I’m currently renovating my new house, and I’ve got a fair bit to do, so we’re talking drilling various materials (wood, masonry etc.) plus plenty of screwdriving. I’ve seen some combi drills that look good, but I don’t want to be spending a fortune really, got enough to spend on the house!
Should I be looking for a good brand like Dewalt or Makita? 12V, 14.4V, 18V? Is it worth spending the extra on a Li-ion battery? I was hoping some people in similar situations could give me some advice? I’ll be using it quite a bit in the near future but the obviously as the work gets done it’ll only be now and again.
Thanks in advance,
David
Information on the WorldClass Makita PowerTools
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Everyone that uses cordless drills regularly has one that they think is best. For the amountof work you are doing, the “good” brands are probably a good idea.
My personal favorite is a Bosch 14.4 volt. It is a tough drill with a lot of power, and the battery holds a charge longer than most.
Consider that you may also buy other cordless tools in the future. Shop for them as well at the same time. If you get he same brands and/or battery size, then the batteries are interchangable .
That is why 14.4 v may be the right size. Not too big but it has a lot of power. Dewalt, Makita, Bosch, Milwaukee, etc.
they are all good.
Ni metal hydride batteries are good too. Just not as good as Li-ion. Stay away from Ni-Cad batteries.
For an affordable one I would go Black and Decker Firestorm 18V Cordless
Rigid (sp) has an 18V with a life time replacement. After 2 years they will replace your batteries, free. After 3 years they replace the drive, free and after 5 years they replace the brushes. This is an expensive brand, but it could very well be the last drill you buy.
Edit: I don’t have one yet…:( hoping the wife gets me one for fathersday!
hope this helps
I have the most simple Home Tools..also a DRILL with a cord..but I have seen the 18volt model being used..I have worked part-time useing Battery Operated STUFF..they are excellent..
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For my own HOME REPAIR…I’d get a Power Cord…
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DRILL((spindle))BIT SIZE…??
that’s the price of things…
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I bought a Jig-Saw..I seldom use it..I actually drag out my HACK SAW…
I have a 3/8″…DRILL…spindle…its the greatest…
buying drill bits is the most…get a quality name brand..or they break/[end]
Buy two:
Cheap & nasty battery driver. (20 quid)
Half-decent SDS / rotary CORDED Drill. (80-100 quid)
Unless you spend a fortune, then battery drills are not up to it.
DEWALT – ALWAYS!
You get what you pay for at the end of the day. They have 2 batteries which is a must and hammer action. There was a deal on them in B&Q shop around for the best price.
go and buy a black and decker,they are good and they last well.
never ever buy any cheap tools,they are rubbish, and they bust.
go to argos or B&Q for it, or even wilkinsons sell them.
Buy a good corded driver/drill. 3/8″ will do. Cordless costs more because of the batteries and needs charging time. Cords are bothersome but the driver/drill will always be 100% powerful. Add an extension cord though.
I have a 14.4 volt Dewalt that does me just fine. Some would argue you buy the 18 volt. The best batteries is what you are looking for.
You should probably check with consumer reports but from what ive heard the tool market is anybodies guess because companies buy each other out so you can’t relay on brand names besides that they are considered “throw aways” any more. You will probably need a total of three drills anyway so you dont have to change bits and one should be battery and one should be 1/2 inch. Drilling big holes through wood is better for a corded drill, but for handiness and over head you need battery, get a right angle chuck accessory too. After the main project is done battery has a million uses around the house if only you remember to charge now and then. As for whether you should buy industrial grade? If you had done that years ago you would be stuck with a heavy,ungrounded,no clutch,no laser,or level bubble with /chuck key and you cant get parts for it.
If you are not a professioinal builder or carpenter you do not need to pay the price for a professional quality all purpose drill. Particularly, as most of them are made in the same factories regardless of the brand name. Personally, I would go for the best design that suits you from any of the top brands – Bosch being my choice.
A standard percussion drill will do all you need they rotate at around 3,000 revs per minute (rpm) but for more power their hammer action pounds the turning drill bit at around 40,000 blows a minute. They will do all DIY jobs, and softer stone such as limestone or light concrete. For a cordless rotary drill you need at least a 14V and for a combi drill 24V. Li-on batteries perform buch better but for occasional use you would not really need that just buy a drill with two fast charge battery packs and have one on the go and the other on charge. Remember combi drills are large and heavy so I use a standard lightweight rotary drill for most jobs and the combi only for heavy duty tasks. See Screwfix direct for a good range and some user reviews
You’re in the same position my brother was last summer, when he fixed his place up for selling. One of your criteria, drilling into masonry, makes your drill/driver selection tough – or at best, limited. To drill masonry you require a hammer drill, or rotary hammer. Makita makes a fine 18-volt Li-ion model (BHP451) that is ½” and has hammer drill functions.
What I convinced my brother to do, and he ended up happy with it, was to get a factory reconditioned BHP451, use it during his house fixup and then sell it on line.
The only problem you’ll have with the BHP451 is its weight. The weight is somewhat problematic when using the tool as a screw gun. It is not ‘stupid heavy,’ but it would not be my choice for a screw gun only tool. I left a link to an independent review of the tool that will give you all of the specs on it, as well as photos.
Another option would be to buy a reconditioned Makita screw gun only – that will also drill wood and metal easily – and rent an impact drill to drill your masonry holes. You’d need to know where (and what size) you wanted all of your holes before you rented.
Get a brand name. If you get a nameless TokiBoki model, all you get is an electric screwdriver.
Look at ease of use. Is it easy to alternate between drills and screws? Because this is something that is going to happen often.
Does it have a gear, like low gearing for powerfull, controlled screwing and high gearing for drilling?
Whatever you buy, it will be good for wood, it may do masonry, but it is won’t drill concrete. Not on batteries, not with any hammer function. You need a real drill for that. China makes nice 500 Watt nameless drills for less than $50, which eat through concrete.
I would have a look at the Bosch Professional Li-Ion Cordless Screwdriver GSR10.8V-LI . This may be only 10.8v but it can screw a 3in screw no probs without a pilot hole. It really has so much torque considering its size. I have been using one for 6 months and its fantastic. Get it, you will not be disappointed everyone i know who uses these rates them highly. http://www.gardencentreonline.co.uk/DIY-…
You could then get and SDS DeWalt drill for all your heavy drilling needs. For under 2 Hundred quid you will have tools that will do the job and last.http://www.gardencentreonline.co.uk/DIY-…
Get a drill with two batteries, an hour charge time, a 1/2 inch chuck, hammer action, high rev count (1400 and above), 14v or above and that should pretty much cover anything you would want to do around the house.
However its always best to have a corded drill on hand, get a cheap one to go alongside your cordless drill. Ive seen them as cheap as £12-£15
I would go for something with those features, also the higher in millamps the battery is the longer it will generally last. Dewalt and Makita are excellent brands, also black and decker, Ryobi, Hitachi etc.
With all the answers I can’t believe that not a single person recommended a Ryobi. They make a good drill for a good price it is sold at Home Depot. The best part about it is you can buy several other attachments that use the same battery. Saw, saw saw, spiral saw, etc. etc. etc.
I am a professional and use the Ryobi several times a week. I have found they last about as long as the higher priced drills but the batteries are cheaper. You want at least 2 batteries. I have 5 batteries. I am not convinced the Lithium batteries are worth the cost yet.
You might look into the multi tool kits that come with 2 batteries a drill a small circular saw and a saw saw. The batteries saws need a lot of batteries to do more than a few cuts but they are light weight and come in handy at times. But they are not a replacement for corded saws.
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