Wow! She bought every one with her money and spent countless hours doing a thorough test not seen since the heydays of Popular Mechanics magazine. Bravo!
There are a few good TH-camrs who do similar testing - Torque Test Channel, Project Farm, and Tools Tested come to mind. They often lose subscribers when the fanboys don't like their conclusions 😅
Somebody admiting that they realize why tradesmen use red and yellow. I'm impressed at the honesty. I have mostly Milwaukee tools, but run DeWalt drills because their chucks are superior to Milwaukee's. I Plan to buy a select few DeWalt tools in the future that are also better than their Milwaukee counterparts. The work I do demands tools that have the guts and the longevity that only Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita offer. (RIGID to an extent) Some of these less popular brands have a handful of tools that are just now starting to outperform the big three, but its too little too late, and they're tearing themselves apart to do it. I've no problem with DIY'rs choosing whatever they can afford or need/want, but don't compare your tools to ours and wonder why you recieve the backlash you do. This test served its purpose well, and I hope many more people gain a better understanding of the differences between pro tools and light duty tools through it. P.S. You were so mean to that craftsman...😂
We were using a gen 3 milwaukee M18 fuel to put 7/8" holes through 3/4" structural steel and reaming holes because the steel was made by the lowest bidder worst holes were 2" off or not there at all. It was pretty bad for the wrist twist but never had problem with power (gen 4 they added the auto stop which saves the wrist so far). One day lunch break someone stole the one we had left with a brand new reamer (anything milwaukee on this site grew legs) and we had a makita and 2 dewalts, the makita made smoke in about 30s and blew the gearboxes out of both dewalts in about 25 min. Set us back about 4 hours because we couldn't find another drill or a "certified" welder that would weld a 1-1/4" bolt head onto a reamer for us to use on an impact after scrounging around site for another drill or a magdrill bit bigger than 3/8". We only ever had problems with the milwaukee chucks after cooking bits into them too many times but could still reef on them to keep bits in.
the irony is the chuck isn't even made by them. Chucks are all made by Jacobs or Rohm. My main issue with this is a lot of DIY aren't going to have multiple versions of the same tools. They will generally have 1 or 2 of the same tool, so in that case often its easier to buy into the "ecosystem" of swappable batteries. In my case its DeWalt, and for the most part, as long as you're in one of the "big names" the tool itself will be just "fine". its the convenience of using the same batteries in all of my tools, so if I need to buy a new tool I don't need to buy the charger+battery combo kit, I can buy the tool only (and only focus on buying new batteries if I need them).
I bought a 18V Ryobi drill (brushed) 13 years ago and did a full renovation of our house with it and every woodworking project since then. The 18V Lipo battery is still the first and going strong. Since then I added several Makita brushless drills and they are quicker, stronger and the battery lasts longer (for twice the price), but I love my RYOBI and did not expect to get this lifespan out of it.
I've had a similar experience with mine. Bought mine, don't recall when, but might be 13, 15 years ago and four 4 amp hour batteries, and two of those are still taking a full charge.
Last i think nearly 20 years i bought the BOSCH 2.4v cordless driver last month i open and see battery is dead other thing all no dirty and i clean replace the battery still can drive like new ( what i buy this mini cordless driver James bond movie the man open the nuclear bomb to open the screw ) than i like it go to buy the shop nearly 20 years replacement the battery still can use again BOSCH mini cordless driver
I once used Craftsman power tools for personal use but experienced the Milwaukee tools through work. A few years ago I 'bought in to' the entire Milwaukee product line and have not had many regrets. It is a high(er) price but I know that if I use the saw, drill, impact wrench or Sawzall that it will get the job done. I even have the little Milwaukee AC power inverter, it ended up being neat on a camping trip to power an AC device for an hour or so.
First timer here, just for curiosity, no particular need for deep dive into woodworking tools. But have to say that your test was exceedingly well presented. You were clear, crisp, upbeat, and you speak with authority from your experience. Thank you!
Thanks for the video. My buddy was a cabinet maker (retired now.) He used to use Makita drills back when Makita dominated the market for cordless drills. He had at least 12 cordless drills to save him time changing bits. When the batteries (ni-cads) started failing he tried some Harbor Freight cordless drills. Eventually that was all he used. They did the job okay and cost about 20% of the price of Makitas. He didn't think that Makita was good enough to be justify the higher cost.
I started with a Ryobi combo kit a number of years ago because of the price point, and I've stuck with them since. I've added a couple of other tools from Makita, but mostly I stick with Ryobi for the drills and nailers. I do occasional DIY around the house and make other woodworking projects, so that's all I've ever needed. On top of that, I have too much invested in the batteries to start over with someone else's platform. Great vid, as usual.
I also have the Ryobi but when I invested in larger batteries, they made a world of difference. I still have the original 2ah battery, but I generally use the 5ah or 6ah. It's not just extra life you get from the larger batteries, they really push more power too. I found this even more pronounced in the Jigsaw. Trying to cut thick wood with the jigsaw and 2ah battery, it definitely feels underpowered. Once you put a 5ah or 6ah battery in, it feels just as powerful as a mains powered tool.
Same here, got a Ryobi combo kit in 2018. It did what I needed for DIY projects. Ryobi has many yard tools which other brands did not have (blowers, weed walkers, chain saw, saws all). Today I own a good number of their tools and only one battery platform. This is my plus - seven chargers and eighteen batteries (eleven 4 ah and seven 1.5). Always have a hot battery for the tool I am using and didn't break my budget. 😊
Also I think she was testing a more entry point Ryobi, there brushless tools are not that much more expensive and I believe would compare more favourably to the Default and Milwaukee. Personally I don't like DeWalt drills because It feels like the motor slaps when it engages.
I don't know why the Ryobi failed the paddle bit test. I have used my Ryobi with a paddle bit to make holes through the rim joist to outside the house for electric and a water spigot. It worked fine, and it's an old brush motor.@@aidananstey9848
I love how detailed the video was and how you actually shows you driving the screw so we could see and hear how the drills responded. Great work keep it up.
I started out with Ryobi and 20 tools later I'm not changing. A few weeks ago I got a Ryobi HP+ brushless compact drill and impact driver for $90 (US) on sale. Regular price was $180. These will be more than enough for a homeowner like me. Home Depot has four or five really great sales a year, so that's when I get my tools. And my military discount knocks an additional 10 percent off. No complaints after 20+ years. No failures of either the tools or the batteries. And Home Depot is a 3-4 minute drive from my house.
Just discovering your channel for the first time. What a wonderful presentation! Briskly paced, beautifully filmed, with comprehensive coverage of the topic, and very well articulated! You deserve a million subscribers - and I think you are likely to hit that magical target!
This video popped into my feed and I thought I'd give it a look. So glad I did (completely apart from finding out that the drill/impact drill set I found on sale is from a brand that did very well in your tests)! I'll be watching this channel more often! Also love that you're in Canada!
I love my Festool t18, its no better at drilling holes but... The fast change chucks, 90 degree and off set chucks and its electronic torque control work for me as a traditional boat builder. I mainly use old school slotted screws when they're going to be on display and want all the slots aligned to look right, the low speed control is worth every penny
Also, can't believe you power drive slotted screws. Some very steady hands you've got there! If you're going to do that, Festool is really the ONLY choice.
to be honest i often tweak then with a screw driver, but when you're putting in hundreds of the little buggers it helps, and the torque control means you dont ruin the slot on the screw
I own a Ryobi drill, and I am very happy. My 1st Ryobi was in 2006 and "ran it hard and put it away wet." It was my 1st job in a profession, and when I thought I needed a better drill, I would have moved up to a Milwaukee, but that never happened. The job ended. And as for the problems that you had I never had with either of the 2 drills made by Ryobi, I ever failed.
This was way more enlightening than I expected! Very nice, thanks. Much better tests than I've seen in other vids! -- I have Dewalt and Milwaukee only because I am a chump for the brands and just like nice things. Alas, to each their own! -- I can't spend 750 on one though, haha.
Have used Ryobi for years not just drills but the battery packs and charge units are interchangeable whether it be grinder, drill ect , yes know not top of line but after years of use the Ryobi's I never have 2 worry about they keep on keeping on , DIY work shop here am happy with that level. Hello from remote rural off grid Australia here .
@@Cancun771 No, you are right, first gear is the low gear. First gear has more torque, but is limited to the torque setting. The second gear has more momentum and takes advantage of the drill mode (no torque limiter). That's why I think it would have been better/faster in the second gear.
One of the biggest keys to figuring out which drill to get (as you said at the end) is to look at the full line of tools that brand sells. You're not just buying a drill, you're buying into an ecosystem of tools because the batteries will serve them all (and they're not cheap). If you like DeWalt's tool lineup, buy a DeWalt drill, etc. I would also say, don't buy a 12V drill (they are plenty powerful) if you think later you'll want other tools that only use 18V batteries. Makita would have been another great contender.
You can get adaptor plates for a few combos. Buying into any ecosystem is an expensive luxury when your tools are random bargain/auction finds, and as batteries have a finite lifespan there's no real advantage to sharing batteries apart from fewer chargers.
@@MattOGormanSmith This test wasn't about bargain finds but about the best tools for the job. Yes, if you're serious about your tools, look at the whole ecosystem. For me as a professional electrician being able to switch batteries between tools is a HUGE HUGE advantage. Mine has been Milwaukee all the way, and my batteries have lasted for several years under intensive use, every single day.
The ecosystem is key and the biggest reason to choose one system over another. It's also true that DeWalt for instance has many cheaper drills available, and the kits are often on sale. So you can start there and get into the system/batteries, then add better tools later. If you're a power tool junkie, you will love looking for saws, angle grinders, lights, radios, chain saws, leaf blowers, etc etc that all run on the same batteries. Milwaukee is awesome also for this reason though I happened to buy into the DeWalt system years ago. I recently bought a DW stick vac that we use as our main vac in the house. The same battery runs our leaf blower. The power goes out and 4 battery powered lights fire up the house for many many hours. Drill, what drill? That's how diverse these ecosystems are now. It's pretty cool.
@@MattOGormanSmith I've found a use in this too. I run a lot of Milwaukee stuff mixed in with bunch of cheapies that I thrash. I bought a Ryobi mower the other day and bought an adaptor off Ebay to run the Milwaukee battery from the line trimmer in the Ryobi mower (it didn't come with a big enough battery). The mower runs a lot better. In the end Milwaukee etc etc just run higher C batteries so can pump out more amps. Just a note to any noobs reading this, you cannot use a battery adaptor to go from Ryobi/craftsmen to Milwaukee/Dewalt/Festool. Does anyone know where I can get C ratings for different battery models?
Another factor to bear in mind is warranty,some people abuse their tools (not me) and with the range of warranty they have a major influence on which one to buy. Great show. Phil. 🇬🇧
I was really impressed with this entire video. Your dedication, the tests, the narration and camera angle and honest advice - second to none. Hello from former Montrealer :) You gained a subscriber for sure!
I have been a fan of DeWalt tools since I started doing construction in '96. Never had a DeWalt power tool (corded or cordless) fail on me until last month when my flashlight failed. DeWalt had a new one on my doorstep in less than a week. There was a period between 2004-2016 when I had brushed craftsman power tools that served me quite well, but since 2016 I'm fairly invested in the DeWalt ecosystem. Great product testing/comparison video.
Add a 2ah powerstack (lithium pouch) battery to the dewalt and use the torque settings as wrist protection, and you have the ultimate 🏆 Very clearly delivered comparison video, thank you. Geez that screw test would have taken forever. Thanks again 🤠👌 🇦🇺
After watching the video: props for having the patience to perform all these tests! I like comparisons like these because they give the user and idea what to expect.
Nice comparison. I would have chosen torx screws for the test (and for any real work), those give you far less problems with skipping whent he battery runs out. The more expensive drills tend to be more rigid as well and survive dropping from the 2nd floor on a job site, where the cheaper fall apart. As you indicated, it is all about what you intend to use the drill for. The battery incompatibility between brands is a PITA, and since they all use the same Li-ION cells underneath, just an artificial way to lock you into one brand. I chose Bosch Blue/Professional and the batteries are not even compatible with their low-end Bosch Green machines or their battery operated garden tools. Since then I bought a few less frequenctly used Ryobi devices that Bosch didn't provide (nailgun, tile-cutter) and operate those with Bosch batteries and an adapter.
I don’t buy cheap tools, they are less enjoyable to use … which is the whole point of wood working . I don’t want to save 50 dollars to hate doing something. I have the latest Milwaukee, and I’m not disappointed with anything about it
Former Ryobi user here. Got some used Milwaukee tools from friends and they outperformed the Ryobi line. Also, the Milwaukee M18 Hatchet is funner than most firearms.
The reason the magic smoke came out of the Craftsman brushed motor drill is that you were covering both vents! If you need two hands, your hand should be on the back of the drill, not hugging it.
That's a good point! It made me watch the video back. After looking for it, I did notice her doing the same thing to all the drills though. Is that just a brushless thing needing more air flow? Serious question, I really don't know.
@@papageo5 It is a brushless thing indeed. If you pull the trigger, you can feel rushing air coming out of one side vent, drawn in from the other. There is an impellor fan on the drive shaft. The brushes need lots of cooling because they are creating an arc to power the drill (use one in the dark and it will look like fireworks through the vent). If you use the drill over and over without blocking it will become pretty darn hot. With the vents blocked it will cook itself quickly. This is very noticeable on 120 or 240V drills used hard in concrete etc. The air coming out after 60 seconds of run time is really hot. Brushless is different. As there is no arc to transfer power from to the motor, they run much cooler. This is why there are not large vents or an impellor on brushless power tools. The most common reason a brushed power tool will die is from worn or cooked brushes. That's why you get that little snap lock bag with a spare set in the box of most brands that most people proceed to throw out because they don't know what they are. Destructive testing of engineered products requires understanding their common failure points. A proper conclusion can be drawn from looking at why each tool died, not just how long it took. The question should always be why. Cheers, mechanical engineer taking a mental break at work :D
I went with the Kobalt drill & impact driver a couple years ago, and have been extremely pleased with them! An added bonus is the batteries are half the price of Dewalt's! With long battery life also!
I'm a Ryobi fan as well. I have quite a number of their tools in the 18v set. I've been using them to redo my deck with almost no issues. If I did this kinda work for a living I'd certainly use DeWalt or Milwaukee but for the "around the house" projects I do, Ryobi is good enough and a much better price point. Guess the lesson is ... never underestimate the value of "good enough" 😀 Great video as usual !!!
Lou over at “tips from a shipwright” is building a 40 foot lobster boat with Ryobi tools. He is running a serious boat shop and doing heavy timber work.
I loved your tests❤ you were very thorough. I just bought the Milwaukee M18 combo on sale at home depot this October and I'm very happy with it👍 good video 👍
Theres a difference in the way, say, a plumber and a furniture maker use a drill. In a workshop you don't need a high end drill. Let's face it you might drill a few large holes a week but mainly your doing small holes and in dry conditioned timbers. It's only really out on job sites where you might be doing 32mm holes in 2" joists across a whole house that the extra power makes sense. On site i can drill 40-50 28mm holes in a morning. Also my drills get exposed to the elements, fine dusts, temperature extremes, etc, that you will never need to worry about. And your video proves your point really well.
Agree completely.... I use cheaper tools at home and nothing but Milwaukee out in the field as a handyman/remodeler. I've used all these brands and they all have their places.
I have two Festool drills, the one you tested and one with more torque for driving lag screws and very long screws (15 cm +). They are expensive but I still buy them for one important reason beyond the performance, warranty and service. For three years I can send in a machine for repair for free (no shipping) even if the problem is with wearing parts. For a small deductable (125€) they will even replace a stolen machine in those three years. And best of all, once, when my drill had a problem they came to pick it up on site the same day and had it repaired and delivered the next. I even got to borrow another machine so I could keep going. Now I'm in Europe so I can't speak for other countries but that's what really makes it worth the premium for me.
Milwaukee has 5 years warranty on the tools. You don't even need proof of purchase or receipt. Just a serial number. I had three replacements already with free shipping and free replacement/repair. Being 1/3 or 1/4 the price of Festool, you can get more tools. If you like precision drilling for woodworking, get Makita.
@@DarianDT Here Milwaukee only gives me 3 years of warranty and no pick up or theft service. The serial thing is the same as Festool, you just need to register your tool upon purchase. The warranty transfers with the tool if resold within the warranty period. Milwaukee is more affordable but here, on most comparable machines I own, it doesn't amount to more than around max. €100 per machine. And I've already had the Festool system for over 20 years now, so adding another would not really make sense financially. It would if I was just starting out, and I probably would give Milwaukee a go if I was. Makita on the other hand I'm not really a fan of. My first battery driven screwdriver was a Makita and it worked great for 15 years. The one I bought after that broke down every month, I bought another, and had the same issues. That's when I bought my first Festool. They make some excellent machines but others seem to be duds. A friend of mine works with a lot of Makita tools and he says that he uses a list of type numbers to see which he can and shouldn't buy. I don't want that kind of hassle.
I am a carpenter, I have Dewalt equipment it’s a good all rounder & doesn’t let you down, great video I liked how you try different techniques instead of just trying to blow up the motor like in other peoples videos
Yeah when they are that powerful (as the DeWalt) they should have anti-kickback feature. Do really like the light on the DeWalt. I would have loved to see the Makita as well. But I also know there will always be a brand that is not in the test, one can only test so many tools at once, especially in terms of injuries, I hope your wrist is okey!
I use the porter cable and black and decker 20 v. tools. The batteries are interchangeable. I have been finding these for little money on Facebook MP. Last week I bought 8 lithium batteries, a drill, a 1/4 driver, and a grinder for $ 50 and a 1 hour ( $7 gas ) drive. ( he moved up to Milwaukee ) For projects I like to have many drills, or drivers. Pilot drill, clearance drill, counter sink, screwdriver. Without bit changes. the jig saw is handy as hell, the bayonet saw takes off small limbs, and the hedge trimmer make keeping the bushes neat a breeze. NO cords. I also have the full range of craftsman 19.2 tools. Older and heavier, but work fine. Again, can be found very cheap.
I wish you would have included Bosch in your tests. I have drill, driver and reciprocating saw in Bosch and Dewalt and I like the Bosch best for their intended uses. I have not tested batteries but I did install a large deck and my batteries would last all day.
My vote was with Rigid and after seeing the results I believe Rigid clearly came out ahead. Factor in the price and that it stayed right behind the other two it gives more bang for the buck. First time I used a friends Rigid drill I was impressed even though I own both a DeWalt and a Milwaukee drills. Now I'm curious how Makita stacks up. Great video nice job. After looking at the specs again I noticed how close the Rigid and Milwaukee were and got suspicious so I looked up who makes them. Turns out they are both made by TTI and surprise so is the Ryobi, here's the bigger surprise Craftsmen and Delwalt are owned by the Stanley Black and Decker company.
I'll just add that Stanley Black & Decker also owns Porter Cable. They've allowed to fall from its former glory as a professional-grade tool into parallel with B&D and Craftsman tools(consumer tools). Yes, there are very few ACTUAL manufacturers of cordless tools. That said, they often are custom-engineered for each specific brand. For example, Milwaukee often has unique features and higher performance, but it comes at a premium price, despite the same OEM handling the manufacturing. Makita is a brand that does not ALWAYS give you bang for the buck, but often is in the top tier of testing results. As this video indicates, buyers should carefully make their decisions, particularly for tools that you will own for a long time.
i have ridgid cordless because i'm not a trade person. They are great tools and have the best performance for the price, however, ridgid doesn't offer variety of tools like for milwaukee, dewalt, makita, ryobi. Festool is for people who treat their work as a self interest hobby so cost isn't a concern for them.
This was a great test and comparison. Ridgid makes decent entry-level/DIY tools. Bang for the buck they're pretty good. Not as good as Makita/DeWalt/Milwaukee (which are more of a prosumer and trade level) but they get the job done. I have an old Makita set that's been great for screws and pilot holes, which I mostly use them for. So far I've only had to replace the brushes.
Great video, maybe also testing a Ryobi brushless would have been interesting and a good comparison between the motors.Ultimately getting a drill (and many other tools) will largely be determined by the batteries we already have and if we are diy or professional.
I picked up the Ryobi brushless for 110 with a 4 ah battery, its been great, the one used in this comparison is actually the old model, its since been replaced, and the worst one they made, with the weakest possible battery, the AH of the battery really effects its performance, the 9ah battery I use on my Ryobi saw never bogs down, while the 1.5ah gets stuck on anything.
I fully agree. I'm a Ryobi fan and a long time user. I recently bought a Ryobi newest brushless combo drill/impact which is amazingly good. For less than $200 you cant beat Ryobi price point. I also a fan of Milwaukee tools for their quality and durability. But when its come to price I think Ryobi is the winner especially for the DIYer whos' on a budget. Tradesmen's are a different story. BTW Festool is overpriced tools for those who want to show off on the ytube! The real craftsmen don't need such overpriced, show off tools, in my opinion. @@johnfarscape
Exactly i have dewalt equipment and if your cordless tool is something you rely on then you are wasting money with the cheaper ones, As an apprentice the first drill i bought wasn't cheap it was a Hitachi but after 3 months it blew the gearbox which required time to take it back at it was sent away repaired and returned then it did it again so i bit the bullet and bought a dewalt and even forever ago with the NiMH battery it would still try and break your wrist if you didn't use the clutch. I used that set for about 5 years as an Electrician until the batteries stopped being usable by which time they moved to lithium unfortunately i didn't have my first lithium set long due to theft but the 3rd set i have had for about 10 years now and it still runs like new
If you're only doing woodworking, you really should look into 12v tools. So much lighter and smaller, and they're capable of everything woodworking could ask of them. I'm a commercial electrician, I bought an M12 impact and drill kit, my M18 stuff rarely leaves the van anymore.
Nice review, I like that you talked about other tools supported by the battery, while they all do it, one really nice thing about Dewalt, at least here, is the easy availability to buy bare tools. So once you have your batteries, you can pick up tons of tools for a lot cheaper. We have a local farm/Ranch store here that has an entire row dedicated to Dewalt bare tools. One really Nice thing about Ridged is the batteries for life, so when (not if) your batteries die, they will replace it.
good luck getting Ridgid to replace ANYTHING, and their line-up is lacking to say the least(I absolutely love other non-powered Ridgid tools though!)...Dewalt and Milwaukee are basically THE ONLY entry level big box store tool companies in the USA that will stand behind their products pretty much hassle free....Makita is probably not too far behind though(you'll probably deal with shipping, emailing, and long waiting with most tools/batteries) and im not familiar enough with Flex and Metabo(I've heard recently Flex has stepped up their game big time and is like Dewalt and Milwaukee or even better some people have told me, but I personally have no experience with them on a warranty)... Don't count out Harbor Freight now that they have come a long way with good quality modern era battery tech finally, Harbor Freight should REALLY be the Mecca for ALL hobbiest, cheap home owners, and budget minded trade folk, plus no question replace instantly warranty, and constant amazing sales/club member deals... Harbor Freight is SERIOUSLY hard to beat these days especially
One thing DeWalt and Ryobi have going for them is they bring a bit of color to what can be a dreary worksite. First fix on a site in PNW in mid-winter is no joke and the bright yellow looks nicer to me than the bland Makita and Milwaukee that seem to dominate.
When I decided to choose a drill/impact driver for my own uses, one criteria was ergonomics. I happen to have a fairly small hand and a comfortable hand grip narrowed the field quickly. I chose Makita mostly for that reason. I’ve never regretted the decision.
Makita is objectively the best power tool company in the world. The durability and build quality cannot be beat, and the prices are far and away better than competing high end brands like Festool and Hilti.
@@Levi-mg4nf That's true, but the feelings are more important for me. So I went for Festool and Hilti. Most of my friends things like you, but when we are working together, they use my tools, because of the weight, the ergonomic and the smooth. So they really love them, but they will never by one as they thing that those brand are too expensive for what it is.🤷♂
@@Levi-mg4nf Hardly the best 😂😂😂😂😂 There are a few tools from Europe which are probably better. Metabo is a German tool which is "up there". The only drawback is the weight ... screwing or drilling above one's head is like a workout. There are other German made tools of excellent quality, made for professional tradesmen, which aren't always sold overseas. Mind you they are very expensive so that might account for it. They aren't really designed for the ordinary DIYer. And of course Bosch, for example, do a "green" colour range for DIYers and "blue" colour orange for professionals. Hitachi "green" range have changed their name and cater mainly for the professional market. Some manufacturers build for "trade only" and you won't see them advertised anywhere outside a trade magazine or sold outside trade outlets. Then there are German manufacturers such as Kress who build tools for all niche markets. Basically Makita are middle of the range quality wise. Some American badged tools are built in China and are of reasonable quality but not the very best by any means.
Recently bought a £95 Ryobi with twin 1.5 amp batteries which suited me to a tee. Just really happy that the modern batteries hold charge for a long time unlike older Ni-cad of old.
I think they all make good tools. I'm curious to a more apples to apples comparison. Ryobi makes low and high end tools as do most manufacturers. Something I'd like to see is the comparison of a brands entry level tool to their top tier tool. I know Ryobi does make a much nicer brushless drill that I have, and every time I lend it out they usually end up impressed.
Great comparison. My father used cheap battery drills for a long time and I had cheap ones at the beginning. I could always see the brushed motors arcing through the vents and the smell was always noticeable. Then I bought a high end battery drill from Fein as well as a 12V one from Metabo later, because I wanted something light and small and also had a voucher for an extra Battery. Both brushless. They’re both great. I later bought several tools of the budget brand Einhell, choosing the brushless version whenever there was one available. Going the budget route, you need to know what to expect. It’s the little annoying things. Included parallel guides that are flimsy, mediocre dust collection, or other issues, like the dust box not fitting a sander when the 4 Ah battery is attached.
A lot is in how to treat your tools. How much you use them. Now that I'm retired, I have a very cheap brushed drill I've had for a couple of years. I keep it clean and give it time to rest between hard use like hole saws. Mainly, it drills pilot holes. Another tip, keep bits sharp.
Excellent test, Marie. If I were a tradesman, I'd definitely go DeWalt or Milwaukee. As a hobby woodworker, I've been using Ryobi for years and am perfectly satisfied with the performance and durability.
I have to agree until recently I tried to drill out recesses for a floating shelf (into hardwood) using both my Ryobi and Craftsman, and they just couldn't do it. Only then (and with this test) did I realize how much weaker (and less comfortable) they are to use compared to the more advanced models.
@@DIYMontreal: You're right, of course. I, otoh, am old fashioned enough to have kept my corded drills and you can't beat a 1/2" corded Milwaukee for heavy duty drilling. If I needed it everyday, I'd upgrade to a more powerful cordless drill.😉
@@DIYMontreal wait till you try the high end drills from Dewalt / Milwaukee. Going from the M18 Brushless to the M18 Fuel model is a huge increase in performance.
@ 12:21, you gave us all the reason your Ryobi, and any other drill you used with all of your body weight pressing down on them. The key with paddle bits is to let the tool do the work, not force it to engage harder then it should be. That is already a lot of work for those tools to perform, so just like using a circular saw or a recip saw, don't add a ton of pressure, allow the teeth on the blade/bit to cut and extract the material. Believe me, when I first started out, I used lower end tools. They did the job a lot slower than the higher end tools I upgraded to later on when I could afford them. Bu I allowed them to work at their own pace and the Ryobi (blue cases) lasted for many, many years until I actually sold them. I literally met the guy in HD parking lot, took the cash he handed me and bought into the Milwaukee M18 Fuel line of tools and never had any problems with them. I think that for a wood shop, the amount of demand you will be putting on your tools in general will not be as high level as what a framing/rough carpenter would be putting on their tools. That is more than likely why you have the Ryobi and Craftsman in your shop, and they are performing up to your standards, and doing it quite well. As we all know, each tool has it's place. Personally, I am not a tool snob, but when I reach for my tools, I put a lot of demand on them. That is why I buy the FUEL line every time it is available or necessary. I have never had one fail on me when using them for their intended purpose and intended manner.
To stop the De-Walt breaking your wrist you do one screw to the correct depth and seating and then set the torque to click on that by adjusting the circular torque band on the drill. It's what its for.. its a feature of most drills. try it and reap the rewards of perfectly seated screws without the wrist break..
Great video! One thing to note on the Festtool's battery: it's probably using 21700 cells (Vs 18650 for the other drills) and this provides more amperes to the motor, this is why drilling and driving is smoother.
As you mentioned, us, woodworker do not use these drills all the time... a pre-drilled hole here and there, a few screws, and that's it. The drill really does not matter. If you build deck, on the other hands, power and battery capacity are more important. Great comparison! Nice video as usual, Marie. Thanks!
Somebody building a deck would ordinarily use an impact driver, and the Dewalt 887 dominates that trade. But yeah, for basic woodworking, even the Ryobi and Craftsman are more than you really need - where you want the Dewalt is really with Forstner, auger, and similar really big bits. I'm actually in the Dewalt ecosystem and not a fan of that particular drill after giving it a try: it's too powerful for its size, the older longer model with similar specs is much easier to handle, so I kept the older model - for tight spaces, there's always a right angle drill.
@@jec6613 For basic woodworking: most of the time I'll reach for my 12v drill and driver set. They are much lighter than their 18v counterparts and have plenty of power for the job. Only when using a large bit, I'll use the large drill.
I like your pragmatic approach. There is one other factor that matters, though: Durability. I could probably make do with Craftsman or Ryobi, but my DeWalt tools last for a long, long time, and they take levels of abuse what would make Tool Protective Services throw up.
There shouldn’t be any biased with what I’m about to say cause she was consistent with all of them but covering vents with her left hand makes a considerable difference in power. If the vent holes wouldn’t have been covered on the craftsmen drill I’m sure it wouldn’t have started smoking maybe not perform better but at least no smoke.
I can't believe how much time, effort and money went into this production. I'm sorry to say I just came across your channel today and subscribed almost immediately. (The 5 super simple woodworking jigs... drew me in.) I'm planning to scroll through more of your content and I am a fan of supporting my favorite Makers on Patreon so... Thanx for all you do.
I know Harbor Freight's Hercules brand brushless drill would be the red-headed step child of the bunch because showing HF's tools is nearly as controversial as Festool, but I would have liked to see it stack up to the big-name brands as it is getting some pretty good reviews right now. I think if we are doing a review of drills to see best bang for the buck it should have been shown. But then, not sure, but I think you may be in Canada and might not have been able to get one.
We have something wich compare to Harbor Freight in Canada witch is called Princess Auto but they don't cary the same brand. They also have their own name brand.
@@christianouellette9995 You could compare Canadian Tire's regular and Maximum lines to Harbor Freight but yeah, when it comes to that really cheap Chynesium tools feel, Princess Auto with their Power Fist brand is a lot like Harbor Freight's.
@FirstLastOne I'm not sure about Festool but, if you think any of those other tools are not made in China, you're mistaken. Damn near all of them are now.
As a first time viewer and now new subscriber, I gotta say everything about this video is quality. The camera placement, angles, lightings, editing, staging and your professional yet casual presentation is very engaging. The selection, creation and implementation of the tests was fantastic in it's fairness. Along the lines of Project Farm. I'm sure your channel will blow up any day now if the rest of your videos are even half as well done as this. I also gotta say you have great taste in gloves, I love the Firm Grip line and you can't beat PA! I don't know many women who shop at PA so I gotta ask, are you incapable of going there and leaving with ONLY the thing you came for? I have thousands of dollars in the Ryobi 18V One+ line and love most of them, there's so much selection, but some of them are dogs and that drill is one of a few Ryobi tools I replaced with Milwaukee. My main attraction to Ryobi is the massive variety of cordless tools they have and the fact that they've used the same battery platform for decades and plan on keeping it that way for the foreseeable future. Anyway, sorry for the long diatribe but I was so impressed by this video I had to say something. My videos are garbage quality and that's not something I'm into improving but I have a very small friendly group of subscribers. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate when someone does go through the effort and take the time, spend the money and put it all together so very well. I'm a fairly quiet guy that doesn't comment often so you don't have to worry about my rambles. I'll likely be watching and most likely always be giving the thumbs up from the other side of the country
I have to give props to Rigid. I switched over to their platform from Dewalt (due to cost) awhile back, and they served me well. Now I'm switching back to some of the higher-end tools, and I'm having a battle between Dewalt and Milwaukee. I have purchased tools from both in the last 6 months. I have both a Dewalt and a Milwaukee impact driver. My go-to hammer drill/driver is the Milwaukee. Great video!
You've convinced me. After seeing your and several other comparisons I have to concluded that the brand is the absolutely least important factor in selecting a tool. Except for the opinion of the most pedantic wood connoisseur it seems that the performance of whatever drill you pick up in any store is just fine, yes even if you were to buy a craftsman. Other factors that have nothing to do with performance seem way more important and none of those other factors can be judged independently from each other. But if I were to put them in order of performance: 1) Price: There is absolutely no need to pay $700 for a job a $100 tool can do just fine, especially if you can replace that tool 7 times over before breaking even. 2) The usability of *ALL* other tools in the selection: Needing to buy and maintain several different expensive batteries because you needed to purchase only one other-brand tool, because your chosen brand tool stinks, drives the price up again. 3) Practical considerations: These are very personal. For drills and impact drivers the shortness of the body and good light on my work are important. (For instance: I liked the particular model of DeWalt tested but I found a Ridgid model that came close enough regarding my personal preferences but was a lot better priced.)
I enjoyed your comparison video, the challenges you put them each of them through and also your personal findings along the way. Thanks for putting it out there.
I have several 18v Rigid drills and impact drivers and they, in my opinion offer exceptional performance..The biggie for me if the lifetime warranty that Rigid offers and although I have only used the warranty to replace a battery, my tools have stood the test of time and heavy use....especially my impact drivers ...I am a big fan of yours and really enjoy following your videos and builds... Cheers
The Ridgid warranty, covering not only the tools but the batteries as well, is huge when it comes to cordless tools. They have a decent selection of tools available that cover most use cases from woodworking to mechanics. What you get for what you pay, Ridgid is going to be a clear winner with that registered lifetime warranty as icing on the cake.
The warranty huge selling point for any product. If it has a good warranty, it’s probably a very good product. I liked your comment I like rigid tools.
Very nice, thorough and informative comparison. Just watching you drive all those screws earned you my subscription. Looking forward to your other videos.
What a dedicated video, which must have taken absolutely ages! Thank you. I can echo your results, having wasted loads buying rubbish cheap brands over the years and now have 2 that I am very happy with, a brushless DeWalt and a brushed AEG.
I have the Dewalt and get similar results. Including the wrist twist, they need a side handle option for that much torque. I did find that dialing in the clutch gives perfect depth control for the head AND prevents the wrist twist.
Learning how to hold the drill will eliminate any potential wrist twist. It's subtle but could save god known how many injuries a year. I'm sure there are some good vides on here about it.
How do you recommend setting the clutch to avoid breaking your wrist? I remember seeing another video talking about how the clutch on DeWalt drills ends up not doing that much, depending on how you use it.
@@jones786 Right behind the keyless chuck gripping area there is the clutch ring. Note the markings 1-15 or 1-18 or whatever you have, then to the right of the highest number there is a little graphic of a drill bit. That is fully locked with no clutch. The highest number is the most force before the clutch slips, the lowest number is the least. Every size screw and head type AND wood type or if you drilled pilot holes first all makes a difference on where you set it. I rarely have it locked in full 'drill mode' even when drilling. To start try setting it to a middle number and drive a deck screw or something large in with it. The idea is to dial in the clutch so that the screw goes all the way in and seats flush with the surface or however you want it to. The correct clutch number for that situation is when it does that. It will vary from job to job, but usually not with the same wood and hardware. You can drill on whatever setting it will work without slipping the clutch, you do not ever need to use drill mode unless you need to dial it up to get something large to drill or drive. But at the point you will be totally ready for all of the torque and properly braced. The primary purpose of the clutch is to give consistent finishing depth to screws, but once you get used to it you will see how it also stops the driver from transmitting all of that torque into your wrists.
@@jones786 Awesome, glad I could help! The Dewalt clutch is as good as any other I've used but other brands might have something special I'm not aware of. It works great imo once you get the hang of it.
That was an on depth and well thought out comparison, one thing I might have done differently (and do differently in my own shop) is use my drill for drilling holes and my impact for placing screws in pre drilled holes. Seeing your data set, the Rigid is the best balance for the hobbiest and most importantly perhaps, IT STILL HAS A LIFETIME WARRANTY! (In the States anyway) wishing you the best-
Dewalt and Milwaukee are basically THE ONLY entry level big box store tool companies in the USA that will stand behind their products pretty much hassle free....Makita is probably not too far behind though(you'll probably deal with shipping, emailing, and long waiting with most tools/batteries) and im not familiar enough with Flex and Metabo(I've heard recently Flex has stepped up their game big time and is like Dewalt and Milwaukee or even better some tell me, but I personally have no experience with them on a warranty)... Don't count out Harbor Freight now that they have come a long way with good modern era battery tech finally, Harbor Freight should REALLY be the Mecca for ALL hobbiest and budget minded trade folk, plus no question replace instantly warranty, and constant amazing sales/member club deals
Nice set of tests, the data is very informative. As for the torque at the end from the DeWalt, does it not have a clutch setting? Or was the torque required to drive the lag bolt so high that you couldn't use it?
I didn't get that either. Why complain about too much torque, when you can adjust to a lower setting? The torque potential and adjustments weren't even mentioned, when in real life, this is what you use all day long to make for an efficient day.
I have been going back and forth for weeks deciding which brand to buy my first drill. Your video really helped me see what I need and what I don't. Plus what may be worth a little more in the long run. I really like how you make everything easy to understand when you explain things. Thanks I'm really enjoying your videos.
I used a Sears Craftsman wired drill from 196t until it was stolen 12 years ago. During that time I replaced on chuck and if memory serves 3 or 4 sets of brushes. I replaced it with a Ridgid on clearance sale at Home Depot with 2 2 amp batteries, charger, case and impact driver for $99. I have been very happy with that drill and I am still using it. I only wish it had the old style chuck with a key. I have used other brands of battery powered drills belonging to friends and at work, and found a problem that these chucks will often loosen after several uses.
Interesting, Marie. I'm in the Makita camp so I will be sticking with it. Also keep in mind that Milwaukee, Ridgid and Ryobi are all made by the same company. This also shows why I am transitioning to Torx screws and use my impact driver a lot more. BTW, what is the shape of the lag screw heads (lol)? Bill
I love your test, very informative. What I would have loved to see is another test with the same drills all on the same size batteries. The larger batteries not only last longer but offers more power so its not surprising that the two drills with the smallest batteries came out at the bottom. You can usually squeeze out a little more performance from enter level tools with larger batteries.
Even batteries with the same aH rating cannot be compared. They have to have the same C value (the maximum continuous current capacity). You can buy 4aH batteries that will stomp 8aH batteries...there is much more to it. These tests performed in the video leave a lot to be desired, but they have certainly started a lot of discussion which is good!
Nice comparison. I use strictly Milwaukee, but have both 12 volt and 18 volt tools and I have to say I use the 12 volt much more often. The newer Milwaukee M12 fuel drill I suspect would be more than a match for the Craftsman or Ryobi 18 volt. It's relatively light, more compact and more than enough for most use.
I got my Dewalt impact driver kit on sale, AND in a special bundle with a free tool, and I gotta say that it continues to impress me with every job I throw at it. I know exactly where you're coming from. I also have a Dewalt 20V cordless drill, but I'm always reaching for the 12V hammer driver. A quick, funny story about Milwaukee. Years ago I had to have a cable tech come out, and add in a new line to the house. So I came strolling out thinking I was hot shit with my 18V Black and Decker drill wanting to "help". I struggled to get through the wall, and the tech kind of chuckled, whipped out his Milwaukee, and drilled in like the wall wasn't even there. Needless to say I went back into my room, and left him to it, LOL. Milwaukee made me feel like a total chump, and I'm okay with it!
Thank you for the video. I am a full time sitefixer and cabinet maker. I got to come clean before commenting, i have been using festool for the last 15 years. I have bought 2 T shaped and 1 C shaped drills since then. One transmission was fixed for free and one charger has died. I still have two drills in action C and T. I like the C for screwing because it holds 7 bits and the T for drilling because it has the higher rpm. I was wondering if I you could clear something up for me? The performance of the festool in the last test seemed out of place and the sounds the festool made got me thinking. I paused the video to see if you might have had the machine on the torque setting whilst driving the heavy screws in. The machine has a left/right switch with a screw/drill pictured on the top. I think it was on the screw setting which limits the torque that can be set at the back of the machine. When using it in this setting it will beep and stop if you reach the set torque much like it does if it runs out of battery. Bit confusing till you know this and I think this is what has happened in the test. Knowing this machine quite well and using it daily i know it will twist your wrist like the dewalt. One other thing that I think has been overlooked is that the festool has specialist attachments to replace the chuck. You can get 90° attachments to drill and drive screws around corners. Handy for example in a narrow cabinet. Offset attachments to screw offset to the center of the drill. I personally have a chuck each with the right drill bit set in it for different jobs to minimise time for tool changes. Nevertheless I liked your video and applaud your efforts making it for us. Thank you.
Great video! For the ryobi ane craftsman price point, i highly recommend the harbor freight line of power tools for entry level hobbyists, theyre actually not bad and the bauer and hercules lines are surprisingly top rated by other reviewers
Milwaukee is my choice for a just regular everyday drill but I know the Festool has some other features that make it just a bit better to use such as the anti kickback, bluetooth switch for dust collection and the different chucks for depth, off set drilling, right angles and such.
Thanks for doing this comparison! It was very interesting to see how the drills performed in different tests. I have Dewalt drills and am very satisfied with them. They are older models but still perform great for my needs. You're right though in that a lot depends on what you use them for. An occasional DIYer or someone who doesn't do much drilling would probably be very happy with the less expensive drills while someone who uses them all the time or for their job could definitely justify paying the higher price to get a drill that performs much better.
Well done video. About 10 years ago I built a 10x16 deck with a new craftsman drill. Just before I finished the battery would no longer take a charge. I finished the deck with my 20 year old corded $12 Black and Decker drill. This old drill still works.
Great review! Just want to add Ryobi brush-less impact drill is awesome.Most people now have both and screwing lag bolts is ideal for impact drill not regular drill.I have the Ryobi impact brushless and its a powerhouse of a tool.Renovated my entire basement foundation using it.For most woodworking regular Ryobi drill is sufficient and have one and used extensibility without problems.
Nice review. I guess I would take the Rigid out of those as a good worthy middleman. But no Bosch at all ? I like it since it is relatively lightweight, pretty strong still and small. Only the standard batteries are kind of small so you deff. need the second in the pack. With that in mind, I think for the price in mind, the ones with 2 batteries could be doubled in number of screws compared to the ones with only one battery.
Indeed, matching battery sizes is key to getting accurate results in tests like these. A 2aH battery can only put out a fraction of the current of a 4aH battery. So, all the batteries should have been the same rating (as in all having the same C rating). This would actually be a very good test to watch. Too many people think a battery half the aH capacity lasts half as long, and that just IS NOT how it works. This is why the better brands can get so much more torque out of the same voltage. The tool can just draw more current which equals more power. Use a multi-meter, it's easy to see. Or find the C ratings of the batteries and compare.
Great review, thank you for the video. Just one thing, i think it's important to note, in the first test, it's possible that the drills stalled because you were drilling in the higher speed and the kickback protection turned it off
Nice "real world" comparison. I'm currently a Rigid guy, so value for money was probably my biggest motivator. I think if I was to start over, I'd have to seriously consider the Milwaukee since they've seemed to up their game lately, and they aren't going to "break" my wrist. Dewalt is more mature in it's product line and no doubt a great tool though. Great job! I liked the challenges you put them all through!
Ryobi has a nice compact brushless drill that isn't much more expensive than the brushed one here. Probably would have been good to see where it lands.
Bonjour! Thank for committing to tell the viewers which tool(s) is/are the best in your opinion. So many reviews are "non-committal" where the reviewers say good things about all their products leaving the reader/viewer more confused about what they are reading. You provide a ranking and this is very important especially for "higher-end users" and professionals. Merci pour une excellente evaluation de ces produits qui sont monnaie-courante pour les DIY. Ciao, L
Nice work! As a fellow Canadian, allow me to give you a tip: Robertson screws work best with Robertson screwdrivers. Buying those 'Murican "square drive" bits is a waste of time, they always round over quickly and start to skip. If you buy the name brand Robertson bits (From another Canadian institution, Lee Valley Tools!) they will last a long, long time. You can tell a proper Robertson driver because the square that engages the screw is actually a different, much harder piece of steel that is swaged into the softer shaft material. Yes, I am an engineer, LOL.
Nice review. Like you, I bought into the Ryobi ecosystem early on, for the same reasons. This was back in the day when often each brand had a different battery for each tool, and extra batteries were ridiculously expensive. To be honest, as a hobbyist the Ryobi line up serves me well, especially when you pair the impact driver (I have 2) with the drill (I have 4!). However, if I had to do it over again I'd likely go with Dewalt, and your test results reinforce that.
@@DIYMontreal Well, we have a old Ridgid drill in our shop that we reserve for a 1/8” drill bit or countersink - it is a bit time saver and somewhat like and extra hand.
It was best midline in this particular test...WHICH LEFT OUT A TONNN OF OTHER GOOD TOOLS!!?? BUT NEVER PICK RIDGID FOR LT WAR BECAUSE THEY SELDOM EVER STAND BY IT!!! AND LT OR ANY OTHER WAR DONT MEAN SHIT IF THE COMP DOES NOTTT STAND BY IT!!!! WOULDNT GIVE.2 CENTS FOR THEIR LT WAR!!!!
Structural screws (GRK or Simpson) are probably a better choice for drill drivers. An impact tool would probably be better suited to lag screws - but I have snapped lag screws with an impact tool. I think lag screws are losing ground to “structural screws”
My main drill remains the great grandfather of that T-18+3, a 2009 C-12 NiMH. Still going strong and still the original two batteries, now in its 3rd systainer. I also is Milwaukee, but OPE only. In the UK the price difference between Milwaukee and Festool isn’t nearly enough to switch and the quality and ergonomics are well down on Festool. How many Dewalt, Milwaukee and Makita’s (won’t even count Ryobi) would I have gotten through in the 14 years my Festool has lasted? Oh - and I can charge my original 12V NiMH batteries on my most modern Festool double charger too! 👍
As the batteries and sometimes the charger fail before the actual tool I found it more practical to stick to one brand for all my cordless tools. Milwaukie was the brand I chose as they have a full range of cordless from saws, drivers, drills, to leaf blowers and their M-18 batteries and have plenty of power.
A feature of the Ridgid tools that trumps everything is that when you register your new Ridgid cordless tools, you get free battery replacement for life. And for people who say the cheaper tools won't last as long, who are we kidding? I can buy almost 8 Ryobi drills for one Festool. And if I loose a Ryobi tool, or it gets stolen (something that's not covered by any manufacturer's warranty), I'll cry a lot less losing a Ryobi or Ridgid. As a hobbyist, I'm NEVER going to wear out a drill anyway. For most people, overly expensive tools are just for vanity.
Reminds me of Project Farm testing...which is a compliment! I am a home DIY'er..... I have had the same 18V Ryobi set since 2002 and just replaced them with the new Ryobi Brushless set.....awesome stuff...
My Ryobi 4 piece kit will turn 20 years old in August, it’s still kicking. Yes, I also have a couple of DEWALT, but my 2 Ryobi drills are always my go to. Great video!
Excellent testing. In the UK the spade drills seem to blunt quickly. I have used an aged Ryobi corded unit with twist drills, it works very well. Cist £20 in a sale. For lightweight work such as short screws or slow drilling of tiles a Titan is light and works for hours. Dewalt impact driver does the business with heavier work. Keep up the good work!
I had been invested in Ryobi until four years ago. The drill you tested was their entry unit. I owned two brushless and found them adequate...like at the Ridgid level. Good enough for me. Their line is full of good/better/best choices, so look closely to find a unit that meets your needs. One other thought...I almost always used them with a 4ah battery. Much more available power seems to mean more work, and more comfortable work. I switched to Makita four years ago to take advantage of their commercial grade outdoor power equipment (OPE). I have five 3ah batteries, and eight 5ah batteries, six of which are dedicated solely to the OPE's. I bought the 18x2 tools which give me 36/40 volts and a significant increase in power. I did notice that several of the Makita tools are power hungry, namely the router and circular saw and run best on the 5ah battery. I would highly recommend using 3+ah batteries all the time in every cordless tools simply because the tools seem to be much more powerful. I'd bet a donut with you that if you repeated this test with 4-5 ah batteries, you'd find this theory of mine to be true.
The M18 Fuel Gen4 Milwaukee with autostop is insane. Saved my wrists so many times and if you think Dewalt and Milwaukee were close with their respective XR/M18 FUEL it’s crazy how similar they are now.
I look at the drills differently when on the job with other trades expensive drills disappear first. If you are on say a kitchen replace job a few seconds don’t matter to me. And I have never driven 400 plus screws in a day ever, actually I like nails for most work.
Absolutely LOVED your organization and efforts to make the comparisons as close as you did. Some of these Other "review" folks could really take a page from your book. Essentially I did something very much as did you. Having worked in a Big Box store I had the opportunity to try a wide variety of tools and worked hard to make sure the playing field was level. Ryobi was my EDC only because of the availability of all of the options any time I needed them. Since retiring, however, if it doesn't say "DeWalt" I pass it by. FWIW.
Great test and can we all just take a minute to appreciate how much money and time has been spent here. The DeWalt is a beast with that torque “issue”. We had a fabricator at work seriously damage his wrist from using one of their 20v drivers and he had *strong* wrists…he was a climber (filthy!).
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Wow! She bought every one with her money and spent countless hours doing a thorough test not seen since the heydays of Popular Mechanics magazine. Bravo!
There are a few good TH-camrs who do similar testing - Torque Test Channel, Project Farm, and Tools Tested come to mind. They often lose subscribers when the fanboys don't like their conclusions 😅
Somebody admiting that they realize why tradesmen use red and yellow. I'm impressed at the honesty.
I have mostly Milwaukee tools, but run DeWalt drills because their chucks are superior to Milwaukee's. I Plan to buy a select few DeWalt tools in the future that are also better than their Milwaukee counterparts.
The work I do demands tools that have the guts and the longevity that only Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita offer. (RIGID to an extent) Some of these less popular brands have a handful of tools that are just now starting to outperform the big three, but its too little too late, and they're tearing themselves apart to do it.
I've no problem with DIY'rs choosing whatever they can afford or need/want, but don't compare your tools to ours and wonder why you recieve the backlash you do.
This test served its purpose well, and I hope many more people gain a better understanding of the differences between pro tools and light duty tools through it.
P.S. You were so mean to that craftsman...😂
We were using a gen 3 milwaukee M18 fuel to put 7/8" holes through 3/4" structural steel and reaming holes because the steel was made by the lowest bidder worst holes were 2" off or not there at all. It was pretty bad for the wrist twist but never had problem with power (gen 4 they added the auto stop which saves the wrist so far). One day lunch break someone stole the one we had left with a brand new reamer (anything milwaukee on this site grew legs) and we had a makita and 2 dewalts, the makita made smoke in about 30s and blew the gearboxes out of both dewalts in about 25 min. Set us back about 4 hours because we couldn't find another drill or a "certified" welder that would weld a 1-1/4" bolt head onto a reamer for us to use on an impact after scrounging around site for another drill or a magdrill bit bigger than 3/8". We only ever had problems with the milwaukee chucks after cooking bits into them too many times but could still reef on them to keep bits in.
the irony is the chuck isn't even made by them. Chucks are all made by Jacobs or Rohm. My main issue with this is a lot of DIY aren't going to have multiple versions of the same tools. They will generally have 1 or 2 of the same tool, so in that case often its easier to buy into the "ecosystem" of swappable batteries. In my case its DeWalt, and for the most part, as long as you're in one of the "big names" the tool itself will be just "fine". its the convenience of using the same batteries in all of my tools, so if I need to buy a new tool I don't need to buy the charger+battery combo kit, I can buy the tool only (and only focus on buying new batteries if I need them).
“Backlash”
It’s that serious, stop being a child
I bought a 18V Ryobi drill (brushed) 13 years ago and did a full renovation of our house with it and every woodworking project since then. The 18V Lipo battery is still the first and going strong. Since then I added several Makita brushless drills and they are quicker, stronger and the battery lasts longer (for twice the price), but I love my RYOBI and did not expect to get this lifespan out of it.
18v LiPo in your drill?? I highly doubt it's a LiPo lol
You buyed an eighteen volt vibrator, watch ya grammer fool
I've had a similar experience with mine. Bought mine, don't recall when, but might be 13, 15 years ago and four 4 amp hour batteries, and two of those are still taking a full charge.
Last i think nearly 20 years i bought the BOSCH 2.4v cordless driver last month i open and see battery is dead other thing all no dirty and i clean replace the battery still can drive like new ( what i buy this mini cordless driver James bond movie the man open the nuclear bomb to open the screw ) than i like it go to buy the shop nearly 20 years replacement the battery still can use again BOSCH mini cordless driver
Your battery is still working after 13 years?
I once used Craftsman power tools for personal use but experienced the Milwaukee tools through work. A few years ago I 'bought in to' the entire Milwaukee product line and have not had many regrets. It is a high(er) price but I know that if I use the saw, drill, impact wrench or Sawzall that it will get the job done. I even have the little Milwaukee AC power inverter, it ended up being neat on a camping trip to power an AC device for an hour or so.
First timer here, just for curiosity, no particular need for deep dive into woodworking tools. But have to say that your test was exceedingly well presented. You were clear, crisp, upbeat, and you speak with authority from your experience. Thank you!
Thanks for the video. My buddy was a cabinet maker (retired now.) He used to use Makita drills back when Makita dominated the market for cordless drills. He had at least 12 cordless drills to save him time changing bits. When the batteries (ni-cads) started failing he tried some Harbor Freight cordless drills. Eventually that was all he used. They did the job okay and cost about 20% of the price of Makitas. He didn't think that Makita was good enough to be justify the higher cost.
What dedication! Thanks for doing the tests, really appreciate your insights!
I started with a Ryobi combo kit a number of years ago because of the price point, and I've stuck with them since. I've added a couple of other tools from Makita, but mostly I stick with Ryobi for the drills and nailers. I do occasional DIY around the house and make other woodworking projects, so that's all I've ever needed. On top of that, I have too much invested in the batteries to start over with someone else's platform. Great vid, as usual.
I also have the Ryobi but when I invested in larger batteries, they made a world of difference. I still have the original 2ah battery, but I generally use the 5ah or 6ah. It's not just extra life you get from the larger batteries, they really push more power too. I found this even more pronounced in the Jigsaw. Trying to cut thick wood with the jigsaw and 2ah battery, it definitely feels underpowered. Once you put a 5ah or 6ah battery in, it feels just as powerful as a mains powered tool.
Same here, got a Ryobi combo kit in 2018. It did what I needed for DIY projects. Ryobi has many yard tools which other brands did not have (blowers, weed walkers, chain saw, saws all). Today I own a good number of their tools and only one battery platform. This is my plus - seven chargers and eighteen batteries (eleven 4 ah and seven 1.5). Always have a hot battery for the tool I am using and didn't break my budget. 😊
Also I think she was testing a more entry point Ryobi, there brushless tools are not that much more expensive and I believe would compare more favourably to the Default and Milwaukee.
Personally I don't like DeWalt drills because It feels like the motor slaps when it engages.
I don't know why the Ryobi failed the paddle bit test. I have used my Ryobi with a paddle bit to make holes through the rim joist to outside the house for electric and a water spigot. It worked fine, and it's an old brush motor.@@aidananstey9848
I love how detailed the video was and how you actually shows you driving the screw so we could see and hear how the drills responded. Great work keep it up.
I started out with Ryobi and 20 tools later I'm not changing. A few weeks ago I got a Ryobi HP+ brushless compact drill and impact driver for $90 (US) on sale. Regular price was $180. These will be more than enough for a homeowner like me. Home Depot has four or five really great sales a year, so that's when I get my tools. And my military discount knocks an additional 10 percent off. No complaints after 20+ years. No failures of either the tools or the batteries. And Home Depot is a 3-4 minute drive from my house.
Just discovering your channel for the first time. What a wonderful presentation! Briskly paced, beautifully filmed, with comprehensive coverage of the topic, and very well articulated! You deserve a million subscribers - and I think you are likely to hit that magical target!
Thank you so much! 😊
This video popped into my feed and I thought I'd give it a look. So glad I did (completely apart from finding out that the drill/impact drill set I found on sale is from a brand that did very well in your tests)! I'll be watching this channel more often! Also love that you're in Canada!
I love my Festool t18, its no better at drilling holes but... The fast change chucks, 90 degree and off set chucks and its electronic torque control work for me as a traditional boat builder. I mainly use old school slotted screws when they're going to be on display and want all the slots aligned to look right, the low speed control is worth every penny
Now that is a job built for a Fessy.
Also, can't believe you power drive slotted screws. Some very steady hands you've got there! If you're going to do that, Festool is really the ONLY choice.
to be honest i often tweak then with a screw driver, but when you're putting in hundreds of the little buggers it helps, and the torque control means you dont ruin the slot on the screw
Thats what People dont get. All extra accessories to make The job easy.
I own a Ryobi drill, and I am very happy. My 1st Ryobi was in 2006 and "ran it hard and put it away wet." It was my 1st job in a profession, and when I thought I needed a better drill, I would have moved up to a Milwaukee, but that never happened. The job ended. And as for the problems that you had I never had with either of the 2 drills made by Ryobi, I ever failed.
This was way more enlightening than I expected! Very nice, thanks. Much better tests than I've seen in other vids! -- I have Dewalt and Milwaukee only because I am a chump for the brands and just like nice things. Alas, to each their own! -- I can't spend 750 on one though, haha.
Have used Ryobi for years not just drills but the battery packs and charge units are interchangeable whether it be grinder, drill ect , yes know not top of line but after years of use the Ryobi's I never have 2 worry about they keep on keeping on , DIY work shop here am happy with that level. Hello from remote rural off grid Australia here .
In test #3 the Festool drill was set to screw mode which massively limits the torque output. For full torque you must switch it to drill mode.
And it was set to the first gear. I don't think (from experience) the second gear would have struggled.
And It still wouldnt be 3x better than the competition.
Ummm ... Wasn't Test #3 driving screws?
@@BH.22. Is the first gear the low gear? Cause the high (speed) gear has of course less torque.
@@Cancun771 No, you are right, first gear is the low gear. First gear has more torque, but is limited to the torque setting. The second gear has more momentum and takes advantage of the drill mode (no torque limiter). That's why I think it would have been better/faster in the second gear.
One of the biggest keys to figuring out which drill to get (as you said at the end) is to look at the full line of tools that brand sells. You're not just buying a drill, you're buying into an ecosystem of tools because the batteries will serve them all (and they're not cheap). If you like DeWalt's tool lineup, buy a DeWalt drill, etc. I would also say, don't buy a 12V drill (they are plenty powerful) if you think later you'll want other tools that only use 18V batteries. Makita would have been another great contender.
You can get adaptor plates for a few combos. Buying into any ecosystem is an expensive luxury when your tools are random bargain/auction finds, and as batteries have a finite lifespan there's no real advantage to sharing batteries apart from fewer chargers.
@@MattOGormanSmith This test wasn't about bargain finds but about the best tools for the job.
Yes, if you're serious about your tools, look at the whole ecosystem. For me as a professional electrician being able to switch batteries between tools is a HUGE HUGE advantage. Mine has been Milwaukee all the way, and my batteries have lasted for several years under intensive use, every single day.
The ecosystem is key and the biggest reason to choose one system over another. It's also true that DeWalt for instance has many cheaper drills available, and the kits are often on sale. So you can start there and get into the system/batteries, then add better tools later. If you're a power tool junkie, you will love looking for saws, angle grinders, lights, radios, chain saws, leaf blowers, etc etc that all run on the same batteries. Milwaukee is awesome also for this reason though I happened to buy into the DeWalt system years ago. I recently bought a DW stick vac that we use as our main vac in the house. The same battery runs our leaf blower. The power goes out and 4 battery powered lights fire up the house for many many hours. Drill, what drill? That's how diverse these ecosystems are now. It's pretty cool.
i was thinking the same. makita would be great if it was tested aswell.
@@MattOGormanSmith I've found a use in this too. I run a lot of Milwaukee stuff mixed in with bunch of cheapies that I thrash. I bought a Ryobi mower the other day and bought an adaptor off Ebay to run the Milwaukee battery from the line trimmer in the Ryobi mower (it didn't come with a big enough battery). The mower runs a lot better.
In the end Milwaukee etc etc just run higher C batteries so can pump out more amps.
Just a note to any noobs reading this, you cannot use a battery adaptor to go from Ryobi/craftsmen to Milwaukee/Dewalt/Festool. Does anyone know where I can get C ratings for different battery models?
Another factor to bear in mind is warranty,some people abuse their tools (not me) and with the range of warranty they have a major influence on which one to buy. Great show. Phil. 🇬🇧
All "pro" tools got the same warranty :)
Many of the non-pro tools have the same warranty (as long as you're not using it for commercial use ;-)@@malacruxnorman3162
@@malacruxnorman3162 No.
I was really impressed with this entire video. Your dedication, the tests, the narration and camera angle and honest advice - second to none.
Hello from former Montrealer :)
You gained a subscriber for sure!
I have been a fan of DeWalt tools since I started doing construction in '96. Never had a DeWalt power tool (corded or cordless) fail on me until last month when my flashlight failed. DeWalt had a new one on my doorstep in less than a week. There was a period between 2004-2016 when I had brushed craftsman power tools that served me quite well, but since 2016 I'm fairly invested in the DeWalt ecosystem. Great product testing/comparison video.
Add a 2ah powerstack (lithium pouch) battery to the dewalt and use the torque settings as wrist protection, and you have the ultimate 🏆
Very clearly delivered comparison video, thank you.
Geez that screw test would have taken forever.
Thanks again 🤠👌 🇦🇺
After watching the video: props for having the patience to perform all these tests! I like comparisons like these because they give the user and idea what to expect.
Nice comparison. I would have chosen torx screws for the test (and for any real work), those give you far less problems with skipping whent he battery runs out. The more expensive drills tend to be more rigid as well and survive dropping from the 2nd floor on a job site, where the cheaper fall apart. As you indicated, it is all about what you intend to use the drill for.
The battery incompatibility between brands is a PITA, and since they all use the same Li-ION cells underneath, just an artificial way to lock you into one brand. I chose Bosch Blue/Professional and the batteries are not even compatible with their low-end Bosch Green machines or their battery operated garden tools. Since then I bought a few less frequenctly used Ryobi devices that Bosch didn't provide (nailgun, tile-cutter) and operate those with Bosch batteries and an adapter.
I'd like to see how Bosch Pro sits in this lineup too
Being a tradesman I have used them all and I now stick with Makita...The Brushless are very nice. Sad to see you never tested a Makita.
I don’t buy cheap tools, they are less enjoyable to use … which is the whole point of wood working . I don’t want to save 50 dollars to hate doing something. I have the latest Milwaukee, and I’m not disappointed with anything about it
Former Ryobi user here. Got some used Milwaukee tools from friends and they outperformed the Ryobi line. Also, the Milwaukee M18 Hatchet is funner than most firearms.
The reason the magic smoke came out of the Craftsman brushed motor drill is that you were covering both vents! If you need two hands, your hand should be on the back of the drill, not hugging it.
That's a good point! It made me watch the video back. After looking for it, I did notice her doing the same thing to all the drills though. Is that just a brushless thing needing more air flow? Serious question, I really don't know.
@@papageo5 It is a brushless thing indeed. If you pull the trigger, you can feel rushing air coming out of one side vent, drawn in from the other. There is an impellor fan on the drive shaft. The brushes need lots of cooling because they are creating an arc to power the drill (use one in the dark and it will look like fireworks through the vent).
If you use the drill over and over without blocking it will become pretty darn hot. With the vents blocked it will cook itself quickly.
This is very noticeable on 120 or 240V drills used hard in concrete etc. The air coming out after 60 seconds of run time is really hot.
Brushless is different. As there is no arc to transfer power from to the motor, they run much cooler. This is why there are not large vents or an impellor on brushless power tools.
The most common reason a brushed power tool will die is from worn or cooked brushes. That's why you get that little snap lock bag with a spare set in the box of most brands that most people proceed to throw out because they don't know what they are.
Destructive testing of engineered products requires understanding their common failure points. A proper conclusion can be drawn from looking at why each tool died, not just how long it took. The question should always be why.
Cheers, mechanical engineer taking a mental break at work :D
Or go with a brushless impact ;)
@@dgreer5537 Yeah I've not seen many pros driving fasteners not using an impact. Brushed can work fine if you're within your torque limits.
There was a non rp craftsman on display at Lowes last week setup for consumer testing. Not bad at all for what it is
I went with the Kobalt drill & impact driver a couple years ago, and have been extremely pleased with them! An added bonus is the batteries are half the price of Dewalt's! With long battery life also!
I'm a Ryobi fan as well. I have quite a number of their tools in the 18v set. I've been using them to redo my deck with almost no issues. If I did this kinda work for a living I'd certainly use DeWalt or Milwaukee but for the "around the house" projects I do, Ryobi is good enough and a much better price point. Guess the lesson is ... never underestimate the value of "good enough" 😀
Great video as usual !!!
Agreed! And thanks!
Hahaha Ryobi… The Dollar store has gardening tools as well.
I agree! Ryobi is great for homeowner work as well as light duty remodels.
Lou over at “tips from a shipwright” is building a 40 foot lobster boat with Ryobi tools. He is running a serious boat shop and doing heavy timber work.
Get the brushless version if you want it to last longer.
I loved your tests❤ you were very thorough. I just bought the Milwaukee M18 combo on sale at home depot this October and I'm very happy with it👍 good video 👍
Theres a difference in the way, say, a plumber and a furniture maker use a drill. In a workshop you don't need a high end drill. Let's face it you might drill a few large holes a week but mainly your doing small holes and in dry conditioned timbers. It's only really out on job sites where you might be doing 32mm holes in 2" joists across a whole house that the extra power makes sense. On site i can drill 40-50 28mm holes in a morning. Also my drills get exposed to the elements, fine dusts, temperature extremes, etc, that you will never need to worry about.
And your video proves your point really well.
Agree completely.... I use cheaper tools at home and nothing but Milwaukee out in the field as a handyman/remodeler. I've used all these brands and they all have their places.
I have two Festool drills, the one you tested and one with more torque for driving lag screws and very long screws (15 cm +). They are expensive but I still buy them for one important reason beyond the performance, warranty and service. For three years I can send in a machine for repair for free (no shipping) even if the problem is with wearing parts. For a small deductable (125€) they will even replace a stolen machine in those three years. And best of all, once, when my drill had a problem they came to pick it up on site the same day and had it repaired and delivered the next. I even got to borrow another machine so I could keep going. Now I'm in Europe so I can't speak for other countries but that's what really makes it worth the premium for me.
Milwaukee has 5 years warranty on the tools. You don't even need proof of purchase or receipt. Just a serial number. I had three replacements already with free shipping and free replacement/repair. Being 1/3 or 1/4 the price of Festool, you can get more tools. If you like precision drilling for woodworking, get Makita.
@@DarianDT Here Milwaukee only gives me 3 years of warranty and no pick up or theft service. The serial thing is the same as Festool, you just need to register your tool upon purchase. The warranty transfers with the tool if resold within the warranty period. Milwaukee is more affordable but here, on most comparable machines I own, it doesn't amount to more than around max. €100 per machine. And I've already had the Festool system for over 20 years now, so adding another would not really make sense financially. It would if I was just starting out, and I probably would give Milwaukee a go if I was. Makita on the other hand I'm not really a fan of. My first battery driven screwdriver was a Makita and it worked great for 15 years. The one I bought after that broke down every month, I bought another, and had the same issues. That's when I bought my first Festool. They make some excellent machines but others seem to be duds. A friend of mine works with a lot of Makita tools and he says that he uses a list of type numbers to see which he can and shouldn't buy. I don't want that kind of hassle.
I am a carpenter, I have Dewalt equipment it’s a good all rounder & doesn’t let you down, great video I liked how you try different techniques instead of just trying to blow up the motor like in other peoples videos
I am also a carpenter and from my experience at least, every DeWalt tool I've had has been worse than ryobi
@@sataniccrow2607 Dewalt let me down every time. I switched to the new Hurcules, it has really impressed me.
Yeah when they are that powerful (as the DeWalt) they should have anti-kickback feature. Do really like the light on the DeWalt. I would have loved to see the Makita as well. But I also know there will always be a brand that is not in the test, one can only test so many tools at once, especially in terms of injuries, I hope your wrist is okey!
It's not kickback. You can reduce the frequency of broken wrists on all battery drills by setting the clutch to a lower number.
I use the porter cable and black and decker 20 v. tools. The batteries are interchangeable. I have been finding these for little money on Facebook MP. Last week I bought 8 lithium batteries, a drill, a 1/4 driver, and a grinder for $ 50 and a 1 hour ( $7 gas ) drive. ( he moved up to Milwaukee ) For projects I like to have many drills, or drivers. Pilot drill, clearance drill, counter sink, screwdriver. Without bit changes. the jig saw is handy as hell, the bayonet saw takes off small limbs, and the hedge trimmer make keeping the bushes neat a breeze. NO cords. I also have the full range of craftsman 19.2 tools. Older and heavier, but work fine. Again, can be found very cheap.
I wish you would have included Bosch in your tests. I have drill, driver and reciprocating saw in Bosch and Dewalt and I like the Bosch best for their intended uses. I have not tested batteries but I did install a large deck and my batteries would last all day.
My vote was with Rigid and after seeing the results I believe Rigid clearly came out ahead. Factor in the price and that it stayed right behind the other two it gives more bang for the buck. First time I used a friends Rigid drill I was impressed even though I own both a DeWalt and a Milwaukee drills. Now I'm curious how Makita stacks up.
Great video nice job. After looking at the specs again I noticed how close the Rigid and Milwaukee were and got suspicious so I looked up who makes them. Turns out they are both made by TTI and surprise so is the Ryobi, here's the bigger surprise Craftsmen and Delwalt are owned by the Stanley Black and Decker company.
I'll just add that Stanley Black & Decker also owns Porter Cable. They've allowed to fall from its former glory as a professional-grade tool into parallel with B&D and Craftsman tools(consumer tools). Yes, there are very few ACTUAL manufacturers of cordless tools. That said, they often are custom-engineered for each specific brand. For example, Milwaukee often has unique features and higher performance, but it comes at a premium price, despite the same OEM handling the manufacturing. Makita is a brand that does not ALWAYS give you bang for the buck, but often is in the top tier of testing results. As this video indicates, buyers should carefully make their decisions, particularly for tools that you will own for a long time.
Do you have the AEG brand in the US?
i have ridgid cordless because i'm not a trade person. They are great tools and have the best performance for the price, however, ridgid doesn't offer variety of tools like for milwaukee, dewalt, makita, ryobi. Festool is for people who treat their work as a self interest hobby so cost isn't a concern for them.
This was a great test and comparison. Ridgid makes decent entry-level/DIY tools. Bang for the buck they're pretty good. Not as good as Makita/DeWalt/Milwaukee (which are more of a prosumer and trade level) but they get the job done. I have an old Makita set that's been great for screws and pilot holes, which I mostly use them for. So far I've only had to replace the brushes.
This test was fucking horrible lmao
"Ridgid makes decent entry-level/DIY tools" Are you for real? I'm a GC and exclusively use Ridgid tools.
Great video, maybe also testing a Ryobi brushless would have been interesting and a good comparison between the motors.Ultimately getting a drill (and many other tools) will largely be determined by the batteries we already have and if we are diy or professional.
I picked up the Ryobi brushless for 110 with a 4 ah battery, its been great, the one used in this comparison is actually the old model, its since been replaced, and the worst one they made, with the weakest possible battery, the AH of the battery really effects its performance, the 9ah battery I use on my Ryobi saw never bogs down, while the 1.5ah gets stuck on anything.
I fully agree. I'm a Ryobi fan and a long time user. I recently bought a Ryobi newest brushless combo drill/impact which is amazingly good. For less than $200 you cant beat Ryobi price point. I also a fan of Milwaukee tools for their quality and durability. But when its come to price I think Ryobi is the winner especially for the DIYer whos' on a budget. Tradesmen's are a different story. BTW Festool is overpriced tools for those who want to show off on the ytube! The real craftsmen don't need such overpriced, show off tools, in my opinion. @@johnfarscape
Exactly i have dewalt equipment and if your cordless tool is something you rely on then you are wasting money with the cheaper ones, As an apprentice the first drill i bought wasn't cheap it was a Hitachi but after 3 months it blew the gearbox which required time to take it back at it was sent away repaired and returned then it did it again so i bit the bullet and bought a dewalt and even forever ago with the NiMH battery it would still try and break your wrist if you didn't use the clutch. I used that set for about 5 years as an Electrician until the batteries stopped being usable by which time they moved to lithium unfortunately i didn't have my first lithium set long due to theft but the 3rd set i have had for about 10 years now and it still runs like new
If you're only doing woodworking, you really should look into 12v tools. So much lighter and smaller, and they're capable of everything woodworking could ask of them. I'm a commercial electrician, I bought an M12 impact and drill kit, my M18 stuff rarely leaves the van anymore.
I bought a Ridgid drill 2 yrs ago Home Depot with 2 batteries with life time warranty.
Nice review, I like that you talked about other tools supported by the battery, while they all do it, one really nice thing about Dewalt, at least here, is the easy availability to buy bare tools. So once you have your batteries, you can pick up tons of tools for a lot cheaper. We have a local farm/Ranch store here that has an entire row dedicated to Dewalt bare tools. One really Nice thing about Ridged is the batteries for life, so when (not if) your batteries die, they will replace it.
PS. Most tool manufactures now offer bare tools. Even Festool.
good luck getting Ridgid to replace ANYTHING, and their line-up is lacking to say the least(I absolutely love other non-powered Ridgid tools though!)...Dewalt and Milwaukee are basically THE ONLY entry level big box store tool companies in the USA that will stand behind their products pretty much hassle free....Makita is probably not too far behind though(you'll probably deal with shipping, emailing, and long waiting with most tools/batteries) and im not familiar enough with Flex and Metabo(I've heard recently Flex has stepped up their game big time and is like Dewalt and Milwaukee or even better some people have told me, but I personally have no experience with them on a warranty)... Don't count out Harbor Freight now that they have come a long way with good quality modern era battery tech finally, Harbor Freight should REALLY be the Mecca for ALL hobbiest, cheap home owners, and budget minded trade folk, plus no question replace instantly warranty, and constant amazing sales/club member deals... Harbor Freight is SERIOUSLY hard to beat these days especially
One thing DeWalt and Ryobi have going for them is they bring a bit of color to what can be a dreary worksite. First fix on a site in PNW in mid-winter is no joke and the bright yellow looks nicer to me than the bland Makita and Milwaukee that seem to dominate.
So yellow and frog-green are more colourful than teal and red? LOL!
When I decided to choose a drill/impact driver for my own uses, one criteria was ergonomics. I happen to have a fairly small hand and a comfortable hand grip narrowed the field quickly. I chose Makita mostly for that reason. I’ve never regretted the decision.
Makita is objectively the best power tool company in the world. The durability and build quality cannot be beat, and the prices are far and away better than competing high end brands like Festool and Hilti.
@@Levi-mg4nf That's true, but the feelings are more important for me. So I went for Festool and Hilti. Most of my friends things like you, but when we are working together,
they use my tools, because of the weight, the ergonomic and the smooth. So they really love them, but they will never by one as they thing that those brand are too expensive for what it is.🤷♂
@@Levi-mg4nf
Hardly the best 😂😂😂😂😂
There are a few tools from Europe which are probably better.
Metabo is a German tool which is "up there".
The only drawback is the weight ... screwing or drilling above one's head is like a workout.
There are other German made tools of excellent quality, made for professional tradesmen, which aren't always sold overseas.
Mind you they are very expensive so that might account for it.
They aren't really designed for the ordinary DIYer.
And of course Bosch, for example, do a "green" colour range for DIYers and "blue" colour orange for professionals.
Hitachi "green" range have changed their name and cater mainly for the professional market.
Some manufacturers build for "trade only" and you won't see them advertised anywhere outside a trade magazine or sold outside trade outlets.
Then there are German manufacturers such as Kress who build tools for all niche markets.
Basically Makita are middle of the range quality wise.
Some American badged tools are built in China and are of reasonable quality but not the very best by any means.
Recently bought a £95 Ryobi with twin 1.5 amp batteries which suited me to a tee. Just really happy that the modern batteries hold charge for a long time unlike older Ni-cad of old.
The drill performs different depends on the battery connected. Need to use exactly same specs on the battery to do a fair test.
I think they all make good tools. I'm curious to a more apples to apples comparison. Ryobi makes low and high end tools as do most manufacturers. Something I'd like to see is the comparison of a brands entry level tool to their top tier tool. I know Ryobi does make a much nicer brushless drill that I have, and every time I lend it out they usually end up impressed.
Yes please this would love to see this
Great comparison.
My father used cheap battery drills for a long time and I had cheap ones at the beginning.
I could always see the brushed motors arcing through the vents and the smell was always noticeable.
Then I bought a high end battery drill from Fein as well as a 12V one from Metabo later, because I wanted something light and small and also had a voucher for an extra Battery. Both brushless. They’re both great.
I later bought several tools of the budget brand Einhell, choosing the brushless version whenever there was one available. Going the budget route, you need to know what to expect.
It’s the little annoying things. Included parallel guides that are flimsy, mediocre dust collection, or other issues, like the dust box not fitting a sander when the 4 Ah battery is attached.
A lot is in how to treat your tools.
How much you use them.
Now that I'm retired, I have a very cheap brushed drill I've had for a couple of years.
I keep it clean and give it time to rest between hard use like hole saws. Mainly, it drills pilot holes.
Another tip, keep bits sharp.
Excellent test, Marie. If I were a tradesman, I'd definitely go DeWalt or Milwaukee. As a hobby woodworker, I've been using Ryobi for years and am perfectly satisfied with the performance and durability.
I have to agree until recently I tried to drill out recesses for a floating shelf (into hardwood) using both my Ryobi and Craftsman, and they just couldn't do it. Only then (and with this test) did I realize how much weaker (and less comfortable) they are to use compared to the more advanced models.
@@DIYMontreal: You're right, of course. I, otoh, am old fashioned enough to have kept my corded drills and you can't beat a 1/2" corded Milwaukee for heavy duty drilling. If I needed it everyday, I'd upgrade to a more powerful cordless drill.😉
@@DIYMontreal wait till you try the high end drills from Dewalt / Milwaukee. Going from the M18 Brushless to the M18 Fuel model is a huge increase in performance.
@@adamnuntakenname The fuel batteries are amazing.
@@pcs5852 Agreed, handy persons should rely on corded drills for DIY. Spending big bucks to have a cordless doesn't seem to make sense.
@ 12:21, you gave us all the reason your Ryobi, and any other drill you used with all of your body weight pressing down on them. The key with paddle bits is to let the tool do the work, not force it to engage harder then it should be. That is already a lot of work for those tools to perform, so just like using a circular saw or a recip saw, don't add a ton of pressure, allow the teeth on the blade/bit to cut and extract the material.
Believe me, when I first started out, I used lower end tools. They did the job a lot slower than the higher end tools I upgraded to later on when I could afford them. Bu I allowed them to work at their own pace and the Ryobi (blue cases) lasted for many, many years until I actually sold them. I literally met the guy in HD parking lot, took the cash he handed me and bought into the Milwaukee M18 Fuel line of tools and never had any problems with them.
I think that for a wood shop, the amount of demand you will be putting on your tools in general will not be as high level as what a framing/rough carpenter would be putting on their tools. That is more than likely why you have the Ryobi and Craftsman in your shop, and they are performing up to your standards, and doing it quite well.
As we all know, each tool has it's place. Personally, I am not a tool snob, but when I reach for my tools, I put a lot of demand on them. That is why I buy the FUEL line every time it is available or necessary. I have never had one fail on me when using them for their intended purpose and intended manner.
My dad still has his corded, blue Ryobi drill. It's got allot of torque.
To stop the De-Walt breaking your wrist you do one screw to the correct depth and seating and then set the torque to click on that by adjusting the circular torque band on the drill. It's what its for.. its a feature of most drills. try it and reap the rewards of perfectly seated screws without the wrist break..
Great video!
One thing to note on the Festtool's battery:
it's probably using 21700 cells (Vs 18650 for the other drills) and this provides more amperes to the motor, this is why drilling and driving is smoother.
Smooth driving comes from the quality of the gears and motors, not battery capacity.
Even if it is only using 18650s the higher capacity alone should be enough to maintain higher voltage, and amps especially under load.
As you mentioned, us, woodworker do not use these drills all the time... a pre-drilled hole here and there, a few screws, and that's it. The drill really does not matter.
If you build deck, on the other hands, power and battery capacity are more important.
Great comparison! Nice video as usual, Marie. Thanks!
Thank you!
Somebody building a deck would ordinarily use an impact driver, and the Dewalt 887 dominates that trade. But yeah, for basic woodworking, even the Ryobi and Craftsman are more than you really need - where you want the Dewalt is really with Forstner, auger, and similar really big bits. I'm actually in the Dewalt ecosystem and not a fan of that particular drill after giving it a try: it's too powerful for its size, the older longer model with similar specs is much easier to handle, so I kept the older model - for tight spaces, there's always a right angle drill.
@@jec6613 For basic woodworking: most of the time I'll reach for my 12v drill and driver set. They are much lighter than their 18v counterparts and have plenty of power for the job. Only when using a large bit, I'll use the large drill.
As a woodworker I prefer to use the drill press when I can.
I like your pragmatic approach. There is one other factor that matters, though: Durability. I could probably make do with Craftsman or Ryobi, but my DeWalt tools last for a long, long time, and they take levels of abuse what would make Tool Protective Services throw up.
There shouldn’t be any biased with what I’m about to say cause she was consistent with all of them but covering vents with her left hand makes a considerable difference in power. If the vent holes wouldn’t have been covered on the craftsmen drill I’m sure it wouldn’t have started smoking maybe not perform better but at least no smoke.
That's a lot of effort for a video. Since I use screws a ton, I understand the labor you put in. Much appreciated.
I can't believe how much time, effort and money went into this production. I'm sorry to say I just came across your channel today and subscribed almost immediately. (The 5 super simple woodworking jigs... drew me in.)
I'm planning to scroll through more of your content and I am a fan of supporting my favorite Makers on Patreon so...
Thanx for all you do.
I know Harbor Freight's Hercules brand brushless drill would be the red-headed step child of the bunch because showing HF's tools is nearly as controversial as Festool, but I would have liked to see it stack up to the big-name brands as it is getting some pretty good reviews right now. I think if we are doing a review of drills to see best bang for the buck it should have been shown. But then, not sure, but I think you may be in Canada and might not have been able to get one.
We have something wich compare to Harbor Freight in Canada witch is called Princess Auto but they don't cary the same brand. They also have their own name brand.
@@christianouellette9995 You could compare Canadian Tire's regular and Maximum lines to Harbor Freight but yeah, when it comes to that really cheap Chynesium tools feel, Princess Auto with their Power Fist brand is a lot like Harbor Freight's.
Also don't have harbour freight in canada
@FirstLastOne I'm not sure about Festool but, if you think any of those other tools are not made in China, you're mistaken. Damn near all of them are now.
As a first time viewer and now new subscriber, I gotta say everything about this video is quality. The camera placement, angles, lightings, editing, staging and your professional yet casual presentation is very engaging. The selection, creation and implementation of the tests was fantastic in it's fairness. Along the lines of Project Farm. I'm sure your channel will blow up any day now if the rest of your videos are even half as well done as this. I also gotta say you have great taste in gloves, I love the Firm Grip line and you can't beat PA! I don't know many women who shop at PA so I gotta ask, are you incapable of going there and leaving with ONLY the thing you came for?
I have thousands of dollars in the Ryobi 18V One+ line and love most of them, there's so much selection, but some of them are dogs and that drill is one of a few Ryobi tools I replaced with Milwaukee. My main attraction to Ryobi is the massive variety of cordless tools they have and the fact that they've used the same battery platform for decades and plan on keeping it that way for the foreseeable future.
Anyway, sorry for the long diatribe but I was so impressed by this video I had to say something. My videos are garbage quality and that's not something I'm into improving but I have a very small friendly group of subscribers. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate when someone does go through the effort and take the time, spend the money and put it all together so very well. I'm a fairly quiet guy that doesn't comment often so you don't have to worry about my rambles. I'll likely be watching and most likely always be giving the thumbs up from the other side of the country
I have to give props to Rigid. I switched over to their platform from Dewalt (due to cost) awhile back, and they served me well. Now I'm switching back to some of the higher-end tools, and I'm having a battle between Dewalt and Milwaukee. I have purchased tools from both in the last 6 months. I have both a Dewalt and a Milwaukee impact driver. My go-to hammer drill/driver is the Milwaukee. Great video!
You've convinced me.
After seeing your and several other comparisons I have to concluded that the brand is the absolutely least important factor in selecting a tool. Except for the opinion of the most pedantic wood connoisseur it seems that the performance of whatever drill you pick up in any store is just fine, yes even if you were to buy a craftsman. Other factors that have nothing to do with performance seem way more important and none of those other factors can be judged independently from each other. But if I were to put them in order of performance:
1) Price: There is absolutely no need to pay $700 for a job a $100 tool can do just fine, especially if you can replace that tool 7 times over before breaking even.
2) The usability of *ALL* other tools in the selection: Needing to buy and maintain several different expensive batteries because you needed to purchase only one other-brand tool, because your chosen brand tool stinks, drives the price up again.
3) Practical considerations: These are very personal. For drills and impact drivers the shortness of the body and good light on my work are important. (For instance: I liked the particular model of DeWalt tested but I found a Ridgid model that came close enough regarding my personal preferences but was a lot better priced.)
I enjoyed your comparison video, the challenges you put them each of them through and also your personal findings along the way. Thanks for putting it out there.
Thanks, appreciate it!
I’m a rigid fan and was happy to see how they performed for the price.
I have several 18v Rigid drills and impact drivers and they, in my opinion offer exceptional performance..The biggie for me if the lifetime warranty that Rigid offers and although I have only used the warranty to replace a battery, my tools have stood the test of time and heavy use....especially my impact drivers ...I am a big fan of yours and really enjoy following your videos and builds... Cheers
The Ridgid warranty, covering not only the tools but the batteries as well, is huge when it comes to cordless tools. They have a decent selection of tools available that cover most use cases from woodworking to mechanics. What you get for what you pay, Ridgid is going to be a clear winner with that registered lifetime warranty as icing on the cake.
The warranty huge selling point for any product. If it has a good warranty, it’s probably a very good product. I liked your comment I like rigid tools.
Very nice, thorough and informative comparison. Just watching you drive all those screws earned you my subscription. Looking forward to your other videos.
What a dedicated video, which must have taken absolutely ages! Thank you. I can echo your results, having wasted loads buying rubbish cheap brands over the years and now have 2 that I am very happy with, a brushless DeWalt and a brushed AEG.
I have the Dewalt and get similar results. Including the wrist twist, they need a side handle option for that much torque. I did find that dialing in the clutch gives perfect depth control for the head AND prevents the wrist twist.
Learning how to hold the drill will eliminate any potential wrist twist. It's subtle but could save god known how many injuries a year. I'm sure there are some good vides on here about it.
How do you recommend setting the clutch to avoid breaking your wrist? I remember seeing another video talking about how the clutch on DeWalt drills ends up not doing that much, depending on how you use it.
@@jones786 Right behind the keyless chuck gripping area there is the clutch ring. Note the markings 1-15 or 1-18 or whatever you have, then to the right of the highest number there is a little graphic of a drill bit. That is fully locked with no clutch.
The highest number is the most force before the clutch slips, the lowest number is the least. Every size screw and head type AND wood type or if you drilled pilot holes first all makes a difference on where you set it. I rarely have it locked in full 'drill mode' even when drilling.
To start try setting it to a middle number and drive a deck screw or something large in with it. The idea is to dial in the clutch so that the screw goes all the way in and seats flush with the surface or however you want it to. The correct clutch number for that situation is when it does that.
It will vary from job to job, but usually not with the same wood and hardware. You can drill on whatever setting it will work without slipping the clutch, you do not ever need to use drill mode unless you need to dial it up to get something large to drill or drive. But at the point you will be totally ready for all of the torque and properly braced.
The primary purpose of the clutch is to give consistent finishing depth to screws, but once you get used to it you will see how it also stops the driver from transmitting all of that torque into your wrists.
@@jameshisself9324 wow thank you for the detailed answer! Super helpful for me.
@@jones786 Awesome, glad I could help! The Dewalt clutch is as good as any other I've used but other brands might have something special I'm not aware of. It works great imo once you get the hang of it.
That was an on depth and well thought out comparison, one thing I might have done differently (and do differently in my own shop) is use my drill for drilling holes and my impact for placing screws in pre drilled holes. Seeing your data set, the Rigid is the best balance for the hobbiest and most importantly perhaps, IT STILL HAS A LIFETIME WARRANTY! (In the States anyway) wishing you the best-
Not a warranty, a service agreement. And good luck getting anything repaired. A few people get lucky most most I've heard from get shafted
Dewalt and Milwaukee are basically THE ONLY entry level big box store tool companies in the USA that will stand behind their products pretty much hassle free....Makita is probably not too far behind though(you'll probably deal with shipping, emailing, and long waiting with most tools/batteries) and im not familiar enough with Flex and Metabo(I've heard recently Flex has stepped up their game big time and is like Dewalt and Milwaukee or even better some tell me, but I personally have no experience with them on a warranty)... Don't count out Harbor Freight now that they have come a long way with good modern era battery tech finally, Harbor Freight should REALLY be the Mecca for ALL hobbiest and budget minded trade folk, plus no question replace instantly warranty, and constant amazing sales/member club deals
Nice set of tests, the data is very informative.
As for the torque at the end from the DeWalt, does it not have a clutch setting? Or was the torque required to drive the lag bolt so high that you couldn't use it?
I didn't get that either. Why complain about too much torque, when you can adjust to a lower setting? The torque potential and adjustments weren't even mentioned, when in real life, this is what you use all day long to make for an efficient day.
I have been going back and forth for weeks deciding which brand to buy my first drill. Your video really helped me see what I need and what I don't. Plus what may be worth a little more in the long run. I really like how you make everything easy to understand when you explain things. Thanks I'm really enjoying your videos.
I used a Sears Craftsman wired drill from 196t until it was stolen 12 years ago. During that time I replaced on chuck and if memory serves 3 or 4 sets of brushes. I replaced it with a Ridgid on clearance sale at Home Depot with 2 2 amp batteries, charger, case and impact driver for $99. I have been very happy with that drill and I am still using it. I only wish it had the old style chuck with a key. I have used other brands of battery powered drills belonging to friends and at work, and found a problem that these chucks will often loosen after several uses.
Interesting, Marie. I'm in the Makita camp so I will be sticking with it. Also keep in mind that Milwaukee, Ridgid and Ryobi are all made by the same company. This also shows why I am transitioning to Torx screws and use my impact driver a lot more. BTW, what is the shape of the lag screw heads (lol)?
Bill
they are not made by the same company they are all owned by the same company tti tools but each is their own different company
@@jpmia2510 Company representative told me Milwaukee and Ridgid are made in one plant and Ryobi is made in another.
@@williamellis8993 Many things can be made in the same factory but to different specs. It doesn't make them the same at all.
obviously they are not made the same ryobi sucks balls while rigid is decent and milwaukee is top notch
I love your test, very informative. What I would have loved to see is another test with the same drills all on the same size batteries. The larger batteries not only last longer but offers more power so its not surprising that the two drills with the smallest batteries came out at the bottom. You can usually squeeze out a little more performance from enter level tools with larger batteries.
Even batteries with the same aH rating cannot be compared. They have to have the same C value (the maximum continuous current capacity).
You can buy 4aH batteries that will stomp 8aH batteries...there is much more to it. These tests performed in the video leave a lot to be desired, but they have certainly started a lot of discussion which is good!
Nice comparison. I use strictly Milwaukee, but have both 12 volt and 18 volt tools and I have to say I use the 12 volt much more often. The newer Milwaukee M12 fuel drill I suspect would be more than a match for the Craftsman or Ryobi 18 volt. It's relatively light, more compact and more than enough for most use.
I got my Dewalt impact driver kit on sale, AND in a special bundle with a free tool, and I gotta say that it continues to impress me with every job I throw at it. I know exactly where you're coming from. I also have a Dewalt 20V cordless drill, but I'm always reaching for the 12V hammer driver. A quick, funny story about Milwaukee. Years ago I had to have a cable tech come out, and add in a new line to the house. So I came strolling out thinking I was hot shit with my 18V Black and Decker drill wanting to "help". I struggled to get through the wall, and the tech kind of chuckled, whipped out his Milwaukee, and drilled in like the wall wasn't even there. Needless to say I went back into my room, and left him to it, LOL. Milwaukee made me feel like a total chump, and I'm okay with it!
Thank you for the video.
I am a full time sitefixer and cabinet maker.
I got to come clean before commenting, i have been using festool for the last 15 years. I have bought 2 T shaped and 1 C shaped drills since then. One transmission was fixed for free and one charger has died. I still have two drills in action C and T. I like the C for screwing because it holds 7 bits and the T for drilling because it has the higher rpm.
I was wondering if I you could clear something up for me? The performance of the festool in the last test seemed out of place and the sounds the festool made got me thinking. I paused the video to see if you might have had the machine on the torque setting whilst driving the heavy screws in. The machine has a left/right switch with a screw/drill pictured on the top. I think it was on the screw setting which limits the torque that can be set at the back of the machine. When using it in this setting it will beep and stop if you reach the set torque much like it does if it runs out of battery. Bit confusing till you know this and I think this is what has happened in the test. Knowing this machine quite well and using it daily i know it will twist your wrist like the dewalt.
One other thing that I think has been overlooked is that the festool has specialist attachments to replace the chuck. You can get 90° attachments to drill and drive screws around corners. Handy for example in a narrow cabinet. Offset attachments to screw offset to the center of the drill. I personally have a chuck each with the right drill bit set in it for different jobs to minimise time for tool changes.
Nevertheless I liked your video and applaud your efforts making it for us. Thank you.
Great video! For the ryobi ane craftsman price point, i highly recommend the harbor freight line of power tools for entry level hobbyists, theyre actually not bad and the bauer and hercules lines are surprisingly top rated by other reviewers
Milwaukee is my choice for a just regular everyday drill but I know the Festool has some other features that make it just a bit better to use such as the anti kickback, bluetooth switch for dust collection and the different chucks for depth, off set drilling, right angles and such.
The current Milwaukee 2904 M18 hammer drill has anti kickback as well.
As with all brands, Festool has its standout tools, but there are also some not so good ones.
Thanks for doing this comparison! It was very interesting to see how the drills performed in different tests. I have Dewalt drills and am very satisfied with them. They are older models but still perform great for my needs. You're right though in that a lot depends on what you use them for. An occasional DIYer or someone who doesn't do much drilling would probably be very happy with the less expensive drills while someone who uses them all the time or for their job could definitely justify paying the higher price to get a drill that performs much better.
Older DeWalt weren’t made cheaply in China and were definitely of a better quality. The newer ones or not the same quality. So chance brands.
Well done video. About 10 years ago I built a 10x16 deck with a new craftsman drill. Just before I finished the battery would no longer take a charge. I finished the deck with my 20 year old corded $12 Black and Decker drill. This old drill still works.
Great review! Just want to add Ryobi brush-less impact drill is awesome.Most people now have both and screwing lag bolts is ideal for impact drill not regular drill.I have the Ryobi impact brushless and its a powerhouse of a tool.Renovated my entire basement foundation using it.For most woodworking regular Ryobi drill is sufficient and have one and used extensibility without problems.
Nice review.
I guess I would take the Rigid out of those as a good worthy middleman.
But no Bosch at all ?
I like it since it is relatively lightweight, pretty strong still and small. Only the standard batteries are kind of small so you deff. need the second in the pack.
With that in mind, I think for the price in mind, the ones with 2 batteries could be doubled in number of screws compared to the ones with only one battery.
Indeed, matching battery sizes is key to getting accurate results in tests like these. A 2aH battery can only put out a fraction of the current of a 4aH battery.
So, all the batteries should have been the same rating (as in all having the same C rating).
This would actually be a very good test to watch.
Too many people think a battery half the aH capacity lasts half as long, and that just IS NOT how it works.
This is why the better brands can get so much more torque out of the same voltage. The tool can just draw more current which equals more power.
Use a multi-meter, it's easy to see. Or find the C ratings of the batteries and compare.
Great review, thank you for the video.
Just one thing, i think it's important to note, in the first test, it's possible that the drills stalled because you were drilling in the higher speed and the kickback protection turned it off
Nice "real world" comparison. I'm currently a Rigid guy, so value for money was probably my biggest motivator. I think if I was to start over, I'd have to seriously consider the Milwaukee since they've seemed to up their game lately, and they aren't going to "break" my wrist. Dewalt is more mature in it's product line and no doubt a great tool though. Great job! I liked the challenges you put them all through!
Im mostly Ridgid too, but I’d switch to Dewalt if I had a redo. But im happy with the way Ridgid has performed for me
I defnitely agree with Ridgid being a good value for money. I was surprised how well it did.
Ryobi has a nice compact brushless drill that isn't much more expensive than the brushed one here. Probably would have been good to see where it lands.
Right! Curious how much better than one would have done
Full size brushless is way better
Bonjour! Thank for committing to tell the viewers which tool(s) is/are the best in your opinion. So many reviews are "non-committal" where the reviewers say good things about all their products leaving the reader/viewer more confused about what they are reading. You provide a ranking and this is very important especially for "higher-end users" and professionals. Merci pour une excellente evaluation de ces produits qui sont monnaie-courante pour les DIY. Ciao, L
Nice work! As a fellow Canadian, allow me to give you a tip: Robertson screws work best with Robertson screwdrivers. Buying those 'Murican "square drive" bits is a waste of time, they always round over quickly and start to skip. If you buy the name brand Robertson bits (From another Canadian institution, Lee Valley Tools!) they will last a long, long time. You can tell a proper Robertson driver because the square that engages the screw is actually a different, much harder piece of steel that is swaged into the softer shaft material. Yes, I am an engineer, LOL.
Nice review. Like you, I bought into the Ryobi ecosystem early on, for the same reasons. This was back in the day when often each brand had a different battery for each tool, and extra batteries were ridiculously expensive. To be honest, as a hobbyist the Ryobi line up serves me well, especially when you pair the impact driver (I have 2) with the drill (I have 4!). However, if I had to do it over again I'd likely go with Dewalt, and your test results reinforce that.
I think this summarizes my journey as well! It's hard to make the switch at this point, but if I had to do it all again...
@@DIYMontreal Well, we have a old Ridgid drill in our shop that we reserve for a 1/8” drill bit or countersink - it is a bit time saver and somewhat like and extra hand.
Yup, in the same boat!
The lifetime warranty on the tool AND batteries of the Ridgid puts it at the top of my list
It's a lifetime service agreement not a warranty and people are complaining that ridgid is doing what ever they can to deny it
It was best midline in this particular test...WHICH LEFT OUT A TONNN OF OTHER GOOD TOOLS!!?? BUT NEVER PICK RIDGID FOR LT WAR BECAUSE THEY SELDOM EVER STAND BY IT!!! AND LT OR ANY OTHER WAR DONT MEAN SHIT IF THE COMP DOES NOTTT STAND BY IT!!!! WOULDNT GIVE.2 CENTS FOR THEIR LT WAR!!!!
I understand you're trying to reduce variables, but the clutch feature is specifically designed to save your wrist.
Good point, just wasn't expecting it to be THAT POWERFUL driving lag screws
Structural screws (GRK or Simpson) are probably a better choice for drill drivers. An impact tool would probably be better suited to lag screws - but I have snapped lag screws with an impact tool. I think lag screws are losing ground to “structural screws”
The clutch is actually meant to help avoid burying a screw too deeply and/or stripping the material.
@@raggarex yes, that too
My main drill remains the great grandfather of that T-18+3, a 2009 C-12 NiMH. Still going strong and still the original two batteries, now in its 3rd systainer. I also is Milwaukee, but OPE only. In the UK the price difference between Milwaukee and Festool isn’t nearly enough to switch and the quality and ergonomics are well down on Festool. How many Dewalt, Milwaukee and Makita’s (won’t even count Ryobi) would I have gotten through in the 14 years my Festool has lasted? Oh - and I can charge my original 12V NiMH batteries on my most modern Festool double charger too! 👍
This is the most precise and clean test of power tools I've ever seen... CONGRATULATIONS!!! You have one more subscriber!
Thanks for a systematic and clear review.
As the batteries and sometimes the charger fail before the actual tool I found it more practical to stick to one brand for all my cordless tools. Milwaukie was the brand I chose as they have a full range of cordless from saws, drivers, drills, to leaf blowers and their M-18 batteries and have plenty of power.
I agree. Batteries and chargers are vet important. Eg charging time (fan cooled charging as in Festool), cycles before loosing power, etc.
A feature of the Ridgid tools that trumps everything is that when you register your new Ridgid cordless tools, you get free battery replacement for life. And for people who say the cheaper tools won't last as long, who are we kidding? I can buy almost 8 Ryobi drills for one Festool. And if I loose a Ryobi tool, or it gets stolen (something that's not covered by any manufacturer's warranty), I'll cry a lot less losing a Ryobi or Ridgid. As a hobbyist, I'm NEVER going to wear out a drill anyway. For most people, overly expensive tools are just for vanity.
Reminds me of Project Farm testing...which is a compliment!
I am a home DIY'er..... I have had the same 18V Ryobi set since 2002 and just replaced them with the new Ryobi Brushless set.....awesome stuff...
My Ryobi 4 piece kit will turn 20 years old in August, it’s still kicking. Yes, I also have a couple of DEWALT, but my 2 Ryobi drills are always my go to. Great video!
Excellent testing. In the UK the spade drills seem to blunt quickly. I have used an aged Ryobi corded unit with twist drills, it works very well. Cist £20 in a sale. For lightweight work such as short screws or slow drilling of tiles a Titan is light and works for hours. Dewalt impact driver does the business with heavier work. Keep up the good work!
I had been invested in Ryobi until four years ago. The drill you tested was their entry unit. I owned two brushless and found them adequate...like at the Ridgid level. Good enough for me. Their line is full of good/better/best choices, so look closely to find a unit that meets your needs. One other thought...I almost always used them with a 4ah battery. Much more available power seems to mean more work, and more comfortable work.
I switched to Makita four years ago to take advantage of their commercial grade outdoor power equipment (OPE). I have five 3ah batteries, and eight 5ah batteries, six of which are dedicated solely to the OPE's. I bought the 18x2 tools which give me 36/40 volts and a significant increase in power. I did notice that several of the Makita tools are power hungry, namely the router and circular saw and run best on the 5ah battery. I would highly recommend using 3+ah batteries all the time in every cordless tools simply because the tools seem to be much more powerful. I'd bet a donut with you that if you repeated this test with 4-5 ah batteries, you'd find this theory of mine to be true.
The M18 Fuel Gen4 Milwaukee with autostop is insane. Saved my wrists so many times and if you think Dewalt and Milwaukee were close with their respective XR/M18 FUEL it’s crazy how similar they are now.
I look at the drills differently when on the job with other trades expensive drills disappear first.
If you are on say a kitchen replace job a few seconds don’t matter to me. And I have never driven 400 plus screws in a day ever, actually I like nails for most work.
Absolutely LOVED your organization and efforts to make the comparisons as close as you did. Some of these Other "review" folks could really take a page from your book. Essentially I did something very much as did you. Having worked in a Big Box store I had the opportunity to try a wide variety of tools and worked hard to make sure the playing field was level. Ryobi was my EDC only because of the availability of all of the options any time I needed them. Since retiring, however, if it doesn't say "DeWalt" I pass it by. FWIW.
Great test and can we all just take a minute to appreciate how much money and time has been spent here.
The DeWalt is a beast with that torque “issue”. We had a fabricator at work seriously damage his wrist from using one of their 20v drivers and he had *strong* wrists…he was a climber (filthy!).