I've had a small Dewalt that I use for smaller things that has held up for the past 7 years with no issues. It's small and lightweight. I'm not positive on the model number or voltage, but I'd guess it's only a 12v (or less). All of my drills are Dewalts and have lasted for quite a while. Good luck.

 

When we remodeled our kitchen, about 12 years ago, I got a Makita 9v drill (long battery)- only type available at the time. I've had to replace the battery several times but the drill is still working great.

 

My Dewalt 9.6 volt lasted for years until I could no longer get batteries for it. The drill itself was great, but they apparently change the battery style periodically so the new ones won't fit and you have to buy a new tool when the batteries will no longer hold a charge.

 

I've had DeWalt 14.4's since they came out, 3/8" regular, 1/2" hammer drill, right angle, maybe going on 15 years, still have every one of them in good working order, Bought a lot of batteries in that time though, not that they're bad, just get a lot of use and recharge cycles. Stuck with the 14.4's due to battery investment but they have all the torque I need, they can twist off a 1/4" bolt if I'm not careful.

 

I have had my Ridgid drills - 18v and compact drill/driver - for several years. They still work like the day I got them. Makita and Bosch, while I don't own them, seem to be very high quality as well.

 

I have DeWalt 18V DD combi for more than 3yrs todate.
One of the battery pack needs constant charging now approx. after driving 6 or 7 wood screws no. 10# to 12# of 1-1/2" long (even with pilot drilled hole). My earlier drill Talon 9.6V lasted for 6 over years (actually forever if I could find the replacement for dead charger).

 

Dewalt 18vlt 10 years

 

I've had a DeWalt 18v half inch cordless drill since shortly after they came out a bunch of years ago. It's still working just great. Very pleased with it. Plenty of power.

Dale, you can have those old batteries rebuilt. I took my original DeWalt battery to the local Interstate Batteries store and they took the case apart and replaced the battery cells inside the case. That battery lasted another 5 years or so. Any battery store should be able to do the same. I still have that battery but the wife bought me a twim pack a couple of years ago so I haven't needed to have it rebuilt again. Interstate also sells their own brand of battery that will fit my DeWalt drill.

 

Mind you, I hate cordless tools with a passion due to their tendency to die at the most inappropriate moments… Having said that…

I had a Skil 7.2v drill that lasted for about 10 years before the bearings failed.
A B&D cordless screwdriver that lasted me about 7 before a non replaceable battery failed.

 

I own about a dozen cordless tools…makita and dewalt, including 2 makita drills and three dewalt 18 volt drills. the makita drills are 15 years+ old. The dewalts are about 7 years old. I had to replace the case on one makita because a knuckleheaded employee kept dropping it off the roof. So far the dewalts are ok but they are starting to show signs of weariness.

 

For years I was a corded drill guy and never thought of those new fangled battery drills. Later I got my first batter drill from Costco (It didn't have a seperate battery) and used it till it stopped working. Next I got those Makita 9.6v and really liked the new fangled battery drills. Now I practically never pick up a corded drill because I use the Ryobi impact drill for everything. For $69.95 plus tax and buy the Lithium-ion battery I've been using them ( now I have 3) for about 4 years now.

 

I have had many cordless drills of my own and used many others in the workplace, the best I have ever used and am still using is the Makita BDF452H Li-Ion 18volt drill. I don't have a single bad thing to say about this one, it costs about $250 but the price is going down, plus you can throw in a impact driver into the mix for an extra $50. I currently have two of these makita's, the battery charges in 15 mins and since its Li-Ion, it lasts longer and you don't have to worry about battery memory. This is by far the best bang for your buck in drills that I have come across yet. They were also rated #1 in the 2010 Tool Guide.

 

I bought a pair of Rigids (LI battery 12 volt) drill a couple of months back.
One is a hammer dirill and easily drives 3" screws in 2×4 lumber.
The other is a keyless chuck and seem to have lower speeds and great torque as well.
I bought the complete set after my Dewalts wer no longer upgradable due to the high cost of the batteries.
They served me well but $75.00 a battery was a bit steep.

Bob

 

I have several Makita tools including 2 - 12V. drills, a right angle drill, A 3 1/4" saw. I have had these for many years. Replaced the trigger on one drill. I had a Dewalt that lasted for about a year. Dropping it on a concrete floor didn't help. I will not hesitate to buy another Makita.

 

I have an 18v Milwaukee (purchased 2nd hand) that I've replaced the bushings on and reconditioned the battery but otherwise has been a workhorse for about 5 years.

 

I have the 18V Bosch drill/driver and could not be any happier. Its been a couple of years and its still going strong. Battery life is awesome and the quick charge feature is really nice, not that I need the feature, the batteries keep going and going.

 

I have a Macalistair 14v bat 5 years old and as good as the day i brought it and they say dont bye cheap LOL…................

Andy

 

I have two Ryobi drills, one for four years, the other for five and both are still doing just fine as long as the battery is charged. I've used them regularly with any issues.

 

I am pleased with my Bosch 14.4V; don't know the model #. Has given me good service for about 6 years now. Used regularly, dropped on concrete a couple of times and it still has plenty of torque. Learned my lesson with less expensive cordless drills - never had one last more than 2 years.

 

A lot of responses have been posted, but I'm still not sure if your original post refers to battery packs going bad, or the drills themselves.

My first rechargeable was a Sears 19.2 volt model, which served me for a good 8-10 years before passing it on to my son a couple of years ago when one of the two batteries developed a short lifespan. He is still using it and it still works great, albeit without a spare battery.

Since then, I've been using a Dewalt 18 volt, which I have had no problems with so far.

 

Well 2 years for one user is 6 years for another. I dog em out and no…..2 years seems about max.

 

Nice catch Charlie.
I meant to ask the same question.

So Spaids is it the batteries or the durability of the drill?

 

craftsman 19.2V working great for 5 years now. not sure what you're doing!

 

I bought a couple Makita 9.6 volt drills a long time ago. I can't remember when I bought them but it was before my daughter was born and today is her 23rd birthday. These drills were used on the job and probably every day for the years I worked as a carpenter. I wore out a few chucks and a lot of batteries but replaced them and the drills are still going strong.

 

i have had a B&D firestorm for about 8 plus years now… got in college a and it has been well used!
the battery charger actually was the first thing to go then the batteries wouldnt hold a charge… but i found out that the dewalt batteries and charger work with my Firestorm and it has been good as new ever since!
just my 2 cents!