That’s right, Craftsman is coming out with a 19.2V C3 brushless cordless drill/driver, and for less than $200 for the kit.
Craftsman is one of those brands that is embraced by many professional users – especially residential contractors – and DIYers alike, and so it’s no surprise that they jumped onto the brushless bandwagon.
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Features
- Brushless motor tech means longer runtime, more power, less maintenance
- Metal gearbox for greater durability
- 2-speed gearbox, variable speed trigger
- 22-position adjustable clutch
- 1/2″ single sleeve metal ratcheting Jacobs chuck
- Removable and repositionable auxiliary handle
- Overmolded grip
- (2) built-in LED worklights
- Kit includes 2.0Ah lithium ion battery pack for extended runtime and multi-chemistry charger
Updated Specs
- Up to 600 in-lbs maximum torque
- 0-470/0-1800 RPM (no-load)
- Available started at the end of October via Craftsman.com, Sears Hometown, and Sears Hardware stores. (Availability at Sears and Sears.com will likely follow.)
- Up to 50% more power, 30% more power, 10x longer motor life, compared to Craftsman 19.2V C3 brushed motor drill
Model # 38595
MSRP: $180
ETA: Late 2013
First Impression
The variable speed ranges and torque rating have not been published yet, but the drill is powerful enough that Craftsman engineered it to have a removable auxiliary handle. I would think that the peak torque is in the same ballpark as the 465 in-lb rating of Craftsman XCP drill/driver, maybe slightly lower. If I had to bet, I would put my money on 425 in-lbs.
I caught a glimpse of the new brushless drill at Craftsman’s late-2013 new tool show-and-tell, and might have even held it, but I was too busy yapping it up with Craftsman product managers to make any worthwhile observations.
What I like: brushless motor cordless drill kit for under $200, 2.0Ah li-ion battery included in the kit, multi-chemistry charger that allows for use with older C3 NiCd batteries.
What I am curious about: why didn’t Craftsman build this as an XCP kit? I suppose this is because there’s no 2.0Ah XCP battery pack (yet?), and that interested users can always buy a 1.5Ah or 4.0Ah XCP battery pack later on.
Overall, I am very optimistic about the new C3 drill, and will try my best to either test or see one in action.
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Although the MSRP is $180, I think it’s a fair assumption that the drill kit will go on sale for ~$160, maybe even as low as $150.
Jason
I’m kind of surprised about this for the most part the 19.2 tools were generally the same tools TTI marketed as Ryobi 18v line at Home Depot. Is Craftsmen trying to take the brand to be of similar quality and features as Ridgid? I wasn’t expecting Ryobi to offer brushless tools anytime soon they are more focused on value than extreme performance. I’m just kinda shocked with this new brushless drill.
Aellynh
Surprising to say the very least, but not a bad thing by any means. If anything, it is refreshing to see the Craftsman brand bring such a full-featured drill to market. Brushless is nice, but also has some sweet extras, the all-metal Jacobs chuck, auxiliary handle, and all metal gearbox. Only one battery, but not too bad for the price. So something like $100 drill, $40 battery, $40 charger, throw a soft/hard case in? Pretty reasonable if it comes in the mid-400/500 Ft/lbs of torque range. Looks pretty good overall!
Jerry
I think how the handle attaches is quite clever. It appears to allow at least 3 positions, from what I can tell by the picture, yet looks to be fast, easy to remove, and doesn’t appear to add length to the drill. I had Caftsman cordless tools until fairly recently. I was frustrated by their batteries, so I upgraded to DeWalt. The tools themselves, however, I really liked. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but good basic tools at reasonable prices (and some really good sales from time to time)
Almost on cue, once I got my big DeWalt kit and sold my Craftsman tools, Craftsman came out with lithium batteries, and at a reasonable cost, to boot (sigh)
Steve Cox
With the hammer Drill and 7 1/2 circular saw on closeout I would think the DCB will be going to them also. I hope the 1/2 impact gets this!
Did you see the new C3 multi tool?
James
During my twenty years as a general contractor I have never come across a professional user of Craftsman power tools. They are considered strictly a homeowner brand by tradesmen. Your statement to the contrary and the fact that you consistently praise Sears/Craftsman products makes me suspect you are paid by Sears. Sears/Craftsman tools are very low quality compared to actual professional brands and this is pretty well known, I find it hard to understand why you keep hyping them (or even bother reviewing them). Their tools used to be decent up until the late 1980s maybe, but no longer. Bottom line, Sears/Craftsman tools do not stand up to professional use.
Some lower end tradesmen might be seen with Ryobi tools, which are similar in quality to Sears/Craftsman, but it’s because they are super cheap and considered essentially disposable – good for one small job and then usually tossed.
Peter
Guess we would be exception of the rule. We, a 4 person company settled at one point on CF cordless so we could exchange batteries but to be hoenest we considered them beater tools.
But they were good for the price and were holding up good for years.
But I also have to admit that when I started to work alone I switched to Bosch after my CF cordless circular saw broke done after years of abuse.
I think one of the bigger problems cordless CF tools have is their image not so much their quality.
Stuart
My words have always been my own, not to mention that Sears and Craftsman probably couldn’t pay me enough to pass off their messages as my own opinions. They have never tried to whisper words into my ear either.
You would be surprised how many residential contractors and small outfits use “consumer” brands such as Craftsman and Ryobi. Are you going to see someone bring a Craftsman circular saw at a large commercial job? Probably not.
I have seen a lot more Ryobi table saws and tile saws in use around residential areas in recent years than the bigger name brands. That’s not to say that they’re more popular, but they’ve been more visible from what I’ve seen.
Which brands do you think that Porter Cable 18V, 20V, and corded lines, as well as the new Bostitch power tools, are marketed to compete against? Ryobi, Craftsman, and the such.
The fact is, I “hype” whatever tools I find deserving of optimism or praise. It’s a benefit of owning the soapbox. Besides that, I have little time or effort to waste on products I don’t find either interesting or exciting.
If you’ve been a long time reader, you would know that my fondness for Craftsman, and Sears by extension, is not complete or unconditional. There is plenty that I have openly complained about.
I have absolutely no illusions that this drill would serve well in a continuous-duty environment. But it seems to be a go-between that’s engineered halfway between consumer models and “true” pro-grade models. That’s at least what I’m optimistic about. Maybe that’s not the case, but that’s not something I can determine just yet.
Try to keep an open mind. A lot of tradesmen these days don’t care what brands of tools they are seen with, and are plunking down cash for tools that offer less bang for less bucks.
If you don’t agree with my opinions, chime in with a comment as you did here. Maybe don’t accuse me of secretly being a spokesman each and every time, that tends to put me in a sour mood.
James
Stuart, I apologize for the insinuation. When I read the line “Craftsman is one of those brands that is embraced by many professional users – especially residential contractors” it got my hackles up since I really don’t believe this to be true. Porter Cable is another brand that used to be reliable but now seems to be targeted towards the home user.
It just costs too much time and money when your tool craps out on the job or has substandard performance to take a risk using cheap tools. I’m not a brand whore and I admit to using even Harbor Freight tools sometimes but for those common tasks like cutting, drilling, and driving screws I’ll stick with stuff I know has a better chance of holding up. It’s just not worth saving the $50 or so for the cheaper tool and I really don’t understand the logic behind it. Maybe Craftsman, Ryobi, et al do put out some good tools but until the quality is more predictable it just doesn’t make any economic sense to risk buying them if your livelihood depends on the continuous and hard use of your tools. Maybe as a loaner or backup, but as your primary tool? It’s just not worth it.
Stuart
Your apology is much appreciated, thank you. I definitely see where you’re coming from, and although taken aback, maybe even a little hurt, I was not terribly offended.
Craftsman can be a difficult brand to read. Some of their power tools are pro-grade in sheep’s clothing, but that seems to be less the case now than in previous years. For instance, my Craftsman Professional router kit is a relabel of a Bosch router kit (1617EVSPK), but with a few minor changes to the sub-base.
The new brushless drill looks to be inspired by Milwaukee and Ridgid designs more so than Ryobi. I am fairly confident that it is manufactured by TTI, and strongly believe that, with its metal gearbox and metal Jacobs chuck, its build quality justifies the kit’s $180 list price.
I wouldn’t ordinarily trust Craftsman power tools for continuous or frequent hard use, but this model seems to have been designed to especially appeal to budget-minded pro users who aren’t looking to use it all day everyday.
There are a very many different types of professional users who could benefit from a budget-priced brushless drill/driver that is rugged but not extremely so.
Residential contractors are one example, MRO professionals are another. In an MRO setting, where the day-to-day tasks might vary widely, a heavy duty drill that can be used here and there without having to return to the charger too often would be a great asset.
When my parents had some work done in their home, the contractors did a lot more sawwork than drilling or driving of fasteners. I cannot seem to find the photos at the moment, but I think their driver was a newer 18V Porter Cable.
I have seen Craftsman drills at smaller jobsites before, and with Ryobi most of what I see are small portable benchtop tools like table and tile saws.
Now, if talking about hand tools, a lot of Craftsman and Craftsman Professional hand tools are built to professional and even industrial standards. Some of the ones I own are made by Nupla, Knipex, Stride, Wilde, Armstrong, and Vaughan, just to name a few. Because of this, a lot of Craftsman tools really need to be judged separately. Their power tool are similarly varied, but harder to judge.
Jerry
Fwiw, my cousin does some contractor work, and uses some Craftsman cordless tools. In fact, he has a couple of my old ones, that he upgraded to the Lithium batteries. This guy may be the exception rather than the rule, because he uses corded tools most of the time, and cordless just for small jobs, or hard to get places. His comment is it doesn’t take any longer to run a cord, than get a fresh attest, and you only have to run the cord once. His work includes drilling anchor holes in concrete, running in those big blue screws, as well as lots of larger self drilling self tapping bolts.
His latest venture, is to air tools, including an air drill. Matched to a big enough compressor, it impressed me when I last helped him. Imagine running a drill hard, nonstop, and having the drill get COOL in your hand, instead of hot.
matt
Common now. Lots of Pro’s do use Crapstman tools.
The word “Pro” does not always mean general contractor. Actually I would say using the word “pro” and general contractor together is more of a contradiction then saying craftsman is a pro tool.
Lots of “pro’s” in the automotive field rely on their tools. and in all the construction trades. Times are changing who know’s how much longer pro’s will use the product the decline does seem to continue..
Brian
It’s funny – for every comment I see about how low quality Ryobi or Craftsman C3 tools are, and only “lower end tradesmen” are seen with them, I’ve personally witnessed numerous “high end” contractors that utilize both brands.
I personally have hired a number of electrical (high and low voltage) subs that have these brands in their trucks/carts – slightly higher numbers than have DeWalt tools.
They’re certainly not disposable, since the older folks are using stuff eons-old, albeit with newer batteries.
It’s not just the electrical guys, either. Quite a number of generals are rocking the Ryobi stuff. I’ve seen drills dropped from 20-30 feet up on a scissor lift and get picked up, bit replaced, and immediately used.
Just like anything, it seems that 95% of the brand bashing is coming from folks with zero personal experience with the brand, feeling threatened because of their investment in a competing brand.
Robin
I’m glad that Sears decided to adopt the Brushless technology sooner than later.. They certainly are not the first, but they definitely are not the last retailer to adopt it.
Nicholas
I am looking forward to this and hopefully many more brushless tools will join the c3 lineup. I’m glad this one has a side handle, I thought the brushed xcp needed one as well. Do you know the date it will be released
Stuart
The date hasn’t been set yet, but I would think that “late 2013” means ~November.
I don’t think we’ll see many more brushless Craftsman C3 tools just yet. If we do, a brushless impact driver and brushless impact wrench would probably come next.
Nicholas
Ok thanks for the answer. I assume that it will be released in time for Black Friday/holiday shopping so it will probably be on sale. I like that it has an all metal gear box, that makes me worry less about breaking a gear since I mainly do metal drilling up to half inch. It does come with a 2.0 amp hour battery or has that been confirmed yet?
fred
I’ve been buying tools for nearly 50 years for both personal (home woodworking shop etc.) and professional use. In that time I probably had no rigorous tool-buying logic that I could consistently applied. Sometimes I’ve bought based on brand reputation or personal (or company) experience – but other times based on what was available locally – convenient to a jobsite. While I’d like to say that I eschew buying throw-away tools – I’ve bought quite a few – both intentionally or unknowingly. The advent of professional cordless tools has been a game-changer since a desire for consistency of battery platforms may force buying decisions. Sometimes I think that its happenstance as much as brand-loyalty or other logic that results in what tools get carried in the trucks. When we started buying into the Milwaukee M12 lineup – it was because we thought that it had a number of tools that would be decent replacements for older 12V tools (mainly PC 12V magnequench drills) that were coming to the end of their lives. As the M12 lineup expanded (pun intended – e.g. to PEX Expanders) we bought into it more – and found some hits and misses. Similarly – based on recommendations of some of our lead carpenters – we bought into the Makita 18V lineup – we might have just as easily decided on Bosch, Dewalt or Milwaukee – but the Makita lineup seemed more complete when we were making that decision. We’ve been a bit less circumspect when buying corded tools – so we’ve bought a variety of brands over the years including Black & Decker, Bosch, Dewalt, Fein, Festool, Mafell, Makita, Milwaukee, Porter Cable, and Skil. We buy most of our portable power tools through an industrial distributor – so Craftsman was never really in the mix (not because we had any real knowledge that precluded us from buying the brand. But, since we often buy supplies at HD – a Ryobi or Ridgid (e.g. fiber cement saw) brand power tool – needed for a specific job – might get purchased.
I’ve often commented that Porter-Cable at one time (20 years ago or more) had been one of our go-to brands – and we purchased sanders, routers, planers, drills, lock mortisers, dovetail jigs, door hanging templates, and other tools from PC. They were an innovative brand with firsts like random orbit sanders, hand-held oscillating spindle sanders, and contractor-grade 12V cordless drills (Magnequench series). From personal experience – I know that some of their 30-40 year old tools are still in use. But – it also seems that the brand has been now positioned a bit more down-market – with a different target audience.
What I’ve found useful about Toolguyd is that it provides a variety of both fact and opinion (Stuart’s and readers) – and food for thought to help inform our tool buying decisions. While not perfect or absolutely comprehensive – one can often glean more from Stuart’s reviews and reader’s comments than I can from some trade publications where I suspect that some articles are ‘placed” by vendors and have no real editorial content. If Stuart takes this as an endorsement to keep up the good work – he is correct.
Jerry
Yes. This is one of the few places where the writer’s (Stuart) opinions are openly mentioned as such. Makes me feel his reviews are honest because of that.
Steve Cox
New Max Axess Auto Ratchet Coming in October
Whether you’re changing a tire or working on your engine, the new Craftsman C3 19.2V Max Axess Auto Ratchet delivers fast, powerful and portable ratcheting without a power cord or air hose – designed with the mechanic in mind. Available October 19th! #00939558
FEATURES:
Ratchet head delivers up to 360 in. lbs. torque when used with included battery for efficient bolt tightening and removal.
Compatible with Craftsman Max Axess® Sockets and other Standard Drive Sockets (when used with adaptor).
Forward/Reverse toggle changes the direction of rotation for tightening and loosening.
Lock switch prevents unintentional starts.
LED work light provides extra light for better visibility.
Variable-speed Steel Paddle Switch delivers higher speed with increased pressure and lower speed with decreased pressure.
Includes Lithium-Ion battery for long-lasting, fade-free power.
Overmold Grip with Micro-texture adds to user comfort.
Compact design facilitates use in tight spaces.
sal
just bought 19,2 c3 sears wireless—-but what i dont like—-is when i release the trigger the chuck releases—-and the drill bit or what even falls out——-never had this happen on the older 19.2——and this occurs at any torque setting