Hit $50k on a single cordless drill before it finally died yesterday

Bought a Makita 18v drill back in 2014 for a deck build. Used it every single day framing houses in Phoenix for 4 years straight. Dropped it off a 12 foot ladder onto concrete twice. Drove it through a monsoon downpour once. Yesterday the chuck finally seized up and smoke came out. Ran the math and I used that thing for over 50 large jobs. Paid $129 for it. Anyone else keep track of total job counts on a single tool before it gives out?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaretramirez6h ago

I see where you say "used it every single day framing houses" and "dropped it off a 12 foot ladder onto concrete twice." Look, I get being proud of a tool that lasts, but I think that kind of abuse is exactly why you only got four years out of it. Dropping a drill from that height twice and running it through a downpour pushes any tool past its limits. To me, 50 jobs over four years isn't that impressive when you consider the rough treatment. I've got a basic Dewalt from 2008 that's seen maybe 30 jobs total, but it's still running fine because I take better care of it. Maybe the real story here isn't the drill's toughness, but how hard you were on it.

daniel_gonzalez4h ago

There was a study or something I read about job site tools that said the average lifespan for a framing drill is right around 3 to 5 years even with normal care. So margaretramirez, I actually think 4 years of daily abuse is pretty solid for any brand. Dropping it off a ladder twice is rough, sure, but nobody in framing is treating their tools like museum pieces either. The fact it lived through a downpour and kept spinning says more about the tool than the owner. What kind of environments do your Dewalt jobs usually involve?

wendy8204h ago

Holy crap, dropped it off a 12 foot ladder twice and it still worked until the chuck seized? That's insane. Ngl I'm surprised it even held together that long after those falls, most drills would be toast after the first drop. That thing was a tank for sure.