery that's supposed to last twice as long as the OE batteries but I've never really needed one. I know one thing that makes my specific batteries last is that they're not used continually for long periods (I'm not building fences all day), just dozens of times a day for 5-10 minutes, so they hold a charge for a week. It's sort of strange. Like clockwork almost the batteries are going dead every Friday. I charge them Friday afternoon before I leave, use them all week and the following Friday they're ready to be charged again.

[Mopar Nut]

DeWalt 18v and 24v here going on fourteen years without issues, both have been dropped and batteries are like new.

[Patronus]

I pack my batteries in a separate box and bring them in every night. Don't let them freeze or yer done. I have prob 7 bad 18v batteries. I've heard you can zap em with your welder, but I've never tried. I usually pick up batteries whenever the twin packs are $99. Also, I've bought batteries from the depot only to bust em open and find they've already been used and bad! Take a real close look before you buy anything.

[69Charger_440]

Thanks to all who replied. 

I went ahead and bought the Bosch 18v drill/driver.  I did look at the Milwaukee drill/driver at Lowe's and Home Depot, but I just couldn't pull the trigger.  I know a lot of you recommended them, but I couldn't get the bad reviews out of my mind.  These reviews were from people that bought them at Lowe's and Home Depot. 

I also looked at the DeWalt's (18v), but the ones on display sounded weird when the gears engaged and disengaged.  Out of all the cordless drills that I tried, DeWalt was the only one making this weird noise.  I crossed them off my list almost immediately.

Anyhow, I'll try and post an update in a few months, if anyone is interested or considering buying a Bosch drill.

Thanks again.

[Steve P.]

I have both Dewalt and Ridged sets. First owned the Dewalt and loved it, except that they advertised the drill to be fully capable of driving screws into both concrete and heavy bolts such as lag bolts. Well, not long after buying the set I started the rebuild of our present home and not long into the project my drill began smoking even under light duty. I ran into the DEWALT REP. at Home Depot and told him my story. He told me that I should never have been using it for driving lag bolts or screws into concrete.. I told him to watch one of their own commercials. He didn't believe me and made a phone call. Sure as shit, they already knew about this issue and were pulling the ad. Did me no good as he said I should have known better..

My son in law bought me a Ridged set. Has most of the Dewalt set minus the grinder. (I rarely used the dewalt grinder, but when I needed it, it was great). Anyway, this set is lithium and I could not be more pleased.. Between all my home projects and taking care of both our daughters homes and a few other friends homes I am very happy with the Ridged set up. The batteries don't run down to the COME THE F@(& ON point. They simply stop. They do have led lights on them that tell you how much charge you have left and they charge rapidly. Also they light up so you can see what the hell you are doing!!! I LOVE THAT TOO!!! 

in a nut shell, I would not go with the Dewalt system these days just because they would not stand behind their tools. I am VERY HAPPY with my Ridged Tools..

Did I mention that the batteries are LIFETIME WARRANTY?? You cannot beat that!!!!