Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced cordless drill? I have a corded black and decker drill but the switch now sticks and I want to replace it with a cordless one. I have a black & decker 18v cordless drill, which is great, but not powerful enough for some of the things I need. It doesn’t cope well with Forstner drill bits or holesaw bits so need something more powerful. TIA
Cordless drill
- Thread starter LouHolme
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Jameshow
Established Member
I have a Stanley fatmax drill 18v which imho is more than a match for dewalts cheaper 18v drill.
However if you want to use other cordless tools then going for one of the big four - Bosch, DeWalt, Makita, ryobi (cheaper) would be preferable.
Cheers James
However if you want to use other cordless tools then going for one of the big four - Bosch, DeWalt, Makita, ryobi (cheaper) would be preferable.
Cheers James
TheUnicorn
Established Member
I have a bosch and a dewalt 18v combi drills, I'm not always that impressed by the chuck on the dewalt, bits seem to have a tendency (occasionally) to slip loose. it seems like the main factor you need to look for is the torque, you should be able to get 65Nm for around the £150 mark. As you already have a cordless drill, I'd question whether you would be better spending your money on a good quality corded drill
DBT85
Established Member
On the basis you're trying to do this on smaller peices and probably not for selling to the queen, a cheap pillar drill might be of use? Mine is only the Silverstone one and while it's far from perfect, it does the job I want like putting 35mm holes in doors for hinges or whatever.
It's far from a high end tool but it's useful all the same and available under 150.
It's far from a high end tool but it's useful all the same and available under 150.
Have tried and used a few over the years but Makita has given the best all round service and never had one fail.
Richard_C
Established Member
I got a pair of Bosch Blue 18v 5 years ago, drill and impact driver, still very happy with them. Got a DeWalt recently for my daughter, equally good. Buying process was simple, stick to main brands like DeWalt, Bosch, Makita and see what Screwfix or Toolstation, locally Anglia Tool Centre, have deals on. I remember when I got the Bosch a really good deal was the twin pack, could have paid more and got the single pack drill only. For my amateur use battery size isn't important. I have 3 x 1.5 ah which means I can have one on each tool and one on charge, rarely use away from home so a bigger battery won't add much usefulness. I can see why it helps if you are a professional and using it all day every day. The bosch struggles a bit with the bigger hole saws but they are old, I blame blunt cutters rather than the drill.
Your choice might be limited by stock availability.
Your choice might be limited by stock availability.
Cabinetman
Established Member
If you particularly want to use it for larger holes as you describe I think you ought to go for a corded one with a side handle, very easy to break a wrist without that side handle, the torque coming back through the drill and up to your wrist if it suddenly comes to a stop does the damage. Ian
And while you’re at it why not make it an SDS, hugely useful.
And while you’re at it why not make it an SDS, hugely useful.
Had a DeWalt for about 20 years and still going strong. Really good hammer drill but heavy compared to the Bosch green I bought last year. Best thing I got a couple of years ago was a Bosch impact driver.
Have a corded DeWalt SDS which I bought to drill re-enforced concrete great for about £100
Have a corded DeWalt SDS which I bought to drill re-enforced concrete great for about £100
Keep an eye out on Screwfix. Every year they seem to do a deal on De Walt. Usually an 18v drill with two batteries and charger for about £100. Don't last long. If you register with them they will send you e mail's with current offers. I also have one of their Erbauer ones which I have worked hard and has been very good, only problem being that the batteries don't fit anything else. A good cheaper option though..
Personally very impressed with Makita. Also with their customer service, I damaged a battery when I'd had the drill about two years, at the time it was the only one I had so didn't know if ti was the drill or battery that had the problem. Contacted Makita in Milton Keynes, they asked if I had registered the free 3 year warranty, I hadn't but their response was "If it hasn't been abused we will honer it anyway". I dropped the drill in for repair and had it posted back fixed, all for free
Just be aware the really cheap offers are usually for brushed versions, not brushless. I wouldn't buy anything with a brushed motor.
eribaMotters
Established Member
I run 10.8v Makita for bench/cabinet work. Small and comfortable, easy to handle and they will do a screw up as tight as you can. One battery charge will cope with a small box of crews.
For building/diy work I use an inherited 18v Blue Bosch with hammer. This is so good I cannot remember when I last used a mains drill.
As has been said above, I have also found Makita chucks have a bit of play/wear after time.
The best test really is to look at what the majority of good electricians and plumbers use and I think you would find it's a close run thing between Bosch Blue and Makita.
Colin
For building/diy work I use an inherited 18v Blue Bosch with hammer. This is so good I cannot remember when I last used a mains drill.
As has been said above, I have also found Makita chucks have a bit of play/wear after time.
The best test really is to look at what the majority of good electricians and plumbers use and I think you would find it's a close run thing between Bosch Blue and Makita.
Colin
chunkymonkey
Established Member
After years of using cordless drills in my business , Dewalt are heavy ,and the chucks keep dropping the bits out,very frustrating! Bosch are good all rounder . Makita ,are the business especially good to use are their lower voltage lightweight drills, had a 14.5 volt in 2005 ,in everyday use and still using the batteries today, dropped my new makita drill in my swimming pool last year thought that would be final, but after 20 mins I was able to retrieve it.
After leaving it to drain and dry out for 24 hours ,it works perfectly !
After leaving it to drain and dry out for 24 hours ,it works perfectly !
The ones I know have moved to DeWalt and Milwaukee.
I have a DeWalt which I cannot fault except for the chuck, which is poor.
shed9
establiSHED member
Depends on the work you are doing really and what your definition of reasonably priced is. The previous suggestion up there about a pillar drill and / or corded probably makes a lot of sense for forstner and hole saws but dependent on what work you do.
There is unlikely to be a conclusive overall consensus on which one to buy. Everyone has pretty much invested in their own disparate drills and platforms and we've all collectively had good and bad experience across the product range of the usual suspects. It's all a skeet shoot at the end of the day and at the price point of a B&D replacement there will be little in it comparing the available brands.
Besides,
Stanley and Black & Decker are a merged company and ultimately own Dewalt, Irwin, Bostich and MAC Tools.
Hitachi owns Metabo.
Ryobi, Milwaukee and AEG have the same owner
Bosch owns Dremel and Freud
And the above list is not exhaustive by any stretch.......so just whose tool are you buying exactly?
Only advice I can give is get the best package you can afford. Look at it from a TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) perspective in terms of likely years of service relevant to the manufacturer warranty. I'd be looking at a combo kit of combi drill and impact driver personally as if you don't have an impact already it will be a (albeit small) game changer. If the opportunity is there to up-rate the amperage of the battery/s then take it. Don't be swayed by the packaging, i.e. if it comes with a macpac or a T-Stak box, etc. Don't get me wrong they are a great way to store your tools and if it's a good price then absolutely go with it but don't lose sight of the value being in the tool not the wrapper, i.e. don't let a box sway the decision if the better tool is in a cardboard and not a plastic box. The comments up there on Dewalt chucks is valid however this is generally (in my experience) very low priced machines and the same could be said for other vendors.
There is unlikely to be a conclusive overall consensus on which one to buy. Everyone has pretty much invested in their own disparate drills and platforms and we've all collectively had good and bad experience across the product range of the usual suspects. It's all a skeet shoot at the end of the day and at the price point of a B&D replacement there will be little in it comparing the available brands.
Besides,
Stanley and Black & Decker are a merged company and ultimately own Dewalt, Irwin, Bostich and MAC Tools.
Hitachi owns Metabo.
Ryobi, Milwaukee and AEG have the same owner
Bosch owns Dremel and Freud
And the above list is not exhaustive by any stretch.......so just whose tool are you buying exactly?
Only advice I can give is get the best package you can afford. Look at it from a TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) perspective in terms of likely years of service relevant to the manufacturer warranty. I'd be looking at a combo kit of combi drill and impact driver personally as if you don't have an impact already it will be a (albeit small) game changer. If the opportunity is there to up-rate the amperage of the battery/s then take it. Don't be swayed by the packaging, i.e. if it comes with a macpac or a T-Stak box, etc. Don't get me wrong they are a great way to store your tools and if it's a good price then absolutely go with it but don't lose sight of the value being in the tool not the wrapper, i.e. don't let a box sway the decision if the better tool is in a cardboard and not a plastic box. The comments up there on Dewalt chucks is valid however this is generally (in my experience) very low priced machines and the same could be said for other vendors.
Billy_wizz
Established Member
Also usually small battery's as well
Fair point about the boxes - my biscuit jointer goes back in its box and my SDS drill does because of the holesaws, drill bits, level, tape, plugs, chisels etc. being packed with it. Nothing else once out of its box ever goes back in it.
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If you're a typical DIYer this doesn't really matter much. Mine are 2ah and I've rarely thought to buy bigger, they're adequate for what I do.
Battery capacity is important, and having a couple makes life easier. With small capacity battery's you will be recharging more often and therefore potentially reducing their lifespan. I find a pair of 4m Ah seem to be ok for me but I know others who have two or three on charge ready so as they can keep working.
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