Discussion
Need a new drill. Looking for a cordless model that is a good all round versatile jobbie.
I currently have a small blue Bosch which is great for small quick jobs and general screws, but throw any brickwork or masonry at it and it struggles big time.
Any recommendations please, looking for something decent that will be 'the drill' and last me a good few years !!!
I currently have a small blue Bosch which is great for small quick jobs and general screws, but throw any brickwork or masonry at it and it struggles big time.
Any recommendations please, looking for something decent that will be 'the drill' and last me a good few years !!!
Strongly recommend not getting a Dewalt xlp. We have three across our engineers and they are back and forth under warrenty. The gearboxs lock up so you can't change speed or it jams in hammer mode. We paid more for quality but our cheap AEG stuff is far more robust and cheap enough to replace every 18 months.
Laurel Green said:
I'd be inclined to purchase a corded drill for the heavier jobs and, keep the battery one for the small jobs.
Agree, you can get a decent corded SDS drill for less than £100. I bought a Hitachi one years ago that I use in work and its great.You'll pay twice as much for a cordless that won't do the job as well.
I got a dewaly 18v li lion and it was a nightmare, kept cutting out i imagine due to the heat cut out (meant to cut out when drill gets hot) but it was cutting out after literally 2 mins and the drill wasn't even warm.
Took it back and got myself a makita 18v li lion and it is awesome, so much so that i just wanted to drill anything worth drilling
Within reason it will drill into brickwork but like said above a proper corded drill is more suitable. I got a hitachi for around £100 iirc from screwfix and imo is really very good (even when used properly).
Took it back and got myself a makita 18v li lion and it is awesome, so much so that i just wanted to drill anything worth drilling
Within reason it will drill into brickwork but like said above a proper corded drill is more suitable. I got a hitachi for around £100 iirc from screwfix and imo is really very good (even when used properly).
I have loads of the dewalt stuff including 6 xrp 18v drills , 3 are not working , 1 playing up , 1 running at about 3/4 speed due to trigger fault and 1 ( the newest) is fine. I do you use them for long periods day in day out and each xrp drill without charger / battery / case costs me £100 , given the use it gets I don't mind if they only last a year.
The xrp 18v is a good drill , I use the hammer function together with a 4mm masonry drill to drill into brick / mortar / concrete and then screw No.10 screws straight in without the need for plugs , I drill upwards of 50 holes into brick per day and 100+ into aluminium / pvc
I purchased a dewalt 240v sds drill and a 14.4v cordless with 2 batteries and a charger last Friday £124 for both . This was /is a special offer , usually £149 but reduced at the till to £124 for a limited time at Screwfix
The xrp 18v is a good drill , I use the hammer function together with a 4mm masonry drill to drill into brick / mortar / concrete and then screw No.10 screws straight in without the need for plugs , I drill upwards of 50 holes into brick per day and 100+ into aluminium / pvc
I purchased a dewalt 240v sds drill and a 14.4v cordless with 2 batteries and a charger last Friday £124 for both . This was /is a special offer , usually £149 but reduced at the till to £124 for a limited time at Screwfix
Edited by R60EST on Wednesday 17th November 20:29
sparkythecat said:
R60EST said:
.
I use the hammer function together with a 4mm masonry drill to drill into brick / mortar / concrete and then screw No.10 screws straight in without the need for plugs...
Very interesting. What brand of screws are you using and what are you fixing to the masonry?I use the hammer function together with a 4mm masonry drill to drill into brick / mortar / concrete and then screw No.10 screws straight in without the need for plugs...
The 4mm bits are 76p from screwfix / toolstation. The system works best in a standard brick , a really hard stock brick can burn out the tip of the drill too quickly and also snap screws , in this situation I'd drill the mortar beds if they are quite sound or use sds / rapier fixings. Whether diy or trade application I guarantee if you try it you wont use a rawl plug again. I first became aware of this method about 13 yrs ago , initially using a well coated and serrated screw costing about 8p each. I ran out of these screws so as a last resort used some cheaper galvanised ones and discovered they worked just as well. I have never had a situation in the last 13 yrs where this method has failed .
R60EST said:
sparkythecat said:
R60EST said:
.
I use the hammer function together with a 4mm masonry drill to drill into brick / mortar / concrete and then screw No.10 screws straight in without the need for plugs...
Very interesting. What brand of screws are you using and what are you fixing to the masonry?I use the hammer function together with a 4mm masonry drill to drill into brick / mortar / concrete and then screw No.10 screws straight in without the need for plugs...
The 4mm bits are 76p from screwfix / toolstation. The system works best in a standard brick , a really hard stock brick can burn out the tip of the drill too quickly and also snap screws , in this situation I'd drill the mortar beds if they are quite sound or use sds / rapier fixings. Whether diy or trade application I guarantee if you try it you wont use a rawl plug again. I first became aware of this method about 13 yrs ago , initially using a well coated and serrated screw costing about 8p each. I ran out of these screws so as a last resort used some cheaper galvanised ones and discovered they worked just as well. I have never had a situation in the last 13 yrs where this method has failed .
Screwfix regularly do deals for drills. I recently bought a DeWalt 18V drill for just under £100 and it's fine for the occasional use I give it, but I can't say how it would last for professional use. Mine came with 2 batteries and they only take an hour to charge, so I find it ideal for DIY jobs. Mine also has a hammer mode but I also bought a cheap JCB SDS corded drill for the heavier jobs.
Screwfix regularly do deals for drills. I recently bought a DeWalt 18V drill for just under £100 and it's fine for the occasional use I give it, but I can't say how it would last for professional use. Mine came with 2 batteries and they only take an hour to charge, so I find it ideal for DIY jobs. Mine also has a hammer mode but I also bought a cheap JCB SDS corded drill for the heavier jobs.
Shadytree said:
Cool, thanks for the feedback. Sounds like don't touch Dewalt with a barge pole and a corded SDS is the way ahead. By the way, what does SDS stand for ? 
Dewalt are intended for lighter use. Ironically, the Black and Decker range is intended for (semi) pro use, and is seen as such all over the place. But not here, for unexplained reasons./someone who knows said it on the last 'what drill' thread.
And in case you haven't used an SDS, the drill bit locks into the chuch using a slot. The drill has the ability to vibrate the drill bit rapidly in and out whilst turning slowly to clear the debris out of the hole. This makes the drilling process much more efficient than a standard hammer drill. You can also set it to rotate only or vibrate only (for chiseling purposes).
Globulator said:
R60EST said:
I use the hammer function together with a 4mm masonry drill to drill into brick / mortar / concrete and then screw No.10 screws straight in without the need for plugs...
Cool.Just a regular 4mm masonry bit then?
Edited by R60EST on Friday 19th November 13:40
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