Brushless vs non-brushless drills

[The Tuul Crib 7,332]

Started back at my new old job a couple weeks ago. Had to bring all my or most of my shop tools from home. I have a DeWalt drill which is brushless. Well today second gear went out and all it does is just insert screws. I'm looking at other combos other than the yellow brand to see which is better

What do you use?

[Achto 26,548]

We used DeWalt's on the assembly line where I work. Average life span of them in a persons hand who did not give two squirts was about 4 months. We have now switched to all Makita cordless tools. Same people using the tools but now the average life span is 2+ years. The Makita's that reside in my tool box at work are over 6yrs old and get used every day. All the Makita tools that I use at work are brush-less.

 

Nothing wrong with Milwaukee cordless tools either. Many use them in an industrial setting with very good luck.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Achto

[Handy Don 10,595]

[ACman 7,506]

Milwaukee brushless hands down  . Son had a trigger fail on his impact driver he uses everyday. Mailed it in and they sent him the brand new model and  in his hands 3 days later. No questions asked . That’s how customer service should be. It’s the only failure he’s had out of all his carpentry, automotive, and yard tools . 
 

Like Dan @Achto  said Makita always made a quality tool too . 

[Rp.wh 1,074]

I have used brush motored makita drills and impacts and I have used brushless I worked in a semi trailer shop 8 on 6 off using mostly all power tools the brush tools in my opinion are not as good for heavy hard use I have a 1/2 makita brush and a brushless the power difference is big I used the brush drill for about a year and a half and it burnt up, the brushless is still kicking after about 6 years...... if I had to redo this all over again Milwaukee would be the way to go in my opinion that’s all i have at work the warranty backs it up every time no exceptions 

[Stepney 2,314]

Im a stubborn old fool with most power tools but have to say.. my Milwaukee M18 brushless stuff has never failed to impress. Heck I've used my M18 in low gear to crank my Farmall Cub over when the battery went flat.. no trouble just hold on tight. It's spent many hours turning small mowers over nonstop too. The impact gun is respectable but does get unnervingly hot IMO..

[Maxwell-8 4,270]

We also use Makita but brushed, what an abuse they go thru, as we mostly have to drill 13mm drill in to hard steel. average lifespan 3 years. 

I do have a brushless makita, that thing is insane, almost broke my wrist. I put a socket adaptor on it, for removing a bolt. the drill flew out of my hands 12 feet high. Felt on concrete and s still working  2 years later.

It is a shame tey moved there production from japan to china a year or two ago. 

And here, Makita has the cheapest batteries.

[DennisThornton 4,769]

I've used many brands for decades and then focused on one brand to be able to share batteries, then DeWalt changed to Lithium...  I managed a hardware store for a few years and we sold DeWalt when I started and Milwaukee when I left.  I think all of the leading brands are good but if my income depended on tools I'd be using mostly Milwaukee.  Most all of the contractor customers were glad to see Milwaukee replace DeWalt.

[Racinbob 10,276]

I replaced my very old Porter Cable some time age with Ridgid. The main reason was because of the lifetime warranty including the batteries. I wasn't sure how long ago it was so I just dug out the paperwork. It was Sept. 2011. I would have guessed 6-7 years, not 10. It's been worked harder that I'm sure it was intended but it's still going perfectly. That made me wonder about my DeWalt compound miter saw. I bought that in Aug. 1995. That was back when they were still made in America unlike the newer ones. 

 

Although I know lithium batteries are superior to ni-cads the one thing I can't get used to it that they don't give you any warning when they need to be recharged. I'm always in the most awkward position or 20' up a ladder to drive that one screw or drill that one hole when I pull the trigger and nothing happens. 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

16 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

Ridgid. The main reason was because of the lifetime warranty including the batteries.

Wow!  I didn't know that!  Details?

 

Yeah, lithiums work and then they don't with little warning.  Charge before climbing!

[WHX?? 46,739]

I have a whole drawer full of Dewalt stuff at the sheet metal shop and wished I could get my crews to change over to Milwaukee but they can be stubborn to change. 

All I use in the tractor shop is Milwaukee now and love them except for the price of extra oem batts. I do have a brushless Makita impact  that I throw in the toy hauler for running down leveling jacks but have it in the shop now for teardowns. It's quite impressive but sadly has the smaller batteries. 

 

The new stuff Bob does have batt charge indicators, most name brands anyway. 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

"Brushless vs non-brushless drills"

Guess I didn't quite address the actual topic.  The biggest maintenance on electric motors, plug-in or battery, has been the brushes and commutator.  I'd rather not buy anymore brushed tools.  There's a fairly low hour DeWalt drill waiting on my bench for new brushes right now.

[Racinbob 10,276]

59 minutes ago, DennisThornton said:

Wow!  I didn't know that!  Details?

 

Yeah, lithiums work and then they don't with little warning.  Charge before climbing!

 

 Yup, full lifetime. I've also got a Ridgid tile saw with the same warranty. You just have to register the serial numbers at the time of purchase. Sooner or later something is bound to fail and I'll have to see how they respond. 

 

55 minutes ago, WHX24 said:

 

The new stuff Bob does have batt charge indicators, most name brands anyway. 

 

The batteries do have indicator lights. I just never think to check them. 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

7 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

 

 Yup, full lifetime. I've also got a Ridgid tile saw with the same warranty. You just have to register the serial numbers at the time of purchase. Sooner or later something is bound to fail and I'll have to see how they respond. 

 

 

The batteries do have indicator lights. I just never think to check them. 

 

I handled all the Milwaukee warranty claims and the larger amp batteries were a BIG order to ship!  Special packaging and labeling!  No cost to the customer if they dropped it off where they bought it.  My biggest complaint of portable tools, and shared by many, is the batteries.  Can cost over a hundred to replace, as much as a car battery and MORE than a garden tractor battery!  And I've had some only last a few years, some less than 5 I think and I'm not a contractor using them 40 hours a week!  So even if Rigid expects them to be mailed in, as long as they aren't the bigger ones, that's still a great warranty feature!

 

Oh, and the indicator lights, guess a few more climbs up the ladder will help you remember! 

[Racinbob 10,276]

1 hour ago, DennisThornton said:

"Brushless vs non-brushless drills"

Guess I didn't quite address the actual topic.  The biggest maintenance on electric motors, plug-in or battery, has been the brushes and commutator.  I'd rather not buy anymore brushed tools.  There's a fairly low hour DeWalt drill waiting on my bench for new brushes right now.

 

I believe all cordless drills today are brushless. One of the reasons is I believe it extends battery life some. As far as corded I don't know. All mine are older and have brushes.

 

14 minutes ago, DennisThornton said:

Oh, and the indicator lights, guess a few more climbs up the ladder will help you remember! 

 

You'd think that but it never works for me. 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

5 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

 

I believe all cordless drills today are brushless. One of the reasons is I believe it extends battery life some. As far as corded I don't know. All mine are older and have brushes.

 

 

You'd think that but it never works for me. 

I too think that at least most battery tools are brushless and it does extend battery life.  I haven't bought or even looked at a corded tool in years..

I find that I do most things by habit, and for me it takes a long time to form a new habit and even when I do it seems the only habits I keep are the bad ones.

[JoeM 7,623]

Twenty five years ago, or so, I had a 7 volt Makita drill and was going to use it to install the screws on the pole barn siding. Time seemed to always be at a premium and one afternoon I was ready to start the siding. My wife ask me where I was going and I told her to the build to put up a few sheets of metal. She reminded me of the fact we were going out to dinner not to get to involved. I said okay, no problem when the battery on the drill dies I will come back in and we will go. Well.... a few hours later she come up to the building and said "Joe the kids are getting hungry" I put in 400 screws before it died!

 

Due to the impression the 7 volt gave me I bought a new 9 volt. Maybe five years later, was nowhere close to the 7 volts performance. 

 

I like Dewalt, but don't make my living with them. (knock off batteries are just so so) Just a hobby tinker thing. 

 

I am looking for a new impact and may just go with Milwaukee, RK runs some deals from time to time and might give them a try. 

 

Hands down worse Ryobi. I have a few but just junk! (I will say the knock off batteries for Ryobi have been pretty good).

 

Brushless are more expensive, only fact I have. 

 

 

[Handy Don 10,595]

1 hour ago, JoeM said:

I am looking for a new impact and may just go with Milwaukee,

If you are not in a hurry, the depot usually has some deals around Father's Day.

[Rusty Tinsnips 477]

Check out Ryobi, decent tools at good prices.

[The Tuul Crib 7,332]

Well I went ahead  and pulled  the trigger on a pair of brushless drivers and two 4.0 batteries combo!!  kind of hurt the billfold just a little but these will last me until retirement may be beyond it! 

[bc.gold 3,399]

On 5/6/2021 at 9:50 AM, JoeM said:

I am looking for a new impact and may just go with Milwaukee

 

I recently purchased the half inch Milwaukee impact at 650 ft lbs it has my Ingersol pneumatic beat hands down, while i did have a slight problem with the sawzall with a blade getting stuck in the quick release.

 

The issue with the blade, twist and insert a new blade depending on the return spring to lock it in place, the locking pin was partially locked into the blade hole allowing the blade to work its way out indented the blade as it left the home position.

 

Took the saw into the dealer and he had it fixed in no time while there got chatting about battery's, he commented that the battery's used on the impact often become loose from wear, when this happens the electrical connection becomes intermittent

 

The farm have two 1/2 inch impacts, one 3/4" impact one angle grinder a drill, two grease guns and portable trouble lights they use to work on semi trucks and large tractors and never had any issues with their Milwaukee M18 tools.

 

One day not long ago borrowed the 1/2" impact which impressed me to no end, this lead me to purchase my own, I use the sawsall regularly to cut catalytic converters off of scrap vehicles.

 

Edited May 11, 2021 by bc.gold

[Handy Don 10,595]

13 hours ago, bc.gold said:

I use the sawsall regularly to cut catalytic converters off of scrap vehicles.

I have the 12v Hackzall and it has been added to my "road load" since it is so often put to use. The 5 ⅜" circular saw is vying for a spot in there as well.

[bc.gold 3,399]

If your using the M18 1/2" impact to install wheel nuts be sure to have a set of these torque limiters on hand, my new impact does not have the jam to loosen what it is capable of tightening.

 

[Handy Don 10,595]

3 hours ago, bc.gold said:

If your using the M18 1/2" impact to install wheel nuts be sure to have a set of these torque limiters on hand, my new impact does not have the jam to loosen what it is capable of tightening.

 

Hmmm. This might be worth looking into. Haven't used the impact driver for much beyond driving deck screws, but with more Horse work, this might be useful. The M12 driver delivers nicely. (And a plug here for its sibling Milwaukee M12 Drill/Driver/Hammer Drill -- It isn't for full-on masonry workers, but if you need to put an occasional hole in concrete, cement, CMUs, stone, or brick, it'll put a smile on your face. I put ¼" pilots and then drilled out to ½" to set some lead anchors in concrete. I was having so much fun it was disappointing that it was done so quickly.)

[bc.gold 3,399]

On 5/11/2021 at 11:50 AM, bc.gold said:

If your using the M18 1/2" impact to install wheel nuts be sure to have a set of these torque limiters on hand, my new impact does not have the jam to loosen what it is capable of tightening.

 

 

To set the record straight there's a torque setting just above the battery, number 3 is where the wrench should be set at for loosening stubborn nuts and bolts.

 

Electronics in this day and age baffle me, somehow the torque setting was set lower

 

Edited May 12, 2021 by bc.gold