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Any recommendations for a drill?

11 replies

Iris65 · 04/08/2017 08:36

We have DIY jobs in our new house. We would like one with a battery if possibel.

OP posts:
engineersthumb · 04/08/2017 21:26

It depends what you want to it for. A generic drill driver combi will do most jobs but the hammer isn't sufficient for hard brick or concrete. BOSCH GSB 18-2-LI PLUS is about £110 and comes with two batteries (essential as it's really annoying waiting for a battery to charge).
For harder materials you need a percussion drill, SDS is the most common fitting, £40 onwards but no use for driving screws.

outabout · 04/08/2017 21:35

DeWalt and Bosch 18 volt battery drills will manage most jobs. Second battery and fast charging handy if you have a lot of sustained work to do but a 1 hour recharge time is not much longer than a 'tea break/planning' time!
If you want to do serious work then around a hundred quid for decent makes is worthwhile. Cheap 'supermarket special offers' are simply toys.

PigletJohn · 04/08/2017 21:50

A lot of DIY jobs are little things like curtain rails, shelves, screw eyes for the washing line.

You will need a hammer drill for bricks, but an 18v cordless will be adequate for small jobs. They call it a "combi" because it can drill, hammer, and (by adjusting the torque) drive screws. I find an 18v is not too heavy even when drilling above your head, and has adequate power for small jobs. 12v is cheaper but weaker.

Unless you want to spend for a tool that will last a DIY lifetime, IMO a big-store own brand will do. They usually have a 2 year guarantee, so use it enough to get your money's worth. Get one with two batteries so you can have one charged while you are working with the other. They are pretty sure to be Li-ion (sp?) batteries now which will last a few years.

A couple of examples of low-price ones:
www.screwfix.com/p/titan-tti699com-18v-1-5ah-li-ion-cordless-combi-drill/4908p
(Titan is very much a budget brand.. but I have some)
So are Aldi and Lidl tools, but they have a good refund or exchange policy.

www.wickes.co.uk/Bosch-18V-Li-ion-Cordless-Combi-Drill-with-2-Batteries-PSB-1800/p/132176

I can't see a Wickes own-brand that fits the bill at the moment.

You can spend a couple of hundred if you want, but the batteries will probably fade long before the tool is worn out.

Toolstation and B&Q will have something similar.

Get yourself on the Screwfix mailing list and they will email you when they have a special offer day (most days with a "Y" in them)

If you ever have a lot of drilling to do, such as flooring a loft or building a shed, a basic mains drill will be cheaper, more powerful, more durable, and not annoy you by getting a flat battery.

If you need to drill large holes, or into concrete, you will need a drill that will be more expensive, or big and heavy. As Thumb says, SDS+ is a different system and not really suitable for light work.

PigletJohn · 04/08/2017 23:09

by chance, I saw this one listed today. Additional battery is £20

I know nothing more about it.

www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-18v-lithium-ion-cordless-drill-n29lk

mg28 · 04/08/2017 23:28

I really like the 18v Ryobi power drill

Liara · 04/08/2017 23:48

I like the Makitas. You can get generic replacement batteries on amazon for them, which cost half as much as the Makita batteries and are just as good.

I just bought a replacement for my old drill which wore out and it cost me 61 euros on amazon, I can use the same batteries and charger that I had for the old one (and for lots of my other tools)

UnconventionalWarfare · 05/08/2017 00:55

Wickes had the DeWalt 18v brushless combi for 100 notes last week no idea if its still on worth a look tho

outabout · 05/08/2017 09:10

Makita and Ryobi are also good brands. It is worth noting what 'professionals' use as 'cheapies' just won't last.
Sometimes 'ergonomics' can be important, how any given unit fits comfortably in your hand and ease of use.

johnd2 · 07/08/2017 13:32

I use Makita which was about 70 for the unit and 45 each battery. I find I almost never use my mains drill now.
It's mostly useful for not having to find a socket and having a lead trailing around, but the power is immense unless you're drilling big holes in brick (or small holes in concrete...)
I'd use it for big and small jobs, yesterday I was drilling 3 inch holes in plywood flooring with no bother. Charging is about 20 to 30 mins but I have 2 batteries (and 3 tools that use them)

PigletJohn · 10/08/2017 00:03

this Makita is allegedly reduced, it is one of the latest brushless models with electronic speed control.

pretty expensive, though.

click

johnd2 · 11/08/2017 22:29

Normally screw fix are expensive but that's pretty good including 2 batteries and the charger. That isn't the model I have but being brush less is not a bad idea. Mine isn't.

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