Dunno where else to put this--Industrial duty powertool question

[sawerewolf]

Ok this is probably the wrong site for this but I need some advice. I'm looking to buy a heavy duty/industrial cordless hammer drill and all I could find that I can more or less afford is a Black & Decker. I would rather prefer to go with Makita, Bosch, Hitachi or Milwaukee, but its far too pricey for me. Its for myself and not a company purchase though, so cost is a problem in this case. I've only used DIY Black & Decker tools, so dunno how their INDUSTRIAL/HEAVY DUTY tools compare in relation to the other brands. Can anyone give some advice in this regard? And for those who bothered to read my profile and askin yourselves why a TLB would wanna have such equipment, I'm regularly required to do lots of other jobs too, some of which would be a hell of a lot faster and easier if I had a cordless drill. Plus a DIY tool is usually to light for the job in hand. Thanks much.

 

[digger242j]

This is probably as good as anywhere to post the question. I'm sure somebody will be able to give an educated opinion.

I edited your title to make it easier to know what the topic actually is.

 

[Legdoc]

Makita or Bosh in my experience is hard to beat. Go to a servicing dealer and ask the service man for advice. Not some monkey at a big box store.

 

[sawerewolf]

Thanks for the editing, Digger. Yeah I had a problem thinking of what to put as description. @Legdoc Yup those are great brands but as I said, cant afford them. Guess I should mention that although the cordless drill would mostly only be used for light work like driving screws or wood drilling, there will be times and jobs where that extra ooomph! is needed. Not to mention the portability in powerless situations.

 

[Legdoc]

With rare exception of a good deal, nothing cheap is good, nothing good is cheap, at least in my experience.

 

[Turbo21835]

Black and Decker makes Dewalt. It may be different in South Africa. For the most part B&D and Dewalts are the same. As Ledgedoc has said, cheap tools aren't worth it. Save your money and get the good stuff. If at all possible, I would save and go with the Bosch. Thats my personal preference. I have a Hitachi 14.4 volt cordless drill and Im unhappy with the battery life. I have a 24 volt Bosch cordless hammer drill. Its a beast. The battery lasts forever and it does what I have asked it to do.

 

[sawerewolf]

@Turbo If, as you say, Black &Decker makes DeWalt, then that basically means Black & Decker gets a thumbs up. Here in South Africa DeWalt is considered one of the top industrial power tool brands, according to some ppl even THE TOP brand. I will need to do some research about Black & Decker and DeWalt being made by the same manufacturer and how this will affect my choice here in South Africa. Thanks guys.

 

[Squizzy246B]

DeWalt is falling out of favour here, due to quality problems. Many tradies going back to Bosch and Makita. Panasonic make the best cordless drills due to their battery technology. Whilst I have mainly Hitachi stuff, we run the cheaper stuff if its likely to get trashed in mud or dirt.

We buy brands sold here as Ozito or GMC (Global Machinery Company) from one of the big chain stores (yer Walmart equivalent) and just keep exchanging them before the warranty expires. We go through 5" grinders like nobody's business on stonework and just keep taking them back when the blow up. $45 for the Ozito vs $345 for the Hitachi.:beatsme Ozito makes a great cordless hammer...about $140 here.

 

[pwrstroke6john]

i havent looked at the prices but you may be able to afford a smaller, like the 14.4 volt hammerdrills, and if all you are used to are the black and decker cordless drills you shouldnt be disapointed

 

[Legdoc]

Black&Decker and Dewalt are the same. We use cordless tools extensively on a daily basis at my laboratory. The older tools are Dewalt with NiCad batteries that develop a recharge memory and should be completely drained occasionally before recharge. The newer tools are Makita with NiMH batteries. We were obtaining poor battery performance with the Makita's and discovered we were draining them in error as we do the NiCad's. This destroyed them! We replaced the NiMH batteries and just started charging daily without draining them. All is well now. Sooooo check what type you have they do not come cheap.

 

[sawerewolf]

Update.... Bought the Black and Decker XTC183BK 18V. Got 3 speed settings, 22 clutch plus drill and hammer modes. Torque of 58Nm. Speeds of 420rpm, 1300rpm and 2000rpm in the three settings. Bit on the heavy side though but based on some testing I done, its a monster. Anyways, thanks for all the comments and advice from you guys.