by "functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
Published 01/29/2017 at 22:11
by "functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
Published 01/29/2017 at 22:11
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STARS: 9
So I guess “these days” 10 years is kind of old for a cordless drill. I mean, when my Dewalt DW980 12V XRP was new, Ni-Cd was the standard, Damian Marley was Welcoming people to Jamrock, and a big, heavy 18V was the Big Daddy of cordless drills. But I liked the fact that this one had 3 speeds (so it had great torque) and it had a 1/2" chuck.
This past summer when it decided to nearly melt down one day, I was understandably disappointed. What was happening was, even with a fresh battery (which I had updated to Ni-Mh) it would spin fast for a bit, then suddenly make a lot of sparks/smoke and terrible electrical smell and I would instinctively stop running it before setting fire to something.
So I did what any rational human would do who is unreasonably attached to an outdated piece of machinery. I bought a second one on ebay. Just the body of the tool, because it was pretty cheap - about $30. But I was
highly confused and dismayed
not at all surprised when in short order the “new” one had the same problem. Back to square one.
But I went on the interwebz and found a stranger on youtube who suggested I clean the “brushes and armature” of the motor of the drill. Having never disassembled a cordless drill, I thought, hey what better time than when I have two identical non-working examples at my disposal? Exactly.
I had at it with a T10 Torx and... well that’s about it. A can of Brake Cleaner to clean things up a bit, and a small wire brush bit for my dremel. Oh, one small screwdriver to pry the brushes free from the motor body.
In hindsight, I feel rather silly for never having taken one of these apart before. They are really quite simple and in particular, electric motors are just about the simplest thing one can find in world filled with devices running on witchcraft. Some power here, copper there, spinning bits over here, that’s really it.
As you can see in the pictures there were some gears in the middle that fell out unexpectedly when I pulled them apart from the motor prematurely. I should have taken the body of the drill completely apart first, then more carefully separated the two bits. Grease is really the only thing holding these gears inside the housing, but it’s enough, so long as you handle it carefully. In any case, an old plastic cutting board served as a nice clean surface for the sensitive bits to land on in the meantime.
I contemplated a replacement set of brushes for $15 on amazon, but why? Solvent made them look like new, and a quick spin of the tiny dremel wire brush on the armature of the motor made it shiny too. Ready to go?
On reassembly, I found it helpful to put a battery in and rotate the motor a little as I put the various parts back together, to get things lined up and back together.
Pretty simple, really. Maybe 20 minutes including taking pictures? You can see how dirty things were in there, and so far as I can tell, the drill spins up like normal! Best part is, I did the same to both drills and now I have two working drills thanks to my haste on ebay! Long live the XRP.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/29/2017 at 23:39, STARS: 1
Gadamn it, now I’m sad. A year or two ago I sold my DW980 for decent money in perfect working order, and replaced it with Makita’s latest and greatest brushless wizbang 1/2" cordless drill. That was a huge mistake, it has no balls. The DeWalt may have been a lot heavier, but it kicked the shit out of this stupid Makita.
Good job saving a magnificent tool! I really should buy another one.
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
01/29/2017 at 23:49, STARS: 0
That’s really disappointing to hear. I’m looking to upgrade my cordless tools soon, and have been eyeing those brushless options out there. What model is your Makita?
"MoFinWiley" (MoFinWiley)
01/30/2017 at 00:08, STARS: 1
Dewalt now makes an adapter that lets you put the 20v lithium batteries on the old 18v tools...I keep meaning to buy it
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/30/2017 at 00:11, STARS: 0
The LXT239 combo kit, with an impact driver. The impact driver is great, but the drill is completely gutless.
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
01/30/2017 at 00:22, STARS: 0
Hm. I’ve been leaning towards Milwaukee, and their current drills are offering 500 lb-in of torque, whether brushed or not. Google tells me that your Makita drill is rated at 400 lb-in. It’s hard to find specs on older DeWalts, but I found an eBay listing that claims the DW980 is good for 350.
Everything I’ve been reading on brushless motors tells me that they’re as good or better than their brushed counterparts. Is there any chance that your drill was on a lower torque setting, or just wasn’t getting enough battery juice?
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/30/2017 at 00:29, STARS: 1
No, I’ve used it a bunch, all different settings, charged/not charged. The motor has a digital cutoff when it comes under too much load, it just shuts off instead of powering through stuff. One thing I like about lithium ion batteries is they stay pretty much at the same level, and then quickly drop off, instead of the slow fall off of NiCAD batteries.
I’m between Milwaukee and DeWalt myself. I got a small Milwaukee 12volt combo for around the house last year, and I love it. But I also loved my old DeWalt and they make so many different tools for it, even a weed wacker.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/30/2017 at 00:40, STARS: 2
Oh, and the chuck on the Makita isn’t nearly as good as that old DeWalt. Those metal bodied ones are the business.
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
01/30/2017 at 00:48, STARS: 0
Yeah, I’m really looking forward to making the jump to Li-ion. I’m tired of my cheap old blue 18V Ryobi, and instead of buying the new hi-tech batteries for it, I’d really rather invest in a better kit, drill and all. Between DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Makita, I get the sense that I’d be pleased with any one of them. But committing to a battery system is a big deal, so I’m trying to be extra picky.
I need to learn more about this “digital cutoff” thing...
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/30/2017 at 07:21, STARS: 1
I bought a cordless micro Dremel last year, and it does the cutoff thing too. It’s incredibly annoying when your tool cuts out just when you need it most.
Compared to an old Ryobi, any of those three will be a huge upgrade. I’m soured on Makita, but I don’t think you can go wrong with Milwaukee or DeWalt. See which one feels most comfortable in your hand. I would recommend getting one of the heavier duty models with a metal bodied chuck. I miss that chuck more than anything.
If history is any indicator, nobody does long term availability and cross compatibility of tools and batteries like DeWalt. While I haven’t used the big daddy versions of the latest DeWalt or Milwaukee, for my school’s shop I bought four of the smallest and cheapest DeWalt 20 volt lithium ion drills (the smaller ones are better for middle school kids’ hands). I’ve had them four or five years now, and they have been really good drills. The only thing that’s kept me from selling the Makita, is I can’t decide if I should replace it with a red one or a yellow one.
Of, if you’ve never used a cordless impact driver, I highly recommend getting a combo pack with one of those. The first time you drive a screw into a piece of wood, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. They are hands down the best new tool in the last 10 years or so.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
01/30/2017 at 07:27, STARS: 0
I don’t suppose this applies to the 12v tools.... in any case I’ve been happy with the Ni-Mh batteries.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
01/30/2017 at 09:25, STARS: 0
I bought one after we bought 3 for the shop at the marina where I was working, and the guys loved them. They lasted probably 5-6 years under daily use in a commercial shop, so I figured I couldn’t go wrong for myself. In fact, some of the ones in the shop were still working (using others for parts) when I left the marina in 2014, so that’s 8 years! I bet they would have benefited from this repair, some were getting pretty tired.
The one I bought off ebay didn’t have the metal chuck, but my original one does. It’s definitely sturdier, but both work well.
If you’re feeling especially nostalgic for the DW980, there are plenty on ebay... even just to have it as a backup? I always like to have more than one cordless drill. My other one is a little 90-degree bosch - not powerful but it fits in a lot of places the dewalt can’t touch.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
01/30/2017 at 09:27, STARS: 1
I have one of those cordless dremels also, and yeah - if you press too hard it cuts out and you have to shut the tool off and restart it... very annoying BUT I have found infinite uses for that little guy, including right above, of course. When it comes to cutting through something big, I just get out my corded Makita right-angle grinder with a cutoff wheel. Nothing like overkill!
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
01/30/2017 at 12:14, STARS: 1
There’s actually a sticker on the ebay drill I bought claiming a torque value. I’ll have to look when I’m at home but I believe it’s either 300 or 350. It really does have excellent power on its lowest speed setting.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/30/2017 at 13:34, STARS: 1
I may do that, or I may take the plunge on a new DeWalt or Milwaukee. I haven’t decided. I have one of those little 10.8/12 volt right hand Bosch drills, that’s a great little tool. I have a matching 3/8" drill and an impact driver to go with it. Those are my in the house tools, the big stuff lives out in the garage. I’ve gone back to a corded drill for when I really need some power. I scored an 80's era Milwaukee 1/2" 2-speed hammer drill for $70. The beast has so much torque you have to be careful with it!
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/30/2017 at 13:36, STARS: 1
I primarily use the dremel for customizing diecast cars, but it comes in handy every now and then. It’s definitely a good tool for it’s use, but I hate that cutout “feature”.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
01/30/2017 at 13:55, STARS: 0
Yes! That little Bosch thing is fantastic. I only wish it had variable torque settings like the Dewalt... but you know, can’t have it all. I had a very awkward 90 degree adapter thingy in the past, but having a true low-profile 90 degree tool is great. I’ve used the swivel feature a few times, too. I’ve also experienced the “cutout” on the Bosch drill when I overestimated its abilities...
I was considering that matching 3/8 drill from Bosch, but now especially it seems unnecessary where I have two working Dewalts... at least I think I do. I’ll just get a second battery for the Bosch after a year or two, so they’re not the same age.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
01/30/2017 at 13:55, STARS: 0
I would mind it less if the tool had a trigger-style on-off. But having to wind down the speed dial and wind it back up is a pain...
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/30/2017 at 14:56, STARS: 1
I like having the matching the drill, because it can get into such tight areas. Not a necessity by any means ... but I love tools so sometimes I’ll take any excuse to buy one :)
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/30/2017 at 17:38, STARS: 1
I’ve got this little guy, very tiny but it works great for what I need.
"Wacko" (wacko--)
02/01/2017 at 12:09, STARS: 0
I got a Makita Combo but not the same drill, it’s not a hammer like yours. And have no problems with it at all. I did buy a corded Makita hammer drill for harder jobs.
my kit is the LXT220
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/01/2017 at 12:38, STARS: 0
I wouldn’t exactly say I’ve had a problem with mine, I’m just very disappointed with its performance. The NiCad DeWalt I had before it, the exact same one in this write-up, had much more torque. I presume the three speed transmission on that drill made the real difference. I probably would be happy with the Makita, if I had never experienced that DeWalt.
"Wacko" (wacko--)
02/01/2017 at 12:52, STARS: 0
i never got that cutoff like you mentioned. And I used it to drill 4" holes.
in the past 2 years my impact driver has screwed about 15000 screws.
I used it to make my house from this (2014)
to this (2016)
PS. the old house it the top.
this is it lifted with my new foundation
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/01/2017 at 13:17, STARS: 1
Oh yeah, I remember reading about that.
I’m glad you’re happy with the drill, but mine has been a disappointment. The impact driver, however, is fan-freaking-tastic. The battery life is amazing, and I love how light and small it is.