Tool Suggestion

Jim Bennett

As stated above, I have had mine at least 16 years and never had that problem.

On my drill, you have to pull the spring loaded speed switch up out of a detent before it can be moved to the other speed.

Once locked in it don't move.

Jim

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Is there such a thing anymore as a high-quality, fairly compact, 3/8" VSR corded drill?

I'll admit that I tend to abuse them, but my trusty Milwaukee lasted over a decade. The chuck broke and I broke the drill attempting to remove it. I can't find a similar Milwaukee model--only much larger.

Before the Milwaukee I went through DeWalt, Skil, and Craftsmen drills in less than a year. Since the Milwaukee died I got a Makita hoping it would be anywhere near as good as my old trusty 9.6V Makita cordless drills. It didn't last a week but it was replaced.

Brad White

I have a DeWalt and a Porter Cable

My DeWalt is a combination regular and hammer drill, works fine. The P-C is fine but slips in my hand.

You go through drills like the Chinese go through raw materials, Mike (there is an answer in there somewhere!), but I have to ask, what are you doing with these drills to go through so many? Large bore holes, even if they fit in the chuck will shorten the life of a too-small tool.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Spade bits for drilling holes for electric really seems to take a toll as they sometimes jam and bring the drill to a screeching halt.

The planetary gears used in many seem to wear out rapidly if you use it to drive a lot of screws. My 9.6V Makita cordless drills don't have the runtime for lots of screws, but I did just get an 18V Milwaukee (compact, very powerful, well balanced and not too heavy) but still not nearly as comfortable to use as those wonderful old Makitas that cost over $200 nearly 15 years ago...

I use a drill press for the really big/precise stuff and 1/2" drills (straight and angle) for hole saws, boring bits, mixing mortar/mud etc.

hr

What are you drilling, schucker?

maybe you need to move up to a 1/2 drill?

Actually for the cost, the basic 3/8 drill is a throw away any more. Tool Hospitals laugh when you ask them to repair small drills like that.

I've had good luck with the Bosch brand in that size tool. It really comes down to which brands fit and feel best in your hand. I doubt the quality or technology is that much different from brand to brand.

Get rid of the spade bits and invest in some nice multi spured self feeds to ease the tool abuse. My 18V Millwauke easily spins 2-1/8" SHARP self feeds.


Bosch has a nice, clever quick release for their hole saws now if you need that type of hole.

hot rod

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

Mainly use the 3/8" drills in construction lumber in old and older homes--studs significantly tougher than modern SPF the old joists/rafters are certainly much more dense than modern yellow pine.

I'd use the self-feed boring bits except that the nails used to attach the solid sheathing in old houses are generally quite long (extending nearly to the center of a 2x4 stud) and abundant. Old-time house builders must have had Popeye arms... Are there any self-feed bits (5/8" or 3/4") that can handle fairly regular encounters with nails? At least spade bits are cheap and don't tend to "blast out" the back side of a hole through old, hard, dry wood like most self-feed boring bits I've used.

The straight 1/2" drills I've seen (and the one I own) is too long to use between studs/joists and the right-angle drill is too heavy and awkward.

Something tells me that higher voltage cordless drills have essentially replaced higher-quality 3/8" corded drills.

When the Makita dies I'll try a Bosch.

Really ticked me off when I ruined the Milwaukee when attempting to remove the chuck. I've replaced numerous chucks--never easy but this one was utterly frozen.

Jim Bergmann

Milwaukee Drill

Mike
There are two of those brand new sitting at Buckeye Supply in Akron Ohio. They are on closeout because no one wants a corded 3/8 drill. They are brand new, but most likely 10+ years old. I think $75.00 each. I am sure you can have one or both with a credit card number.

Buckeye Supply
934 Grant St
Akron, OH 44311
(330) 375-1333
Ask for Don or Mike

Mike T., Swampeast MO

THANK YOU JIM!!!

I'll try to order one tomorrow. As you said, nobody seems to want a good 3/8" corded drill... The one I had cost over $100 ten years ago.

hr

For studs and joists try an angle drill

I like the TimberWolf from B&D or Dewalt. Wouldn't own a HoleHawg anymore. Al,though Millwauke does make a long handled angle drill, finally. Regardless, these angle drills have the power and dimension to drill even 12" on center spaces.

Good self feed bits will go thru nails, but they will need ocassional sharpening.

If sharp, they won't break out even old, hard, brittle wood. I drill old oak and yellow pine like you do.

Angle drills are much easier on the operator also. A lot more leverage to use in your favor.

hot rod

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

This 2 9/16" boring bit has drilled exactly 67 holes through true 2" thick, 103 year-old cypress floor joists via a low-speed DeWalt 1/2" angle drill. Has never encountered metal and did not overheat. Cost nearly $50 and while originally very sharp is now probably beyond being able to be re-sharpened (at least by me).

The first few holes were perfectly clean with little or no breakout but soon after I had to resort to drilling only until the pilot came out the back and then finishing switching to the back to finish the hole.

Must admit though that my sharpening abilities aren't too good. I can hone my good Sheffield steel wood chisels to true razor sharpness (and perfect squareness) and my modest Stanley chisels to near razor sharpness, but I let others do the actual sharpening for any but the tiniest nicks. I keep my grandfather's old Craftsman "Kromedge" stack dado reasonably sharp but it's really time for me to send it away and pray that I haven't messed it up too much.

I once tried to sharpen a Forstner bit--disaster--and the fairly expensive standard drill bit sharpener I bought years ago seems a disaster even though it's supposed to be foolproof...

Jim Bennett

Timber Wolf

I second the Timber Wolf recommendation. I own a B&D master series T.W.

Master series was B&Ds premium grade contractors line. I've had this for around 16 years and it still runs and looks good! (highly polished aluminum case)

This baby was from back in the day when B&D meant TOOLS, not coffee pots!

I tend to abuse it. (6 1/2" hole saw) But you can not kill it!

The Dewalt version looks the same except for the yellow case. Don;t know if is still built to the same standard internally though.

BTW it is two speed and has a great clutch built in to the lower speed that makes it completly controlable, even on a ladder.

Previously I had a Ridgid right angle drill that would BREAK your arms if you wern't careful.

I put it out of it's misery.

Jim

Steve Ebels_3

Swampy

Try the one tooth, that's right, one tooth hole saws from Lenox. They are amazing!! Speed is superior to anything I've ever had my hands on. Durability is as good as you can get due to the carbide "tooth", maybe plow is a more apt description. I bored a pair of 3 1/2" holes through a laminated joist in maybe a minute and a half today. You will NOT run these bits/saws with any 3/8" drill. The 3 1/2" will grind my Milwaukee Hole Hawg to a stop if I push on it at all. Maybe best of all, they are easily sharpenable with a tool that Lenox sells for about $8.

Pinball

That's pretty impressive Steve, but every job I've been on, the G.C. would never allow us to drill a micro-lam. They are usually structural. Building inspectors hate it when you compromise them,

Al

Ken C.

Ah, the Timber Wolf ...

Brings back fond memories when I was a first year apprentice. The first journeyman I worked with had a Timberwolf (B&B professional series, came in a gray metal case). Yes, it was bulletproof, but forgiving, due to the clutch in low gear.

I'd like to get my hands on one today, but I understand they are no longer in production (they became DeWalt instead). Does anyone know when last Timerwolf was made? When's the last time anyone saw any used ones for sale?

mtfallsmikey

Mine

Work: Milwaukee 18v, DeWalt 18v XRP hammer drill. Home: 14.4 DeWalt XRP, 18V Dewalt XRP, Skil corded 1/2" drill, 1973 vintage Hole Hawg,late '80s model Milwaukee US 1 hammer drill. Bosch is cool, reliable, used by a lot of contractors that come here to my buildings. I always used ship augers to drill for water / gas /hydronic piping. As far as abuse, DeWalt has been the best for me. Did I mention Dad's old Milwaukee sawzall? It was made in late 50's, still works well.

hr

I bought a one tooth

and it is fast. I find it rip an ugly hole when you use it on TJI's or any plywood or wafer material.

You are right about hanging on. Plenty of torque amplification in that cylinder.

hot rod

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hr

Mike, I can SEE that bit is dull from here

a small file after every use helps keep them sharp. Once the "chip lifter" gets notched like that (from nails) I use a die grinder to bring it back.

Take as little metal as possible off the spurs around the edge. Get a large flat washer to lie on the spurs to assure the chip lifter is a bit lower ten the spurs. If not you will really have to push and force them through.

Also keep some new pilot screws on hand. Once you wrap a nail around them it's time to replace or the self feed feature is gone.You shouldn't have to push much at all.

You can actually find coarse and fine thread feed screws. Fine, of course, for hard woods to slow the feed rate.

If you can find the Magna brand they have the deepest metal for years of re-sharpening. And a nice extension feature.

hot rod

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

That bit has honestly never contacted a nail--just wood. Original pilot screw is still nice and sharp and it still self-feeds. I'll try to sharpen if I ever need to use it again. It's an odd size that I got specifically to run central vacuum pipe insulated with one layer of bubble foil (conditioned space) for cross-joist runs in a Unico system. Job for myself of course--don't know that anywould be willing to pay me enough to do it again...

2 x 10 joists in the photo are only 4' long so I wasn't worried about all the holes. For the 16' joists I used the most restrictive natural lumber joist hole schedule I've ever seem. Schedule came from either Ireland or Scotland, but I've lost the link.

Jim Bennett

Timber Wolf

http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_detail.asp?productID=28

This is the Dewalt version of the Timber Wolf.

Weezbo

someone took my Black and Decker Industrial:(

same stroke as the timber wolf and well over 30 years old. it was like losing my best friend:(

ALH_4

Right Angle

How about the Super Hawg?

Steve Ebels_3

I didn't say anything about neat.......

You're absolutely correct HR. They don't cut a hole, tearing would be a better word. It's more akin to shooting a hole in whatever material you're working with.

Steve Ebels_3

Correct

I think the most angry carpenter/GC I've ever seen was when the plumber on the job bored a hole for a toilet flange straight through the upper web of a TJI. He had to cut the whole thing out, cut a hole in the exterior wall and slide a new 20' long joist back into place. Took the better part of a day.

The glue lam joists I was refering to are the 1 1/2" variety used for rim boards. The glue in those things KILLS a regular hole saw.

singh

one tooths

I've been using one tooths for a couple of years now. I think they make a nice hole, and fast.
Here's a job I did last week, about 200 holes drilled in Jager I joists that are 12 o.c , holes spaced 24" apart for spacepak hi-v ducts.

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Boilerpro_5

Seen that around here too, but it was never fixed..

Bored through the the bottom cords of a doubled up roof truss above too and never fixed them. It's just incedible what you see around here!

Boilerpro

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Pringles

Timberwolf

I am also a big fan of the B&D/DeWalt Timberwolf except for one thing. Almost everytime I put it down when it is in high gear it jumps into neutral. I know this is caused by the head of the tool being jolted when it hits the floor. Anybody have a fix for this? (please don't tell me to put it down easier)This is only a minor issue but every little bit helps....thanks