12 volt drills

[Jeff Todd]

I was looking at getting a set of 12v Drills. was comparing brands and it looks to me like the Milwaukee craftsman and master force drills are all the same (give or take a few little things) i have been looking online for a while now and can find info on the manufacturer of the tools can anyone confirm this for me? the master forces are on sale for 90$ for the pair @ menards for now.. pretty nice price..

[John Sanford]

Gotta go someplace where you can compare them side by side and see if the batteries swap.

[Jim Andrew]

Try a Makita drill. Only thing that wears out is the battery.

[Jerome Stanek]

I wish Dewalt still made the Univolt drill I have 6 them and they last forever Hard to find batteries though.

[Steve Griffin]

I looked at the Millwaukees when shopping for a set of 12v lithium drills. They are noticeably heavier than Makita or Bosch, but are probably more durable.

In the end, I went with Bosch 10.7 volts which were at a great price. They use the same exact battery as the 12v.

-Steve

[Jay Allen]

In the end, I went with Bosch 10.7 volts which were at a great price. They use the same exact battery as the 12v.

They are the same battery, it's purely a marketing thing. If you look at the Bosch 12v labels, you will notice that is says "12 volt Max". It has something to do with the voltage "rating". Essentially the "12" is an exaggeration....and when Milwaukee came out with theirs @ 12v, Bosch had to "match" it.
The older 10.8v models are still out there and usually sold at a discount. Even the first generation of 12v models are being discounted now because they have been up-graded. They have been down-sized even more.

In fact, I just replaced my "older" PS30 with the smaller PS31. I sold the PS30 to a co-worker who has just started with the Bosh stuff.
I have worked with the newer model for a couple of weeks before giving any kind of review.
It has done very well. It is just as powerful as the PS30, in a considerably smaller package. They must have really done something to reduce the size of the transmission, which is undoubtedly what made the PS30 bigger.
I use mine in a cabinet shop, some days I may pre-drill for a over a hundred screws, but I don't really use it for bigger holes or bits. For my purposes, it's about the size and weight, I have bigger drills for bigger bits.
The original PS20 is great for driving screws, but the slow speed is not so great for drilling, so the PS31 fills that need perfectly.

[Andrew Howe]

Hello, I have a dewalt 9.6 volt that is about to give up the ghost. Would you recommend this bosch drill for a replacement? I need a "go to" drill aside from my 18v ridgid.

Thanks

[Greg R Bradley]

A 3-cell Li-Ion tool is 10.8v because Li-Ion batteries have a potential of 3.6v per cell. Makita and Bosch came out with tools of this type and then Milwaukee came out with theirs and turned 10.8 volts into 12v "max". Pure marketing nonsense but it seems Makita and Bosch had to change to keep up with the BS.

All of the 12v "max" Bosch tools work well for me. Bosch has 30 day no questions return policy so don't be afraid to try out any Bosch tool.

The new PS21 hex drill/driver is one of my favorites. The I-Driver is specialized but very useful. I have the older PS30 drill and find it very useful. I assume the PS31 is even better. The PS40 impact driver is my choice for medium screws. The people that have the improved PS41 rave about it.

If you want a normal size cordless drill, Lowes has the Bosch 18v on special for $99. Killer deal but I prefer Makita's product range in 18v Li-Ion.

I have found some of the 10.8v labeled stuff at silly prices at Bosch events. I couldn't resist another PS20 driver for $19.

[Craig Michael]

I have the milwaukee, great durable drill. Milwaukee just upgraded their batteries. Get a set that has the "red" lithium batteries for the milwaukee, those newer batteries are suppose to have more power for the drill, more run time and last longer for number of charges.

A huge selling point for the milwaukee is their huge line of 12v tools. They have by far the most tools in the sub compact lines.

[Jack Pinkham]

...
In fact, I just replaced my "older" PS30 with the smaller PS31. I sold the PS30 to a co-worker who has just started with the Bosh stuff.
I have worked with the newer model for a couple of weeks before giving any kind of review.
It has done very well. It is just as powerful as the PS30, in a considerably smaller package. They must have really done something to reduce the size of the transmission, which is undoubtedly what made the PS30 bigger.
I use mine in a cabinet shop, some days I may pre-drill for a over a hundred screws, but I don't really use it for bigger holes or bits. For my purposes, it's about the size and weight, I have bigger drills for bigger bits.
The original PS20 is great for driving screws, but the slow speed is not so great for drilling, so the PS31 fills that need perfectly.

It's on sale at Lowes for $99 and Amazon has it for $98.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_72896-353-PS...sch%2Bcordless

[Andrew Howe]

I just picked up a Bosch ps31 a model at lowes for $99 and also bought a Bosch drill driver for same price. Now I have four of same batteries.

[Mike Green]

I have a Milwaukee 12v drill/driver and the 12v impact driver. Both are soild well built tools with plenty of power, long run time and lots of extra features. They are a bit heavie,r but they have an all metal driver train that some of the others don't. Craftsman has some fine tools, but thye are constantly changing suppliers so getting parts, especially batteries can be a hassle. If the tool is more than a year or 2 old it is unlikely they will have a replacement battery in stock. Good luck, Mike

[Matt Meiser]

I have the Bosch and the only drawback I've seen is that I can't get as many tools. There are 1 or 2 of the Milwaukee tools I'd buy if I'd started with their system. I've heard of problems with the Milwaukee batteries dying prematurely too. I started with one of the Bosch drivers, then expanded with the I-driver and an impact purchased used from a friend who switched to Milwaukee. Then I got the drill on a 1-day sale at Woodwerks which came with another free driver via rebate. They don't have the power of my full size drills but that's actually nice in many cases.

A huge selling point for the milwaukee is their huge line of 12v tools. They have by far the most tools in the sub compact lines.

Check out the latest 12V tool from Milwaukee. My wife seriously suggested I get one for plowing snow. But I said something about having to replace my Bosch drills to match and that killed the idea.

41Iz9qJ9KGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[glenn bradley]

I had mt 9.6 batts rebuilt for less than new and they are still going strong.

Hello, I have a dewalt 9.6 volt that is about to give up the ghost. Would you recommend this bosch drill for a replacement? I need a "go to" drill aside from my 18v ridgid.

Thanks

[Keith Avery]

I have had a 12v Panasonic for about 10 years. I replaced the batteries about 1 year ago. It will hold a charge far longer than any other I have used and is a bit heavier than most of the newer models but is built to really last. I have a 18v Hitachi(drill and impact) and a 10.8 Makita Impact. Both impact are really nice but none of them will run a third as long as the Panasonic or do they have the same quality feel in your hand. I had a 12v Dewalt before the Panasonic and the drill was decent but the batteries didn't last a year.