Home Depot Skil 14.4v Cordless Drill w/laser level,studsensor,2 batteries $49.95

[doublejack]

On the front of the Home Depot flier I found an XDRIVE Skil 14.4v cordless drill with detachable laser level and studsensor. Advertised as a $110 value for $49.95. Picked it up and it seems like a good deal. 1-hour charger and a built in minilight, good for most home chores. Lots of extra features like a battery charge indicator and a direction (forward/reverse) led.

I couldn't find a perfect link so here's a reconditioned version without the built-in light and laser level.

http://bosch.cpotools.com/reconditioned/entire_selection/2587-06-rt.html

BTW the laser level and studsensor look cheap but better than nothing. They use watch batteries, not AAA or AA.

[CanadaBoy]

http://bosch.cpotools.com/images/product_images_large/2587-06.jpg

[phillbert]

i think the reason why cordless drills are so cheap now is because of the introduction of cordless impact wrenches.

[Captain Toonces]

The Flyer (http://homedepot.netservices.ca/pages/PAGEJuneCatalogue194_18002_EngE145VIP001.asp)

[Captain Toonces]

Have a look on pages 10 and 11 of the flyer.

Ridgid tools from HD now come with a lifetime service agreement including FREE replacement batteries, service and replacement parts for life.

That is rather impressive if it holds true.

The Ridgid 14.4V 3/8" Cordless Drill (http://www.homedepot.ca/escalate/store/DetailPage?pls=hd_canada_gift&bc=hd_canada_gift&clist=018980323807:01898032388c:12efae001402be:&pc=940541) is $199 which is a bargain given a lifetime warranty like that.

[TheGame]

http://bosch.cpotools.com/images/product_images_large/2587-06.jpg


feels cheap and is pretty heavy

[bug]

I picked one up yesterday. Comes with 2 battery packs, a mini laser level and stud sensor. Seemed like a deal to me, but time will tell.

[me!]

there is another thread floating around comparing this one to the CT one . I think that brand name is Jobmate. Both of these have very low torque and the gears and bushings are all made of nylon or plastic. better ones are made of metal. of the two , i would choose this one because skil is not a bad brand name.

don't expect to build a deck out of this one. maybe drill some holes for a picture frame or something.

[me!]

i think the reason why cordless drills are so cheap now is because of the introduction of cordless impact wrenches.
No not really. It is because china is flooding the market with cheap brands. I got onto a b2b website and there are entire towns specifically manufacturing drills. there are over a hundred china made el cheapo brands made in china now.

[me!]

Have a look on pages 10 and 11 of the flyer.

Ridgid tools from HD now come with a lifetime service agreement including FREE replacement batteries, service and replacement parts for life.

That is rather impressive if it holds true.

The Ridgid 14.4V 3/8" Cordless Drill (http://www.homedepot.ca/escalate/store/DetailPage?pls=hd_canada_gift&bc=hd_canada_gift&clist=018980323807:01898032388c:12efae001402be:&pc=940541) is $199 which is a bargain given a lifetime warranty like that.
if this is true it really is a good deal. Rigid is sold almost exclusively at Home Depot and is a half decent brand. Batteries are not cheap either.

[sparx]

These are great for small household chores. Putting furniture together hanging pictures etc........

Don't pay anything less than a couple hundred if you plan on doing any type of REAL carpentry work.

[Likestuff4free]

Home Depot Owns part of ridgid, they are all made Ryobi. Which is why you dont see Ryobi outside of home depot usually

[Z]

Try to get it on paper. I wish you luck!

They had this when they first introduced Ridgid. No customer service personel in Home Depot could produce this warranty, even the manager tried flipping through a binder and couldn't find it. Emailed Home Depot's corporate office with no success. Many others posted on Rigid's website forum asking for a hard copy without success.

The Rigid website still says "3 years" for power tools.

Without a hard copy of the warranty statement to see all the clauses etc. YMMV in trying to claim under the lifetime warranty for the products.

Have a look on pages 10 and 11 of the flyer.

Ridgid tools from HD now come with a lifetime service agreement including FREE replacement batteries, service and replacement parts for life.

That is rather impressive if it holds true.

The Ridgid 14.4V 3/8" Cordless Drill (http://www.homedepot.ca/escalate/store/DetailPage?pls=hd_canada_gift&bc=hd_canada_gift&clist=018980323807:01898032388c:12efae001402be:&pc=940541) is $199 which is a bargain given a lifetime warranty like that.

[Captain Toonces]

The Rigid website still says "3 years" for power tools.

Without a hard copy of the warranty statement to see all the clauses etc. YMMV in trying to claim under the lifetime warranty for the products.

I would certainly agree. But from where I am looking it does say it is a NEW limited service agreement in addition to the "3 years" commencing April 15th, 2005.

The new limited lifetime warranty details are on the website in PDF format here. (http://www.ridgid.com/Manuals/RidgidLSA.pdf)

I guess there must be some more small print somewhere because it does seem too good to be true :(

[Captain Toonces]

FYI, Just noticed if you are considering buying one anyway, they are also offering a free battery (http://www.homedepot.ca/images/storefront/hd10121/staticpromo/RigidBattLite.pdf) or flashlight MIR offer with Ridgid cordless tool purchase similar to the Dewalt offer. Looks like there is no additional s/h charge for this as well unlike the Dewalt offer.

[hpin]

Sears has the craftsman 14.4v drill/driver for $49.99 with regularly is $99.99 however single speed only..

[mrken]

FYI, Just noticed if you are considering buying one anyway, they are also offering a free battery (http://www.homedepot.ca/images/storefront/hd10121/staticpromo/RigidBattLite.pdf) or flashlight MIR offer with Ridgid cordless tool purchase similar to the Dewalt offer. Looks like there is no additional s/h charge for this as well unlike the Dewalt offer.
Ah! I think that is where the catch is!

To register for the lifetime warranty, one would have to send the original UPC and a copy of the receipt to Ridgid. But the free battery/flashlight offer also requires the original UPC. So either one or the other...

I cannot seem to find any Ridgid service centres in BC. The only one they have in Canada seems to be in Ontario... And the closest to Vancouver seems to be Seattle...

[ihk]

anyone want to write a review on cordless drill kit? :confused:

costco (last week), homedepot, canadian tire, zellers are all having sale on them..

[Captain Toonces]

Ah! I think that is where the catch is!

To register for the lifetime warranty, one would have to send the original UPC and a copy of the receipt to Ridgid. But the free battery/flashlight offer also requires the original UPC. So either one or the other...

I cannot seem to find any Ridgid service centres in BC. The only one they have in Canada seems to be in Ontario... And the closest to Vancouver seems to be Seattle...

Yes, but both MIR forms are addressed to the same PO box at Ridgid so you may as well mail in both with the original UPC and save a stamp (I don't think it says that one necessarily excludes the other).

As you said however, without conveniently located service centres an extended warranty plan quickly loses its luster.

[vtachy]

Just picked up the skil set from home depot

Details:
comes complete in plastic carrying case
includes 2 batteries, charger, stud finder and laser level
keyless chuck
variable torque
speed selector (ie drill versus torque)
variable speed

First impressions:
seems well made (Made in malaysia)
decent heft
the stud finder and level are tiny no more than 1.5"x4" in size
they use watch batteries.
kinda smart to be able to park one of them on the drill (that yellow patch on the photo)

Will have to report back when I actually use it.

Probably the best thing about the drill is home depot's return policy. They have a very good return policy so if it craps out in a short period of time the return should be easy.

I would say it's a good deal.
For those in the GVRD, the terminal home depot had about 30-40 left as of 11 am today. I would phone before heading out to make sure it's in stock.

[testinz]

How does this compare to the Costco's $37.99 18.5 v driller ?



Just picked up the skil set from home depot

Details:
comes complete in plastic carrying case
includes 2 batteries, charger, stud finder and laser level
keyless chuck
variable torque
speed selector (ie drill versus torque)
variable speed

First impressions:
seems well made (Made in malaysia)
decent heft
the stud finder and level are tiny no more than 1.5"x4" in size
they use watch batteries.
kinda smart to be able to park one of them on the drill (that yellow patch on the photo)

Will have to report back when I actually use it.

Probably the best thing about the drill is home depot's return policy. They have a very good return policy so if it craps out in a short period of time the return should be easy.

I would say it's a good deal.
For those in the GVRD, the terminal home depot had about 30-40 left as of 11 am today. I would phone before heading out to make sure it's in stock.

[cil254]

I got the 18V version of this package at CT for about $100.
$49 seems like a good deal for the 14.4V.

[klutzo]

How does this compare to the Costco's $37.99 18.5 v driller ?

I picked up the Costco one, and I'm sure they're pretty similar.

2 Yr Warranty
2 batteries

The studfinder and laser are interesting though, but I didn't really need them so saved a few bux. The extra power I'm sure will come in handy somewhere though.

[mrwinky]

I picked one up on friday, and returned it last night. First impressions where, very nicely laid out design (A+ for design) it has a light up feature telling you which direction you are drilling, a work light installed on it ( for drilling in darker places) nice idea to have a battery gage on it. As for performance, again a very light duty drill. I would not recommend this for anything more then small jobs, had a hard time putting in 3 inch deck screws. If you really need a good drill for medium and up jobs. Then make sure you look for anything with 300in Torque or better. I would strongly recommend the Hitachi 14.4 (high end) 400inch Torque, amazing drill, has a $50 rebate at this time (not sure when it expires) 5 year warrenty, looks the Hulk. And can be had for $275 before rebate. In my experience you get what you pay for (expect Dewalt, I find way to many issues with there products)


Winky

[me!]

as said before, all these bottom end drills for 49, 59, 79, or more are all made of cheap plastic or nylon bushing and gears and have very cheap plastic housing. They will not hold up to much and are not repairable. They are all mass produced in factories in China. Lots of these cheapos have less than 100 inch/pounds of torque, hardly enough to drill a screw into oak wood. Batteries for these are less than stellar and will probably die out after a year. For a good quality one, stick with Makita, Milwaukee, Bosch, Hitachi (rated number 1), Porter Cable. Milwaukee uses a hybrid nimh battery with a slightly different chemical formulation in the battery that makes it twice as powerfull an longer lasting. My Bosch model was tested at a tool store and was dropped from 40ft in the air onto the parking lot all afternoon and still worked. (this was done by Bosch reps, not me!)

[to_vento]

Thanks all for the info. I was considering this Skil drill, but after finding out the weak power and the plastic innards, I think I'll stick to something better. I have an electric drill at home (ancient one) and wanted something that is a little more portable. This would fit the bill, but if it can't do the work I need it to, then forget it. I'd rather pay double or more and get something that will work.

[rec28]

I'm in the market for a new cordless drill. What's the verdict on the CT Mastercraft Maximum products? Their deal on the 14.4 3in1 impact driver is tempting if the quality is half-decent...

[me!]

I'm in the market for a new cordless drill. What's the verdict on the CT Mastercraft Maximum products? Their deal on the 14.4 3in1 impact driver is tempting if the quality is half-decent...
I actually did end up buying this earlier this year. was looking for a Bosch driver, but I got too many cordless already and didn't want to spend 300 bucks on another tool quite yet, especially for a specialty drill. it has over 1000inch pounds of torque. Although it can be used as a regular drill driver, it is best suited for driving rather than drilling. If you want power when drilling, go for a hammer drill. But CT impact driver can still do the job for you. Picked mine up for 124.00 with CT mail in rebate. currently it is 149, but you get some bits with it.

[me!]

Thanks all for the info. I was considering this Skil drill, but after finding out the weak power and the plastic innards, I think I'll stick to something better. I have an electric drill at home (ancient one) and wanted something that is a little more portable. This would fit the bill, but if it can't do the work I need it to, then forget it. I'd rather pay double or more and get something that will work.
I still have an electric, just in case. I used it yesterday when I forgot to charge up my batteries.

[rec28]

I actually did end up buying this earlier this year. was looking for a Bosch driver, but I got too many cordless already and didn't want to spend 300 bucks on another tool quite yet, especially for a specialty drill. it has over 1000inch pounds of torque. Although it can be used as a regular drill driver, it is best suited for driving rather than drilling. If you want power when drilling, go for a hammer drill. But CT impact driver can still do the job for you. Picked mine up for 124.00 with CT mail in rebate. currently it is 149, but you get some bits with it.


Thanks for the info. Are you happy with it? Reasonable choice for an all around, light/medium duty household/garage tool? I'll be using it for fence & deck building this summer & I do most of my own work on my cars.

To anyone else considering this driver, there is a mail in $25 gift card offer when you spend $100-200 on Mastercraft Maximum tools. There's a pamphlet sitting next to the drill at the CT stores...

[Buck Khaki]

My Bosch model was tested at a tool store and was dropped from 40ft in the air onto the parking lot all afternoon and still worked. (this was done by Bosch reps, not me!)

Holy crap! :lol:

The Bosch rep spent all afternoon dropping the drill... and it still worked? Any damage to the housing? That's pretty impressive. I would've liked to have been there to see that.

[me!]

Holy crap! :lol:

The Bosch rep spent all afternoon dropping the drill... and it still worked? Any damage to the housing? That's pretty impressive. I would've liked to have been there to see that.
yup. I found out that it did finally stop working after about 70 or so drops. They let customers try dropping it too. I was about 30 something.

[me!]

Thanks for the info. Are you happy with it? Reasonable choice for an all around, light/medium duty household/garage tool? I'll be using it for fence & deck building this summer & I do most of my own work on my cars.

To anyone else considering this driver, there is a mail in $25 gift card offer when you spend $100-200 on Mastercraft Maximum tools. There's a pamphlet sitting next to the drill at the CT stores...
uhmmm I bought it but have to admit I haven't really used it yet.

[Greddy]

For those looking for something with alittle more muscle I saw at Home Depot A Dewalt 9.6v drill (http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_detail.asp?productID=190) for $89 also some boxes have safety glasses included inside but not all and hey you can prably try for the third battery mir.

http://www.dewalt.com//ProductImages/PC_Graphics/Photos/DEWALT/TOOLS/MEDIUM/9/DW926K-2_K1.gif

[Buck Khaki]

yup. I found out that it did finally stop working after about 70 or so drops. They let customers try dropping it too. I was about 30 something.

I wish I could've been there to be the first to drop it. I would've hurled it to the pavement pretty good (I know it's just supposed to be dropped but this would be more fun)). Would be pretty funny to see it fail after the first "drop".

30 something drops is pretty impressive indeed. I think I'll try the same test with my POS Jobmate from my 2 storey roof. Any guesses as to how many drops it will sustain? :lol:

[me!]

I think I'll try the same test with my POS Jobmate from my 2 storey roof. Any guesses as to how many drops it will sustain? :lol:
Why don't you try it out and report back to us your findings?

[TTony]

if you want real drill go with dewalt

[Buck Khaki]

OK. I'll try it some time this week. The neighbours are going to think I'm nuts. I don't mind killing my Jobmate since it was total crap to begin with.

[Mike Holmes]

if you want real drill go with dewalt

Smart guy! Stay away from those wussy tools and stick with Dewalt and you can't go wrong. Dewalt paid me to say that.