A bit on the side

[undyingking]

I need to get a new cordless drill, as T's sister and b-i-l seem to have mysteriously turned their borrowing of ours into a permanent arrangement. Not a market I know much about, and superficially similar drills vary wildly in price. Any recommends / disrecommends?

Comments

[caffeine-fairy.livejournal.com]

We've got a Bosch one, they're slightly more expensive but extremely good.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Great, thanks!

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

I have a Bosch one which works well. Only negative is an annoyingly short battery life. Sometimes can't do a large job in a single day due to needing a recharge - though partly because it's also a screwdriver, a feature I thought I'd never use but is actually awesome.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Mm, I found that too, to the extent that I now have a standalone dedicated cordless screwdriver (it's more the shape of an ordinary screwdriver, so useful for getting into narrow places, unlike the drill). Which will see a lot of use when I get to assembling the shed! Thanks for the Bosch thoughts.

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

Oh no, they are visiting soon and you are going to be away for part of it. Bury your remaining tools now! How about constructing a secret relative proof storm cellar under the new shed?

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Ah no, it's T's brother who I'll be away during their visit -- I'm here for her sister, the following week. Her brother's a builder by trade, so I have no fear of losing tools to him!

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

Er, can't you get brother and sister to meet up for a tool whip-fest, or just ask the brother what's good in drills when he comes?

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Alas, I need it sooner than that. Not to worry, our old one was pretty vanilla and I'll get a nicer one this time.

[hendybear.livejournal.com]

Place to buy

First things first, in general when looking for any tools/DIY stuff I always use http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/home/homepage.jsp they deliver next day and are very cheap.


Make/Brand

These days the cost of power tools has dropped to the point where it is doubtful that buying a quality “brand” is worth it. If I wasn’t paying with my own money I would go for Elu every time, as it is I go for which ever budget drill meets the criteria below as they are around a fifth of the price and do everything I/you need.


The Drill Knowledge.

Whatever drill you go with a variable speed trigger is a MUST.

The higher the voltage the better, this gives more torque, however the size of the drill increases in line with the voltage, as does the cost.

Torque control, is essential for using the drill as a screwdriver..

A two speed mechanical gearbox is a very good idea in any drill above 14.4v.

USES

At the end of the day you have three choices

1. A drill that will do light work only i.e. will not do masonry. (Mains powered drill also required)
2. A drill that will do most jobs but is not up to drilling large holes in masonry. (Mains powered drill also required)
3. A drill that will do it all.

I go with option 2.

Conclusion

If it where me. Buy budget make drill from CPC, buy above 14.4v make sue it tik’s all the Uses boxes.

Bugger I know to much random crap.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Excellent, thanks for that. I'd already bought this one before seeing this comment, but good to see its spec ties in with your thinking. I paid 50 quid for it from Screwfix, which is just about the same as the CPC price, so that's good too ;-)

[atomweaver.livejournal.com]

cancionista told me to stop by...

I have this drill, myself, actually. My only objection is the horrible battery quality. The OEM battery doesn't hold a charge much at all once its aged about 6 months. I went through a few extra Ryobi batteries, before I gave us and went here for a replacement;
http://www.batterybarn.com/

Shipping policy tells me they ship to the UK for $10, but you might also look for a similar company which is UK-based. Their aftermarket batteries have incredible longevity, as compared to the ones that come with the drill.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Wow, terrific, thanks for that tip! A quick search reveals quite a few UK suppliers. Excellent -- I'll get one right away then, and cut out the frustration stage.