For those who crush their own - Sweet Deal at Lowes

[EdWort]

Father's Day Sale, for $39

Black & Decker 18 Volt 51 Piece Cordless Drill Project Kit.

I have this drill and it will power my Barley Crusher for at least four 20#+ batches before needing to be recharged. It rocks and at $39 it is a steal.

 

[dblvsn]

I should actually get this kit for my wife. She has her own toolkit for doing little jobs around the house and this is much nicer than the old kit she has. I'll just have to pull the drill out for me

 

[avidhomebrewer]

I had a B+D once and the damn thing died after powering 2 crushes of a Corona mill, maybe 25# total through and that was it. I have since gone to a 1/2 DeWalt with no issues for 4+ years.

 

[jamescb77]

well i have a gift card from valentine's day so i know what im goign to be buying tomorrow

 

[DeathBrewer]

NOICE! i think i'll buy that for myself don't need it now, but will in the very near future.

1st step: Finish Sculpture
2nd step: Buy grain in bulk
3rd step: ???
4th step: Profit

 

[jamescb77]

just went and picked this up and just so you guys know it comes in the biggest box ever i rode my bike with my backpack and had to remove it from the box in order to get in it my bag all is well though

 

[the_bird]

I have a B&D Firestorm (I think that's the name) cordless drill, 14.4V. Needs new batteries, it doesn't hold a charge for long now. Older version of this:

What I love about it, though, is that the chuck slips right off, and it's got a screwdriver bit underneath. It's perfect for when you want to predrill holes; you've got the drill bit in the chuck, drill the hole, whip off the chuck, drive the screw, slap the chuck back on. I'll never buy another drill that doesn't have this feature again, it is SO much easier than either having two drills or contantly going back and forth between the drill bit and the screwdriver bit.

 

[Jaybird]

I have a B&D Firestorm (I think that's the name) cordless drill, 14.4V. Needs new batteries, it doesn't hold a charge for long now. Older version of this:

What I love about it, though, is that the chuck slips right off, and it's got a screwdriver bit underneath. It's perfect for when you want to predrill holes; you've got the drill bit in the chuck, drill the hole, whip off the chuck, drive the screw, slap the chuck back on. I'll never buy another drill that doesn't have this feature again, it is SO much easier than either having two drills or contantly going back and forth between the drill bit and the screwdriver bit.

Bird thats what I use. I bought it a Lowes after my Makita batteries wouldn't hold a charge, and they wanted $40 ea for them. Payed $25 for the kit, it rocks and I love the removable chuck.
Cheers
JJ

 

[the_bird]

You never have an excuse for not drilling a pilot hole again!

 

[Bernie Brewer]

I had a B+D once and the damn thing died after powering 2 crushes of a Corona mill, maybe 25# total through and that was it. I have since gone to a 1/2 DeWalt with no issues for 4+ years.

DeWalt and B&D are the same company........

 

[the_bird]

I use a lot of B&D tools, but I'll be damned if I think they're the same quality! I've been using a corded B&D drill for my BarleyCrusher with no problems, but I'd be worried that I'd burn out the cordless one if I used that. Just doesn't have enough power; not the fault of B&D, it just doesn't feel like it was designed for that much of a load.

The FireStorm was a gift (but I'd buy another one), the corded drill I bought because it was FAR cheaper than anything else with a 1/2" chuck. They aren't DeWalts, though (unless DeWalt tools have come down in quality), they're decent tools aimed at occassional-use by homeowners.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

What I love about it, though, is that the chuck slips right off, and it's got a screwdriver bit underneath. It's perfect for when you want to predrill holes; you've got the drill bit in the chuck, drill the hole, whip off the chuck, drive the screw, slap the chuck back on. I'll never buy another drill that doesn't have this feature again, it is SO much easier than either having two drills or contantly going back and forth between the drill bit and the screwdriver bit.

I just drill with one, and drive with the other. Plus, the right-angle drill is great for working in tight spaces. I just put pull-out baskets in some of my pantry cabinets, and this thing made it a breeze.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

I just drill with one, and drive with the other. Plus, the right-angle drill is great for working in tight spaces. I just put pull-out baskets in some of my pantry cabinets, and this thing made it a breeze.

IMHO, Craftsman = Junk........

But then, I'm a dedicated DeWalt man, myself. To each his own......

 

[jamescb77]

well now that i have got a chance to look at this whole kit all the tool and everything are pretty cheap i mean they will get a small job done but nothing that i would normally by all the pieces for the drill and the drill itself seem worth the 40 bucks though. i mean it's got drill bit and nut driver heads along with all the standard screwdriver bits im more than happy as i have been needing a power drill but don't do anything heavy duty with it

 

[vfinch]

I'm not a big fan of B&D, their quality has gone way downhill from when I was a kid. It's true that DeWalt and B&D are tied togther, but DeWalt is much higher quality. B&D is designed for occasional home use and batteries just don't last in the long run.

Even though I love my DeWalt cordless and I've beat the crap out of it and it's kept going, DeWalt quality has suffered in the last few years. If I was to buy a new cordless I would most likely go with a Makita Lithium.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

IMHO, Craftsman = Junk........

But then, I'm a dedicated DeWalt man, myself. To each his own......

You know, I've had four Craftsman drill motors...a 1/4" chuck wired model that I got for my 14th birthday (1977 for those keeping score!) a 3/8" chuck wired model that I got in high school, and three cordless...one of which I've had for 10 years.

All of them still work perfectly. Even the 10 year old cordless works fine, on the original battery. I beat the hell out of the 3/8" one, and replaced the brushes once. I like that kind of "junk."

Most of my hand tools are Craftsman as well. On the rare occasion that one of them fails, I take it back to Sears and they hand me a new one, no questions asked. Sometimes, decades after they were originally purchased.

 

[EamusCatuli]

BTW, I looked that drill up on Lowes.com, its pretty much right on there if you click on the "shop now for fathers day" section and its listed at $70, not $40. But who knows maybe its listed differently at different stores....or maybe online just sucks.

 

[EdWort]

Yeah, I posted it from Fridays ad

 

[wizardofza]

IMHO, Craftsman = Junk........

But then, I'm a dedicated DeWalt man, myself. To each his own......

You know, I totally agree, but I've had this same 19v drill for almost 5 years. I use the damn thing constantly being in an old house and all, and the thing is still going strong.

But yeah, I have some other Craftsman stuff, and it's crap.

<rant>
A craftsman miter saw I have can't cut a perfect 90 if its life depends on it. Adjusted or not, it always slips back to off-90.
</rant>

 

[the_bird]

You know, I've had four Craftsman drill motors...a 1/4" chuck wired model that I got for my 14th birthday (1977 for those keeping score!) a 3/8" chuck wired model that I got in high school, and three cordless...one of which I've had for 10 years.

All of them still work perfectly. Even the 10 year old cordless works fine, on the original battery. I beat the hell out of the 3/8" one, and replaced the brushes once. I like that kind of "junk."

Most of my hand tools are Craftsman as well. On the rare occasion that one of them fails, I take it back to Sears and they hand me a new one, no questions asked. Sometimes, decades after they were originally purchased.

All old-school Craftsman, which WAS top-notch. It's a damn shame what they've done to the brand on the lower-end (Kenmore appliances, too). They've cut costs so aggressively they've really cut into their sales; when it came time to shop for a grill, I never once considered heading down to the local Sears because I simply do not trust the quality. Same with their tools, unless you're buying the high-end Professional stuff, it's crap.

 

[davesrose]

Didn't know so many people used cordless drills. I had one once, but got tired of having to recharge (especially when it was really starting to lose its charge). Now I just go with corded since I always seem to have an outlet around and can get more amps:rockin:

 

[EdWort]

Yeah, I posted it from Fridays ad

Prices are good till 6/15

 

[tranceamerica]

as a former welding shop owner, I've had the pleasure of stress testing many brands. IMHO:

cheap chinese made crap = you'll be lucky to get a week out of it
black & decker = good for about 3 weeks to 2 months
dewalt = good for 3 months or so
makita = probably not quite as good as dewalt, but close
porter cable & milwaukee = top quality, last 6 mo to a year, and probably just need new brushes at that point.

around the house, B&D are fine.

I prefer corded stuff - the battery stuff is just an excuse to make you throw away a perfectly good tool after the batteries crap out after 6 mo or so.

 

[wihophead]

I have had my Dewalt 18V drill/driver for no less then 8 years and it is still going strong and I used to do quite a few side jobs with it. I need to break down and by a new battery though, that will make the second new battery I had to buy.

At work they by us Panasonic drill/drivers and metal cutting saws and both have been going strong for 3 1/2 years.

 

[the_bird]

I prefer corded stuff - the battery stuff is just an excuse to make you throw away a perfectly good tool after the batteries crap out after 6 mo or so.

Semi , but is it worth it to buy a Lithium-battery tool? Do they have a "memory"? I think that's my problem, I've been impatient and recharged the batteries before they were completely drained.