Are more expensive drills really worth it?
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- Опубликовано: 7 июн 2024
- I get a lot of pushback because of the fact that I use entry-level (inexpensive) drills. You’ll either see me using a Ryobi drill or a Craftsman drill, and frankly I’m happy with them. They do the job I need them to do, and they didn’t break the bank. I didn’t choose these drills because I’m cheap. I invest in plenty of tools when I think the added features are worth the cost. But when it comes to drills, I just don’t believe that more expensive is better. Am I wrong? Well, today I’m putting some of the most popular brands to the test to find out (Milwaukee, DeWalt, Festool, Ridgid, Ryobi and Craftsman). And I can tell you know, you’ll be surprised to find out which one is the best cordless drill of 2023!
►DRILLS TESTED (affiliate links):
· Craftsman CMCD700 amzn.to/3MeF6fm
· Ryobi PCL206 amzn.to/4350c5Q
· Ridgid R8701 amzn.to/3ZObXup
· Dewalt Max XR DCD800 amzn.to/3ZJ3Orn
· Milwaukee M18 2801 amzn.to/3GjTWxv
· Festool T18+3 amzn.to/40Jqwkj
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►CHAPTERS
0:00 Are more expensive drills really worth it?
0:38 How I chose which drills to test
2:57 Drill models and price points
5:01 How I’ll test the drills
6:29 Tool specs comparison
9:04 Test #1 - Speed drilling
13:36 Test #2 - Driving screws until the battery runs out
19:11 Test #3 - Timed lag screw test
22:26 And the winner is…
►Written article
www.diymontreal.com/are-more-...
►MUSIC
Sound Effects from pixabay.com/sound-effects/?ut... 
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I bought a 18V Ryobi drill (brushed) 13 years ago and did a full renovation of our house with it and every woodworking project since then. The 18V Lipo battery is still the first and going strong. Since then I added several Makita brushless drills and they are quicker, stronger and the battery lasts longer (for twice the price), but I love my RYOBI and did not expect to get this lifespan out of it.
18v LiPo in your drill?? I highly doubt it's a LiPo lol
You buyed an eighteen volt vibrator, watch ya grammer fool
I've had a similar experience with mine. Bought mine, don't recall when, but might be 13, 15 years ago and four 4 amp hour batteries, and two of those are still taking a full charge.
What dedication! Thanks for doing the tests, really appreciate your insights!
First timer here, just for curiosity, no particular need for deep dive into woodworking tools. But have to say that your test was exceedingly well presented. You were clear, crisp, upbeat, and you speak with authority from your experience. Thank you!
THANK YOU for actually comparing like with like, making it clear what slight spec variations there are between each unit tested, and also alluding to the reviews that don't pay such attention to the range they're testing! I'll keep an eye out for that in future - what ARE they actually reviewing!
I once used Craftsman power tools for personal use but experienced the Milwaukee tools through work. A few years ago I 'bought in to' the entire Milwaukee product line and have not had many regrets. It is a high(er) price but I know that if I use the saw, drill, impact wrench or Sawzall that it will get the job done. I even have the little Milwaukee AC power inverter, it ended up being neat on a camping trip to power an AC device for an hour or so.
The reason the magic smoke came out of the Craftsman brushed motor drill is that you were covering both vents! If you need two hands, your hand should be on the back of the drill, not hugging it.
That's a good point! It made me watch the video back. After looking for it, I did notice her doing the same thing to all the drills though. Is that just a brushless thing needing more air flow? Serious question, I really don't know.
@@papageo5 It is a brushless thing indeed. If you pull the trigger, you can feel rushing air coming out of one side vent, drawn in from the other. There is an impellor fan on the drive shaft. The brushes need lots of cooling because they are creating an arc to power the drill (use one in the dark and it will look like fireworks through the vent).
If you use the drill over and over without blocking it will become pretty darn hot. With the vents blocked it will cook itself quickly.
This is very noticeable on 120 or 240V drills used hard in concrete etc. The air coming out after 60 seconds of run time is really hot.
Brushless is different. As there is no arc to transfer power from to the motor, they run much cooler. This is why there are not large vents or an impellor on brushless power tools.
The most common reason a brushed power tool will die is from worn or cooked brushes. That's why you get that little snap lock bag with a spare set in the box of most brands that most people proceed to throw out because they don't know what they are.
Destructive testing of engineered products requires understanding their common failure points. A proper conclusion can be drawn from looking at why each tool died, not just how long it took. The question should always be why.
Cheers, mechanical engineer taking a mental break at work :D
Or go with a brushless impact ;)
@@dgreer5537 Yeah I've not seen many pros driving fasteners not using an impact. Brushed can work fine if you're within your torque limits.
There was a non rp craftsman on display at Lowes last week setup for consumer testing. Not bad at all for what it is
One of the biggest keys to figuring out which drill to get (as you said at the end) is to look at the full line of tools that brand sells. You're not just buying a drill, you're buying into an ecosystem of tools because the batteries will serve them all (and they're not cheap). If you like DeWalt's tool lineup, buy a DeWalt drill, etc. I would also say, don't buy a 12V drill (they are plenty powerful) if you think later you'll want other tools that only use 18V batteries. Makita would have been another great contender.
You can get adaptor plates for a few combos. Buying into any ecosystem is an expensive luxury when your tools are random bargain/auction finds, and as batteries have a finite lifespan there's no real advantage to sharing batteries apart from fewer chargers.
@@MattOGormanSmith This test wasn't about bargain finds but about the best tools for the job.
Yes, if you're serious about your tools, look at the whole ecosystem. For me as a professional electrician being able to switch batteries between tools is a HUGE HUGE advantage. Mine has been Milwaukee all the way, and my batteries have lasted for several years under intensive use, every single day.
The ecosystem is key and the biggest reason to choose one system over another. It's also true that DeWalt for instance has many cheaper drills available, and the kits are often on sale. So you can start there and get into the system/batteries, then add better tools later. If you're a power tool junkie, you will love looking for saws, angle grinders, lights, radios, chain saws, leaf blowers, etc etc that all run on the same batteries. Milwaukee is awesome also for this reason though I happened to buy into the DeWalt system years ago. I recently bought a DW stick vac that we use as our main vac in the house. The same battery runs our leaf blower. The power goes out and 4 battery powered lights fire up the house for many many hours. Drill, what drill? That's how diverse these ecosystems are now. It's pretty cool.
i was thinking the same. makita would be great if it was tested aswell.
@@MattOGormanSmith I've found a use in this too. I run a lot of Milwaukee stuff mixed in with bunch of cheapies that I thrash. I bought a Ryobi mower the other day and bought an adaptor off Ebay to run the Milwaukee battery from the line trimmer in the Ryobi mower (it didn't come with a big enough battery). The mower runs a lot better.
In the end Milwaukee etc etc just run higher C batteries so can pump out more amps.
Just a note to any noobs reading this, you cannot use a battery adaptor to go from Ryobi/craftsmen to Milwaukee/Dewalt/Festool. Does anyone know where I can get C ratings for different battery models?
Nice and honest review! Thank you!
I started with a Ryobi combo kit a number of years ago because of the price point, and I've stuck with them since. I've added a couple of other tools from Makita, but mostly I stick with Ryobi for the drills and nailers. I do occasional DIY around the house and make other woodworking projects, so that's all I've ever needed. On top of that, I have too much invested in the batteries to start over with someone else's platform. Great vid, as usual.
I also have the Ryobi but when I invested in larger batteries, they made a world of difference. I still have the original 2ah battery, but I generally use the 5ah or 6ah. It's not just extra life you get from the larger batteries, they really push more power too. I found this even more pronounced in the Jigsaw. Trying to cut thick wood with the jigsaw and 2ah battery, it definitely feels underpowered. Once you put a 5ah or 6ah battery in, it feels just as powerful as a mains powered tool.
Same here, got a Ryobi combo kit in 2018. It did what I needed for DIY projects. Ryobi has many yard tools which other brands did not have (blowers, weed walkers, chain saw, saws all). Today I own a good number of their tools and only one battery platform. This is my plus - seven chargers and eighteen batteries (eleven 4 ah and seven 1.5). Always have a hot battery for the tool I am using and didn't break my budget. 😊
Also I think she was testing a more entry point Ryobi, there brushless tools are not that much more expensive and I believe would compare more favourably to the Default and Milwaukee.
Personally I don't like DeWalt drills because It feels like the motor slaps when it engages.
I don't know why the Ryobi failed the paddle bit test. I have used my Ryobi with a paddle bit to make holes through the rim joist to outside the house for electric and a water spigot. It worked fine, and it's an old brush motor.@@aidananstey9848
I was really impressed with this entire video. Your dedication, the tests, the narration and camera angle and honest advice - second to none.
Hello from former Montrealer :)
You gained a subscriber for sure!
Very nice, thorough and informative comparison. Just watching you drive all those screws earned you my subscription. Looking forward to your other videos.
After watching the video: props for having the patience to perform all these tests! I like comparisons like these because they give the user and idea what to expect.
Just discovering your channel for the first time. What a wonderful presentation! Briskly paced, beautifully filmed, with comprehensive coverage of the topic, and very well articulated! You deserve a million subscribers - and I think you are likely to hit that magical target!
Thank you so much! 😊
This video popped into my feed and I thought I'd give it a look. So glad I did (completely apart from finding out that the drill/impact drill set I found on sale is from a brand that did very well in your tests)! I'll be watching this channel more often! Also love that you're in Canada!
Well done video. About 10 years ago I built a 10x16 deck with a new craftsman drill. Just before I finished the battery would no longer take a charge. I finished the deck with my 20 year old corded $12 Black and Decker drill. This old drill still works.
What a dedicated video, which must have taken absolutely ages! Thank you. I can echo your results, having wasted loads buying rubbish cheap brands over the years and now have 2 that I am very happy with, a brushless DeWalt and a brushed AEG.
Thank you for such thorough test, highly appreciated!
I have several 18v Rigid drills and impact drivers and they, in my opinion offer exceptional performance..The biggie for me if the lifetime warranty that Rigid offers and although I have only used the warranty to replace a battery, my tools have stood the test of time and heavy use....especially my impact drivers ...I am a big fan of yours and really enjoy following your videos and builds... Cheers
The Ridgid warranty, covering not only the tools but the batteries as well, is huge when it comes to cordless tools. They have a decent selection of tools available that cover most use cases from woodworking to mechanics. What you get for what you pay, Ridgid is going to be a clear winner with that registered lifetime warranty as icing on the cake.
The warranty huge selling point for any product. If it has a good warranty, it’s probably a very good product. I liked your comment I like rigid tools.
Nice review, I like that you talked about other tools supported by the battery, while they all do it, one really nice thing about Dewalt, at least here, is the easy availability to buy bare tools. So once you have your batteries, you can pick up tons of tools for a lot cheaper. We have a local farm/Ranch store here that has an entire row dedicated to Dewalt bare tools. One really Nice thing about Ridged is the batteries for life, so when (not if) your batteries die, they will replace it.
PS. Most tool manufactures now offer bare tools. Even Festool.
good luck getting Ridgid to replace ANYTHING, and their line-up is lacking to say the least(I absolutely love other non-powered Ridgid tools though!)...Dewalt and Milwaukee are basically THE ONLY entry level big box store tool companies in the USA that will stand behind their products pretty much hassle free....Makita is probably not too far behind though(you'll probably deal with shipping, emailing, and long waiting with most tools/batteries) and im not familiar enough with Flex and Metabo(I've heard recently Flex has stepped up their game big time and is like Dewalt and Milwaukee or even better some people have told me, but I personally have no experience with them on a warranty)... Don't count out Harbor Freight now that they have come a long way with good quality modern era battery tech finally, Harbor Freight should REALLY be the Mecca for ALL hobbiest, cheap home owners, and budget minded trade folk, plus no question replace instantly warranty, and constant amazing sales/club member deals... Harbor Freight is SERIOUSLY hard to beat these days especially
Very good testing. Thank you.
Great Test, ThAnKs !
Another factor to bear in mind is warranty,some people abuse their tools (not me) and with the range of warranty they have a major influence on which one to buy. Great show. Phil. 🇬🇧
All "pro" tools got the same warranty :)
Many of the non-pro tools have the same warranty (as long as you're not using it for commercial use ;-)@@malacruxnorman3162
@@malacruxnorman3162 No.
In test #3 the Festool drill was set to screw mode which massively limits the torque output. For full torque you must switch it to drill mode.
And it was set to the first gear. I don't think (from experience) the second gear would have struggled.
And It still wouldnt be 3x better than the competition.
Ummm ... Wasn't Test #3 driving screws?
@@BH.22. Is the first gear the low gear? Cause the high (speed) gear has of course less torque.
@@Cancun771 No, you are right, first gear is the low gear. First gear has more torque, but is limited to the torque setting. The second gear has more momentum and takes advantage of the drill mode (no torque limiter). That's why I think it would have been better/faster in the second gear.
Loved this in-depth thank you x
Thanks for a systematic and clear review.
Great comparison.
My father used cheap battery drills for a long time and I had cheap ones at the beginning.
I could always see the brushed motors arcing through the vents and the smell was always noticeable.
Then I bought a high end battery drill from Fein as well as a 12V one from Metabo later, because I wanted something light and small and also had a voucher for an extra Battery. Both brushless. They’re both great.
I later bought several tools of the budget brand Einhell, choosing the brushless version whenever there was one available. Going the budget route, you need to know what to expect.
It’s the little annoying things. Included parallel guides that are flimsy, mediocre dust collection, or other issues, like the dust box not fitting a sander when the 4 Ah battery is attached.
A lot is in how to treat your tools.
How much you use them.
Now that I'm retired, I have a very cheap brushed drill I've had for a couple of years.
I keep it clean and give it time to rest between hard use like hole saws. Mainly, it drills pilot holes.
Another tip, keep bits sharp.
I love my Festool t18, its no better at drilling holes but... The fast change chucks, 90 degree and off set chucks and its electronic torque control work for me as a traditional boat builder. I mainly use old school slotted screws when they're going to be on display and want all the slots aligned to look right, the low speed control is worth every penny
Now that is a job built for a Fessy.
Also, can't believe you power drive slotted screws. Some very steady hands you've got there! If you're going to do that, Festool is really the ONLY choice.
to be honest i often tweak then with a screw driver, but when you're putting in hundreds of the little buggers it helps, and the torque control means you dont ruin the slot on the screw
Thats what People dont get. All extra accessories to make The job easy.
Excellent report,thank you for taking time to do this
This is the most precise and clean test of power tools I've ever seen... CONGRATULATIONS!!! You have one more subscriber!
Brilliant comparison. It's really hard as a hobbyist/DIYer to work out what to buy - I want a tool that can reliably do the job with not too much fuss, but don't have tons of cash to just blow it on the expensive ones all the time and, for the same reason, I never get to try different ones in "real-life" situations to find out if they're actually worth it or not. You've done an excellent service to me and my kind here - many thanks.
FWIW - I decided to buy into 2 lines to balance the benefits of needing fewer battery types whilst leaving myself price-point options. I tend to go DeWalt for frequent-use/heavy-duty tools (drill, sander, jigsaw) and Ryobi for less-frequent/lighter use ones (patio brush, hedge trimmer, reciprocating-saw). The reciprocating saw arguably has a need for grunt, but I don't use it very often and it was in a good sale offer so, since I do have Ryobi batteries, I was able to take advantage.
I'm all in on Ryobi and not disappointed. However, I did pickup a Rigid 12v drill that is able to do a lot of what the Ryobi does while being much smaller and lighter.
Its a moderate amount more than the Ryobi stuff, however still a good bit less than the pro-sumer/trades DeWalt and Milwaukee.
IIRC, Rigid has/had some great battery warranty too.
Add a 2ah powerstack (lithium pouch) battery to the dewalt and use the torque settings as wrist protection, and you have the ultimate 🏆
Very clearly delivered comparison video, thank you.
Geez that screw test would have taken forever.
Thanks again 🤠👌 🇦🇺
Great video and love the testing
This was great, thanks so much!
I enjoyed your comparison video, the challenges you put them each of them through and also your personal findings along the way. Thanks for putting it out there.
Thanks, appreciate it!
I can't believe how much time, effort and money went into this production. I'm sorry to say I just came across your channel today and subscribed almost immediately. (The 5 super simple woodworking jigs... drew me in.)
I'm planning to scroll through more of your content and I am a fan of supporting my favorite Makers on Patreon so...
Thanx for all you do.
Awesome video thank you!!
Thanks for the video. My buddy was a cabinet maker (retired now.) He used to use Makita drills back when Makita dominated the market for cordless drills. He had at least 12 cordless drills to save him time changing bits. When the batteries (ni-cads) started failing he tried some Harbor Freight cordless drills. Eventually that was all he used. They did the job okay and cost about 20% of the price of Makitas. He didn't think that Makita was good enough to be justify the higher cost.
This was a great test and comparison. Ridgid makes decent entry-level/DIY tools. Bang for the buck they're pretty good. Not as good as Makita/DeWalt/Milwaukee (which are more of a prosumer and trade level) but they get the job done. I have an old Makita set that's been great for screws and pilot holes, which I mostly use them for. So far I've only had to replace the brushes.
This test was fucking horrible lmao
"Ridgid makes decent entry-level/DIY tools" Are you for real? I'm a GC and exclusively use Ridgid tools.
I have some Ryobi 18V tools that I got several years ago, but my Ryobi brushed circular was just awful for bigger projects, and I upgraded to a Makita for a new circular saw. I also bought into both the Milwaukee M12 and M18 lines for a couple other tools.
My favorite drill is my small Makita 18V subcompact. It has great ergonomics, plenty of torque for 95% of my drilling needs, and it fits in tight spaces. I also love the ergonomics of my 2 Makita circular saws and also my Makita jig saw. I also replaced my older Ryobi angle grinder with a Milwaukee 18V angle grinder, which has better ergonomics and a better brake, a better paddle switch, and I believe is a safer tool.
My cordless trim router, reciprocating saw, and oscillating multi-tool are Milwaukee M18, and they're all fine. I have little issues with all of them, but the motors are powerful. I would say that in general, I prefer the ergonomics of most Makita tools over most Milwaukee tools.
I love my little Milwaukee M12 surge (oil/fluid drive) impact driver, and I also bought an M12 impact wrench (for speeding up my occasional home auto repair work). The M12 surge impact driver is, I believe, the quietest impact driver on the market. It fits in tight spaces, it's lightweight, the ergonomics are fine, and it has an impressive amount of torque for a 12V tool. I used it to drive hundreds of screws when I built a big tree house for my daughter last summer.
I have a couple Ryobi 18V tools that I still use and love. One is a compact 18V hot glue gun, which I use for all kinds of quick glue jobs. It's not a pro woodworking or carpentry tool, but I've used it to quickly tack parts in place before driving them together with screws or nails. The other Ryobi tool that I really like is a very lightweight 18V miter saw with no sliding mechanism. It's my favorite tool for cross cutting anything smaller than a 2x4. I don't have enough room in my garage to set up a permanent miter station. So when I need a miter saw, I set it up on a folding table outside. Therefore, the best tool for me is the lightest one that can be stored in the smallest space in a cabinet in my garage. If I need to cross-cut bigger lumber than a 2x4, I just use a circular saw. To my knowledge, neither Makita, Milwaukee, Dewalt, Rigid nor any other "pro" brand make a compact battery-powered miter saw that is as small and light as my Ryobi.
What a commitment to do all that testing! Great info. Thanks for helping me make my decision
It's a great review! Thanks
I am a carpenter, I have Dewalt equipment it’s a good all rounder & doesn’t let you down, great video I liked how you try different techniques instead of just trying to blow up the motor like in other peoples videos
I am also a carpenter and from my experience at least, every DeWalt tool I've had has been worse than ryobi
@@sataniccrow2607 Dewalt let me down every time. I switched to the new Hurcules, it has really impressed me.
Great video, maybe also testing a Ryobi brushless would have been interesting and a good comparison between the motors.Ultimately getting a drill (and many other tools) will largely be determined by the batteries we already have and if we are diy or professional.
I picked up the Ryobi brushless for 110 with a 4 ah battery, its been great, the one used in this comparison is actually the old model, its since been replaced, and the worst one they made, with the weakest possible battery, the AH of the battery really effects its performance, the 9ah battery I use on my Ryobi saw never bogs down, while the 1.5ah gets stuck on anything.
I fully agree. I'm a Ryobi fan and a long time user. I recently bought a Ryobi newest brushless combo drill/impact which is amazingly good. For less than $200 you cant beat Ryobi price point. I also a fan of Milwaukee tools for their quality and durability. But when its come to price I think Ryobi is the winner especially for the DIYer whos' on a budget. Tradesmen's are a different story. BTW Festool is overpriced tools for those who want to show off on the ytube! The real craftsmen don't need such overpriced, show off tools, in my opinion. @@johnfarscape
Exactly i have dewalt equipment and if your cordless tool is something you rely on then you are wasting money with the cheaper ones, As an apprentice the first drill i bought wasn't cheap it was a Hitachi but after 3 months it blew the gearbox which required time to take it back at it was sent away repaired and returned then it did it again so i bit the bullet and bought a dewalt and even forever ago with the NiMH battery it would still try and break your wrist if you didn't use the clutch. I used that set for about 5 years as an Electrician until the batteries stopped being usable by which time they moved to lithium unfortunately i didn't have my first lithium set long due to theft but the 3rd set i have had for about 10 years now and it still runs like new
That was a very helpful comparison. Much appreciated.
Great video! Thanks!
Somebody admiting that they realize why tradesmen use red and yellow. I'm impressed at the honesty.
I have mostly Milwaukee tools, but run DeWalt drills because their chucks are superior to Milwaukee's. I Plan to buy a select few DeWalt tools in the future that are also better than their Milwaukee counterparts.
The work I do demands tools that have the guts and the longevity that only Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita offer. (RIGID to an extent) Some of these less popular brands have a handful of tools that are just now starting to outperform the big three, but its too little too late, and they're tearing themselves apart to do it.
I've no problem with DIY'rs choosing whatever they can afford or need/want, but don't compare your tools to ours and wonder why you recieve the backlash you do.
This test served its purpose well, and I hope many more people gain a better understanding of the differences between pro tools and light duty tools through it.
P.S. You were so mean to that craftsman...😂
We were using a gen 3 milwaukee M18 fuel to put 7/8" holes through 3/4" structural steel and reaming holes because the steel was made by the lowest bidder worst holes were 2" off or not there at all. It was pretty bad for the wrist twist but never had problem with power (gen 4 they added the auto stop which saves the wrist so far). One day lunch break someone stole the one we had left with a brand new reamer (anything milwaukee on this site grew legs) and we had a makita and 2 dewalts, the makita made smoke in about 30s and blew the gearboxes out of both dewalts in about 25 min. Set us back about 4 hours because we couldn't find another drill or a "certified" welder that would weld a 1-1/4" bolt head onto a reamer for us to use on an impact after scrounging around site for another drill or a magdrill bit bigger than 3/8". We only ever had problems with the milwaukee chucks after cooking bits into them too many times but could still reef on them to keep bits in.
I’m a rigid fan and was happy to see how they performed for the price.
What an impressive thorough test! Thanks for sharing with us!
I like the honest review. Good job!
Nice set of tests, the data is very informative.
As for the torque at the end from the DeWalt, does it not have a clutch setting? Or was the torque required to drive the lag bolt so high that you couldn't use it?
I didn't get that either. Why complain about too much torque, when you can adjust to a lower setting? The torque potential and adjustments weren't even mentioned, when in real life, this is what you use all day long to make for an efficient day.
When I decided to choose a drill/impact driver for my own uses, one criteria was ergonomics. I happen to have a fairly small hand and a comfortable hand grip narrowed the field quickly. I chose Makita mostly for that reason. I’ve never regretted the decision.
Makita is objectively the best power tool company in the world. The durability and build quality cannot be beat, and the prices are far and away better than competing high end brands like Festool and Hilti.
@@Levi-mg4nf That's true, but the feelings are more important for me. So I went for Festool and Hilti. Most of my friends things like you, but when we are working together,
they use my tools, because of the weight, the ergonomic and the smooth. So they really love them, but they will never by one as they thing that those brand are too expensive for what it is.🤷♂
@@Levi-mg4nf
Hardly the best 😂😂😂😂😂
There are a few tools from Europe which are probably better.
Metabo is a German tool which is "up there".
The only drawback is the weight ... screwing or drilling above one's head is like a workout.
There are other German made tools of excellent quality, made for professional tradesmen, which aren't always sold overseas.
Mind you they are very expensive so that might account for it.
They aren't really designed for the ordinary DIYer.
And of course Bosch, for example, do a "green" colour range for DIYers and "blue" colour orange for professionals.
Hitachi "green" range have changed their name and cater mainly for the professional market.
Some manufacturers build for "trade only" and you won't see them advertised anywhere outside a trade magazine or sold outside trade outlets.
Then there are German manufacturers such as Kress who build tools for all niche markets.
Basically Makita are middle of the range quality wise.
Some American badged tools are built in China and are of reasonable quality but not the very best by any means.
The drill comparison was entertaining. I have a Makita and it works fine for my infrequent DIY projects. I liked how thorough you were in testing those 6 drills. Hope your wrist is ok now. I look forward to more of your videos. Subscribed.
Great video. Love the test procedures - very thorough. Keep up the great work.
I went with the Kobalt drill & impact driver a couple years ago, and have been extremely pleased with them! An added bonus is the batteries are half the price of Dewalt's! With long battery life also!
Great video!
One thing to note on the Festtool's battery:
it's probably using 21700 cells (Vs 18650 for the other drills) and this provides more amperes to the motor, this is why drilling and driving is smoother.
Smooth driving comes from the quality of the gears and motors, not battery capacity.
Even if it is only using 18650s the higher capacity alone should be enough to maintain higher voltage, and amps especially under load.
Just what I needed.
Great job.
Great comparisons! Thanks
I have high end tools because I can afford them. In my 20s and 30s I used nothing but Black n Decker...funny thing is, I passed them down to my oldest son and he's still using them! So, definately a DIYer doesn't need to spend big bucks on expensive drills etc. Great video.
The black and decker and porter cable 20 V batteries are interchangable. And, you can buy an adapter to allow the use of all the 18 V black and decker tools with the 20 V batteries. Including weed whippers and hedge trimmers.
One thing DeWalt and Ryobi have going for them is they bring a bit of color to what can be a dreary worksite. First fix on a site in PNW in mid-winter is no joke and the bright yellow looks nicer to me than the bland Makita and Milwaukee that seem to dominate.
So yellow and frog-green are more colourful than teal and red? LOL!
I own a Ryobi drill, and I am very happy. My 1st Ryobi was in 2006 and "ran it hard and put it away wet." It was my 1st job in a profession, and when I thought I needed a better drill, I would have moved up to a Milwaukee, but that never happened. The job ended. And as for the problems that you had I never had with either of the 2 drills made by Ryobi, I ever failed.
great 👍🏾 - thanks for the review.
I'm a Ryobi fan as well. I have quite a number of their tools in the 18v set. I've been using them to redo my deck with almost no issues. If I did this kinda work for a living I'd certainly use DeWalt or Milwaukee but for the "around the house" projects I do, Ryobi is good enough and a much better price point. Guess the lesson is ... never underestimate the value of "good enough" 😀
Great video as usual !!!
Agreed! And thanks!
Hahaha Ryobi… The Dollar store has gardening tools as well.
I agree! Ryobi is great for homeowner work as well as light duty remodels.
Lou over at “tips from a shipwright” is building a 40 foot lobster boat with Ryobi tools. He is running a serious boat shop and doing heavy timber work.
Get the brushless version if you want it to last longer.
Excellent test, Marie. If I were a tradesman, I'd definitely go DeWalt or Milwaukee. As a hobby woodworker, I've been using Ryobi for years and am perfectly satisfied with the performance and durability.
I have to agree until recently I tried to drill out recesses for a floating shelf (into hardwood) using both my Ryobi and Craftsman, and they just couldn't do it. Only then (and with this test) did I realize how much weaker (and less comfortable) they are to use compared to the more advanced models.
@@DIYMontreal: You're right, of course. I, otoh, am old fashioned enough to have kept my corded drills and you can't beat a 1/2" corded Milwaukee for heavy duty drilling. If I needed it everyday, I'd upgrade to a more powerful cordless drill.😉
@@DIYMontreal wait till you try the high end drills from Dewalt / Milwaukee. Going from the M18 Brushless to the M18 Fuel model is a huge increase in performance.
@@adamnuntakenname The fuel batteries are amazing.
@@pcs5852 Agreed, handy persons should rely on corded drills for DIY. Spending big bucks to have a cordless doesn't seem to make sense.
This is probably the most comprehensive test to date. Excellent! 👍
I have the Dewalt and get similar results. Including the wrist twist, they need a side handle option for that much torque. I did find that dialing in the clutch gives perfect depth control for the head AND prevents the wrist twist.
Learning how to hold the drill will eliminate any potential wrist twist. It's subtle but could save god known how many injuries a year. I'm sure there are some good vides on here about it.
How do you recommend setting the clutch to avoid breaking your wrist? I remember seeing another video talking about how the clutch on DeWalt drills ends up not doing that much, depending on how you use it.
@@jones786 Right behind the keyless chuck gripping area there is the clutch ring. Note the markings 1-15 or 1-18 or whatever you have, then to the right of the highest number there is a little graphic of a drill bit. That is fully locked with no clutch.
The highest number is the most force before the clutch slips, the lowest number is the least. Every size screw and head type AND wood type or if you drilled pilot holes first all makes a difference on where you set it. I rarely have it locked in full 'drill mode' even when drilling.
To start try setting it to a middle number and drive a deck screw or something large in with it. The idea is to dial in the clutch so that the screw goes all the way in and seats flush with the surface or however you want it to. The correct clutch number for that situation is when it does that.
It will vary from job to job, but usually not with the same wood and hardware. You can drill on whatever setting it will work without slipping the clutch, you do not ever need to use drill mode unless you need to dial it up to get something large to drill or drive. But at the point you will be totally ready for all of the torque and properly braced.
The primary purpose of the clutch is to give consistent finishing depth to screws, but once you get used to it you will see how it also stops the driver from transmitting all of that torque into your wrists.
@@jameshisself9324 wow thank you for the detailed answer! Super helpful for me.
@@jones786 Awesome, glad I could help! The Dewalt clutch is as good as any other I've used but other brands might have something special I'm not aware of. It works great imo once you get the hang of it.
Nice review. Like you, I bought into the Ryobi ecosystem early on, for the same reasons. This was back in the day when often each brand had a different battery for each tool, and extra batteries were ridiculously expensive. To be honest, as a hobbyist the Ryobi line up serves me well, especially when you pair the impact driver (I have 2) with the drill (I have 4!). However, if I had to do it over again I'd likely go with Dewalt, and your test results reinforce that.
I think this summarizes my journey as well! It's hard to make the switch at this point, but if I had to do it all again...
@@DIYMontreal Well, we have a old Ridgid drill in our shop that we reserve for a 1/8” drill bit or countersink - it is a bit time saver and somewhat like and extra hand.
Yup, in the same boat!
Loved every second of this video ! So thorough ! Thanks
Nice and thorough comparison!
I think they all make good tools. I'm curious to a more apples to apples comparison. Ryobi makes low and high end tools as do most manufacturers. Something I'd like to see is the comparison of a brands entry level tool to their top tier tool. I know Ryobi does make a much nicer brushless drill that I have, and every time I lend it out they usually end up impressed.
Yes please this would love to see this
Thanks for doing this comparison! It was very interesting to see how the drills performed in different tests. I have Dewalt drills and am very satisfied with them. They are older models but still perform great for my needs. You're right though in that a lot depends on what you use them for. An occasional DIYer or someone who doesn't do much drilling would probably be very happy with the less expensive drills while someone who uses them all the time or for their job could definitely justify paying the higher price to get a drill that performs much better.
Older DeWalt weren’t made cheaply in China and were definitely of a better quality. The newer ones or not the same quality. So chance brands.
Excellent test!! I've bought into the Rigid line, mainly b/c they're warrantied for life and love a good value., so I was glad to see your honorable mention award to Rigid :) Looking forward to exploring more of your videos. Subscribed.
Really appreciate this comparison. It's so hard to know what to buy with all the different options. LOVE that Rigid is the clear value for your money at almost 1/2 the price of Dewalt....so that would seem like a clear winner for your replacement unless you wanna spend more money. For the average home owner who wants to maximize value for the money spent, Rigid is the clear winner and they've got some attractive combos with an Impact Driver when the drill just won't cut it. Anyways - thanks for this vid. It was VERY helpful.
I actually got a DeWalt Drill with The Impact Driver and the 2 batteries and charger for $159.99 on sale at Tractor Supply
Nice comparison. I would have chosen torx screws for the test (and for any real work), those give you far less problems with skipping whent he battery runs out. The more expensive drills tend to be more rigid as well and survive dropping from the 2nd floor on a job site, where the cheaper fall apart. As you indicated, it is all about what you intend to use the drill for.
The battery incompatibility between brands is a PITA, and since they all use the same Li-ION cells underneath, just an artificial way to lock you into one brand. I chose Bosch Blue/Professional and the batteries are not even compatible with their low-end Bosch Green machines or their battery operated garden tools. Since then I bought a few less frequenctly used Ryobi devices that Bosch didn't provide (nailgun, tile-cutter) and operate those with Bosch batteries and an adapter.
I'd like to see how Bosch Pro sits in this lineup too
Yeah when they are that powerful (as the DeWalt) they should have anti-kickback feature. Do really like the light on the DeWalt. I would have loved to see the Makita as well. But I also know there will always be a brand that is not in the test, one can only test so many tools at once, especially in terms of injuries, I hope your wrist is okey!
It's not kickback. You can reduce the frequency of broken wrists on all battery drills by setting the clutch to a lower number.
Great video. Thanks.
First time watching one of your videos! Let me just compliment you for the nice tool cabinet on the wall behind your right hand. Love what you did with the slots for the cordless drills, and how everything is neatly arranged and easily accessible. I might steal the idea later in the future if my tool collection grows.
The lifetime warranty on the tool AND batteries of the Ridgid puts it at the top of my list
It's a lifetime service agreement not a warranty and people are complaining that ridgid is doing what ever they can to deny it
It was best midline in this particular test...WHICH LEFT OUT A TONNN OF OTHER GOOD TOOLS!!?? BUT NEVER PICK RIDGID FOR LT WAR BECAUSE THEY SELDOM EVER STAND BY IT!!! AND LT OR ANY OTHER WAR DONT MEAN SHIT IF THE COMP DOES NOTTT STAND BY IT!!!! WOULDNT GIVE.2 CENTS FOR THEIR LT WAR!!!!
That was an on depth and well thought out comparison, one thing I might have done differently (and do differently in my own shop) is use my drill for drilling holes and my impact for placing screws in pre drilled holes. Seeing your data set, the Rigid is the best balance for the hobbiest and most importantly perhaps, IT STILL HAS A LIFETIME WARRANTY! (In the States anyway) wishing you the best-
Not a warranty, a service agreement. And good luck getting anything repaired. A few people get lucky most most I've heard from get shafted
Dewalt and Milwaukee are basically THE ONLY entry level big box store tool companies in the USA that will stand behind their products pretty much hassle free....Makita is probably not too far behind though(you'll probably deal with shipping, emailing, and long waiting with most tools/batteries) and im not familiar enough with Flex and Metabo(I've heard recently Flex has stepped up their game big time and is like Dewalt and Milwaukee or even better some tell me, but I personally have no experience with them on a warranty)... Don't count out Harbor Freight now that they have come a long way with good modern era battery tech finally, Harbor Freight should REALLY be the Mecca for ALL hobbiest and budget minded trade folk, plus no question replace instantly warranty, and constant amazing sales/member club deals
As I would hardly be able to test them myself, thank you very much indeed for such a thorough and wonderfully presented take!
thank you for your hard work to put up this test 🙏🙏
Interesting, Marie. I'm in the Makita camp so I will be sticking with it. Also keep in mind that Milwaukee, Ridgid and Ryobi are all made by the same company. This also shows why I am transitioning to Torx screws and use my impact driver a lot more. BTW, what is the shape of the lag screw heads (lol)?
Bill
they are not made by the same company they are all owned by the same company tti tools but each is their own different company
@@jpmia2510 Company representative told me Milwaukee and Ridgid are made in one plant and Ryobi is made in another.
@@williamellis8993 Many things can be made in the same factory but to different specs. It doesn't make them the same at all.
obviously they are not made the same ryobi sucks balls while rigid is decent and milwaukee is top notch
Milwaukee is my choice for a just regular everyday drill but I know the Festool has some other features that make it just a bit better to use such as the anti kickback, bluetooth switch for dust collection and the different chucks for depth, off set drilling, right angles and such.
The current Milwaukee 2904 M18 hammer drill has anti kickback as well.
As with all brands, Festool has its standout tools, but there are also some not so good ones.
One of the most impressive test comparisons I have seen for all these tools, nice work
By far the BEST drill review I've seen!
IMHO, It's all about purpose an duty cycle. I began with Ryobi. As a beginning woodworker a while ago, funds needed for tables and band saw needed the most attention. As a weekend woodworking hobby guy, the number of holes to drill was insignificant compared to materials to cut and mill. I also appreciated Ryobi's one battery for many tools as batteries are costly and there is only so much room in a small shop for a charger per brand. For the same reasons, Dewalt became the other brand for my shop. If I were to spend mucho bucks on Festool, it probably would be for a sander just for the ergonomics, not for duty cycle as it still would only be deployed on occasion, besides sustainers (?) - see the above re small shop!
same, i went with bauer. Eventually i invested in the 12volt dewalt because of it's smaller form factor.
I have two Festool drills, the one you tested and one with more torque for driving lag screws and very long screws (15 cm +). They are expensive but I still buy them for one important reason beyond the performance, warranty and service. For three years I can send in a machine for repair for free (no shipping) even if the problem is with wearing parts. For a small deductable (125€) they will even replace a stolen machine in those three years. And best of all, once, when my drill had a problem they came to pick it up on site the same day and had it repaired and delivered the next. I even got to borrow another machine so I could keep going. Now I'm in Europe so I can't speak for other countries but that's what really makes it worth the premium for me.
Milwaukee has 5 years warranty on the tools. You don't even need proof of purchase or receipt. Just a serial number. I had three replacements already with free shipping and free replacement/repair. Being 1/3 or 1/4 the price of Festool, you can get more tools. If you like precision drilling for woodworking, get Makita.
@@DarianDT Here Milwaukee only gives me 3 years of warranty and no pick up or theft service. The serial thing is the same as Festool, you just need to register your tool upon purchase. The warranty transfers with the tool if resold within the warranty period. Milwaukee is more affordable but here, on most comparable machines I own, it doesn't amount to more than around max. €100 per machine. And I've already had the Festool system for over 20 years now, so adding another would not really make sense financially. It would if I was just starting out, and I probably would give Milwaukee a go if I was. Makita on the other hand I'm not really a fan of. My first battery driven screwdriver was a Makita and it worked great for 15 years. The one I bought after that broke down every month, I bought another, and had the same issues. That's when I bought my first Festool. They make some excellent machines but others seem to be duds. A friend of mine works with a lot of Makita tools and he says that he uses a list of type numbers to see which he can and shouldn't buy. I don't want that kind of hassle.
Nicely done, a very useful and entertaining video. TY :-)
Great video and really fair to all brands. Hope to see more of your videos soon.
As you mentioned, us, woodworker do not use these drills all the time... a pre-drilled hole here and there, a few screws, and that's it. The drill really does not matter.
If you build deck, on the other hands, power and battery capacity are more important.
Great comparison! Nice video as usual, Marie. Thanks!
Thank you!
Somebody building a deck would ordinarily use an impact driver, and the Dewalt 887 dominates that trade. But yeah, for basic woodworking, even the Ryobi and Craftsman are more than you really need - where you want the Dewalt is really with Forstner, auger, and similar really big bits. I'm actually in the Dewalt ecosystem and not a fan of that particular drill after giving it a try: it's too powerful for its size, the older longer model with similar specs is much easier to handle, so I kept the older model - for tight spaces, there's always a right angle drill.
@@jec6613 For basic woodworking: most of the time I'll reach for my 12v drill and driver set. They are much lighter than their 18v counterparts and have plenty of power for the job. Only when using a large bit, I'll use the large drill.
As a woodworker I prefer to use the drill press when I can.
I love your test, very informative. What I would have loved to see is another test with the same drills all on the same size batteries. The larger batteries not only last longer but offers more power so its not surprising that the two drills with the smallest batteries came out at the bottom. You can usually squeeze out a little more performance from enter level tools with larger batteries.
Even batteries with the same aH rating cannot be compared. They have to have the same C value (the maximum continuous current capacity).
You can buy 4aH batteries that will stomp 8aH batteries...there is much more to it. These tests performed in the video leave a lot to be desired, but they have certainly started a lot of discussion which is good!
Great review!
This was way more enlightening than I expected! Very nice, thanks. Much better tests than I've seen in other vids! -- I have Dewalt and Milwaukee only because I am a chump for the brands and just like nice things. Alas, to each their own! -- I can't spend 750 on one though, haha.
My vote was with Rigid and after seeing the results I believe Rigid clearly came out ahead. Factor in the price and that it stayed right behind the other two it gives more bang for the buck. First time I used a friends Rigid drill I was impressed even though I own both a DeWalt and a Milwaukee drills. Now I'm curious how Makita stacks up.
Great video nice job. After looking at the specs again I noticed how close the Rigid and Milwaukee were and got suspicious so I looked up who makes them. Turns out they are both made by TTI and surprise so is the Ryobi, here's the bigger surprise Craftsmen and Delwalt are owned by the Stanley Black and Decker company.
I'll just add that Stanley Black & Decker also owns Porter Cable. They've allowed to fall from its former glory as a professional-grade tool into parallel with B&D and Craftsman tools(consumer tools). Yes, there are very few ACTUAL manufacturers of cordless tools. That said, they often are custom-engineered for each specific brand. For example, Milwaukee often has unique features and higher performance, but it comes at a premium price, despite the same OEM handling the manufacturing. Makita is a brand that does not ALWAYS give you bang for the buck, but often is in the top tier of testing results. As this video indicates, buyers should carefully make their decisions, particularly for tools that you will own for a long time.
Do you have the AEG brand in the US?
@@aidananstey9848 We don't have the AEG brand in the US, it's all sold as Ridgid here.
i have ridgid cordless because i'm not a trade person. They are great tools and have the best performance for the price, however, ridgid doesn't offer variety of tools like for milwaukee, dewalt, makita, ryobi. Festool is for people who treat their work as a self interest hobby so cost isn't a concern for them.
After watching reviews of tools for almost two years,I can clearly say that this was the best honest video by far and so enough.THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS VIDEO
Excellent, very fair, review!
Thank you for the thorough rundown on these.... I know that took a lot of time and effort to do all that drilling!
Why did you screw the lag bolts with the torque set to drilling? The wrist hurting kick is there because you are using it wrong.
Correct. If going past the drive capacity of a drill you should be using an impact driver. Otherwise, you are abusing it and it WILL die. If you treat cheap tools right (like not blocking airflow over the brushes with your hand as was also done with every drill)...they will last an astonishing amount of time.
With a drill if you set the clutch I'd almost bet you wouldn't be able to drill the bolt home, you really need an impact driver in this situation.
I've used my DeWalt to auger 100mm holes 700mm deep in hard clay, wouldn't work with the clutch set, gotta attach the handle to prevent wrist breaking kick back.
Despite how she chose to test these it illustrated the power of each drill. So shove it.
You do this to see the failure point of a drill. Slipping the clutch only serves to show that, yes, the clutch slips, just as it is designed to do. Clutch slipping is not anvil hitting, the difference between a drill and an impact.
Because it gave the most accurate depiction of the actual power of each tool. Leave it to the smart people, bud.
Great review, thank you for the video.
Just one thing, i think it's important to note, in the first test, it's possible that the drills stalled because you were drilling in the higher speed and the kickback protection turned it off
lovely tested ❤❤❤
INCREDIBLE WORK ON THIS VIDEO!! Super scientific!!
I understand you're trying to reduce variables, but the clutch feature is specifically designed to save your wrist.
Good point, just wasn't expecting it to be THAT POWERFUL driving lag screws
Structural screws (GRK or Simpson) are probably a better choice for drill drivers. An impact tool would probably be better suited to lag screws - but I have snapped lag screws with an impact tool. I think lag screws are losing ground to “structural screws”
The clutch is actually meant to help avoid burying a screw too deeply and/or stripping the material.
@@raggarex yes, that too
My main drill remains the great grandfather of that T-18+3, a 2009 C-12 NiMH. Still going strong and still the original two batteries, now in its 3rd systainer. I also is Milwaukee, but OPE only. In the UK the price difference between Milwaukee and Festool isn’t nearly enough to switch and the quality and ergonomics are well down on Festool. How many Dewalt, Milwaukee and Makita’s (won’t even count Ryobi) would I have gotten through in the 14 years my Festool has lasted? Oh - and I can charge my original 12V NiMH batteries on my most modern Festool double charger too! 👍