# cordless drill opinion



## spanishgrass (Sep 10, 2009)

I would certainly go with the Ryobi. The price difference between Lowe's and Homedepot can often be significent on the same item. Lowe's is trying to sell their name. Homedepot doesn't have to.


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

How many batteries with the Ryobi?

I have some Ryobi tools, and they work (some even have fairly clever features) but they don't seem to be heavy duty the way DeWalt, Makita, or Milwaukee are.

I'll look for a torque spec on both drills. I bet the DeWalt drill is a lot more powerful. You probably can't find amp-hour specs on the batteries, but I bet the Ryobi doesn't have as much power. Also see how long they take to charge. I bought a Craftsman drill (made by Ryobi I believe) a long (long!) time ago, and it takes six hours to charge. It's still an OK drill-driver for a typical homeowner, or even a hobbyist woodworker, but not really suitable for any sort of construction projects (due to the charge time).


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

I've got a bunch of Ryobi Drills---They hold up well-------I've never killed one.

The replacement batteries are 2 for $59.00.

DeWalt's are $65.00 each.

Other Royobi tools are to light duty for my use --but the Drills are just fine!


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## kawendtco (Oct 5, 2007)

i agree with ryobis. i can buy several tools for less money than one dewalt for more money. we use these tools day in and out. the ryobis have held up well, though we are starting to have battery charge issues. but we have this with dewalts as well. for the price of a dewalt battery i can buy two ryobi batteries. we have dropped these 18v drills off of roofs, ladders etc. and they are holding up well. 

their recip saws are not comparable to a super sawsall though. we have broke several ryobi saws. ridgid recip saw is alright but the way the motor cools itself, it blows the debris in your face. i tape my housing closed when i am using it overhead. yes it is hard on the motor, but the dust is harder on my face. it has been like this for three yrs now. just have to be careful.


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## oletrkguy (Nov 26, 2008)

After further looking into the Ryobi, i noticed it has a 3/8 chuck and the Dewalt has 1/2. Both are keyless and I would prefer a key chuck with a 1/2 chuck, unless they have come up with a better gripping 1/2 keyless chuck. I have a Makita wired drill with a 1/2 keyless chuck and it is starting to slip, it can be aggrivating.
Anyway, the Dewalt drill i am looking at has a 380 UWO rating and the Ryobi combo set comes with only one battery. The Dewalt has 2 batteries. Thanks for the input on this


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## Builder100 (Mar 20, 2010)

You'll find a good review of the DeWalt DC970K-2 at LumberJocks
and the Ryobi is reviewed here at Best Cordless Drill

The Ryobi has less power but it does cost less.


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

I'm a vote for the Dewalt. I got a great deal buying a set at Costco.


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## hankscorpio (Feb 10, 2009)

What are you using it for? 

The dewalt is obviously going to be more heavy duty, Does the one you are looking at also have a hammer option? I know the ryobi set you are looking at does not. That little trim saw it comes with is nice but again, its not a heavy duty tool. For your average DIY homeowner stuff that ryobi set will most likely do you well and cost a lot less. You could invest a little bit more money and pick up some extra batteries or another tool for it too.

If you are going to need serious drilling power and really put the tool to the test........consider the dewalt. Even though neither are lithium I bet the dewalt would run a lot longer. Again, depending on what you are using it for i'm not sure if that is going to matter to you. Also considering you could have 2 more ryobi batteries on stand by for 60 bucks


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## Jim F (Mar 4, 2010)

Most are OK for the occasional user. Where the higher torque comes in handy is for something like 4" hole saw. And there is nothing like a nice, clean 4" hole for dryer and fan vents. I need to default to my old plug in for that. My Craftsman C3 cordless performs well overall but I find myself losing bits and having to retighten so I'm guessing it does not have the greatest chuck available. Still, I just purchased a C3 impact driver which I like and it saved me the cost of a new battery plus the inconvenience of plugging in a second charger for a different battery. I never thought much about those flashlights that come with the kits until I saw one in action. Definately a nice add on. The battery holds the light in place on a flat surface and you can angle the beam to where you need the light.


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## richardballast (Oct 18, 2009)

One thing to keep in mind is that most manufacturers have moved to Li-ion batteries for the flagship drills. Li-ion batteries will go through more cycles than older NiMH or NiCd. This means that replacement batteries are less of an issue.

They ARE still an issue, but less important of an issue than in the past. Just keep that in mind.


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