I will cast my vote for the Black and Decker 18v cordless drill. I have found that I don't really need an impact driver so I skipped that. I got two batteries, a charger, a set of drill bits, screwdriver bits (I use these all the time) and a carryin case (do NOT use) for one low price. Battery life is acceptable for nearly any project I take on. Big ones like fences and decks will require battery changes (make sure you have topped off the spare battery) but small projects will be completed with plenty of torque to spare. I haven't GOT any complaints about this drill. I replaced a Makita 9.6 volt drill with the B&D three years ago, The Makita batteries had reached the end of their life. They didn't have the longevity to do most tasks and one barely turned the chuck at all. It didn't have much torque at begin with and as time went on, less and less. I wanted more power (har!) and got it. I wasn't sorry. Eighteen volts will see you through any household project except BUILDING the house! More is a waste, IMO.

Pam

yeah, I bought a set of wrenches a few years ago and the chrome peeled off the handles right away.

Yep. that's the drill that nearly broke my arm. It is a torque-y SOB

All I can say is I have a DeWalt and it has forever been the favorite of all my tools. Although I'm about a 3 out of 10 on the handy scale, this thing ensures that I can build out goofy projects and crappy fixes, without too much hassle. I think it came as a kit 8 years ago, with two batteries included.

I love the carrying case mine came in. Same for my circular saw, jigsaw, palm sander ...
All tools MUST have cases.

I know a lot of tools who ARE cases...headcases, that is. [/Foghorn]

They have chargers that drain the battery all the way before it recharges, now.

All tools MUST have cases.

I see that you have never tryed to load a Tool box on a truck with all those fancy cases , they are a WASTE of space .

Not for the homeowner who primarily uses them at home.
I can see your point though, I guess.
To me its still safer, for the tools to have them in protective cases.

I have a Makita 18volt Li-ion Hammer Drill. This is awesome, was about $300 and came with the spare battery and 1 hour charger.

I've learned the hard way not to buy cheap bits though, those things will make you cry.

I also have a cheap GM cordless that I let the kids use and I use as a power screwdriver because I hate having wankers cramp from using a screwdriver all day.

I pack all my power tools in suitcases or the original case (if it came in one), but jigsaw, sander etc are all in small suitcases with their relative attachments and accessories.

Off topic, I store our fold up BBQ in a large suitcase too. Contains the grease, keeps the effing bees and bugs away.

*cough*homeowner*cough* :thumb:

Nothing specific, but a general rule I have learned is don't skimp by buying cheap tools. Pay once, use many times, worth it.

I bought a drill a while back, but because I only expect to use it a couple of times a year I got a cord drill, precisely because of the issue with batteries draining while in storage, and needing to charge them before beginning the job. If you'll be using it every couple of weeks, a cordless - with the second battery - is definitely worth it.

:lol: You're awesome, Ducks, but how do you know what wanker's cramp is like? :D

I picked up a Dewalt drill with a sawzall on sale a couple years ago. Really good and really handy. I burned out a lower voltage Makita building the house but that drill had countless hours on it after it replaced a Porter Cable which still sorta worked after falling 1 1/2 stories to a concrete floor. The Makita had excellent balance and the Porter Cable felt pretty clumsy. The Dewalt feels like a good balance of power and comfort.

Well, I had a boyfriend for a lot of years who used to take...... look I just know OK :p:

I've had a DeWalt going on 13 years now. Two batteries, one is always in the charger, never had a noticeable problem with battery life. I think we may have snapped a few bits over the years, it's hard to remember. But overall it gets the job(s) done very well.