Cordless drill. What's the daddy?
Discussion
As per thread title.
After the most powerful, without being too heavy.
Budget unlimited (within reason), but it's only for home use.
The last one I had was forty years ago, a 12 v B&D and it gave up after five minutes hard use.
Has a quick mooch on Youtube, but they are usually just quick five minute tests.
Thanks in anticipation.
After the most powerful, without being too heavy.
Budget unlimited (within reason), but it's only for home use.
The last one I had was forty years ago, a 12 v B&D and it gave up after five minutes hard use.
Has a quick mooch on Youtube, but they are usually just quick five minute tests.
Thanks in anticipation.
What are you drilling?
A standard combi drill will cope with must stuff and also double up for putting in screws. However, if you are doing lots of work with brick / stone / concrete, then an SDS wins hands down. A lot of SDS drills will have a rotary stop mode, so you can also use them for chiselling / breaking. You might want / need a clutch because you plan to use hole saw / core cutter and don't want your wrist breaking if the cutter sticks.
You could drop the best part of £500 on a Dewalt 54v SDS+ (with batteries) but if you are just putting the old shelf up and building some furniture, it's probably not the right tool for the job.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-dch323t2-gb-4-7k...
Another option is to look at a set of a combi drill and impact driver. If you're building stuff (for instance a raised bed in the garden), the drill is great for the pilot holes and the impact driver for putting the screws in (with no constant faffing changing bits). Around £200 will get a drill + driver, two batteries and a charger from one of the big names like Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee or Bosch. As to which of those is best, that's a question you'll never get a definitive answer to...
A standard combi drill will cope with must stuff and also double up for putting in screws. However, if you are doing lots of work with brick / stone / concrete, then an SDS wins hands down. A lot of SDS drills will have a rotary stop mode, so you can also use them for chiselling / breaking. You might want / need a clutch because you plan to use hole saw / core cutter and don't want your wrist breaking if the cutter sticks.
You could drop the best part of £500 on a Dewalt 54v SDS+ (with batteries) but if you are just putting the old shelf up and building some furniture, it's probably not the right tool for the job.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-dch323t2-gb-4-7k...
Another option is to look at a set of a combi drill and impact driver. If you're building stuff (for instance a raised bed in the garden), the drill is great for the pilot holes and the impact driver for putting the screws in (with no constant faffing changing bits). Around £200 will get a drill + driver, two batteries and a charger from one of the big names like Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee or Bosch. As to which of those is best, that's a question you'll never get a definitive answer to...
Edited by Harpoon on Thursday 14th August 12:15
Basically anything you see professionals using.
I've had my Makita LXT drill (can't remember the model but I think it was the only brushless one they did at the time) for nearly 15 years now, I think. It has (by DIY standards) been used extremely hard and it still works as well as when it was new.
I'm even still on the original pair of batteries I bought for it.
ETA: For most use, I don't think you should be focusing on power though. You basically need a high power/torque figure for drilling cores through hard masonry, or for things like using it to my concrete. For normal drilling, it's pretty irrelevant.
I've had my Makita LXT drill (can't remember the model but I think it was the only brushless one they did at the time) for nearly 15 years now, I think. It has (by DIY standards) been used extremely hard and it still works as well as when it was new.
I'm even still on the original pair of batteries I bought for it.
ETA: For most use, I don't think you should be focusing on power though. You basically need a high power/torque figure for drilling cores through hard masonry, or for things like using it to my concrete. For normal drilling, it's pretty irrelevant.
Edited by kambites on Thursday 14th August 12:51
You need to be more specific with "powerful". Bosh make some torquier models (e.g. GSB BiTurbo - 150nm) but does that actually help with your usecase?
Wacky Racer said:
After the most powerful, without being too heavy.
How much is too heavy? If it's for drilling into brick a 12v SDS would probably be better than say an 18v combi.Wacky Racer said:
a 12 v B&D and it gave up after five minutes hard use.
If runtime is an issue then you need a bigger battery, not a more powerful drill.Power-class hammer drill driver with Active Torque Control and advanced ergonomics for universal drilling and driving on wood, metal and masonry (Nuron battery platform)
Maximum torque (soft/hard joint): 65 Nm (soft joint), 85 Nm (hard joint)
No load RPM: gear 1: 490 rpm; gear 2: 2000 rpm
Chuck clamping range: 2 - 13
By the time you add a battery & charger that'll be £880 please sir.
(the charger is about £250.....)
IMO, I would look to get three because you do not need that powah all the time.
I have Bosch cordless (blue ones):
- 18v SDS - just lovely when a masonry job is at hand. £150
- 18v Drill/Driver - works well without all the noise of an impact driver, and is more than capable of shoving 15cm long landscaping screws through sleepers... £150
-10.8v Screwdriver (which is really surprisingly good around the house) £60 in sale
I also have a circular saw and hedge trimmer that work of the 18v batteries.
All three are 5-8 years in on moderate (built an extension, renovated a garden, fitted windows and doors, built a campervan, fitted a kitchen) use. All batteries still great.
And treat your self with some good bits while you are at it.
I have Bosch cordless (blue ones):
- 18v SDS - just lovely when a masonry job is at hand. £150
- 18v Drill/Driver - works well without all the noise of an impact driver, and is more than capable of shoving 15cm long landscaping screws through sleepers... £150
-10.8v Screwdriver (which is really surprisingly good around the house) £60 in sale
I also have a circular saw and hedge trimmer that work of the 18v batteries.
All three are 5-8 years in on moderate (built an extension, renovated a garden, fitted windows and doors, built a campervan, fitted a kitchen) use. All batteries still great.
And treat your self with some good bits while you are at it.
kambites said:
Basically anything you see professionals using.
I've had my Makita LXT drill (can't remember the model but I think it was the only brushless one they did at the time) for nearly 15 years now, I think. It has (by DIY standards) been used extremely hard and it still works as well as when it was new.
I'm even still on the original pair of batteries I bought for it.[/footnote]
Same. Mine is about the same age and wasn't even a brushless and it's still rocking on just fine.I've had my Makita LXT drill (can't remember the model but I think it was the only brushless one they did at the time) for nearly 15 years now, I think. It has (by DIY standards) been used extremely hard and it still works as well as when it was new.
I'm even still on the original pair of batteries I bought for it.[/footnote]
Being a Screwfix special it came with two piddling little 1.5 Ah batteries, but they are actually great for odd job stuff as they are so small and light. Both are still working fine too. I just bought some 3, 4, and 5 Ah ones for more demanding work, mainly for use with other tools though.
As others have said, it doesn't really make a difference which brand you pick, all the main players have a variety of options at every price point, and once you're in an ecosystem there's no real reason to look elsewhere.
Dewalt sponser McLaren F1.
Get your self a Mclaren F1 branded drill and driver set.
DEWALT McLaren F1 Team DCK200MM2T-GB 18V 2 x 4Ah Li-Ion XR Brushless Cordless Combi & Impact Driver Twin Kit - Screwfix https://share.google/DSeAMw5lY4EGMBD4S
Get your self a Mclaren F1 branded drill and driver set.
DEWALT McLaren F1 Team DCK200MM2T-GB 18V 2 x 4Ah Li-Ion XR Brushless Cordless Combi & Impact Driver Twin Kit - Screwfix https://share.google/DSeAMw5lY4EGMBD4S
It's a very Man on The Internet thing to ask for "the best" of something, when it's not that simple.
Sure a mulit-hundred-pound Hilti is an excellent thing, but unless you're using it all day every day you won't see the benefit of that spend.
A monster 40v turbo nutter b
d is heavy, so you're arm will be hanging off at the end of a day.
A chonk of an SDS won't fit in small spaces, so is pointless if you're fitting a kitchen. and so on.
I'd be looking at the usual Screwfix-type twin packs of drill and impact, and then doing some hunting for detail of the motor and gears to see that you're getting something brushless and with little-to-no plastic. Youtube will be full of teardowns if you're that way inclined.
It's also to a certain extent about picking your "team" and stickign with it, so maybe look at the other tools in the range and see that they cover anything you're likely to want.
Sure a mulit-hundred-pound Hilti is an excellent thing, but unless you're using it all day every day you won't see the benefit of that spend.
A monster 40v turbo nutter b
d is heavy, so you're arm will be hanging off at the end of a day.A chonk of an SDS won't fit in small spaces, so is pointless if you're fitting a kitchen. and so on.
I'd be looking at the usual Screwfix-type twin packs of drill and impact, and then doing some hunting for detail of the motor and gears to see that you're getting something brushless and with little-to-no plastic. Youtube will be full of teardowns if you're that way inclined.
It's also to a certain extent about picking your "team" and stickign with it, so maybe look at the other tools in the range and see that they cover anything you're likely to want.
If budget really isn't an issue, 40V Makita (XGT) stuff is excellent.
Started with:
Combi drill
Impact driver (will happily drive 300mm+ screws into oak sleepers without any stress)
SDS
Since then also bought:
Another combi (same as above)
Reciprocating saw x2
Angle grinder
Small circular saw
Large circular saw (260mm) - a battery eater when ripping oak sleepers
Plunge saw
Started with:
Combi drill
Impact driver (will happily drive 300mm+ screws into oak sleepers without any stress)
SDS
Since then also bought:
Another combi (same as above)
Reciprocating saw x2
Angle grinder
Small circular saw
Large circular saw (260mm) - a battery eater when ripping oak sleepers
Plunge saw
thebraketester said:
Any of the big brands with me fine. Pick which ever one you like the colour of. Dewalt. Makita. Milwaukee. Same same same.
There are huge differences within brands ranges. The cheapest 18v Makita combi drill (usually in the "package" offers) is nowhere near the top end 18v (which I've also got). 40v takes it to another level.Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff