My 12yr old (or older...I don't remember) Ryobi 9.6 has finally died.
So now I'm looking for another cordless drill. From what I'm seeing,
most of the drills are comparable. The real difference(s) seem to be
in the charger. Multi-hour chargers, one-hr chargers, 20-min chargers,
etc. Unfortunately, most marketing doesn't seem to focus on the
charger capabilities. So my ideal battery charger would be like:
1) quick--1 hour or so
2) Will automatically switch to trickle-charge when the battery is
charged so I don't have to worry about leaving the battery in the
charger overnight
3) Has an option to "re-condition" the battery before charging.
I'm looking for charger/drill mostly for weekend warrior around the
house, i.e., I'm not trying to make a living with my tools. Looks like
18v is now the "standard" but I've been perfectly happy with my 9.6 all
these years.
Any suggestions, comments, URLs, etc. welcomed.
Bill W
I currently have a 16.8V craftsman, which has been OK, but not great.
If I were looking again, I would look for a nicer 12v or possibly 14.4v
that would be a little lighter and easier to maneuver. I've seen a few
comparisons/reviews in magazines - Wood magazine Feb/Mar 05 recommended
the Dewalt 14.4 (followed by the Panasonic 15.6, IIRC).
Popular Woodworking Feb 03 recommended the 12v Panasonic with NiMH
batts, followed by the Porter Cable 12v, or the Craftsman 12v as a
bargain option. (This PopWood article is available to download at
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/features/tooltest.asp
See the recent thread on "NiCad Battery Memory?" and related links for
some discussion on battery types, chargers, etc.
Good luck,
Andy
I "bit the bullet", "pulled the trigger" (or whatever your favorite
expression may be) and went with the Ridgid 12v system. Smart-charger,
2 batteries, enough torque to cause wrist injuries, and it was just
barely heavier than my old 9.6v. Plus, it has been out for a few years
so I figured they must have worked the kinks out by now. Oh...and the
charger supports 12, 14.4, and 18V battery packs.
Now whether it lasts > 10yrs or so like my old Ryobi (which had
Panasonic sub-C cells in the packs, btw) remains to be seen.
Thanks again for all the feedback
Bill W
"wildbill" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My 12yr old (or older...I don't remember) Ryobi 9.6 has finally died.
> So now I'm looking for another cordless drill. From what I'm seeing,
> most of the drills are comparable. The real difference(s) seem to be
> in the charger. Multi-hour chargers, one-hr chargers, 20-min chargers,
> etc. Unfortunately, most marketing doesn't seem to focus on the
> charger capabilities. So my ideal battery charger would be like:
Well it is really the batteries that seem to be getting the attention these
days. Panasonic is going to be probably the best in general folowed by
DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee and not in that particular order.
> 1) quick--1 hour or so
> 2) Will automatically switch to trickle-charge when the battery is
> charged so I don't have to worry about leaving the battery in the
> charger overnight
IIRC the brands that I listed above will do that.
>Looks like
> 18v is now the "standard" but I've been perfectly happy with my 9.6 all
> these years.
IMHO 18 volt is not the standard. You see a lot of them but I would be
willing to wager that those buying 18 volt models and use them daily will go
lower voltage on the next ones. Unless you cannot recharge during the day
or do not have power available the big volt drills are Heavy. I use my
drill professionally and have had 4 9.6 volt models since the late 80's and
recently went to the 12 volt version. I miss the light weight of the 9.6.
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
<snip>
>>Looks like
>> 18v is now the "standard" but I've been perfectly happy with my 9.6
>> all these years.
>
> IMHO 18 volt is not the standard. You see a lot of them but I would
> be willing to wager that those buying 18 volt models and use them
> daily will go lower voltage on the next ones. Unless you cannot
> recharge during the day or do not have power available the big volt
> drills are Heavy. I use my drill professionally and have had 4 9.6
> volt models since the late 80's and recently went to the 12 volt
> version. I miss the light weight of the 9.6.
>
My use could be described as 'heavy duty homeowner/light shop user'. I
bought DeWalt 12v heavy duty, as the transition was being made to 18v.
It's a heavy sucker, 1/2" capacity. Last year I bought a 3/8" lighter duty
version, to supplement the 'big' one. DeWalts work fine. I imagine the
others do, too, but that's outside my experience.
Smart chargers help a lot. If I remember to bring along a charger, I've
never been without battery. The recharge cycle is quicker than I can
discharge one and not wear ME out.
Cheap tools aren't worth the money, if a job needs to be done more than a
couple of times. And if it needs to be done only once, then a hand tool
makes sense, in all likelihood.
Patriarch
wildbill wrote:
>> My 12yr old (or older...I don't remember) Ryobi 9.6 has finally died.
>> So now I'm looking for another cordless drill. From what I'm seeing,
>> most of the drills are comparable. The real difference(s) seem to be
>> in the charger. Multi-hour chargers, one-hr chargers, 20-min
>> chargers, etc. Unfortunately, most marketing doesn't seem to focus
>> on the charger capabilities. So my ideal battery charger would be
>> like:
>>
>> 1) quick--1 hour or so
>> 2) Will automatically switch to trickle-charge when the battery is
>> charged so I don't have to worry about leaving the battery in the
>> charger overnight
>> 3) Has an option to "re-condition" the battery before charging.
>>
>> I'm looking for charger/drill mostly for weekend warrior around the
>> house, i.e., I'm not trying to make a living with my tools. Looks
>> like 18v is now the "standard" but I've been perfectly happy with my
>> 9.6 all these years.
>>
>> Any suggestions, comments, URLs, etc. welcomed.
>>
>> Bill W
Just got the 14.4 DeWalt at the local Lowe's or Home Depot (can't tell them
apart now) and maybe 18v looks standard because Lowe's and Home Depot are
geared to construction instead of woodworking? The 18v just felt as if it
would be too heavy to lug around, even in my small shop, and now that I
have it home, the 14.4v may be too heavy, too. Up to now I have used 12v.
The directions seem to be saying this unadjustable re-charger fits all the
requirements you listed. It recharges in an hour, you might want to
re-condition the battery by leaving it plugged in for 8 hours after 10
re-charges, and it is a good idea to leave it plugged in with the red light
(finished re-charging) on all the time. Cost was $170.
I liked the variable spped switch and the single sleeve keyless chuck.
Josie
On 12 Jul 2005 06:11:20 -0700, the opaque "wildbill"
<[email protected]> clearly wrote:
>Thanks to all for the feedback. Decisions, decisions.....I think it
>was easier deciding to get married than it is deciding on which
>drill/voltage <grin>
Hey, the Ryobi impactor type is only $70 + batts and charger.
Impactor style is DEFINITELY my next buy for a drill motor.
I drove a 3" deck screw into a 4x4 using two fingers and nearly
no downpressure to keep the bit in the philips head screw. Try
that with a run-of-the-mill drill driver.
---------------------------------------------------
I drive way too fast to worry about my cholesterol.
---------------------------------------------------
http://www.diversify.com Refreshing Graphic Design
"wildbill" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> 1) quick--1 hour or so
Most will today.
> 2) Will automatically switch to trickle-charge when the battery is
> charged so I don't have to worry about leaving the battery in the
> charger overnight
Most will today
> 3) Has an option to "re-condition" the battery before charging.
I've not seen th at, but it may exist.
>
> I'm looking for charger/drill mostly for weekend warrior around the
> house, i.e., I'm not trying to make a living with my tools. Looks like
> 18v is now the "standard" but I've been perfectly happy with my 9.6 all
> these years.
I thought the 14.4 was more of a standard b ut the stores are pushing 18V
because people will thing bigger is better and it becomes a must have status
symbol. Ranks right up with alligators on shirts. . The bigger heavier
drills are just too much for most of us.
>
> Any suggestions, comments, URLs, etc. welcomed.
Love my Panasonic 15.6 V. Nice feel, good balance. light for the power. I
too started out to buy an 18V but they are too big for my light duty needs.
Had I not bought the Panasonic, I'd have stayed with 14.4
"Larry Jaques" <novalidaddress@di\/ersify.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 12 Jul 2005 06:11:20 -0700, the opaque "wildbill"
> Hey, the Ryobi impactor type is only $70 + batts and charger.
> Impactor style is DEFINITELY my next buy for a drill motor.
>
> I drove a 3" deck screw into a 4x4 using two fingers and nearly
> no downpressure to keep the bit in the philips head screw. Try
> that with a run-of-the-mill drill driver.
Impact drivers are absolutely here to stay and I wonder how I got around
with out one. However if you are thinking of buying one as a replacement of
a drill/driver think again. You are still going to want a regular
drill/driver. Impacts, even with variable speed don't have the finesse to
drive every length and kind of screw. IMHO impacts are good for HD driving
and removing stubborn screws. The impact driver is a great addition to your
existing assortment of drills.
"wildbill" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I like the weight of the 9.6 as well and will definitely prefer that
> over the 18v. It just seems that all of the local big-box stores have
> 18v spares and anything less will require mail-order and/or ebay....
By the time the 18 volt models need spare parts there will only be available
the parts for the 24 volt models. ;~)
NONE of my drills have broken, 6 of them since the 80's. Get a good quality
brand and it is likely that all will go bad over time is the batteries.
Oddly the price of a new drill, charger and 2 batteries typically is just
fractionally more than the cost of buying 2 batteries separately.
Unfortunately, cordless drills are marketed to be throw aways.