Makita Drill

[Peter Daniel]

Unless you can buy it really cheap, I wouldn't recommend older Makita drills. They simply can't compare in power and functionality to more recent designs. Last year I bought this small 14V drill, which is a more recent product, and it was not only very reasonably priced ($120) but it's also very well balanced, strong (it already fell from the roof of my garage), powerfull for its size, has clutch (that you really need) and comes with two good batteries

[dangus]

I didn't use the drill enough to justify buying a new battery pack, so I stuffed a piece of plywood up inside the old battery pack to hold the contacts in place (with a length of zip cord soldered to them), and now I just hook it up to a 12V battery when I need it. Not quite as portable, but it's fine for working on the truck, and a 9.6 volt drill has more umph off 12V. The driver torque clutch feature is worth the hassle when I'm screwing together a box.

I've heard of people buying battery packs made for other models or brands to get their hands on the sub-C cells. Just beware of old stock, because if they haven't been kept charged the batteries may have deteriorated.

[Nordic]

No torque setting, no buy!

[OzMikeH]

If anyone is really interested I can put together some points on maintaining and even resurrecting old NiCds. All you need is a variable current variable voltage bench supply of at least 4 amps.

[planet10]

Originally posted by OzMikeH
If anyone is really interested I can put together some points on maintaining and even resurrecting old NiCds. All you need is a variable current variable voltage bench supply of at least 4 amps.

yes

[TroelsM]

Yes*2

[Magura]

Originally posted by Peter Daniel
Unless you can buy it really cheap, I wouldn't recommend older Makita drills. They simply can't compare in power and functionality to more recent designs. Last year I bought this small 14V drill, which is a more recent product, and it was not only very reasonably priced ($120) but it's also very well balanced, strong (it already fell from the roof of my garage), powerfull for its size, has clutch (that you really need) and comes with two good batteries

Yes that's a fact! Unless you had the drill for free, an old drill like that is not worth the hassle and money...I would personally find it questioanble to spend money at all on an old drill like the one in question, but this is not my choice.

I have a super hefty Hitatchi (nope that's not how it's spelled). I may spend like 50 USD for the cells needed for making a new battery pack, but that is exclusively based on the fact that its a 400USD drill. I usually just ditch the sub 200USD drills when the batteries fail...they're just not worth the hassle.

Magura

[pinkmouse]

My old 9.6V Hitachi was bought in '95, and is still going strong with the original batteries. I had to replace the switch about seven years ago, but that's it.

[Magura]

Originally posted by pinkmouse
My old 9.6V Hitachi was bought in '95, and is still going strong with the original batteries. I had to replace the switch about seven years ago, but that's it.

Well, that's good news So mine just might be working for another 10 years...a good investment then!


Magura

[pinkmouse]

Yup, it's been all around the world several times with me. It's just about burned in.