
13-01-2015, 15:45
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Mentor
 FRC #2587
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Rookie Year: 2011
Location: Houston, Tx
Posts: 940
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Re: Drills for ~$100
Quote:
Originally Posted by ToddF
If you really want to get into the weeds, you can probably track down a woodworking magazine with an exhaustive comparison review article comparing the performance of all the major brands. Yes, there are tiny differences in performance and weight between the various models. But, for a typical robotics team, it doesn't matter that one drill will drive 575 screws on a charge, and another one does 525.
Construction professionals will hotly debate between the top brands (Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt, Bosch, Porter Cable). The next tier down is Hitachi, Ridgid, Ryobi, Craftsman. Black and Decker and Skil are the bottom of the barrel. Like any other consumer product, most people will be happy, and a few will end up with lemons. Personally, I've just decided to go with Ridgid because they stand behind their products with a lifetime warranty. I figure I'll go with the company that puts their money where their mouth is. If any of the others decides to do likewise, I'll consider their stuff, too. I just got tired of throwing perfectly good drills in the dumpster because their expensive batteries died.
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Fine Woodworking usually does a comprehensive comparison test on battery drills each year. In the fall, they usually publish a "tools issue" where they collect together many of these reviews. The reviews rate the drills objectively as well as subjectively; i.e. number of screws driven into hardwood, balance in the hand.
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