Best Cordless Drill For Stabilizer Jacks

[Banjoman]

Just wondering what are the good and bad when it comes to cordless drills?
What brand and voltage drill have you used for putting the stabilizer jacks down? What would you reccomend? What junk to stay away from etc.
Any recommendation would be great.
Thanks
God Bless

[halfprice]

I was wondering the same thing. I just bought a combo set from Harbor Freight. Tried it out the other day. If the jack was tight the drilll would not lower it. After starting the jack the drill put it down real fast and lifted it fine.

The drill is a cheap 18 volt and not really that powerful for 18 volts.


Jerry

[richf28]

I to went to Harbor Freight and bought a cheap drill. On sale with coupon was 9 dollars. Been using it for a year now for the satabalizers and small jobs. Works for me. Remember...you're not lifting the trailer with the stabalizers, just setting them.

[SteveC7010]

I bought a Skil brand 18 volt kit containing a drill and a large flashlight. The drill works just fine as does the flashlight, but the batteries don't hold much of a charge. I've seen workmen use just one or two batteries for a whole day's heavy work with the DeWalt and other pro units. One of the Skil batteries won't sustain a charge for more than a few drills or whatever. The other one is OK, but still runs down after an hour's use.

I'm sending a letter to Skil, and if they don't offer a decent solution, I may step up to the DeWalt or Ryobi pro drills.

[hankpage]

All my cordless tools are Dewalt 18v and they are used every day all day. When we travel the ½" drill/driver and the ½" impact driver are in the tool box. If you have ever changed a trailer tire on the side of a busy interstate you will appreciate an impact wrench to remove the lug-nuts. Granted, they cost a little more than $9 but they work when you need them to. As cheap as I am, if the only thing I needed them for was the stabilizer jacks I would probably still be using the hand crank. :yes:

[SteveC7010]

If you have ever changed a trailer tire on the side of a busy interstate you will appreciate an impact wrench to remove the lug-nuts.

For the big jobs, I carry a Makita 110 vac impact wrench and the Honda generator. It'll pull the 8 lug nuts off one of the duallies in no time at all. No hand loosening or tightening required.

I've also got an adapter for the truck jack to spin it up and down with the Makita. Still looking for a couple of good scissors jacks with the 3/4" (or larger) hex heads on them. They work a lot better than the factory jack.

[cumminsdad08]

Dewalt, i own several of each, drills, compact impact drivers, med. duty impacts, and heavy duty impacts. i go thru several compacts and med duty's a year for work. spend the money, get a good combo with the compact impact driver and a good hammer/drill, drill and two batts. it will knock out most any job you got around the house and then some. stuff you get from Habor Freight, is well, is what you pay for. it will do the trick, but with headachs. trust me, i know cordeless tools.

[ktmracer]

I found you do want a reasonably powerfull drill with reasonable battery life. A dewalt 14V NiCad works real well. What I found it that Ace/HD etc have a nice kit with two batteries, drill and charger on sale periodically, so that's what I bought. Better than trying to remember to bring along my dewalt 18V/batteries/charger every time.

I've used Harbor Freight/Craftsman that neighbors had and some other cordless stuff and was not impressed. Dewalt/Milwakee/Makita stuff is good from my experience.

Personally I've stuck with Dewalt, mostly for commonality, and it takes lots of abuse and lasts a LONG time and the batteries last years, In over 10 years, I've only had one battery finally go bad and not hold a charge.

[MILBY]

Worked in the trades my whole life someone said spend the money and he was right. The little extra you spend will be worth it in the long run. 18 volt though is great at work has got the balls to do big stuff but for just putting down the stabilizers and most little stuff around the house you could get by with 12 or 14.4. And check out the Li batteries they are very light.

[f6bits]

I have a lovely DeWalt I’ve used for many years around the house. But I’m so far ok with hand cranking the jacks. At least more ok than packing a drill kit just to ease some manual labor. It’s part of my anti-clutter, weight watching regimen. Heck, I even still have a hand crank tongue jack.

[2011 keystone]

I like all the good feedback about DeWalt tools here. I am the service operations manager for the WV DeWalt service center. I have worked for the company for 16 years now so I may not be the best person to ask what drill is the best. But I use nothing but DeWalt:thumbsup:

[Johnnyfry]

I have a DeWalt 12 volt (I believe, it could be 14 volt) Lithium. I bought it to replace my old DeWalt Ni metal hydride unit. 2 new batteries cost almost as much as a new Li model.

It is great. It holds a charge almost forever and charges in 90 minutes or less.

I think I paid about $130--- a bargain.

John

[mrxlh]

Hitachi gets my vote. I have the 18V kit, have put it head to head against many other models, nothing else is as powerful, nothing else holds a charge better.

[Maxzd]

Dewalt for me too. I carry a Dewalt drill with the socket adapter for the rear stabilizer jacks. I bought a used impact drill carry that now too. I must own at least a dozen cordless dewalt products. I had craftsman for a long time but was getting tired of buying a new version and having a different battery pack to deal with.

How many of you guys carry an air compressor? I bought a Campbell Hausfeld 2 gallon air compressor last fall still new in the box at a swap meet. I got it for 55 bucks they are usually 80-100 in store. Fits perfectly in the basement hatch pretty compact unit, good for emergency or the odd football soccer ball bike tire..

[chuck&gail]

My big Dewalt works great for stabilizers.

[Hunter757]

I still use the old hand crank but I do use a DeWalt around the house and had really never even thought about using it to raise or lower the jacks. Guess off to CW for a socket for the 5er. "bouncey:

Happy Camping everyone spring will be here before we know it!!

[jje1960]

I used a cordless drill for years with the jacks. At the beginning of last year, I switched to a cordless 1/2" drive impact wrench vs the cordless drill. Much happier now! Much more power and battery life, simply a better choice in my humble opinion.

[cumminsdad08]

FWIW, i have a warning somewhere on the jack or trailer, that states it voids the warrenty if an impact is used for the jacks. i used a drill for about two trips, found i can run the jacks quicker by hand then it was to drag the drill around, and find someplace not wet to put it while i was doing something else. plus the batt was dead the last time, and that was the end of that.

[jje1960]

FWIW, i have a warning somewhere on the jack or trailer, that states it voids the warrenty if an impact is used for the jacks. i used a drill for about two trips, found i can run the jacks quicker by hand then it was to drag the drill around, and find someplace not wet to put it while i was doing something else. plus the batt was dead the last time, and that was the end of that.
Wow, your pretty fast! Wrench or other, something needs to be dragged around to put them down.... At any rate, never seen that impact sticker warning. Again, just one persons perspective, you want to put those jacks down quickly, smoothly and without manual wrench..... cordless what-ever works really great.

[halfprice]

FWIW, i have a warning somewhere on the jack or trailer, that states it voids the warrenty if an impact is used for the jacks. i used a drill for about two trips, found i can run the jacks quicker by hand then it was to drag the drill around, and find someplace not wet to put it while i was doing something else. plus the batt was dead the last time, and that was the end of that.

I was told the same thing to not use an impack wrench. The hammer action from the impack causes damage to the gears.

IDK if thats true but thats the reason why I didn't get one.


Jerry

[JRTJH]

Not sure about gears in scissors jacks, mine are just a long threaded rod with a nut attached to the opposite leg of the jack. My guess on any caution regarding impact wrenches would be that they are more powerful and can raise the jack too high putting excess stress on the jack possibly causing it to bend or to twist the frame. You (well, me anyway) cranking it by hand or with a battery power drill probably can't put enough torque on the jack to get that much stress on the threaded rod. An impact wrench, on the other hand can run the jack upall the way and then strip out the threaded rod if you keep applying power.

[cumminsdad08]

i don't know if it was a sticker, or what, but i seen it. i for one don't usually worry about warrent's on things like this. i find its usually just easier to change it out on your own.

[JRTJH]

You've got that right!!! Fix it yourself with a $20 jack and a couple of bolts or spend $50 in fuel to drag it down to the dealer's service center, waste a day waiting for it, and hope that they say it's covered under warranty, who knows how much you'll spend in the "camping store" while there.... Much MUCH cheaper to just replace the jack and be done with it ROFLMAO

[golfpro]

I use a 19.2 drill from Sears

[haffcke]

also the dewalt 18v impact and can actually level my unit with the scissor jack levelers, use a 110v impact for the lug nuts though, i have a 2000 watt inverter in my TV

[MILBY]

The scissor jacks are stabilizers not levelers. You will damage your frame tring to pick up your rig with them.

[GMcKenzie]

I like the Ryobi 18v right angle drill with the green lithium battery. I find it a bit easier to use than the normal drill. Seems to have more torque. Have not tried an impact and probably wont. I do carry a 24v impact for tire changes but have never used it. At home I use a corded one that lets me set the torque for dealing with lug nuts.

[Banjoman]

I just purchased a 19v Dewalt and I appreciate all of your input once again thanks.:bdance:

[Festus2]

Since the OP question has been thoroughly discussed and answered, the thread is now closed. As the OP remarked, "thank you" to all those who contributed and helped with the selection of the cordless drill.
:wave: