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My Ryobi 18 volt One+ will not hold a bit in its chuck. The batteries will not hold a charge any more. I need a new, better performing one.

Recommendations? 14.4 volt drills have enough torque for me, prefer 14 - 18 volt drills.

I received a Dewalt 18v for Christmas a few years ago and love it. Its way more drill than I'll probably ever need, but kinda nice knowing I have it if I ever need that kind of torque and power.

I have a Dewalt as my work drill that I use everyday. You can't really go wrong with a Dewalt excpet that like Bloke said you will have to LOJACK it because it is very desireable to the thieves.
This past Christmas all the big names were pushing to sell lots of their own drills and as a result there were many models on display that you could pick up and play with ... and I did ... with every single one . Makita with the lithium battery gets my vote as the best drill out there as far as the brand names go. I thought it was very smooth and powerful and just felt solid. It's not as expensive as the Dewalt.
If you are looking to buy just a really decent drill to use around the home and not spend big bucks get a KOBALT lithium battery drill from Lowes. I just bought a new one ( for my wife to use around the house ) in January and like it a lot. Lowes now has a rock solid guarantee to back all KOLBALT tools too. Much like CRAFTSMAN from Sears. Lowes has been running specials on drill packages too. Look for those deals.

Buying what I call " burn and turn" ( burn them up/turn them into the trash can) tools from Harbor Freight is also a good idea if you just want a so-so tool that you know you're not going to use everyday and just want something that will do the job. I also have bought a few powertools from there expecting them to crap out on me and they have lasted a very long time. Tools on the cheap!

I have mostly bought tools on the recommendation of my dad, who works in a hardware store.

He purchased a 9.6v Makita in 1997 and (even though he bought 5 more batteries and changed the motor twice) built two houses, one cottage and innumerable projects with it. (he is a handyman for hire on the side) He still has this drill even though it is his back-up dril.

http://www.makita.ca/index2.php?event=t ... 6&catid=2l" target="_blank

He now has the 18v Makita as his main (cordless) drill.

Makita makes a nice 14.4v that you might want to look into.

Whether you get a Makita or a Dewalt, you won't go wrong with either one.

If you are going to use it for projects around the house, maybe a dozen or times a year, then a cheap Sears will do you okay. 12 or 14.4 volt is a good fit for strength and weight---odds are you will never need 18 volt power and you will hate the weight. Friends don't let friends buy Ryobi, though, no matter how low a price point or smooth the advertising. If you want to step up to a better product you will only have to buy once, then a Bosch [they don't make a model especially for the big box stores] is the Cadillac, both for durability and ergonomics. Dewalt makes so many models, most of which are not worth much, that it is hard to recommend them as a line. Not so Bosch. And, it's American made, I believe.Go for lithium if you can afford the price.
Panasonic, ironically, makes a terrific medium-price 12-volt drill line that I took about 8 years to kill with daily use as a carpenter.

About 4 mos ago I bought a Ridgid (12v) that my brother recommended. He works in construction. It's two speed, reversible with adjustable torque setting and has a bright LED that shines on you work when in use. It has lithium ion battery so is fairly light weight. The battery charges in ~30 mins, and comes with extra battery, flashlight and charger. I got mine at Home Depot for $140, but you can get a re-furb unit online for $100. Have to say it's the best drill I've ever owned.


Factory Reconditioned Ridgid ZRR92009 12V Cordless Lithium-Ion 2-Piece Combo Kit

you can get a re-furb unit online for $100

Are factory refurbished tools reliable? I've had bad luck with refurbed electronics... maybe a whole different ball game than tools.

Not sure about 're-furbed' drills per-se, but it' my understanding that re-furbed units get tested more thoroughly after being refurbished — rather than a sampling of say 'one in ten' for instance. I see the warranty on this drill is still one year, so that's good. I'm sure if I didn't need the drill for a particular project the day I bought it I would have ordered a re-furbed unit. YMMV

"sent from re-furbed iPad"

Whatever cordless you go with, get the 1/2", not the 3/8".

Like big tubas you can use a smaller mouthpiece for a smaller sound, you can always use a smaller bit for a smaller job. It's just nice to not have to worry about having bits that are too large for the 'normal' household projects.