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Breaking Drills ALOT !

ScottMP
ScottMP Member Posts: 5,883
in THE MAIN WALL
Right angle drills and Hole hoggs. They seem to be broken ALOT. Do you guys go through them fast ?

With eight guys drilling it just seems that someone is walking into the office and telling me their drill dosn't work.

What drills do you use and do they have problems.

I know the guys who work alone and are the only to use the drill probable don't have this issuie.

Scott

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Comments

  • Robert O'Connor_10
    Robert O'Connor_10 Member Posts: 3
    Milwaukee RAD

    Since Milwaukee made the "modern" version of the RAD I personally have been disapointed. We go through/repair/replace quite a few during the course of a year. What problems we experience vary from job to user. I just last month replaced one then got a different one back from the same mechanic. Turns out (no one EVER tells me) the temp electric in the building has been broken and so everyone has to string the cords almost 200 feet back to the temp panel and there are about 20 other guys vying for the same juice. IMO the service is being overtaxed the cords are too long and it puts too much stress on the motors. After attending the weekly job meeting and reviewing the temp electric contract I submitted (In writting) the temp power must be brought to a resonable point of use or we just won't drill. I'm not gonna burn out drills every other day for free. NOT!. I have the OLD wilwaukee (ALL metal & NO Clutch) that I got BROKEN 25 years ago, fixed it and just maintain it and I never had a problem again. No guy is gonna treat the tool right unless they are held accountable or THEY own it..

    Robert O'Connor/NJ
  • lchmb
    lchmb Member Posts: 2,997
    love mine

    I work for a larger company that normally does supply power tools. I like to own my own and have nothing but Milwaukee in my truck. I have had my 18 volt cordless for 7 year's now and have used it for everything (including 6" hole saws). I also have the corded right angle drill and very honestly have no idea why it still works. But it does. I at one point tried another big name brand and in three day's destroyed it. Found it had more plastic than metal in it. I would say though, have your guy's buy the first one themself, replace if needed. Once they see the price of them they might treat them a little better. And if they have to go a day or two without waiting for repair my wake them up to..:) Good luck!
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 17,047


    Milwaukee not as good as it was-but still better than most
  • John Felciano
    John Felciano Member Posts: 411
    Tools

    I gave up on the red drills a long time ago.Switched to DeWalt Timberwolfs for all our drills.With the exception of the few months when we used those one tooth hole saws (thats a whole other story) they hold up well.I see now there is a red copy of it.Haven't tried it but it looks well put together
  • jim lockard
    jim lockard Member Posts: 1,059
    Milwaukee

    Still have my 1960's ciru.all metal 1/2 milwaukee right angle drill. And yes it will rip your arm off if you do not play with it nice. J.Lockard
  • Rudy
    Rudy Member Posts: 482
    one tooth holesaw

    How did you like the 1 tooth holesaw?
  • Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating
    Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating Member Posts: 1,373
    my first milwaukee RAD

    lasted 17 years, when that broke I bought the exact same model and it couldn't even drill 2" holes. I called the co. and they said it now has plastic gears and I couldn't afford to buy it, if it still had metal gears???? I bought an old hole hawg at a yard sale and it works great. how do the one tooth hole saws work? Bob

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  • EJW
    EJW Member Posts: 321
    Drills

    John, Isn't a Timberwolf a Porter Cable?? I have a Dewalt joist/stud drill as they call it. It has hi/low with a clutch in low. I have used them both, and it will smoke any red drill. Good tough drill. EJW
  • S Milne
    S Milne Member Posts: 112
    I bought

    Dewalt when they first came out about eight years back and it was not good. I will try anything at this point, so maybe a yellow drill for a change.

    We bought the one tooth hole saw for one guy and he did'nt really care for it. What was your experience ??

    Scott

    PS: When I was a young and dumb apprentice my boss gave me a metal milwaukee with the blue electric bolt ont he side. Took about an hour to stop turning :) Almost took my pants off when it caught my pant leg cause a I was'nt looking.
  • jeff_51
    jeff_51 Member Posts: 545
    we use almost exclusivly

    the dewalt timber wolf for our big drills. I bought my first timberwolf back in 84 when it was black and decker and it has never failed me. Have two others still going from about that same time. Like them much better than the rigid holehawgs and we do not use right angle drills at all. The shear pins break every week on those. When it comes to battery drills we use dewalt again, but my own personal preferance on battery drills are the porter cable. We use only porter cable for sawzalls ( or should I say reciprocating saws)? When it comes to ahmmer drills, I really like the Metabo. Actually I like all of there drills.
  • jeff_51
    jeff_51 Member Posts: 545
    I like the one tooth hole saws

    was real skeptical when I bought the first one, but they pretty much are limited to new construction. We don't use them much where we might get into a lot of junk.
    we use regular hole saws for that. Lennox of course
  • S Milne
    S Milne Member Posts: 112
    DeWalt

    I assume you guys are buying the Dewalt drills somewhere else then the big box right ?
  • TGO_55
    TGO_55 Member Posts: 4
    DeWalt Stud & Joist

    A lot better than a right angle or a hole hawg. I like the clutch feature - much safer tool.
  • Al Corelli - Agix Associates
    Al Corelli - Agix Associates Member Posts: 52


    We use DeWalt for cordless sawzalls, impact drivers(best way to put in screws), light duty hammerdrilling, the occasional circular sawing, and flashlights, all because the 18 volt batteries are great and they fit everything.

    The Wirsbo expander tool (the new one, black and grey) uses 12 volt DeWalt batteries. I wish it used 18 volts as I have 14 batteries. At least the chargers are the same.

    For masonry drilling, laser measuring, concrete scanning,and laser layout, we use Hilti products exclusively. Very expensive, but the customer service cannot be beat. The only Hilti product I do not like is the screws that come with the 1/4" shields. The heads always strip out too easily.

    For corded drilling/angle drilling, we have a standard Milwaukee "electricians heavy duty" angle drill. This drill is just as strong as my Dad's old all metal one.
    We also have a Hole Hawg. This b&tch will take your arm for breakfast if you don't pay attention. Never fails.
    We also have a new "Super Hole Hawg" (the Timberwolf drill). The clutch is nice on this especially when using a large selffeed bit or a 5 1/2" one tooth hole saw.

    We have been using the onr tooth hole saws for some time. We have them in sizes from 1 1/2" to 6 inch. If you are not a finish carpenter, they make great holes. fast, but slightly rough. Not bad at all, but not furniture grade, if you know what I mean. I have drilled through multiple nails with the one tooth hole saws. As long as you feed it slowly, it will drill through darn near anything. Plus, the diamond file makes it a snap to re-edge it when necessary. These hole saws are also very expensive, but in my opinion, are worth it in the time they save.
  • Weezbo
    Weezbo Member Posts: 6,232
    Scott , the dewalt that is made today.....

    is much like the black an Decker 1/2 horse ive had thru decades it may be close to 30 years old now....here is my secret to longevity i keep it in low gear,i back it out on reverse and i take my finger off the trigger when the clutch binds down due to my over ehuberance to get the job done.i carry the plug in front of my eyes and always put the drill down out of the way of traffic ....i refrain from handing it to any one and am not into lowering and moving it around by the appliance cord. also i keep a longer cord on it and dont lay it down in the dirt i keep it on a piece of card board or strofoam during rough ins. the yellow ones are basically the same drill ...one of them will last quite a while.
  • Ted_9
    Ted_9 Member Posts: 1,718


    Scott, my 1/2 drive DeWalt right angle with the high and low with clutch is a fine machine. Got mine at Protools (Waltham?)


    PATRIOT HEATING & COOLING, INC.

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  • D lux_2
    D lux_2 Member Posts: 230
    porter cable

    bought by black and decker de walt , will be moving south of the border soon wont be made in the USA any more closing service centers and moveing to dewalt centers
  • John Felciano
    John Felciano Member Posts: 411
    DeWalt

    Yeah,I guess it was called the Timberwolf back before DeWalt bought Black & Decker.An electrician friend of mine had turned me on to them and we've been useing them since they first came out.

    The one tooth bits are great,they cut through wood at a impresive rate,but,and a BIG but.We went through three drills in less than a year useing them.All the same thing,gears stripped.I mentioned it to the drill bit rep and he told me I must be doing something wrong,yeah right.

    We never had problems with drills before the one tooth and haven't had any problems since than.Others I've talked to have had the same problem.All our one tooth bits are in a box in the shop.If you want them your welcome to them.
  • A.J.
    A.J. Member Posts: 257
    Bad drills

    we were using a Hilti drill over a three hundred dollar drill on a job with one tooth hole saw before the gear went. I guess the more expensive tools aren't any more reliable.I don't mind paying more for a tool if it will hold up but after the Hilti went bad ($240) repair bill I don't know what I am going to try.

    Kupetz's Plb & Htg
  • Ken D.
    Ken D. Member Posts: 836
    Milwaukee

    We have been using mostly Milwaukee for years. The wear very well with very few brakdowns, and most parts are available. I owned a Makita that lasted 1 1/2 years and one of our mechanics bought a Bosch that broke after 6 months. A lot of this junk is made in China. No wonder. At least Milwaukee is not made by Commies.
  • J.C.A._3
    J.C.A._3 Member Posts: 2,980
    When I started working for Scott...

    My father gave me a 3/8 Hilti hammerdrill that is as old as me.(40 something). Everyone on the job was laughing when I brought it in, but wanted to "borrow it" by the end of the first week.
    I think power tools are a personal choice, but have to agree that the quality has been somewhat less than should be expected for the price, in the last 5 years.
    My girlfriend keeps telling me to come to the summer yard sales with her, there are always tools at them.....Maybe I will. If I only have to repair something once, it might make economic sense. Chris
  • John Abbott
    John Abbott Member Posts: 358
    drills

    I have 4 broken hole hawgs 5 timberwolfs or their DW equivilant and three new Milwaukee "Super Hawgs. The super hawg is as far ahead of the timberwolf as the timber wolf was ahead of the hole hawg.It is faster and more powerful great features. WE drill lots of 4 5/8" self feed holes and the super hawg is incredible.Anyone looking for a used timber wolf I have em

    John
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