Looking at buying my first cordless drill for diy projects.

Looking at buying my first cordless drill for diy projects. Currently the Makita LXT, Dewalt Atomic, and Milwaukee M18 are all on sale at Home Depot for around $100. The Ryobi ONE+ HP is $90. All four come with at least one battery. I was originally considering the Ryobi because it comes with two batteries and all the future tools I’d buy from them would be noticeably cheaper than the Big 3. But as of late I’ve been reconsidering. If I’m just doing odd jobs around my house will I really gain anything by buying a tool from the Big 3? Should I just get the Ryobi and buy into their battery ecosystem so I can buy their cheaper tools whenever I need to add something new to my collection? Or should I pay the extra $10 for a big-name drill and embrace getting nicer but more expensive tools for every job?
If you recommend going the ‘nicer tool’ route is there any advantage for picking one brand over the other?
Normally I wouldn’t care this much about branding but it seems like it would be very convenient not to have to have different batteries for different tools I buy in the future.

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  1. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >Should I just get the Ryobi and buy into their battery ecosystem so I can buy their cheaper tools whenever I need to add something new to my collection?
    Yes.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      This was my initial thought because everything they make is so much cheaper. The Makita is kind of appealing because it comes with a large battery but it looks like a lot of their stuff is even more expensive than Dewalt or Milwaukee.

      • 1 year ago
        Bepis

        Ryobi also has the brushless HP tools, so you could get those for tools like drills and saws that you will use every weekend, and then get the budget brushed $70 version of the tools you will only use like once a year as a weekend warrior instead of the $150+ Makita.

        Ryobi is the best all around DIYer brand, huge selection and 2x 4.0 batteries for $79 like half the year.

        Milwaukee is a more expensive but that’s best for mechanics and electricians who want the best option of new tools for their trades.

        DeWalt is probably the most affordable of the big pro brands, they’re available at tons of retailers and always have sales. The DeWalt Atomic kits have been real cheap lately, but those 1.3Ah batteries won’t last long with saws or heavy drilling.

        Makita is for Japan fanbois and boomers who remember when Makita was like the only option for a cordless drill. They’re good tools but no real objective reason to buy them over the others. They tend to be more expensive than DeWalt without the trade tools of Milwaukee.

        Bosch 18V is like Makita but worse, good tools but limited linup and very few sold in-store.

        Ridgid and Kobalt are store brands and will give you DeWalt performance for a few bucks less, but their selection of tools isn’t as large as the other brands.

        Nu-Craftsman V20 or Porter Cable 20V are DIY tier tools like Ryobi, but their selections are shittt compared to Ryobi 18V. Skil 20V is sort of the same.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          I second Ryobi for the selection. However depending on anon's needs anon may need more than 1 platform. Makita is for japan fanbois but have a couple knockout items if you need a cup of coffee/tea/ramen and are off-grid. I have jobsites with no power and brewing a cup there is amazing. Their sub-compact line is the best if you really have no space to store tools. Some of Bosch's new high end stuff is very forgiving on my hands/wrists, cyclone shop vac is a beast, but their low end is not worth it. Nu-craftsman is crappy with 1 exception...the 3/8" impact wrench is tiny and powerful enough to get rusty lug nuts off.

          If you go battery adapters to cross brands for the best tool note Ridgid and Ryobi put the battery protection in the battery (ryobi to X adapters have to be made on your own and are tricky), makita kinda does but the cutoff is too low, don't recommend. Everyone else puts protection in the tool (watch battery meter like a hawk, you are the safety or else you can kill batteries).

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          We have both a makita and a ryobi cordless drills at work. Guess which one looks like it belongs to the dumpster even though it is a bit newer?
          Both still work though so there's that.

  2. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    ryobi
    t.makita 18v&40v user

  3. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I've noticed there's a lot more generic chink tools that take makita batteries than dewalt/milwaukee

  4. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    ryobi is dumpster tier
    any price is too high for ryobi
    spend the 10 dollars now instead of later when you have to replace their shit tools because you're too invested in their battery platform

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      It isn’t about the $10 now, it’s about buying a circular saw or an angle grinder or a recip saw in the future that costs way more because it’s a Makita or a Milwaukee. I’m only using my tools for diy home stuff so I didn’t know if the super nice stuff was worth it.

      ryobi
      t.makita 18v&40v user

      What makes you say this?

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        >in the future
        then wait for a sale, makeita had one a few months ago where you get like 8 tools and 2 batteries for 400

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          This may be a good idea tbh. The main project I want to work on won’t get started until like April.
          However I was under the impression that most of those tool packs have shittier tools in them (older brushless models and such). I only currently want a drill, a circular saw, an angle grinder, and maybe an impact. Do they make smaller tool packs with better tools?

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            home depot and lowe's constantly have different quantity packs going in and out of sale every week, sometimes even in their "deal of the day" section

            • 1 year ago
              Anonymous

              So just keep an eye on the website and buy then the opportunity comes up. Got it.

  5. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I bought 2 no-name cheap drills with the same battery for 30 bucks.

    For the vast majority of DIY stuff, they're fine. I fricked up the chuck on one of them with high speeds and a blunt bit in stainless steel, and it definitely feels worse for wear after a few years of ownership compared with his buddy who is only rarely brought out when I need to do operations that are better with two, like drill pilot holes and then put screws in them without having to swap the bit every 5 seconds.

    I'll never understand people who buy the "good" stuff. None of the batteries will fricking last anyway, all this stuff is designed to be disposable, and teardowns have shown that there's very little difference between the chink clones and the "official" stuff. If your business depends on it, buy the professional grade stuff, sure. If you're just putting up some fricking shelves? Buy cheap. I've still got a 40 year old 1600W hammer drill I pull out if I need to drill 10mm holes in masonry for an hour. Buy cheap, buy two, because then you've always got a spare battery or a spare drill.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      I’ve always been a proponent of the “buy once cry once” philosophy. Even if I don’t technically NEED a super nice tool it’s better in my opinion to get something nicer so I won’t have to replace it or use a shitty tool because I’m too stubborn to replace it once it starts acting up.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Li-ion tools destroy this philosophy. You'll buy once, you'll buy again in 10 years, repeat until you're dead.

        One drill isn't enough, either way. Neither is one battery. You will run out of juice, you will wish you had a second one so you didn't need to keep switching bits. Save your money, and spend it on a nice tool that doesn't have a built in lifespan.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          >You'll buy once, you'll buy again in 10 years, repeat until you're dead.
          >spend it on a nice tool that doesn't have a built in lifespan.
          huh

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          >thinking they last 10 years id you actually use them
          lel
          Batteries literally have a shelf life

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            I'm assuming DIY use, so the odd project with maybe a dozen charge cycles a year.

        • 1 year ago
          Bepis

          I'm assuming DIY use, so the odd project with maybe a dozen charge cycles a year.

          Wew lad, spending $100 or less on a pair of batteries every 5-10 years… Or pay an extra $10 over a bare tool for a battery and charger!

          I guess I will keep tripping over extension cords.

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4014450
            This is a lifesaver for my ryobi batteries. Locks two of them together. PITA to print though but worth it.

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            batteries are gay
            all batteries, even the car battery I carry around to power a 12 volt air compressor, are gay
            >This homie lookin' ZESTY, this homie lookin' MOIST, he's got sugar in his tank, he's light on his feet, he's a lil bit fruity, he plays for the other team, he dances at the other end of the ballroom, this homie theatrical, this homie good with colors, this homie gonna coordinate yo curtains wit you cushions and that shit gonna look good! This homie lifts shirts, this homie on the down low, this homie be a toilet trader, this homie gardens uphill, this homie packs fudge
            that is every battery
            I only use a battery for a 12 volt air compressor when I use one of my wheelbarrows to move cabbages
            >all 4 of the wheelbarrows will need air put in the tire
            I won't miss the day to get those new Sunday cabbages

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            Admitting that you bought into a subscription service, ending up with redundant tools that no longer function until you re-up and buy more redundant tools isnt the flex you think it is.

            Everyone else on this board is buying Milling Machines and Lathes and Planers and Jointers and Brakes and Welders and Bandsaws and Plasma Cutters.
            You are buying a bunch of shitty batteries and hand drills and bragging about it.

            • 1 year ago
              Bepis

              I don’t think anybody is buying an 18V lathe right now. But if you’re dragging an extension cord around to drive screws with an old ass drill instead of using a modern cordless impact driver, you might just be moronic.

              We have both a makita and a ryobi cordless drills at work. Guess which one looks like it belongs to the dumpster even though it is a bit newer?
              Both still work though so there's that.

              Nobody ever said lime green is the most aesthetic color.

              • 1 year ago
                Anonymous

                >But if you’re dragging an extension cord around to drive screws with an old ass drill instead of using a modern cordless impact driver, you might just be moronic.
                I love that the pinnacle of fabrication in your mind is driving a handful of screws into rough lumber.
                The most boring and low level of PrepHole, stuff that mobile tradies do all day long. The same tradies that buy one color and stay with one color without thinking about it, because they use and replace them often.
                Makes sense though, you need to come up with SOME cope as to why you keep buying redundant and banal tools that actual skilled people dont pay attention to.

                Weve seen the minimal amount of "woodworking" (if you can call it that) you have done, the cordless tools didnt help you out any.

  6. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    unless you're literally a mom-tier diyer ryobi and that whole price tier isn't going to cut it

  7. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Makita has the best color

  8. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >Should I just get the Ryobi and buy into their battery ecosystem
    If you don't mind that it's Chinese. I only have a corded chainsaw from them but so far I'm satisfied with it. btw Ryobi has the same owner as Milwaukee

    • 1 year ago
      Beppu Von Braun

      It’s hard to buy non-Chinese consumer electronics. Even the DeWalt “Assembled in USA” is all Chinese components slapped together by Maria and Jose.

  9. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    dewalt > milwaukee > makita > dogshit > ryobi

  10. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Damn is Ryobi really that bad when it comes to consumer-grade shit? I like the nicer shit but it gets to a point where getting more expensive tools for occasional household chores seems excessive.

    • 1 year ago
      Beppu Von Braun

      No, the people who use Ryobi and other tools give their experiences and say it’s plenty fine for DIYers. The people who shit on ryobi compare it to dog poop and don’t give any real criticisms.

      I had DeWalt before, now have Ridgid and have more recently gotten some Ryobi. The cheaper brushed stuff is affordable and great for a few jobs a year and the HP brushless stuff for heavier use. The cheap stuff doesn’t have all of the features of Milwaukee Fuel, but it’s 1/4 to 1/3 the price and not falling apart after one or two used like random ebay chinese brands.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Its perfectly fine as "consumer grade" stuff when it has a workload of only being used twice a year.
      When its mostly just picked up and fondled but not used, itll last you a long time. Just ask any ryobi fan.

      People greatly overestimate how useful these basic b***h tools are, so dont waste your money on anything more.
      You are going to drive 40 screws, make 10 cuts, and put together a shitty workbench. Then all those tools you bought sit for 8 months, because you arent building anymore workbenches, and "occasional household chores" dont really exist.
      Real homeowners arent actually just fixing and repairing stuff all the time.
      Unless you are doing a house remodel, you arent actually using those tools. (and if you are, youll be lucky if they survive it) It was marketing wank to get you to buy a shitty 10 tool pack.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        I'll never understand why people buy "real" tools for basic shit.

        I'm of the opinion that you should generally buy cheap. For stuff that isn't consumable, look at second hand stuff, I've got a lot of very nice tools that cost me next to nothing or I got free from relatives because I asked them if they had a box full of old shit they weren't using. My drills were 15 bucks each, and they run fine on 14V. They've been fine for years, with light use drilling 10mm holes in steel plate and general woodwork. If I was planning on doing large scale construction, maybe I'd buy something better, but it's not like I'm getting oval holes. People seem to think all the cheap chink stuff is just total junk and will fall apart if you look at it wrong, but this is a mature market, it's hard to frick up any more than any of the big guys.

  11. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Consider that you can use battery adapters to run Ryobi tools, as long as your batteries or tools aren't too smart. You wouldn't want a drill on a battery adapter since it's an item you use often and the bulky adapter gets in the way, but for example I use Ryobi gardening tools with Makita batteries and that works just fine.
    Burgers also get really good sales on any platform, so you're usually not overpaying too much for the better quality gear. Ryobi isn't that bad, especially for PrepHole use, but if you're not strapped for cash, it's probably better to just get the big brand and use battery adapters for the odd tool.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Literally NOBODY buys battery adapters, im not sure why some moron mentions it in every thread.
      Its more cumbersome than using corded tools.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        >Literally NOBODY buys battery adapters
        Yeah because people are morons like Bepis and rather buy into 5 different battery platforms because that's totally convenient.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          >people acting like there are enough cordless tools worth buying, that youll end up buying 5 different brands
          Once you own a Drill and an Impact Driver, the cordless gimmick becomes far less important and as your tools get bigger become a detriment.

      • 1 year ago
        Beppu Von Braun

        This. Also it’s probably not a good idea to use on any high demand tools. Could be very easy to damage batteries and/or tools depending on the protection circuit setup, plus you’re never going to get the extra power from HP/HO/MAX packs on those tools.

        >Literally NOBODY buys battery adapters
        Yeah because people are morons like Bepis and rather buy into 5 different battery platforms because that's totally convenient.

        I do not own a battery adapter because I’m not that moronic. I am quite moronic, but I’m a savvy consoomer. Also I’m good without adapters because it would be moronic to try and get an adapter so I could take the Ryobi batteries for my OPE stuff and stick them on the Ridgid drills and saws and impacts.

        I went to the Depot and the Makita felt the best in my hand. Surprisingly the Rigid was the second best. I wanted to like the Milwaukee more because of the metal chuck but it just felt okay.

        The one thing a lot of people compliment the orange brand on is their hex grip design. Read reviews from the gay tool blogs and the authors often mention that it’s their favorite of all the brands. Ribbed for her pleasure.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        literally they do.
        I have a adapter that allows me to use makita batteries on a dewalt grinder.

        I also built an adapter that lets me use a makita battery on an old pip cutter that they only make nicad batteries for.

        This. Also it’s probably not a good idea to use on any high demand tools. Could be very easy to damage batteries and/or tools depending on the protection circuit setup, plus you’re never going to get the extra power from HP/HO/MAX packs on those tools.

        [...]
        I do not own a battery adapter because I’m not that moronic. I am quite moronic, but I’m a savvy consoomer. Also I’m good without adapters because it would be moronic to try and get an adapter so I could take the Ryobi batteries for my OPE stuff and stick them on the Ridgid drills and saws and impacts.

        [...]
        The one thing a lot of people compliment the orange brand on is their hex grip design. Read reviews from the gay tool blogs and the authors often mention that it’s their favorite of all the brands. Ribbed for her pleasure.

        >Could be very easy to damage batteries and/or tools depending on the protection circuit setup
        bullshit, the only company I know of that has a battery protection circuit is makita and it doesn't matter what it is hooked up to the circuit is in the battery.

        the dewalt has a pin on it that plugs in to an extra slot on their batteries, all it does is check for a specific voltage. the adapter accounts for this.

        the only reason I have the adapters is I go the tools for free, and didn't want to spend money on more than one type of battery.

  12. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I went to the Depot and the Makita felt the best in my hand. Surprisingly the Rigid was the second best. I wanted to like the Milwaukee more because of the metal chuck but it just felt okay.

  13. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >battery ecosystem
    I don't know why people get all turned up about this. I have dewalt, ryobi, ridgid, and milwaukee. the inability to put a ridgid battery on a milwaukee doesn't really matter, since that battery already fits the ridgid. yes it's nice if they're all the same, but it's really not a show-stopper if it's just your own tools. there's no 1 brand that makes everything

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      you can now buy adapters for almost any manufacturer, to almost any other manufacturer.

      • 1 year ago
        Kevin Van Dam

        And turn ergonomic tools into horribly awkward tools.

        literally they do.
        I have a adapter that allows me to use makita batteries on a dewalt grinder.

        I also built an adapter that lets me use a makita battery on an old pip cutter that they only make nicad batteries for.

        [...]
        >Could be very easy to damage batteries and/or tools depending on the protection circuit setup
        bullshit, the only company I know of that has a battery protection circuit is makita and it doesn't matter what it is hooked up to the circuit is in the battery.

        the dewalt has a pin on it that plugs in to an extra slot on their batteries, all it does is check for a specific voltage. the adapter accounts for this.

        the only reason I have the adapters is I go the tools for free, and didn't want to spend money on more than one type of battery.

        >pic related
        >6 contacts
        Breh, it’s more than “a pin to check for a specific voltage”

        Enjoy overheating battery packs because your chink adapter tricks the temp sensor on the tool or losing a bunch of power on other high performance tools that can’t sense a good battery pack on there.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          Why are you so dumb? You bought every cordless tool brand under the sun and you didn't notice that the vast majority of them don't communicate with the battery?

  14. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I'm a Milwaukee simp & their quality &reliability is TYPICALLY top tier. I dunno a lot about Makita but it's allegedly the other big boy brand tradies fawn over. THAT BEING SAID, if your just some normie who needs a drill or a circular saw every so often but doesn't DIY or do trades regularly, ryobi is perfectly fine for normie stuff given the price. my first set of tools was ryobi & I remodeled 2 houses & my dad built a deck with them & they worked fine while we had em.

    for a difference of 10 dollars though go for Milwaukee or Makita. The quality & longevity you get our of these brands is WELL worth the price of a shitty hamburger

  15. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I ended up getting the Makita drill/driver because it felt the best. I’ll probably get the impact with the next paycheck. Thanks for the advice bros.

  16. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    get a makita, never had a problem with them.

  17. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    someone gave me a whole set of cordless tools from skil.
    no batteries.
    I didn't want to buy a bunch of nicad batteries so I made an adapter for them to use my makita batteries.

    I also have and adapter I made to run some of my cordless tools with a power supply I built.

  18. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    i think of the three Milwaukee has the better quality and from experience very good ingress protection. That said, Makita is a good price/quality trade-off for home use, It's used in the trades mainly by carpenters.

  19. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I use Makita 18v tools and Milwaukee 12v tools. Both brands offer perfectly good equipment, however, in my opinion Makita tools feel more refined and precise in use. Basically get whichever one your local store stocks so you don’t have to wait around on the UPS guy. I don’t live near a Home Depot anymore so it’s a b***h to go get a new Mak/Mil tool or battery when I need one.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Addendum: I am a heavy duty truck/bus mechanic and I use my tools every day.

  20. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Company makes good product -> Product gets popular and known for quality -> Corporation wants more money, begins cutting corners on materials, focus/innovation, and manufacturing, taking advantage of its reputation -> morons, in love with a brand name (fricking kek) defend the team color of which ever hand saw they've formed a tribal relationship with while the corporation that makes it laughs to the bank -> Rinse, repeat.

    I genuinely can't think of anything more gay than arguing to defend companies that decided to frick you in the ass years ago.

  21. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Electrician here.Can't go wrong with either Makita or Milwaukee. I used to go with Milwaukee brushed impacts with the small batteries from home depot. Good value, but not so pricey that I worried about then disappearing from a commercial jobsite. They would usually give after a year of daily use.

    What sold me on makita was dropping one of their impacts 12 feet onto concrete and it still working.

    Milwaukee has a better design for how their batteries secure with two tabs vs makitas single tab. Makita battery tabs can snap off if dropped and then you have a brick you have to tape to the drill, but for the tools themselves, the makita feels more durable.

    Dewalt feel clunky and plastic-y to me, but you will fit in better on a jobsite with them.

  22. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Most tools you buy don't have a tool only option. Every time You buy a new ryobi tool you're usually going to get a battery and charger with it. Being forced into a single battery platform is a meme.

    • 1 year ago
      Bepis

      Really? Where are you shopping? It’s far more common to find the tool only, especially in store. The Ryobi yard tools are one of the few where lots or tools are offered as a kit.

      Online is different, many more kits, but the majority is still bare tools and there’s not much offered as a kit only. Although I would rather spend $10 more to get the kit with a battery or two extra.

  23. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    You can adapt any battery platform to a ryobi. But not the other way around because of the battery dildo.

    However milwaulkees adapt the best because of the built in battery management.

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