So I have this old Ryobi drill (NiCad) and, not surprisingly, the battery is toast. I could always replace the battery, but it seems crazy expensive considering how much I've never particularly cared for the drill. I find it a bit big and unwieldy, and for anything where you might want something that big (say, drilling a large hole in maple), it never really seemed to work well. It worked well for pilot holes and small screws, but that was it.
My thought was to replace it with a small drill/driver. Most of the time all I'm doing with a handheld drill is pilot holes and screws, or random stuff around the house, and if I need a larger hole I use a brace and bit, or use a drill press. My first thought for a small driver was to just grab a Ridgid because of the lifetime battery replacement, but once I picked one up it just didn't feel well in my hand. The thing that pains me with cordless drills is paying money for the battery replacement. But, when I looked at the CXS I was surprised at the cost of the battery (as in much cheaper than I expected). This is making me wonder if a CXS is a good choice for me (assuming it fits my hand well, which I can check by going to one of the local dealers). What I'm curious on is how long can I expect that battery to last until I need to replace it? Figure my use is going to be REALLY sporadic. I could use it somewhat heavily for a couple days, and then not touch it for a couple months (If I just have one or two holes to drill I typically just grab one of my eggbeater drills, but then again part of the reason for that might be because I like them better than my Ryobi).
My thought was to replace it with a small drill/driver. Most of the time all I'm doing with a handheld drill is pilot holes and screws, or random stuff around the house, and if I need a larger hole I use a brace and bit, or use a drill press. My first thought for a small driver was to just grab a Ridgid because of the lifetime battery replacement, but once I picked one up it just didn't feel well in my hand. The thing that pains me with cordless drills is paying money for the battery replacement. But, when I looked at the CXS I was surprised at the cost of the battery (as in much cheaper than I expected). This is making me wonder if a CXS is a good choice for me (assuming it fits my hand well, which I can check by going to one of the local dealers). What I'm curious on is how long can I expect that battery to last until I need to replace it? Figure my use is going to be REALLY sporadic. I could use it somewhat heavily for a couple days, and then not touch it for a couple months (If I just have one or two holes to drill I typically just grab one of my eggbeater drills, but then again part of the reason for that might be because I like them better than my Ryobi).
