Craftsman Cordless Drills

[4x4mike]

Not sure if this is the right spot for this post but I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the new C3 line at Sears. I've always had Dewalt and have great luck with them but I'm looking for something for my dad for Christmas. He's never owned a cordless drill so anything is better than nothing but I don't want to buy something that has crap batteries or no guts. I'm not looking for anything Milwaukee or Snap on and want to spend ~$125. There aren't a ton of deals still available for this stuff right now. After removing about 20 screws at their house the other day I feel it's time he steps up to battery power as my forearm cramped (it's been some years since I worked in a ski shop).

[CJM]

Personally never used that line of them, but I did use older sears ones. They arent really built that well imho, kinda cheap and the batteries died rather easy.

I did have excellent luck with ryobi, had a set for work and eve tho its cheap its pretty nice and you can buy it piece meal or kits or such.

[Seanz0rz]

not the c3 line, but the previous line of 19.2V batteries power our drill, right angle drill, trim saw, recip saw, jig saw, and work lite. battery seems pretty good, i like it so far. i would say its not quite as good as our dewalt 18 volt. bought that reconditioned over 10 years ago and its just now starting to wear out, alot of HEAVY use from the dewalt.

personally id stick with dewalt if i was going to buy another drill/driver. look over at www.toolking.com great deals, alot of refurb stuff but our dewalt factory refurb unit has been stellar! only way we knew it was a refurb was the price (100 with 2 batteries) and a 'R' melted into the casing.

[DHC6twinotter]

x2 on the Ryobi. That is all we used at my old job. They were cheap enough that if somebody lost one in the ceiling, it wasn't as bad as losing a Dewalt. They held up great too.

My dad has a craftsman cordless drill, but I don't know if it is part of the C3 line or not. It is pretty new and he hardly ever uses it, so I can't really comment on its durability.

I did notice that some of the Craftsman drills looked very similar to the Ryobi. I’m wondering if they are the same drill with different names.

[Robinhood4x4]

I had a 12V or 14.4V ryobi that helped me build my bumper and solid axle. The batteries eventually gave up the ghost but I liked the drill. I still have it and one of these days I'll rebuild the batteries.

[RunnerUp]

i have the 19.2V one, works well enough for light duty stuff, havent drilled many holes in metal with it yet though, its kinda just a quick to grab tool that will hold up fine for 90% of users

[4x4mike]

i have the 19.2V one, works well enough for light duty stuff, havent drilled many holes in metal with it yet though, its kinda just a quick to grab tool that will hold up fine for 90% of users

The thickest metal my dad will drill would be thin sheet metal and hole drilling would be minimal. I think the majority of the use would be screws. I think I'm going to have to stop in and take a look. Thanks guys.

I thought I remember reading somewhere that the older Ryobi line had a free battery exchange within the first year or 2. Is that correct? Just wondering about the hassel as batteries seem to be a crap shoot with these type of devices. I was hoping that the C3 li-ion ones would last and have a good reputation.

[garrett]

i've used craftsman drills before, but it was a while ago and i'm not sure of the voltage or model. but they were pretty weak compared to the dewalts i've used.

my dad has a 12v dewalt, and i've used both a 14.4v and 18v dewalt pretty extensively. i wouldnt buy another brand for a cordless drill. the 12v has lasted my dad and I a long time. consider getting the XRP batteries though.

btw, the torque the 18v dewalt produces is impressive, although i find that drill/battery combo a little heavy for extended use.

[4x4mike]

I've got 2 14.4 volt XRP's and I love them it's just that my dad doesn't need anything hardcore and honestly an XRP wouldn't get used the way it needs to to be worth it. Maybe I should have my sister go in with me and we should get him one.

[Seanz0rz]

honestly if its for light house duty, a 12v or 14.4v drill/driver should be fine. as for brand, i dont think he, or you, would be disappointed by anything available at any of the major retailers from a brand that is recognizable.