Cordless Drill/Driver Question

[Doug Shepard]

Probably a dumb question, but is any cordless drill that has 2 speed ranges - 1 higher speed, 1 lower-speed but higher torque - considered a Drill/Driver?? Dad wants a new "Drill/Driver" for Christmas and I'm trying to do the shopping. We've both had or currently have DeWalts but are getting a bit tired of their durability in the battery department. I know the Panasonics get consistently good reviews and the guy that put in our new furnace this summer had one and swore by it. He also had 3 other makes with him - all 4 chucked up with different stuff and said the Panasonic was his best one. I don't think he'd ever heard of those quick bit gizmos. Anyway he let me try it out and it had good balance and felt plenty powerful. The 2-speed Panasonic models I checked out online don't specifically say "Drill/Driver". Does the 2 speed ranges automatically make it a Drill/Driver vs. just a Drill ??

[Dave Sweeney]

I believe what makes it a true drill/driver are the clutch settings not the hi/lo speed range. The hi/lo speed range gives you somewhat of a speed control feature similiar to a drill press(kinda sorta ) and the clutch settings come into play when you're using the tool to drive screws.

[Tim Armstrong]

Doug - I think you are right on with that. I see the terms used a lot interchangeably (sp?) but that's how I've always looked at it. The high speed/high torque switch is what makes it a drill/driver in my book.

For what it's worth, I have been VERY happy with a Milwaukee drill that I picked up about a year ago. It's a 14v cordless but it is very powerful by my standards. Outstanding battery life. Some people will tell you that Milwaukee lost it's quality edge a bit in the 90s but they have really got it back now IMO. I've never used the Panasonic but I think I've seen that they get good reviews too.

For my part, my future drill purchases will be Milwaukee unless something changes. Best of luck.
Cheers

[Les Spencer]

Doug,

The latest issue of Popular Woodworking has a review on 14.4 drills. They also include 15.6 drills and the Panasonic was the winner.

[Charlie Plesums]

The battery operated drills have the clutch that is really nice for driving, not used for drilling, but to my amazement, I couldn't find a corded drill that had the clutch. A sales clerk said that it was a requirement on battery tools, but that statement doesn't make sense to me.

I have a corded Black and Decker drill where the whole chuck pops off to reveal a driver "inside" - seemed like a great idea, since a driver bit (e.g. a phillips head driver) can be left in the driver chuck, which fits inside the drill chuck, while the drill for the pilot holes can be left in the drill chuck, quick change between them. In practice it is more a gimmick than a feature, since the drill is now too large to fit in many places, and the drill chuck wobbles more than a permanently mounted chuck.

Several reviews praise the high torque, impact driving, small size, and light weight of a separate driver. My battery drills are dying. Therefore my Christmas list included a Drill & Driver, with a hint that Makita is offering a free 6337 drill if you buy their 6935 driver (both got great reviews). A mystery package recently arrived, so I am hopeful.