# Cordless Drill History



## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

I recall an early 70s Sears model that worked as you described. It came with a wall wort PS and plugged into the drill using something that looked like a computer speaker PS connection, small, round and about .25". So under powered that it turned me off to cordless for about 20 years.


----------



## Davejss (May 14, 2012)

I started in construction when I graduated from my technical high school's carpentry program in 1981. When I first started working it was not unusual to see carpenters using yankee screw drivers. We used to use an egg beater style hand drill for pilot holes, and either the yankee screw driver or a regular screw driver, along with a bar of soap for lube, and just drive screws by hand. 
The first cordless drill/driver I remember owning was a Craftsman. I think it may have been around 7 volts. Then i bough a 9.6 volt Makita with an extra battery. I may even still have it somewhere.


----------



## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

My first cordless was the 9.6 volt Makita. I guess that makes me the youngster of this conversation. :wink:

Sorry Bob, I have no knowledge of the history.


----------



## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

I know exactly which one you mean, Bob. Or at least close, becasue I'm thinking that my Skil may have been in the early 70's, and it stood in a little stand, with the contacts in the bottom of the handle. It sat on intermediate landing of the stairs to the loft over my shop for a long time, and I finally retired it to the garbage can within the past couple of years. Pretty wimpy by today's standards, but used it quite a bit for repetitive tasks, like maybe removing hinges after I had loosened them with a conventional screwdriver or things like that, and I think that I may have even replaced the battery or stand at some point, but not sure. First "real" cordless drill I had was the 9.6 volt Mikita, and that one is still on the back of one of my tool shelves, but it will go into the trash one of these days. The battery makes the handle long enough to look awkward, but having used it on ladders, etc., I always thought that they did a great job with balance on it.


----------



## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

My first cordless drill was a Craftsman and I think it was a 6 volt? I am a painter and I thought I had "arrived" with the purchase of this tool for my DIY projects, likely purchased in the late 80's. Then, I saw that the GC I worked for had all Makita tools so I bought the drill in PaliBob's picture, the 7.2 Makita. From there I bumped up to a Craftsman 12 Volt, then an 18V DeWalt, and now, I have TWO Porter Cable 18 volt drills which I love mainly because they feel so good when I grip them, very comfortable.


----------



## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

Black&Decker developed the first cordless drill in 1961. (1/4 inch drill, not drill/driver) With the charger, it was $59.90, which was a lot of money in those days.


----------



## tee12 (Jan 18, 2015)

Bob, i have exactly the same Makita 7.5V drill with metal case and battery - it was bought about 35 years ago and still performs. But it never had any power, so to speak. The battery end cap has detached but i've taped it on.

I inherited my Dad's joiners hand tools, and some of the saws & wood chisels he had from an old guy who went back into the 19th C. After 100 years of hand sharpening the saws and chisels were down to remnants.


----------



## hotrod351 (Jun 15, 2012)

i used that Makita and the 9.2 volt or what ever they had next up, its been a long time. never failed me, never broke and im hard on tools. next one was a milwaukee 14.4 volt, still have it, over 12 years now and use the h*ll out of it, in fact i bought three more on good old ebay for installing metal roof panels, two for screwing down panels and two fro malco shears, that way i have two backups. dont think ill ever have to buy another and the batteries are still available from home depot.


----------



## Locsmithy (Feb 26, 2021)

Back in 1976, the Zayre Dept Store chain had a line of cordless tools in their hardware dept. They LITERALY looked like something Fisher-Price would have come up with, even back then. They were closing them out, so I bought everything in the store for 25.00 total, including the display models. The tools carried the ROCKWELL name, but no idea who made them. The drill had a 1/4" chuck and after a 24hour charge, you could make no more than 4 pilot holes with a 1/8" drill bit in a spruce 2X4. IT could have been usable similar to a Skill Twist for loosening/tightening small machine screws, if you had no more than 30 or so t remove/install.... then wait 24 hours. The tools included an equally underwhelming jig saw, flashlight and a few other items I do not even recall. I can not find any inkling of these dept. store sold tools, likely were also in K Mart, Bradless, Ames and others. Anyone here saved any forb posterity ?


----------



## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

6 year old thread


----------



## Locsmithy (Feb 26, 2021)

joed said:


> 6 year old thread


I was searching out info, thought it better to revive an earlier thread on same topic. If prefer not to post to earlier ones, I am happy to start a new one, but that would fragment the forum, and other replies that still may be germane would be lost. Guidance requested.


----------



## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

the majority of the members here would like to see and interact with threads that are current and active.
we see a lot of new members asking questions to members that have not been active in 10 years.
so yes, please start new threads yourself or interact with threads and posts that are fairly recent.
when in doubt, start your own thread. (we do not mind fragmented threads that are years apart).
thank you for your consideration and welcome to the forum.


----------



## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

One odd and actually sad part of old threads is seeing former regulars who no longer post or are no longer with us. PaliBob was a regular contributor but it looks like his posts ended in 2015. 😢


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

I still have the 9.6 V Makita cordless drill that looks a lot like yours that I got in 1995 or so. I got a replacement battery sometime along the way but even that is dead now. Otherwise the tool is still in great shape. I bet we can still get batteries for them but these tools are way too big and heavy for their limited power as compared to modern 18v models.

I also still have the first cordless screwdriver I ever got, a B&D that has a 1 to 9 adjustable torque clutch ring.... that has all the numbers worn off now. Its batteries died and I have replaced them a couple of times but that is a challenge. The case has to be taken apart... a couple of roll pins and some long since stripped screws... and the sub-C batteries soldered in. And the planetary gear reduction and clutch mechanism are quite a little puzzle to put back together. First time it took me forever. Second time I was ready to not let it all come apart... and to observe how the pieces fit together. I have a newer lithium model that is lighter, more powerful, better balanced and way longer lasting battery. But I still keep this thing around.

Yeah, I know, an old thread. But in honor of PaliBob...























PaliBob said:


> I hope some Tool History buffs can help me with my recollection's on Cordless Drill History.
> My first Cordless Drill was made by Skil
> I bought it sometime in the late 1960's
> The Battery was NOT removable, it was permanently wired into the drill.
> ...


----------



## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

@raylo32, I had that exact unit! It was methodically slow but did the job. I mostly used it to remove Electrical plates and covers before painting. After realizing it was slower than just using a regular screwdriver, it was moth-balled.


----------

