Cordless drill recommendations?

I am planning to purchase a cordless drill. I borrowed my friend's which is a Craftsman 9.6 volt. It didn't seem to have much power. Can you recommend one? I notice they come in different volts -- i.e. 12, 14, 18, etc. Does this mean the more volts the more power? In looking at the local home improvement store, price does not seem to follow voltage. This would be for home/cabin use only.... I am not a professional.

Also, I notice alot of these on eBay. What should I beware of when considering this route?

Any advice you give would be appreciated.

Sk8

 

the more volts the less shorter life span the batteries have (example, a 18volt battery will only take 600 charges, and a 12 volt battery will take 900.. I just made those numbers up, so dont quote me, but you can see what I mean)

on the other hand, high voltage drills usually result in having more torque.



a 12volt or 14volt cordless is good enough for most DIY'ers.

 

The highly rated Panasonic (yes, they make great drills) 12-volt is actually on sale tonight for $129.00 at amazon.com. Brad

 

dewalt 14 volt hands down. the 18 volt is a little to heavy for me, the 14 is strong enough to do anything you want and the battery life is very good. its more expensive in the beginning but you will absolutely love it. it is my favorite tool.

 

Last Christmas I gifted myself to a Skil 14.4v 3/8" reversal drill kit which included 2 batteries plus a saw (5 3/8" blade). It has all the power I need for routine household and craft work plus the additional benefit of the cordless drill.

 

You can kee the dewalt, Extreme. A black and Decker by any other name is... still a Black and Decker. I've had about three of them, 14V and 18V. Average life expectancy, under daily use, is about 6 months.

If your primary interest is in driving screws and turning wood bits, there is nothing that compares to the Makita 12V impact. It's got more torque than an 18V cordless drill, turns just as fast and it's small size and light weight make it a dream to work with.

 

I think one of the best values is the B&D 14.4 volt. I've had 5 of them (two of them jumped off the ladder and hit concrete). I've had them for at least 6 years and the all the batteries (each came with two batteries) still seem to work satisfactorily. I've also got a light that I use to completely drain a battery before recharging. I know there are many schools of thought on this issue, but, like I stated, all of my batteries hold a charge well and last quite a while. I've read the reviews on the Panasonic and must say that it is tempting to go that route. I know that sooner or later I'll have to change out the three I have now (one for pilot hole, one for countersink and one for driving screws), especially since B&D changed the battery style on the 14.4 volt drills. The thing I like about the B&D 14.4 volt units is that you can usually get them (with case, charger and two batteries) for $50-$60. I was tempted to get me one of those limited edition polished aluminum case models when they had them at the B&D store at the outlet mall for $49.95 but the durn things were simply too heavy.