Battery pack experience

[Roland]

I’m considering buying a battery powered right angled drill. The drill is not going to get a lot of use, maybe once per week, starting with sanding bowls on the lathe. I’ve already got a pillar drill for the big stuff, and for general use a corded drill which my wife bought me decades ago.

Uppermost in my mind isn’t choice of drills. This will be my first venture into battery packs, and will probably constrain which tool manufacturer I use for future tools. So my question is what experience people have of manufacturers and their battery packs, and whether you’ve got any advice.

 

[Rorschach]

If you are only using it at the lathe and not taking it out of the workshop, buy a corded version, will be a lot better.

 

[Blister]

Re the battery , If you stick with Li Iron ( Lithium Iron ) you should be good for a long time
I have a respirator that is on a 2009 battery and its still good for hours of use
Re the tool , stick with a brand name with the longest guarantee

 

[Sandyn]

Yep, Lithium Ion batteries are very good. They will eventually fail, but last years. You don't have to let battery type constrain you to a manufacturer, but it makes life a bit simpler, just having the one battery charger and sharing batteries. All I ever use are two batteries and a fast charge. I never run out of power.....as long as I remember to charge them. Battery power level indicators are handy. It's also good to be able to buy tools without batteries/charger.

It's time there was a standardised battery system for all power tools. How good would that be!!

 

[TheUnicorn]

unless you are planning to buy other battery powered tools, for which you could use the same batteries, you may be better off using corded. I was also wondering whether an angled attatchment for your standard drill might be a good option for occasional use. If you went for something with a long neck it might be good for nooks and crannies

 

[Sideways]

I share the view that corded would be better for use at the lathe. No need for batteries and the tool is likely to be more powerful, smaller and lighter without a battery on the end.
BUT
Angle drills are (I think) mostly bought by electricians and plumbers for putting holes though joists for cables and pipes.
Milwaukee is very popular with these trades as their tools seem to be tough and powerful.
So : if you want a cordless one, look at the 18v Milwaukee version.
I've owned a 12v Milwaukee cordless drill. Good tough tool with a standard brushed motor. Your angle drill will be similar as I imagine it will be a while before these are reinvented as a brushless tool.
To answer the specific point about batteries, I think Metabo are the best at making high quality batteries and innovating with latest battery tech. I think Bosch have a decent reputation for batteries and really like their new Pro CORE batteries although it took them an obnoxiously long time to get them to market.
I assume you will be using it with Sandipads or similar ? Take a look at rpm. I have a suspicion that angle drills have a lowish rpm compared to ordinay drills. Reason is that they will typically be used to spin a stubby auger or flat bit about 1" diameter, not a 3mm jobber drill. I may be wrong and I don't know if that is a good or bad thing for your application.

 

[Richard_C]

I owned some Ryobi kit a few years back, NiCd batteries. After about 3 years they wouldn't hold charge for more than a couple of days even left unused in the garage. Performance didn't fade, more like fell off a cliff. Mid 2015 I bought a pair of Bosch 18v tools - a combi drill and an impact driver - Li on batteries. Used intermittently, they can sit 2 or 3 weeks unused then get a lot of use in a day. 5 1/2 years on they are still fine, maybe don't hold charge quite as long as when new but not a problem at all.

 

[Alpha-Dave]

Get the right tool for the job. Sanding on the lathe involves a lot of wrist movements for a long period. Corded tools are too heavy, as are 18v tools, which are also bulky. 12v tools are a nice compromise of lightweight and reasonable power, but you should opt for something with 2x batteries so that one can charge while the other is in use.
On the recommendation of a professional turner, I bought this set a few years ago and it has been great for the scenarios described above and light drilling and screwing. It does not replace a ‘good drill’ (but you already have those) but it is a ‘good, light drill’.

https://www.toolstation.com/milwaukee-m12bpd-202c-12v-li-ion-cordless-compact-combi-drill/p42711

 

[Sideways]

Hammer action sanding ???

Jokes aside, this is similar to the Milwaukee I owned. A good light powerful drill. If you need more oomf, you can get higher capacity 12V batteries for it which add a little bulk at the bottom so may make it less easy to maneouver but if anything they improve the balance of the tool and noticeably increase the power output and runtime for heavier sanding and wire brushing.

 

[Roland]

The reason for considering battery power is safety. No trailing lead, and lighter than my 40 year old Bosch. Using a right angled drill means that I can hold it one handed when required, supporting the bowl, or holding the vacuum hose, with the other hand.

 

[Noggsy]

I use the Makita 18v series and they are excellent. I’ve got two drills, a strimmer, hedge trimmer, multi-tool and router set. Choose carefully, because you don’t want more than one type (although can buy adapters) and once you start down that road, it’s seductive!

Cordless tools are fantastic, because being able to pick one up and take it anywhere means that you do, rather than putting off/bodging (might just be me!).

 

[Phil Pascoe]

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Faithful...99652&sprefix=flexible+drives+,aps,168&sr=8-6Something like this and a mains drill?

 

[BEE13]

I've had the Ryobi right angled drill for just a few months for the exact use you are thinking about. It's very good and I have a Ryobi One+ battery from an older battery drill that is indistinguishable from the newer one I bought for the right angled drill in terms of performance. The older battery must be 5 years old now. I also have a Ryobi hedge cutter with a larger One+ battery so I have 3 tools, each with a battery. I have 2 in use and one on charge at any one time.

It does the job I want well so it's easy to hold, safe and gas plenty of power for sanding on the lathe. A couple of observations though.

It is a right angle, not an angle like the Milwaukee type so make sure you can get it & the sanding head into the type of turning you do. The Milwaukee is 115V though.

The chuck has a smaller capacity than a conventional drill (look at the specs) and there are no settings like screwdriver, hammer or drill so it's set on clutchless operation all the time. It does have reverse. That's a bit odd for a drill that might get used as a screwdriver in a tight space but probably won't affect your use on the lathe.

The 18V batteries are lithium. They do various capacities.

I'm pleased with it and I haven't (yet) had problems with the batteries. However, I know that they don't last for ever - it's a price you pay for convenience I guess.

Brian