[Closed] I Want a Drill

did you know the average running time of a diy drill over its lifetime is 3 minutes?

buy a LIDL special and spend the change on a good single malt

I think this is the one I have:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/84044/Power-Tools/Cordless-Drills/Makita-8391DWPE-18V-Combi-Drill

Survived a few 'falls'. Hammer is good for curtain rails etc, but if you have a lot of masonry to drill you may want to get a corded SDS+ drill. The Erbauer range of drills from Screwfix are good for occasional use.

Hth
Marko

Justifying the single malt maybe difficult?
Been quite interested in a few Bosch's,Screwfix however has been the first port of call.

i bought a corded drill as a DIY drill as it doesnt see regular use and the battery would almost certainly be dead when i wanted to use it 😉

got a nice bosch 650watt for 30 quid off the bnq clearance shelf in new year. drills out spotwelds and rusty bolts nicely 😉

Recently bought a DeWalt DC725 from B&Q for £90 which was around half price. 2 18v batteries, hammer drill, etc. **** me it's even got an led light.

It rocks, I've been drilling holes everywhere since I got it 😉

I think this is the one I have:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/84044/Power-Tools/Cordless-Drills/Makita-8391DWPE-18V-Combi-Drill

Survived a few 'falls'. Hammer is good for curtain rails etc, but if you have a lot of masonry to drill you may want to get a corded SDS+ drill. The Erbauer range of drills from Screwfix are good for occasional use.

Hth
Marko

Great bit of kit

I have the 3Ah Li-Ion version of this one & came with the fast charger as standard, 15-20min tea break charge times 😉 screwfix were selling them on offer for £150 year before last, worth checking as the Li-Ion battery last ages.

I have one of these:

[img] [/img]

It is big, heavy, powerful and if you don't use it a lot the battery will be flat when you need it. I have another four tools that run on the same batteries and I use them a lot so it works well for me. For only occasional hammer drilling a corded one makes more sense.

get a cheap one they all just drill holes
IME you only need a huge expensive drill if you are trying to hole cut - NOT DRILL- large holes through brickwork or steel in which case you need a seriously large drill [hundreds of pounds] and no battery one would do that anyway.

No matter how much you use it it really only has to run for about one hour between now and your death. Get a cheap one

I've got through quite a few drills.

Black & Decker & Bosch ones have never lasted the distance (the Bosch was particularly bad)
Then I bought a DeWalt and that's been faultless. Much more solid feeling and powerful in operation

I still have a £20 corded drill from years back, others (mainly cordless ones) have came and went but the old dependable one clings on - just! Get two, a cheap corded one for bigger stuff and a cheap cordless for screwing etc.

Li-ion batteries are great but because they are great, the older ni-cad ones can be had very cheap. I got a Bosch 18v one with two batteries (which also, usefully, fit my cordless strimmer) for £45 brand new.

Then you could spend another £70 on a properly decent hammer action corded drill for when you need lots of power.

Ohh, and this is only the start - my father-in-law embarrasses me every time he helps out by proclaiming things like 'what, you don't have a hammer action jig weld measure with laser grip'?

So I go out and buy a hammer action jig weld measure with laser grip and never use it again.

I have learnt and am currently borrowing his jet wash - I am buggered if I am buying anything else, I am just going to borrow all I need from him.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/84044/Power-Tools/Cordless-Drills/Makita-8391DWPE-18V-Combi-Drill

I just got one of those to replace my older Makita that died (well batteries did)

good all round drill

battery drills are awesome!!

I have one of these, albeit with three batteries and paid less when they had it on deal.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/65758/Power-Tools/Cordless-Drills/Bosch-GSB-18-2-LI-L-Boxx-18V-Combi-Drill

it is a REALLY good bit of kit. nice chuck, nice weight, very solid & well built, very powerful - high torque. Hammer action. It's gone through brickwork quite happily. ace as a lecci screwdriver...

Screwfix have some good offers.

What is as important is the drill bits the cheap ones might as well be binned.

I got one of the Makita 18V hammer cordless drills. Really ace.

Came with 2 batteries and a fast charger.

in fact, here is a better deal on the same drill driver with higher capacity batteries & free drill bit set

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/96805/Power-Tools/Cordless-Drills/Bosch-GSB-18-2-Li-18V-Li-Ion-Combi-Drill

you need 2 minimum

1 corded for making holes

1 battery mostly for screwing but also the odd hole here and there

Then you don't have to keep changing the bit over

Lol at Mastiles, the worst thing is it's not the father in-law it's my own dad. Apparently DeWalts are only for real men. I should just be grateful he's given me one his old hammers as he "needs a heavier one for hitting things harder" apprently I should work my way up...

Also what's an HSS drill bit?

as above, if you're drilling masonry get a corded SDS drill. I've a 24V drill driver and a cheapish (£60 or so) SDS drill. The SDS goes into walls like a knife through butter - even lintels etc which the drill driver really struggled with.

I can second what piedi says about Bosch - mine was a cheap(ish) one, but it wasn't worth what I paid for it.

My current is an 18v DeWalt cordless and that is great.

i agree for hardcore masonry work, get as sds drill (basically a different way of holding onto the drill bit (and they are different drill bits), but the whole drill is usually bulkier & more powerful as they are designed for masonry work)

but a good battery powered drill is fine for a bit of everything use.

sv - Member

I still have a £20 corded drill from years back, others (mainly cordless ones) have came and went but the old dependable one clings on - just! Get two, a cheap corded one for bigger stuff and a cheap cordless for screwing etc.
Posted 13 minute

this plan's worked for my occasional DIY attempts (disasters) - a cheap cordless drill (+ torch + sander + saw) kit from ALDI (gift from mum) supplemented with a previous incarnation of [url= http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7113392/Trail/searchtext%3EDRILL.htm#pdpFullProductInformation ]this jobber[/url] for mixing plaster/putting holes in walls/waving around while cackling like a maniac - insofar as i'm any judge, it's a good deal at that price..

Makita ftw. I have about £900's worth of 18v kit and its great.

Mine gets proper use too.

piedi di formaggio - Member
I've got through quite a few drills.

Black & Decker & Bosch ones have never lasted the distance (the Bosch was particularly bad)

bosch has a cheap range in green,
the trade stuff is blue,
and is good!

also rate hitachi and makita and milwaukee tools

i'm afraid you get what you pay for.

I've had a corded black and decker for about 12 years, it has taken a right beating in that time and the only thing wrong with it is the chuck sticks a bit. For infrequent use i would definitely get a corded drill and I wouldn't spend more than £100 on it. Mine was £40 in a closing down sale.

I've had a few bosch tools and generally the green (DIY) ones have been crap and the blue (professional) ones have been outstanding.

What you need to do is go to B&Q and try out all the drills on the shelf
the one you need is the one you an do the fastest quick-draw with.
Ask for a full length mirror to check out how manly you look whilst practising quick draws and making appropriate noises.

My £10 corded Draper gets used most for proper drilling, the trigger's a bit flaky but it works well enough. My dad's still using an ancient black and decker which is impervious to all harm and so powerful, if you brace your feet hard enough it'll rotate the house around him.

My 18V Bosch gets used as a gigantic electric screwdriver mostly, it's tough and reasonably powerful. But, I don't know how common it is but it's on its 2nd battery as the first one stopped taking charges after a spell of disuse. And the average DIY drill's going to spend 364 days a year in a cupboard so that doesn't sound like a good combo.

Thought no one was going to mention Bosch's 2 ranges until colande did.
Maybe not that relevant to the OP but my Blue Bosch has lasted just over 10 years of serious abuse - think Stainless Steel the high side of cm thick. It really is one of the best tools I've ever had. It's also outlasted all of the cheaper corded and cordless ones in our workshop. However, as others have said, quality don't come cheap. I recently enquired about the cost of a new one and (without shopping around) was rather suprised to find out that it would still be in the region of £240. It has next to none of the features that so many drills come festooned with (suits what I use it for) and I think this is why it has lasted so long. (2 speed, not variable, 1 direction, drill or hammer, keyed chuck)

Marko's Makita is the one I'd buy 🙂

I think I need to supplement my Makita with a corded drill for masonry around the house; our walls seem to be made of especially hard brick.

A second cordless would be useful for screwing, too.

Need a decent cordless though, as most of what I do is out in the garden and I don't have a 500 foot extension cord.

I picked up a Bosch 14.4V Li-ion drill at B&Q for £50 last year when thy had a fathers day offer on (was my present to myself off the dog 😉 ).

I was tempted by the screwfix deal on an 18V li-ion offer for £150 but tbh the Bosch one has done everything I have needed it to.

What I would say:

don't rush out and wait for an offer at Screwfix, toolstation or B&Q etc.
Buy a lithium ion battery one - you can pick up ones with 2x 1 million volt nicad packs but tbh I would just go with Li-ion - more likely to still be charged after 2 months sitting in the cupboard and should last longer both in run time and life.

If you see a pack with 2 lithium ions then get that.

14.4V is fine for most things. Mine out-performs my cheap mains drill and is a lot neater and easier to use. I have an SDS drill for big stuff :D. If there is an 18V one in your price range then get it obviously.

LED lights are actually really useful. I thought it was a gimmick but I use it quite often.

I would stick with decent makes - Bosch, Dewalt, Makita etc.

If anyone reading this really is on a budget than Aldi and Lidl ones are very good for the money. My multitool is a dremel clone - the casing is even the same moulding - and it is brilliant. But I spent a little bit more and got the Bosch when it had over 50% off.

Some cheap drills my seem to have better specs - claim more power or larger drill sizes but a decent make like Dewalt will always drill a hole with less fuss which normally means it is neater and less frustrating.

HSS drill bit is High Speed Steel - just the metal it is made from and is standard.

You get Ti coated and cobalt etc.

You can buy a pack of cheap drill bits for a few quid and they will be rubbish. I buy Bosch or Dewalt bits from toolstation and again they just work better.

Oh and as for the green and blue bosch - yeah if you are doing a major project at home or are in the trade then blue is a must. For your average DIYer then green is fine. All makes have 2 or more different levels, bosch just make it obvious which is not a bad thing as it stops you trashing a tool which is otherwise fit the intended purpose.

I've got a couple of these for work:

http://www.tool-net.co.uk/p-338743/makita-bhp452rfwx.html

There great and they've even got a little torch on them so you can pretend they're laser guns and have shoot outs with your mates.

sorry.

HSS = High Speed Steel, the material most standard drills are made of.

you need 2 minimum

1 corded for making holes

1 battery mostly for screwing but also the odd hole here and there

Then you don't have to keep changing the bit over

Rubbish, get a quality 18v cordless and it'll do most drilling, i regulaly use a 10mm masonary drill with my 18v Bosch Blue.

If you don't use it everyday for your job i wouldn't spend too much, as above wait for a deal to come along, lots of Ni Cad ones being sold for the new NiMh thats lighter 😉

You definitely want 2 drills. For proper masonry work a cordless hasn't really got the guts, and a cordless with hammer will be bulkier than you want for small holes/screwdriving. As others said go for a Li-Ion battery - small, light and only take 30 minutes to recharge so you only need one.

IMO the best makes are Makita and Hitachi but the Bosch blue jobs are good too

I use my drill everyday and rarely use electric any more as the cordless are now very powerful 😉

One handed keyless chucks are a nice feature - very quick bit changes. And torque limiters with numerous steps (mine has 24) are surprisingly useful. The systems where one battery runs lots of tools are neat - I have a drill, sander, nailgun, strimmer and hedge trimmer that all share batteries. LiIon would be best for home use because they stay charged for longer.

Also a cheap drill with good bits tends to work much better than the reverse - much like poor MTBs and good riders.

the one you need is the one you an do the fastest quick-draw with.

my hammer action cordless is better than my mains with hammer action. I also find cordless drills more controllable as they operate at lower speeds.

The mains drill gets used for wire brushing duties now.

And get one with a 13mm keyless chuck.

Just spoke to a mate reading this thread, he said all i'll be doing is quick draws...

yeah +1 for the 13mm keyless chuck.

keyed ones are a PITA and smaller than 13mm will one day bite you in the arse when you need to drill something and the bit/attachment is 13mm.

[img] [/img]

I've got an even older version of one of these my dad gave me (orange and white, not black), think it's about 30 years old and still does the trick. Only has one speed setting now, so have to be careful starting off holes. The only advantage modern ones have is that they are mostly drill/drivers so can put screws in too (used one to build my deck, but as I had to put in about 2000 screws it would have been laborious by hand).

Not only will you only be doing quick draws but you'l also be doing them in front of a mirror before doing the "robot" dance! I've more chance of waking up skinny in the morning than you have of going all manly and making thing's (and its not 'modern art' if you just end up with a heap of junk and glue it together)
😉

see you tomorrow!

whilst a hammer drill will (eventually) get through masonry, even with a 10mm bit, the speed of them compared to a corded SDS drill is shocking. I reccomend all you doubters to borrow one and have a go - I've both an excellent 24v battery drill\driver and a SDS drill and there's really no comparison. You can also use it with chisel bits

Remember, it is not the man who chooses the drill, for it is the drill who chooses the man.

Metabo have a 3 year battery warranty as well as being nice tools. Important when you look at the price of replacements, especially Lion ones.
And it rhymes with Haribo.

Beware some of the screwfix offers,
Makita drill = good
1.3AH batteries = very bad

Milwaulkee, Festool, Hilti

Man tools!

Not too much expeience but after wearing out a few doing up a shack - if I had to pick one to do anything "proper" around the house then a corder version - even a cheaper one. Once comfortable / wealthy - a cordless is a nice luxury.

On the other hand for general diy this is a godsend:
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/62769/Drill-Bits/Drill-Bit-Sets/Combination-Sets/Combination-Quick-Change-Drill-Bit-Set-22-Pieces

Instant changes from drill bits to screws to hex keys (think removing 6 bolt rotors, quick sand with wire brush, screw back in etc) all with no unscrewing etc.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Draper-Expert-18v-Cordless-power-tool-kit-BARGAIN-PRICE-/7619340538?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item1c625e8fa

I got a used set for under £50. Even at this price its a great box of tools. Used mine loads.

Where can I get such a thing as this? I need. Will fit any drill?

[img] [/img]<

Slackman is correct - HILTI - end of thread.

1.3AH batteries = very bad

not necesarily! mine are that. I have 3 of them, and each one last quite a long time. but having a couple of spares on top of the one you're using is good in that you can always cycle them through the charger and just keep going. Using a single or even two higher capacity battery you have to wait a while for it to charge/finish charging before putting the shot one in...