There is nothing like the sound of a hammer drill working hard.  Well okay maybe the sound of a slap shot or a nice hit on the boards, especially when it is a Red Wing player getting hit by a Blackhawks player.  It still amazes me how a small motor can deliver so much power and do so much work.  What is even more amazing is the Bosch hammer drill that delivers 700 in-lbs of torque and it is only an 18V.

Manufacturer - Bosch Tools

Model - HDH181

Average Purchase Price - $280

Overview

Take a look around at any job site and you will see a Bosch tool hard at work.  If you don’t see a Bosch hard at work, try finding a real job site.  If you look closer at the tools you will see they have been used and abused.  A lot of bigger job sites buy their own tools for that job.  These tools are used by people who don’t own them, so they don’t care as much about the tools.  It is kind of like when you rent a car.  You do brake torques, you jump them over rivers and play smash up derby, after all isn’t that why you pay the extra $7 for the insurance agreement.  Well enough talking about what I did last weekend in the rental car, let’s talk about the Bosch Brute Tough Hammer Drill which is an 18V Lithium-ion drill.

The first thing you might notice is the chuck.  It is bright and stands out.  That is because it is a single sleeve aluminum ratcheting chuck, which gives this tool a pretty good balance.  The hammer drill is not front heavy and actually has a nice feel to it.  The chuck is a little shorter than some other drills on the market and this drill is only around 8″ long which makes it easier to get into tight spots.  Another feature Bosch implemented into this drill is an ergonomic soft grip.  The handle of this drill has a nice feel and design which makes it ideal to work with gloves or no gloves.

As with most drills, the internals are covered by a plastic body.  Bosch uses an ABS /nylon composite which is more flexible than other types of plastic.  This is ideal as it will flex when dropped and prevent cracks, plus it absorbs some of the impact and helps protect the internal parts.

Inside the hammer drill, there is a 4 pole motor that produces 700 in-lbs of torque which is very impressive.  The motor turns the chuck at 0-420 and 0-1,800 rpm which is controlled by a variable speed trigger.  There are 25+1 clutch settings to match the power to the application.

We ended up using this hammer drill a lot on a local house we were working on.  One place we used it a lot was the basement.  We are finishing the basement and had to set some anchors plus drill through some concrete to run pipe.  Would the Bosch Rotary Hammer be easier?   Sure, but we wanted to run this tool and give it a challenge.  After all when we were fastening down the sub floor with this drill, we were pretty sure we heard the drill laugh at us, well at least giggle.  Time and time again the drill did what it was supposed to, work and keep up with the user.  Well what else is there really to say about this hammer drill except it is a workhorse.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS

Bosch Brute Tough Kit Includes

• Bosch Brute Tough Hammer Drill
• 2 – 18V High Capacity Lithium-ion FatPack Batteries
• Lithium-Ion Fast Charger
• Double-sided Philips Drive Bit
• Side Handle
• Carrying Case

Warranty

Tool - 1 Year

Pictures - Video

[gallery link="file"]

Rating

[easyreview title="Bosch Brute Tough Hammer Drill - HDH181-01" cat1title="Balance" cat1detail="This drill has great balance and is very easy to work with.  The soft grip makes it very easy to work with, even with gloves." cat1rating="5.0" cat2title="Power" cat2detail="Don't let the smaller look fool you.  This packs a powerful punch." cat2rating="5.0" cat3title="Value" cat3detail="If you are looking for a great work drill that will work day after day, this is a great drill to own.  The 30 minute charger is perfect." cat3rating="4.5" summary="It is hard to be unbiased when you have been using Bosch for over 20 years.  They are just some of the toughest tools around.  When you spend the money, you know you will get every penny worth of the tool.  Bosch doesn't cut corners with their tools."]

Deals

As we find deals we will be updating this page.

Notes

All of our long term notes or other information we find after this is released will be presented here.

Like it, love it, hate it, the brushless is here and it is here to stay.  What is so special about a brushless motor you may be asking?  Bottom line it can be a better solution for motors.  The reason being is yes, there are no brushes, which means less friction, which means less heat built, which means more power, longer running time between charges and a longer life.  Wow my 4th grade teacher would have been mad at that last sentence.

Manufacturer - Milwaukee Tools

Model - 2603-22

Average Purchase Price - $279

Overview

Milwaukee is not the first to market a brushless motor, but I do have to say it is one of my favorites.  Well you may be asking what makes the Milwaukee Brushless so interesting.  There are three things, the motor, the battery and the Redlink system.

First, is the Powerstate brushless motor.   As we already discussed a brushless motor can transfer more energy to the tool.  In fact this drill produces 725 lbs of torque, one of the best in the 18V class.  Now if you are just using this drill to fasten plywood to studs, you might not notice.  However we did notice when sinking the screws.  Normally if you didn’t get the screw sunk the right way you would have to back the screw up a little and then run it into the wood again.  We did find that most of the time we could just drive it home without having to back it up.  Another place we notice the difference is when we hit knots in the wood.  We did hear the difference when we hit a knot, but the drill or screw kept on going.  One place we really noticed the difference was when we were using a hawg hole bit and an auger bit to drill through the floor to run pipe throughout the house.  It did an awesome job completing this chore, but you do have to make sure you hold onto the drill as you can really feel the torque and power of the drill.  Okay we also mixed up some Ardex with the tool.  Now we wouldn’t suggest using a cordless tool for this task, we would suggest using a corded mixer, but what the heck, we figured we would give it a try.  We had to lay down a self leveling compound on the front walk and this required us to mix the Ardex with water.  We put everything in a 5 gallon bucket and gave it a shot.  The first thing we noticed was that we had to use the side handle as this really pushed the drill to its limit.  Another thing we noticed was the overload protection didn’t kick in which was awesome.  Again we wouldn’t suggest it, but we know a lot of people do this as it is more convenient sometimes to grab the closest drill.

The second item on this drill is the battery, the Red Lithium.  The Red Lithium is a great battery and I have had a lot of good luck with these batteries compared to others we have used over the years.  We get some pretty cold winters in Chicago and I am one who just leaves the tools in the truck over night.  With these batteries they will operate at 0 degrees F.  This means you don’t have to wait for the batteries to warm up, you can start working right away.  Actually it was always a great excuse to have an extra cup of coffee in the morning when we had to wait for the batteries.

The third item is the RedLink system.  Now we would be lying if we said we fully understood how this system works, because we don’t.  We do know it is a way for the tool, battery and charger to all talk to each other to provide more efficiency.  The Redlink uses a circuitry system to be able to monitor the tool and battery.  So basically what it does is provide a better fail safe system between the tool, battery and charger.  In return because of less heat build up under loads, you get a longer running drill and longer life from the drill.

We really like this drill/driver.  Lots of power and a solid tool.  However what got us equally excited was the multi volt charger.  No more having two chargers taking up space.  Milwaukee has a single charger that will charge both the M12 and the M18, pretty cool.  As a note, it will not charge both batteries at the same time.  The system will charge the battery that was inserted first.  Once that is done charging, it will start charging the second battery.

One downside to brushless motors can be the expense.  With a brush version, you can change out the brushes and be on your way as these tend to go first on the tool.  If a brushless motor breaks, you have to replace the motor or buy a new tool.  You should get a lot more use and a great life out of this brushless version.  We have seen some stats say 10 times the life.

 Is it worth it to upgrade to the brushless?

If you already have a tough drill, then the upgrade probably isn’t worth it.  Unless you can dump your old drill and get good money towards the brushless.  If you are looking to get a new drill, the brushless is the way to go.  Look at it this way.  Say you have a truck that can tow 8,500 lbs and has a payload of 1,650 lbs.  Then the manufacturer comes out with a new truck and now it can tow 10,000 lbs and has a payload of 1,850 lbs.  Is there a difference?  Yes.  Is it worth the upgrade?  The truck still does what you need it to do.  Well that probably wasn’t the best example since a truck is around $30K and a drill is around $300, but I think you get our point.  If so let us know because we weren’t sure what we were trying to say.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS

Milwaukee Brushless Drill/Driver Includes

• 2603 M18 Fuel 1/2 Drill/Driver
• 2 M18 High Capacity Batteries
• Multi Volt Charger

Warranty

Tool - 5 Year

Battery – 3 Year

Pictures - Video

[gallery link="file"]

Rating

[easyreview title="Milwaukee M18 Fuel Drill/Driver - 2603-22" cat1title="Power" cat1detail="One of the most powerful 18V drills on the market.  This drill is hard to beat. " cat1rating="5.0" cat2title="Balance to Weight" cat2detail="There is a difference between the brushed version and brushless version of this drill, but it is hard to tell.  The drill feels good in the hands and doesn't bog down the user. " cat2rating="4.5" cat3title="Value" cat3detail="You get a better drill that lasts longer and does more work. Milwaukee has a huge line up so you can use your batteries to the fullest." cat3rating="5.0" summary="Tool companies are moving towards brushless for a reason.  They run longer and do more work.  The Milwaukee is a great drill/driver."]

Deals

As we find deals we will be updating this page.

Notes

All of our long term notes or other information we find after this is released will be presented here.

I have been doing a couple of roofing and basement jobs in the past month, so I had some time to play around with the Porter Cable 18V Lithium-ion drill kit.  The model number on this kit is PCL 180cdk-2.  Lately Porter Cable has been coming out with some pretty cool new tools and they have really surprised us.  The tools have been quality and also they include everything you need to get started.  Like the grinder and the oscillating tool, both were great and came with loads of accessories.

The kit comes with the drill, 2 LX batteries, half hour charger and a soft case.  The drill is a 1/2″ all metal chuck.  The are two speeds, hi and low.  The low range is from 0-350 and the high range is 0-1500.  The drill puts out 424 in/lbs of torque.  There are 23 clutch settings plus a drill setting.  Enough with the boring stats, let’s get into the drill.

I have been able to use this drill for about a month and have really liked it so far.  There are three things I really look for in a drill.  Well there is more, but three things are very important to me.

• Balance
• Power
• Chuck

A tool that is well balanced means my little girlie arms will not get tired as fast.  This drill has a great balance to it, not to mention it only weighs 3.8 lbs with the battery.  I was able to install gutters overhead and my arms did not get fatigued.

The next item is power.  I don’t need the worlds most powerful drill, even though that would be fun.  However, I do want a drill that won’t bog down on me.  I want to be able to power through my everyday stuff like plywood, 2×4 and other building materials.  In this area I never really tried to take it to the max and see what it could handle.  I did use it day in and day out and it didn’t have a problem keeping up with me, so this was a plus.  The OLP never kicked in which always makes me happy.  I understand manufacturers put that on the tools to save them, I just don’t like it. So the Porter Cable surpassed my expectations on power.

Last item is the chuck.  The only thing I want here is when I put a bit or anything in the chuck, I just want it to stay in place.  I don’t want it coming out or falling out until I decide it is time.  I have used other drills where the bits come out under a little pressure.  Not once did the bits ever fall out.

So for the three things I look at in regards to drills, the Porter Cable was perfect.  Porter Cable is really coming a long way with the quality of products they are putting out.

While I probably would have preferred a hard case instead of a soft case, this drill is very nice.  The balance and quality are both there.  Porter Cable seems like they are making a run at the professional models and this one definitely fits in with the other professional drills we have used.

For me and I am sure most people, my drill is the power tool I use the most.  So it’s important to me that I have something not only powerful, but something that has a good feel and balance to the tool, which the Milwaukee has.  The drill is powered by either the 18V high capacity battery or the M18 compact battery.  The 4 pole motor puts out 550 in-lbs of torque.  One thing I really like about this drill is Milwaukee didn’t cheap out, they went with an all metal gear case.

The drill has two speeds that move the 1/2″ chuck with the ranges of 0-450 for low and 0-1700 for high.  Move the setting over to hammer mode and you get 0-29,000 bpm.  The drill is not too heavy as it only weighs 3.5 lbs.  I used to own a Makita, but sold it because there was too much walk and don’t really care for that.  I noticed with the Milwaukee, there was absolutely no walk, so I was a happy camper.  Another thing I noticed was the DPM or the Digital Power Management.  If you know me, you know I am not a big fan of the overload protection feature manufacturers put on these tools.  However I drilled  through some pretty heavy stuff and the drill didn’t shut off.  I tend to see these overload protection problems coming into place with reciprocating saws and grinders, but not much with drills.

I could go on and on about the drill, but this is just my drill of choice.  The balance and feel is what first attracted me to it, well maybe the Milwaukee name.  But after using the drill, I have to say the power is what I like best.  I think this is the best Hammer Drill on the market.

Visit our sponsor ACME tools

Milwaukee M18 Right Angle Drill. The model number of this kit is 2615-21.

Specifications of the Angle Drill

• 125 in-lbs of torque
• 3/8” single sleeve chuck
• 0-1,500 RPM
• 11 + 1 Clutch Settings
• 11.25” for tool height
• Head length 3.75”
• Weight – 4.25 lbs.

Features

As stated this is the right angle drill kit model number 2615-21.  In the kit it comes obviously the drill which is model 2615-20, a 1 hour charger, 1 XC Lithium-ion battery and a carrying case.  On the front of the drill there is a nice LED work light that helps the user see what they are doing in dark locations.  Sometimes we have seen LED lights that do not do much except show a shadow, so we were extremely please how bight and efficient this light is, partly because of the small head on the drill.  Another feature is the red LED on the front of the drill.  When your drill is maxed out or clutched out, a red led light will flash to let you know that this event happened.

The system is equipped with an electronic clutch which provides 11 different settings and one drill mode.  This clutch operates the 3/8” single sleeve ratcheting head chuck.  The drill is powered by 1 18V Lithium-ion XC Redlithium battery.  The battery slides onto the bottom of the drill as you can see in the pictures.

Operation & Handling

First looking at this drill you would think the balance would not be great.  Once you pick up the drill, the first thing we noticed was that the balance of the tool is great, it just feels right in your hand.  Now thinking about it and the design of the tool, it’s basically a long rod, so we guess the balance should be good compared to a standard drill.   The over molded grip helps provide extra grip control, which is always a key when working in small areas.   Speaking of small areas, the head on the drill is only 3.75” long so you are able to get into tighter spots.  Also the length of the tool is shorter than most coming in at 11.25”.   The overall weight of the tool isn’t bad either weighing only 4.25 lbs.  The grip, the head length, tool length and weight makes this a great drill to have on hand when you need to get into tight spots.  We found the drill very easy to control and maneuver in almost any circumstance.

As you know working in tight spots can be very challenging, since there is not a lot of room for the tool and your hand.  The paddle switch is a great design for this tool.  The paddle switch is what operates the drill to start the drill spinning.  The paddle switch is nice and long and we found it very easy to control the speed whether or not we used the top, middle or bottom of the paddle switch to operate the drill.  We could be very precise in matching the speed to our work and also keeping a steady speed at all times.  This is the beauty of the paddle switch since when we are working in tighter spots, sometimes we cannot always grip a tool the right way and even sometimes need to use two hands.  With the placement of the switch, this makes working in tighter spots much easier.

Performance

All in all we found the performance of the drill just as good as the overall design of the tool.  We had the drill for a week and put it to good use.  We even lent it out for a couple of days, we gave the drill to our friend down at the marina.  With summer coming up, a lot of people are getting their boats ready for summer and what better place to use this drill in tight spots then a tight engine compartment of a boat.  We tried to get some good video of this, but it’s hard to get a good camera angle when Ty’s arm is hiding the work.  Now the drill is not an impact drill, but we were able to remove some nuts and do a lot of tightening of screws and nuts.

We had another day we gave it to Bill to video him drilling some holes in joists for wiring.  Bill know his tools, but Bill doesn’t know technology.  After he came back all proud of his work and told us he had some great videos, we had to take a look.  We were going to show you the videos, but I am sure you didn’t want to see a video of his thumb in front of the camera lens.  We never did get a good shot, but we can pass along that Bill had a lot of fun using this tool and was happy for once not having to drag around his corded angle drill for the day.  The only suggestion he would make is if you are buying this tool, get one with an extra battery so there is no down time.

Dan wanted to use the tool in action and show me under the hood of my GMC truck taking off bolts in tight spots.  I am not a mechanic, so I know that whatever bolts I take off for testing purposes would probably be the wrong bolts and end up doing damage to my truck, so I politely passed on this incredible opportunity Dan raised.  After Dan was persistent that we work on my truck, even though it wasn’t broken, I told him that it would be hard to film and show this and we should use his F150 instead.  Just at that time I made my suggestion of using his truck instead, he came up with a great idea to show the tool in action on our makeshift wall.  He stated this would be better suited, so the users can actually see what is happening and how the tool worked.

In the video below we wanted to show you the features of the tool and a little bit of the drill in action.  We used our makeshift wall and videotaped it ourselves, is it still called videotaping?  That way we know we would be able to see the work, without having to look at an arm and thumb.  The only problem is you have to listen to us talk.  In all seriousness, this drill has a wide use of applications it can be used for.  We had a lot of fun testing it and would also like to say almost any situation.  As you can see by going through the 2×4, it fly’s through without any problems.  There is more than enough room to get in-between joist and studs to get work done.  The drill has good power and torque and over all very impressed with Milwaukee’s Right Angle Cordless Drill.

Conclusion

All we can say is the Milwaukee Right Angle Drill is awesome.  The balance of the tool is great and it’s very easy to work with.  Enough power for even the most stubborn jobs.  Surprisingly enough the LED light in the front is very bright and lights up your work area such as working under a car.  The paddle switch is long enough and designed properly that a user can operate the switch in any positions.   All and all this is a great drill.  It might not be one of those tools we use all the time, but when you need to get into tight spots, this drill sure will come in handy. Head over to ACME tools pick one up

Let Us Know

We always like to hear back from our readers on their experience with these tools – good or bad.  Do you have experience with these tools?  How has the long term use been?  What applications have you used the tool for?  Is this a DIY or professional grade tool?  Let us and other readers know.

Links

Read more about the Milwaukee M18 Right Angle Drill

]]> http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2011/04/milwaukee-m18-angle-drill-261521/feed/ 0 http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2011/04/porter-cable-18v-drill-pcl180d/ http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2011/04/porter-cable-18v-drill-pcl180d/#comments Sun, 03 Apr 2011 02:54:57 +0000 Eric Jopp http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/?p=6182

Read More…]]> The drill is one of the most widely used power tools around.  So it only makes sense to have a drill you can rely on time after time.  One with good balance and plenty of power, which brings us to our review of the Porter Cable 18V Lithium-ion drill model number PCL180D.

 Porter Cable Products

Specifications of the Porter Cable Drill

• Powered by 18V Lithium Ion – Either battery works LX or EX
• 24 Clutch Settings
• Variable Speed Trigger
• 2 Speed – 0-350 and 0-1200 RPM
• 325 in-lbs or Torque
• ½” Single Sleeve metal Chuck
• LED Work light
• Weighs 3.8 lbs
• Length 8.5”

Features 

There is a lot to talk about regarding this drill as it provides the user with some pretty good features.  First is the 18V Lithium-ion batteries the drill receives its power from.  The drill can be powered by either the 1.3 Ah LX batteries or the 2.6 Ah EX batteries.  This is a great feature to have since it gives the user more flexibility.  Like most other drills it has a 24 clutch setting and a variable speed trigger.  On the top a user can adjust the gear setting from Low (0-350) to High (0-1200) rpms.  Unless you are a DIY person who hangs a picture or hobbyist, we always recommend getting a ½” drill.  Not that you always use those bits, but it’s a nice option to have when you need it.  That was one of the main items we liked about this drill, the ½” metal chuck.

The drill delivers 325 in-lbs of torque.  To change from forward to reverse, the push button is located in the same position as all other drills, easy access for the thumb or index finger.  On the front of the drill there is a LED light that helps light up work areas that may have a shadow or be dark.  Overall the drill is light weighing only 3.8lbs and the length is 8.5”

Operation & Handling

When picking up the drill, we always look at balance as the first item.  The Porter Cable drill is a well balanced drill with either the LX or EX battery.  After long periods of use, we had little to no fatigue in our arms or wrist.  The handle is large enough for even for the biggest of hands.  The rubberized grip on the handle is also helpful when gripping the drill with sweaty hands or you are wearing gloves.

As noted everything else is pretty much in the same location as other drills, so it’s easy to use and easy to change settings.  The clutch setting turns very easy which allows the user to adjust the setting in a snap.  We do like the single sleeve metal chuck as it was easy to change bits and held our different bits in place, even under heavy conditions.

Performance

We have to say we were very pleased with the performance of the drill.  At first we were a little worried about the difference in torque, but for most applications you will never miss the extra torque, unless you are doing some heavy duty use on the jobsite.   For your DIY or professional who is looking for a drill for anything but heavy duty use, this drill will work perfect.

Some inexpensive drills we have tested tend to have runout problems.  We thought this might be the case with the Porter Cable.  After drilling a bunch of holes and using it over time, we felt that the tolerance was great on this drill and the runouts were less than we expected.

We used the drill for a couple weeks.  We did everything from driving screws to making some cuts with a hole saw bit for door handles.  The drill performed every job without any problems.  No bogging down, no bit slipping.  As you can see on the video we ran some 3” screws into some wood and a spade bit through some wood.  Even with added pressure from the user, it went through without bogging down.  

Conclusion

Having a drill that can handle even the toughest jobs makes all the difference in the world.  It makes jobs a lot easier and in the end, you get more work done.  The drill is a little under powered compared to the competition, but for the price and the name, it’s hard to beat.  The balance and feel of the drill is great.  We like the fact we can use either the LX or EX batteries on the drill.  This gives the user more flexibility to match the drill set up to the application of use.

We always like to hear back from our readers on their experience with these tools – good or bad.  Do you have experience with this tool?  How has the long term use been?  What applications have you used the tool for?  Is this a DIY or professional grade tool?  Let us and other readers know.

Links

Learn more about the Drill and Combo kit Porter Cable Drill – PCL180D

Shop for Porter Cable

]]> http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2011/04/porter-cable-18v-drill-pcl180d/feed/ 0 http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2011/02/drill-dr-sb/ http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2011/02/drill-dr-sb/#comments Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:57:04 +0000 Dan Maxey http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/?p=5541

Read More…]]> Not too long ago we did a review on the Drill Doctor 750.  Yep you guessed it, it is a doctor for your drill bits.  Well Drill Doctor has a cool new idea that uses the same technology to sharpen twist bits, but now they also do spade bits.

Power Tool Review – Drill Doctor

Power Tool Model – DDSB

Pros: produces professional results, sharpening wheel lasts a long time

Cons: a little tricky to figure out how to use, but great once you figure it out

Specifications of the Drill Doctor

• Sharpens twist bits 3/32″ – 1/2″
• Sharpens masonry bits up to 1/2″
• Sharpens spade bits 1/4″ – 1-1/2″
• Replaceable diamond sharpening wheel

Drill and spade bits are designed to cut through material, so it is only natural they will dull over time.  This means more stress on your drill and not the best end result with the hole you cut.  Good drill bits are expensive and even they too will lose their sharpness over time. Throwing them out is not an option because,  well most of us are too cheap.  So we really only have two answers, take them in and have them professionally sharpened or do it ourselves.  We usually like doing things ourselves, so let’s go with option number two and that’s where the Drill Doctor comes into play.

The Drill Doctor has been around for a long time, but recently they introduced their new BBSD which not only sharpens masonry and twist bits but also spade bits.  The system even does specialty bits with screw points and spurs.

We are very familiar with the Drill Doctor and love the system, it has saved us a lot of money over the years.  Since we have played with this before we wanted to take it out and get some feedback, let others play with it.  We brought some dull and busted screws for them to try.  Over and over we heard the same thing, the results of the Drill Doctor were great.  The biggest thing people had a hard time believing was a drill bit that was flat or broken, was now reusable.  A couple of the people had a harder time picking up and learning the system, but once they got the hang of it, it was a snap.  We usually write a lot of information for a review, but this is one of those tools that the picture and video do more than words can.

Conclusion

If you have some expensive or favorite bits you want to return to new again, this sharpener is for you.  We were able to produce professional results very easily.  A coupleof  people we did have try the system and didn’t explain it to them had a little bit of a hard time, well not necessary a hard time, but took them a little longer to figure out the correct way to use it.  Once they figured it out, they had no problems creating a finish that matched the manufacturers original finishing sharpness.

Links
Read and learn more about the Drill Doctor DDSB

2/15/11
MILWAUKEE, WI – Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation expands its M18™ LITHIUM-ION system with the new M18™ Cordless 3/8” Right Angle Drill Driver. As the only 18V Right Angle Drill with an adjustable clutch feature, the new tool provides eleven torque settings, plus one drill mode, for complete control in close-quarter fastening applications.

“The combination of a 3.75″ total head length and an integrated Electronic Clutch make this tool the most compact 18V Right Angle Drill Driver in the industry,” says Christian Coulis, Sr. Product Manager for Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation. “Whether an Electrician is drilling holes in a confined space or a Cabinet Builder is putting the final touches on the assembly, this tool will fit into tight spaces and provide the control needed for precision applications.”

Featuring a 3/8″ one handed, keyless ratcheting chuck, the user can quickly change bits without additional tools. In addition, an extended paddle switch design provides easy trigger actuation from the top, middle, or bottom of the tool to allow the user to change hand position depending on the application. Complete with an LED light to illuminate the work surface and up to 125 in-lbs of torque, the M18™ 3/8” Right Angle Drill Driverprovides unmatched versatility, ease of use and power.

Among the first products powered by REDLITHIUM™ battery technology, thenew Right Angle Drill Driverwill deliver unmatched run-time, performance and durability for the professional tradesman. The M18™ Cordless Platform continues to be the fastest growing LITHIUM-ION system with over 25 tools to date. Milwaukee® is committed to the ongoing development of this platform and will continue to provide innovative solutions that offer industry leading reliability, performance and ergonomics.

Specifications:
2615-21 3/8” Right Angle Drill Driver Kit
• 125 in-lbs
• 0-1,500 RPM
• 11+1 Clutch Settings
• Head Length: 3.75”
• Tool Height: 11.25”
• Tool Weight: 4.25 lbs
Includes 2615-20 M18™ Cordless Right Angle Drill, (1) M18™ XCLITHIUM-ION Battery Pack, 1 Hour Charger and Carrying Case

2615-21CT 3/8” Right Angle Drill Driver Kit
• 100 in-lbs
• 0-1,500 RPM
• 11+1 Clutch Settings
• Head Length: 3.75”
• Tool Height: 11.25”
• Tool Weight: 3.7 lbs
Includes 2615-20 M18™ Cordless Right Angle Drill, (1) M18™ Compact LITHIUM-ION Battery Pack, 30-Minute Charger and Carrying Case

2615-20 3/8” Right Angle Drill Driver Kit
• 125 in-lbs
• 0-1,500 RPM
• 11+1 Clutch Settings
• Head Length: 3.75”
• Tool Height: 11.25”
• Tool Weight: 2.75 lbs
Includes 2615-20 M18™ Cordless Right Angle Drill

About Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, a Brookfield, Wisconsin-based subsidiary of Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. (TTI) (HKEx stock code: 669, ADR symbol: TTNDY) is an industry leading manufacturer and marketer of professional, heavy duty power tools and accessories.  Products include the legendary SAWZALL® reciprocating saws, M12™, M18™ & M28™ LITHIUM-ION cordless tools, HOLE-HAWG® drills, portable band saws, circular saws, driver drills, hammer drills, rotary hammers, grinders, sanders and a line of Test & Measurement tools.  Accessories include SAWZALL® blades, SWITCHBLADE® self-feed bits, BIG HAWG® hole cutters, THUNDERBOLT® drill bits and SHOCKWAVE Impact Duty™. For more information on the full line of Milwaukee® power tools and accessories, please call 1-800-SAWDUST or visit www.milwaukeetool.com

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Power Tool Review- Ridgid Drill/Driver Review

Power Tool Model – R860071

Pros:Great Balance, Powerful, Over-mold rubberized grips

Cons: Bulky chuck area, Chuck does not stay tight

Specifications of the Ridgid Drill/Driver – R86447

• 1/2″ Single Sleeve Chuck
• 455 in. inbs of Torque
• No Loads Speed – 0-450/0-1,650 RPM
• Clutch – 24 positions
• All Metal Gears
• Overmold Handle
• Led Work Light at base of drill
• Integrated Clutch and gearbox
• 2 Speed Transmission
• Weight – 4.3 lbs

Nuts & Bolts of the Ridgid

Specifications

This drill has some serious power and serious speed.  Coming in at 450 in. lbs of torque the Ridgid drill/driver can tackle some tough jobs.  There are 24 positions for the clutch settings which allows the user to match the torque to their work.  The hi/low speeds have a nice range which again allows the user to match the speed to their work.  Overall the power and speed are great and that’s what we really liked most about the drill.  When you are working on a variety of different projects, its nice to have just one drill and the option to make the drill change to your needs.

Review

Picking up the drill you can feel right away the great balance this drill has.  While looking at the 1/2″ chuck and the head, you would think it would be front end heavy.  The battery, motor and chuck provide a nice balance as a whole.  The only issue we see with the overall drill is the chuck head size.  It tends to be a little bigger than most, which may limited certain tight applications when a user needs to get into tight spaces. The chuck also does not ratchet tight like other drills, we constantly had to retighten the chuck which was dissapointing to say the least.

We used this drill to install a new door frame.  Not that we were taking the drill to the max, it did perform well and handled anything we threw at it, the drill had no problems except for the chuck issue.  We didn’t really have any concrete to drill into, so we ended up finding an old concrete parking bumper.  We put our bit on it and went to town.  Again this drill was performed well.  Not that you would use this for drilling in concrete on a consistent basis, there are times when you don’t want to grab a hammer drill from your truck or tool box.  While it doesn’t penetrate the concrete as well as a hammer drill, you definitely can use this to make a couple holes here and there with no problems. It also includes a LED light at the base of the tool. The included 20 min charger is an added bonus charging at almost half the rate of other chargers this was a great feature.

For the video, we just took some three inch screws and drilled into a 2×4 and plywood, so you could see it in action.  As you can see, it drivers screws rather quickly without any problems.  Dan tried to push diown as hard as he could to get the drill to bog down, the drill didn’t even hiccup.

Conclusion

If you are looking for 18v a drill/driver with lots of power and you already have other Ridgid 18v products, we would have to say to look at the ridgid drill.  This drill offers a lot of power with 455 in. lbs of torque.  The overall balance of the tool is good.  The overmold rubber grips makes it easy to hold on and have control even with gloves.  The 24 position clutch is nice which allows the user to fine tune the torque to their project.  The variable speed trigger was easy to control and offered freedom of speed control.  The chuck tends to be on the bigger side compared to other manufactures, this might make it a little hard to get into tight spots. The chuck also constantly needs to be retightened as out bits kept slipping. Ridgid also includes its lifetime service contract with this tool, why this may sound great a lot of people complain about it and say its misleading so make sure that you read the fine print.

Links

To learn more about Ridgid and their one handed reciprocating saw, you can visit Ridgid.

About Ridgid

Since 1923, RIDGID has remained the symbol of certainty to dedicated professionals of the expert trades. We at the Ridge Tool Company take this heritage seriously. This is why every tool that bears the RIDGID brand is engineered to the same high standards of quality, strength, and endurance as was that first heavy-duty pipe wrench more than 80 years ago.

Ever since the introduction of that revolutionary product, our expectations have been to exceed those of our customers through industry leading products and support.

Enter for a chance to win a FREE POWER TOOL.  All you need to do is post in our WorkZone Forum.

]]> http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2011/01/ridgid-drilldriver-review-r860071/feed/ 0 http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2011/01/idrill-drill-model-1idrill-review/ http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2011/01/idrill-drill-model-1idrill-review/#comments Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:45:05 +0000 Eric Jopp http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/?p=4540

Read More…]]> We recently did an overview of the i-drill which has five tools in the line up. Today we are going to take a closer look at the 1i-drill.

Tool Review – i-drill

Power Tool Model – 1i-drill

Pros: Warranty, Price, Power

Cons: No tool bag

Specifications of the i-drill

• 12V Lithium-ion – 1.3amp Sanyo battery
• No load speed 0-500 RPM
• 3/8″ keyless chuck
• Tool weight 1.11 lbs without battery

When you first look at the i-drill you can’t help to think of an iphone, not that it looks like a phone, but the packaging resembles an iphone, plus obviously the name, i-drill.  The 1i-drill is a one speed drill, meaning there is no high or low speed to adjust. Just set the torque setting and pull the trigger, pretty easy.

Nuts & Bolts of the i-drill

Specifications

The overall specifications for the drill match up well with their competition.  The chuck is a 3/8″ keyless chuck.  There are 17 torque settings which allows the user to set the torque to match the job.  The drill uses a 12v Lithium-ion Sanyo battery which is a 1.3 amp battery which is great for the homeowner to do just about any job. One feature a homeowner might find handy is the built in work light which when the user pulls the trigger a small LED light will turn on and help you see what you are doing.  Another note is the rpm or revolutions per minute which is 0-500.

One feature the i-drill uses that is unique to i-drill is a universal charging system.  What i-drill does is include extra plugs with the charger that will work in 99% of the countries.  We live in Chicago, so it’s not much help to us, but if you live somewhere on a border, this may be a helpful feature.

This 1i-drill kit comes with one battery, a 45 minute charger and a universal charging system, plus a five year warranty. It comes in black and they also have a white one.

Review

For our review we had to remind ourselves the i-drill is designed for the homeowner and not the contractor.  Basically we wanted to show you the drill in action.  Most homeowners are doing small projects around the house, yes some will do larger projects which you may want the 2i system, but this is designed for the homeowner who doesn’t do large projects day in and day out. It’s designed for someone who doesn’t use a drill often but would find it handy to have a powerful one around when needed.

For our test we took some 3″ screws and drilled them into some pine and plywood.  As you can see by the video below it ran through that with no problems.  In the video we also use a 7/8″ forstner bit and went through the pine.  This puts a little more pressure on the drill than just drilling screws, still something more than most homeowners will do. As you can see in the video it ran through the wood easily, even with a dull bit.

We gave the drill to our neighbor for the day to let her use it and get some feedback from her.  While she was too shy to be on our video, she did like the drill.  She hung a couple of pictures and fixed her curtain rod by drilling some more screws through her drywall and into a wood stud.  Not to knock her, but she is not really handy, so we thought she would be the perfect person to try the drill.  While she did seek our help finding a stud in the wall, she was able to use the drill and drive some screws. When she was done she was hesitant to give it back!

Conclusion

There are a lot of cool power tool ideas out there.  Some make it and some don’t.   We think the i-drill has a real chance of being one of the companies that can be a player in the home market for DIY.  The drill has more than enough power to get most household jobs done. We were surprised how much power the drill had. We like the five year warranty which means they stand behind their products, which is important for any company especially a newer company. One con we did have was no tool bag, but considering it is for the home owner you really don’t need a bag because the drill will be staying in the home and not traveling from job site to job site.  The other feature we would like to have seen was two batteries with the kit.  It’s always nice to have one charging while the other is in use. Currently you can pick these up at Sears and Amazon.

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