Drill Driver Set?

[BearTricks]

My Ryobi combi drill is at the end of its life. It has lasted about 10 years but it’s never been great.

I’m looking for a sub £200 impact driver/drill set. All my tools are corded so I’m starting from scratch with batteries and don’t really mind which brand.

Screwfix have this Milwaukee brushed 4ah set. And the brushless version is £30 more, out of stock online but in stock locally.

Or this Dewalt Brushless 3ah set which is also out of stock online but in stock locally.

Honestly though I have no idea what I’m looking for. I know brands have entry level tools that are a piece of rubbish and sometimes get passed off in kits like this so don’t want to get stung but I don’t know what most of the specs mean.

These will be for general use. Hoping to replace a chunk of workshop drilling with a bench drill, but I’ll be using this for everything else including a mountain of DIY I need to get through this year. They won’t see use all day every day but it’ll be most weekends. I’m hoping it’s the last set I’ll need to buy for some time.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Bonus points if it’s available at Screwfix, B&Q or Wickes as I have a voucher to use.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I had a DeWalt, I have a Milwaukee. I would go for Milwaukee. Look for a metal gearbox, and look at the Nm - ensure you're comparing like for like. A lot of lower end stuff is specific to certain suppliers and not necessarily the same as another - you'll see e.g. a DeWalt ABC123a, a ABC123f, an ABC123k etc. - you do not know for certain they are the same. Some bottom end tools are only 48Nm (or thereabouts), my Milwaukee is 135Nm, so look at the fine print. 3ah is plenty for DIY use, any bigger can prove to be too heavy, it could even pay to go for 2ah (ample for a lot of work) and get one bigger battery later if needed. The better kit has faster chargers, so charging regularly is no big deal. I bought a 3ah later and a 4ah when I bought the Hackzall.

 

[Etaf]

as a diyer I picked up dewalt cordless when on offer at screwfix and have a large range of tools now
I also have a pair of the 2ah batteries , pair 3ah and 1 5ah
I use the 2ah on the drill and impact driver , much lighter and last long enough for my jobs etc
I made sure i got the 3 speed impact driver and use its a lot and change speeds a lot - so look out for that

screwfix and toolstation have kits on offer a lot , but as said models can be special for the outlet - certanly the kit combinations

i would not want 4ah or 5ah batters on those tools personally

the milwaukee are a lot more expensive , and if i was to start again, i may buy into that brand

remember once on cordless it may restrict your choice unless you are happy with various batteries and chargers

 

[Rhossydd]

Just within budget and proper pro grade tools
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-gs...olpack-brushless-cordless-18v-twin-pack/253jf

 

[Sideways]

A suggestion that is a bit different from most of what you are likely to see here:
Cast an eye over the new cordless range from Skil.
The skil brand is now owned by Chervon in China. There's a mass of powertools available in Asia and the Chervon brands like "devon" look to be among the best made when you go looking for local tools for the trade over there.
This teardown was interesting


Personally, I am buying mostly Bosch pro because I like the performance of their 18v procore batteries, especially the compact 4Ah one.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I had a DeWalt, I have a Milwaukee. I would go for Milwaukee. Look for a metal gearbox, and look at the Nm - ensure you're comparing like for like. A lot of lower end stuff is specific to certain suppliers and not necessarily the same as another - you'll see e.g. a DeWalt ABC123a, a ABC123f, an ABC123k etc. - you do not know for certain they are the same. Some bottom end tools are only 48Nm (or thereabouts), my Milwaukee is 135Nm, so look at the fine print. 3ah is plenty for DIY use, any bigger can prove to be too heavy, it could even pay to go for 2ah (ample for a lot of work) and get one bigger battery later if needed. The better kit has faster chargers, so charging regularly is no big deal. I bought a 3ah later and a 4ah when I bought the Hackzall.

I should have said look for brushless, as well.

 

[Jameshow]

Also DeWalt Makita Bosch gave at least two levels DIY and trade. Not sure about Milwaukee. The Milwaukee I've tried is light years away from the dewalts I use day to day with 2ah batteries.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Milwaukee "Fuel" is a step up.

 

[Jameshow]

Milwaukee "Fuel" is a step up.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/38665534...tixoXeJTeO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Yes it was this model much more powerful than the DIY range.
Worth the extra £80 if your an intensive user.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I went up market because I'm 70 and unlikely to be buying the stuff again.

 

[TheUnicorn]

either of your original choices would be good choices, they are brushless with good torque, and meet your budget, i'd probably go for the milwaukee

 

[Mickjay]

Not to put a spanner in the works, but I bought the cheapest brushed DeWalt set that Screwfix had about 8 years ago, £140 I think with 1.3 ah batteries and both tools have been well used on both general DIY of my own stuff and 4 house renovations with my son and they're still going strong. I have added a couple of 1.5ah as well and find I can get one charged in the time it takes to deplete the one in the tool. If and when they break I would have no hesitation in going the dame route again.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My DeWalt was two or three years old and had a faulty switch. The chuck was also knackered, so probably would have cost what it was worth to repair - that's one reason I changed to Milwaukee. I do wish you luck going down the dame route, however.

 

[Bingy man]

My vote is with millwaukee fuel , brushless . Very strong and replacement batteries are not too expensive . I try to buy when they are on offer or choose the option with two batteries . When you have a few kits you can then look at other tools in the range but buy the tool bare ( no case , batteries or charger ) which can be a lot cheaper . Im almost done with replacing all my ryobi which tbh for light, occasionly heavy work they are ok but everyday / heavy use they are not realy upto it ..

 

[Sachakins]

I picked up these dewalt 6 months back. They are the brushes xR with powerstack batteries.
They are smaller and lighter and have been great to use. The set code was DCK2050E2T-GB

https://www.dewalt.co.uk/product/dck2050e2t-gb/18v-powerstack-twin-kit

 

[Drifter2406]

I have always used Makita, they have always served me well, not bought one for ages so don't the prices now.

 

[okeydokey]

I like Makita and have several items all do the job.
If like the OP you are battery less then I would consider the Milwaukie option he suggests - people generally seem to rave about that make

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The tradesmen around here tend to use DeWalt or Milwaukee, some having changed from Makita. The stand out thing is that virtually no one uses Bosch.

 

[TheUnicorn]

The tradesmen around here tend to use DeWalt or Milwaukee, some having changed from Makita. The stand out thing is that virtually no one uses Bosch.

is that not primarily because bosch have such a limited range?

 

[MF1000]

I use a Dewalt set bought from Screwfix when on special offer - no issues wit it to date