Drill recommendations

[SummerVibes22]

What drill would you recommend? I'd like something super strong and for all occassions, so that I can drill the outside wall to hang flower baskets for example, but also to be able to do lightweight jobs like hanging pictures and drilling holes in garden pots.

We bought a cordless Makita drill and impact driver pack from screw fix and I love it. The driver means you can screw into wood without predrilling if you need to. They easily do a couple of hours of work without needing charging and you get 2 batteries so you can recharge one whilst using the other. They aren't too heavy either. If I get divorced I am putting them at the top of my list of things to take with me.

Pretty much any drill would do both of those.

I have two, a heavy Makita one which is a bugger to use and to remove the battery as it is so wide [made for man hands obviously], and a lighter Ryobi one which is a delight and so easy to take the battery out of. So go and try it out in B&Q before you buy, find one you can handle well and then buy that one.

Definitely cordless, they're so much more useful than a corded drill. Don't cheap out, cheap cordless drills aren't much use - go for a decent brand like DeWalt, Makita etc.

If you're wanting to drill into outside walls you need to look for a 'combi drill', which will have a hammer-drilling mode. You won't get through masonary with a normal drill. Most cordless drills are combi drills now though.

Oh, and make sure you get at least two batteries. Most brands will do a sort of 'starter kit' which will have a combi drill, two batteries, and a charger.

Something like this:
www.screwfix.com/p/makita-dhp453ste-18v-2-x-5-0ah-li-ion-lxt-cordless-combi-drill/487kg

If you get any more tools in the future, make sure they are the same brand so you can share batteries and chargers - the batteries are expensive!

If your drilling walls a lot then sds( slotted drive shaft ) drills are the best, I’ve seen the 600w ones for as little as £50 ( Bosch ). Once you’ve used an sds you won’t want to use a hammer drill ( percussion) again , Then just get a small drill for drilling wood etc.

cordless drills are good but the batteries don’t last forever and are expensive to replace , for occasional use corded drills are fine

Makita. Always Makita for us. If you stick with a brand, the batteries are interchangable between tools that you accumulate over time, buying another tool without having to buy batteries with it is a big saving. The three of us on this renovation have loads of tools, but I think we only have about 4 batteries- one charging when another is being used is useful, but if you only do the odd small job one at a time, one should be enough.
Cordless hammer drill for general work, mains or SDS mains drill is better for masonry but SDS weigh a ton and you will need strong hands and wrists to use one. You can get an adaptor for an SDS so you can use the bits that fit non-SDS drills, otherwise you need two sets of drills.
If your masonry is soft modern brick you probably won't need an SDS for it if all you're doing is putting in a few rawlplugs for things like a hanging basket. Engineering brick or Accrington brick, and bigger holes, a different matter.

Can’t think how long I’ve had my makita and it never lets me down. I find it really easy to use. Agree with PP about having two battery packs!

For heavy-duty work a mains drill is still best. They are cheap, robust, and far more powerful than battery ones.

If it’s not so heavy duty any if Makita, Ryobi or DeWalt brushless models should be fine.

Lots of misinformation on here due to weight , a small sds drill 600 watt (Bosch )2.3kg An average 18v battery drill Makita is 2.7kg. So the claims of sds weighing a ton are not quite right.

Op, I have maybe 5 different drills and each have their own strengths , if there was a drill that suited every situation then I’d only have 1 .

you need to think about the jobs your going to be doing most of and try and get the one that is best for that. And also your budget.

personally for occasional diy use I’d choose mains 240v over battery purely because it will always be ready to use when you need it and also you’ll still be using it in 30 years time.

one tip if you do get a battery drill ( I do have 2 ) Is to try not to leave them anywhere really cold for any period of time when not in use , shed , garage etc. the older type batteries were more prone to cold damage ( as I found to my cost ) .the more modern li on ones I’m not so sure. If I’m not using them now for any length of time I leave any cordless tools I have under the stairs in the house.

do you have friends/ family/ neighbours who you can maybe borrow one or two different drills off to try and see which one you prefer before you buy ?

www.argos.co.uk/product/1193576

I think this is great. Done loads of DIY with it - shelves etc. And the handles make it easier.

I agree with corded being more useful. The battery always seemed to run out at the wrong time on another battery drill I borrowed.

I have a Bosch SDS for drilling into brick/concrete - cordless Makita couldn't make a dent, but with the Bosch it's easy work. It is heavy, though, and not worth the price if you only need to drill a few holes, or if your walls are less stubborn.

For general purpose a cordless drill is fine. We have a Makita that we have thoroughly abused over the years and which still works well. Again, if you're not going to use it frequently or only need it for putting up the occasional picture, then get something cheaper!

Lots of varied opinions just goes to show op that there is no one drill that suits every job. I’m not sure of your budget , but if I was to recommend to someone that needed to drill a variety of holes in different materials then it would be these 2.

www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-dcd778d2t-sfgb-18v-2-x-2-0ah-li-ion-xr-brushless-cordless-combi-drill/268fx#product_additional_details_container

www.kelvinpowertools.com/bosch-gbh-2000-600w-1.7j-sds-drill-c-401-p-37562

£160 for both

My experience with other tools is that the cheapest versions of anything aren't worth bothering with. If you really need an SDS for a job, that's because you're needing a lot of welly, so the weight of a heavy one is actually something you want to have. If you don't need a heavy one, I think you probably don't need an SDS in the first place.
If the OP will be using a drill for masonry a fair bit, probably a middel of the range mains (and not SDS) drill with hammer action would be the best. If it's mostly wood/plaster/kicthen units and similar, with only very occasionally drilling into softish modern masonry, a decent cordless with a hammer option would do, if the OP was patient when she did have to do masonry and took it steadily.

DH likes a Bosch for everyday jobs and Dewalt for heavy duty jobs, both rechargeable - one definitely more staying power than the other.

All this for a few picture frames and plant pots.

Honestly OP the most basic drill will be fine for you.

Indeed. A worthwhile SDS is a beast. I can manage one two-handed, but I have strong wrists and hands for a small female, due to my job; even with two hands, depending on what you're doing, they pack a punch especially when starting up. They're great for all sorts of heavy jobs, I used ours for digging up some tarmac (with a chisel tool). But they are definitely two-handed.
Having said that, I would never be holding something with one hand and drilling with the other, even with a lightweight drill. That's what clamps, and/or marking-up are for.😉

@hannahcolobus it’s £160 for both of them. The sds is £60

Plus every sds I’ve ever used has had a clutch , I’ve seen people using diamond cores on drills without one , which is risky.
I think some people might be getting confused between sds plus and sds max , the sds plus machines are no bigger / heavier than a normal drill. It’s the design of the hammer mechanism than makes them better suited to masonry, less effort ,less noise and I’ve found them to be a lot more accurate.