What drill to buy my Dad!

[AWiseWomanOnceSaidFuckThisShit]

Any men on here please?! Or women who know about drills! I would like to buy my Dad a decent drill that is powerful enough to go through bricks and concrete... willing to dig pretty deep... any suggestions?

[peteneras]

Most, if not all modern drills will go through bricks and concrete. It's just a matter of flicking a switch. Question is how much your dad uses the drill - is he a professional builder or an amateur home DIY'er. Is it more practical using a corded drill or a cordless one? Personally, I own at least half a dozen drills of both types plus a couple of non-powered (manual) ones. They include very powerful professional ones and a couple of "average" ones. Actually collecting tools is one of my main hobbies. But throughout the last 30 or so years, I find myself reaching out for my corded Bosch 400-watt drill which I bought in the 1980's each time I needed a drill to do work. It's light in weight, powerful enough to go through brick, concrete, metal, wood, plastic and everything in between. Occasionally I use a hand driven drill when I want a simple small hole somewhere. I've a couple of more recent DeWalt cordless drills but I find their impact driver - for driving screws - most invaluable and a god-sent!

[roundthemulberrytree]

Erbauer is very good for a DIY drill. Still has enough oomph for most DIY jobs.
For a professional drill I would recommend Dewalt.
Does he already have other tools? If so he might want the same brand so he can share batteries between them.

[Stinkyjellycat]

Another DeWalt fan here (and a woman!)

[AWiseWomanOnceSaidFuckThisShit]

He's not a professional no, just a DIYer at home... and at my house lol. The one he has isn't great, it's fine with walls and furniture but doesn't go through concrete very well. I think it's a Black and Decker one

[CrazyOldBagLady]

My husband, after a lot of research, bought a cordless makita and he is very happy with it.

[TheQueef]

My old 1980 Bosch 600w still beats the newer drills Pete I'm thinking of replacing the chuck so it doesn't wear out.
Apart from Bosch nostalgia if money is no object I would like a nice Dewalt with two batteries.
Any hammer drill should do brick and stone.
I don't think me having a vagina colours my view.

[evilkitten]

Don't know why you need a man to tell you about drills. They're unisex, doncha know.

It depends on what job he needs to do, how much he's going to use it, and where.

Key decisions are corded Vs cordless, and whether it's for holes or screwing.

My ideal toolbox has three drills. A corded SDS drill for holes in brick and concrete, with rotation stop so it can also be used for chiselling etc. If he's only used a hammer drill up to now, then SDS is a revelation.

A cordless impact driver, for putting screws in. Expensive, but very useful.

A cordless combi drill as a jack of all trades. This gets most use.

My cordless stuff is Makita, and the batteries are interchangeable.

I also have a small Bosch ixi screwdriver that's surprisingly handy.

[evilkitten]

A point on SDS, which I think is the type of thing you're looking for - it won't take masonry bits, and you will need some specific SDS drill bits. Bosch do a decent set in a case for about £20.

[Mutunus]

If he wants one for heavy duty drilling then I'd recommend a corded SDS drill such as this Bosch one for £100 from Screwfix but available elsewhere tinyurl.com/y6bpx4ld
If you only want it for the occasional holes then an 18v cordless will be fine. This DeWalt is pretty good tinyurl.com/y5jhud5o . Two batteries and a decent all-metal gearbox. It is £120 though.
Erbauer kit from Screw is reasonably priced but no spare parts are available. They do normally come with a 2 year g'tee however and Screwfix are normally good at replacing faulty goods.

[CatherinedeBourgh]

I have several cordless Makitas (different sizes/uses) and find them very good.

For more heavy duty work make sure it has a percussion function.

You can also get just one charger and a few batteries and swap between them.

[CatherinedeBourgh]

@evilkitten I think my cordless Makita impact driver was about £50, which doesn’t strike me as expensive for something I’ve used intensively for years.

[evilkitten]

Fair point - Screwfix have one for £45, but Barr (needs batteries)

[MikeUniformMike]

Get a corded one not a cordless.
advice.manomano.co.uk/drill-buying-guide-n2961

I just have a pink drill because I don't have a penis.

[CatherinedeBourgh]

My most heavily used drill is the cordless sds makita. I do have a corded one but a lot of what I do is in places that are awkward to have cables going to, so prefer the cordless even if it takes a bit longer to drill into stone (what I mostly drill into).

[CatherinedeBourgh]

yes, the batteries and the charger are a bit of an investment, but once you have those the bare tools are very good value imo.

[PurBal]

I like Makita.

[FlamingoAndJohn]

Makita all day long.

[fruitbrewhaha]

Makita are a good make, they are the ones you see the professionals using. But to get through concrete and bricks you may need a SDS plus drill. Look at the ones that have two handles.

[fallfallfall]

Buy two batteries.

[Beebumble2]

Second Makita, DH actually locks his up! Mostly to stop DSs borrowing it!

[PigletJohn]

I agree you need at least two.

An 18v cordless combi drill will do most household DIY jobs, including hammer drilling into blocks and most bricks, and driving screws. You need two batteries so one can be charging while you work with the other.

For serious womanly jobs including drilling into concrete (seldom found inside a house) and breaking up paving, an SDS+ drill with rotostop. For DIY work it will probably, on average, be used about one hour a year over the next 20 years. So I am reluctant to spend much. Either included with a starter set of SDS+ drills, or buy a small set as an extra. It will be too big and heavy to use for anything except serious concrete and masonry work, so don't get a big kit. If you ever hold one at head level to drill for a curtain rail into a concrete lintel, it will do the job easily, but you won't want to do it again. To drill a one-inch diameter hole into a hard concrete garage floor so you can use an eyebolt to chain your motorbike down, or to drill a 40mm hole through a solid wall for a sink waste pipe, or to break up the concrete round a fencepost, ideal. Ask your dad if he seriously expects to do much of that. If not, it would be wasteful to spend hundreds on a good one, unless he has a display cabinet.