Please recommend a cordless drill!

P

pcatterall

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 Aug 2004
Messages
5,507
Location
Home East Lancashire boat Spain
Visit site
My old one is beyond repair.
This is for general purpose work around the house and on the boat. Including masonry metal etc.
I would like something which had a good speed control and I really want one where the chuck can be locked so you can tighten it with just one hand, ( ie not a chuck key and not one where you need to twist two parts by hand.)
Any recommendations please?
 
I'm pleased with my 18v DeWalt which came with one battery, saving cost. Since it charges very rapidly, I don't really find this a drawback for my diy use. the keyless chuck is very convenient. For "big" jobs I have a hefty mains drill, but it doesn't get out much these days.
Prior to the DeWalt I had a cheapo 2 battery drill, but as the batteries self-discharged quite rapidly, they were always flat when needed, PITA.
Brushless are good for low-speed torque, but a bit pricey.
 
I’ve got the DCD996. Super good drill. I’d second the DCD791, more compact than mine but a really solid straight drill driver. The 996 has hammer functionality and it does do good work, I have smashed some tap cons in, no issues but generally I don’t use the hammer function.
 
I don't think there's much to choose between the brands these days. Get one with 2 batteries, and ideally a fast charger. 18v batteries are supposedly better. I have a Bosch, it has a hammer action as well which I find useful at home.
 
Go for brushless, and good quality Li-ion. 2 years ago replaced an 18v Nicad el cheapo with a Makita 14.4v Li-ion brushless: More powerful, batteries last longer, lighter. I have a lot of Makita tools, some dating back nearly 40 years.
 
pcatterall said:
My old one is beyond repair.
This is for general purpose work around the house and on the boat. Including masonry metal etc.
I would like something which had a good speed control and I really want one where the chuck can be locked so you can tighten it with just one hand, ( ie not a chuck key and not one where you need to twist two parts by hand.)
Any recommendations please?
Click to expand...

I use my tools in a heavy domestic way.
My recommendation is Ryobi as they have so many different tools that all use the same battery.
I have about 6 batteries currently and multiple chargers. And lots of different tools.
Probably a bit lightweight for every day trade use but none have let me down so far.
 
The one on my boat is a DeWalt right-angle type, which has been invaluable in the confined spaces it is often used in. Obviously it can be used in normal fashion also. I bought it in about 2001 and it is still on its original battery. It has done a lot of work, including driving large hole cutters during heating installation.

I have a conventional shape DeWalt at home with two batteries, also good but a lot younger.
 
I decided on 12v for use on the boat and knocked up a charging lead for the batteries. The drill cost less than the postage on eBay.
Click to expand...

Yep ... seconded ... and if you have an old 12 - 14v job that basically battery has given up - don't waste money on new battery ... you can do what I did and many others have :

Remove and open the battery pack .... isolate the battery contacts so they no longer try to power the drill .. but leave the cells in so it balances the drill still.
Connect a cable to the now disconnected case contacts and have cable exit the case. Make sure you know + and - leads
Close up case and fit a plug to cable end that suits your 12v system on board.
Refit battery to drill.

You now have a 12v drill that will run as long as you have 12v on the boat.

Another solution to old batterys ...

I have a 14.4V drill that batterys just died ... so I opened up one pack ... removed the dead NiCd's and replaced with a 3S LiPo battery. The LiPo at full charge is 12.6V and under load maintains close to that much better than a NiCd pack which will suffer much greater voltage drop from 14.4V. That drill is now BETTER powered than the original. But if doing this - then you need a LiPo charger and the two leads exiting to charge the LiPo .... one lead is main power - other is balance lead. You can buy slow balance lead only based chargers for about 5 - 10 euros on eBay that will sort this.
 
Elessar said:
My recommendation is Ryobi as they have so many different tools that all use the same battery.
I have about 6 batteries currently and multiple chargers. And lots of different tools.
Click to expand...
Isn't that the same for all the major brands?

You can even get hoovers that run of Makita's batteries! More than one kind - wet and dry or regular.

Oh. look the new forum software is prettifying URLs: ? Full List Of Makita Cordless Tools

I got the Makita DHP481, which I think is their top-end cordless drill. Not sure if it does the one-handed chuck as OP requests.


I highly recommend Elliots Tools if you're in Hampshire or near Reading - Find a store | Elliotts - Hampshire's Leading Independent Builders Merchant

In June their Plymouth store was, £30 or £40 cheaper than I could find the same drill for online. I assume the price has fallen everywhere in the last 6 months, as I can now find it online for only £10 more than I paid. They also stock several other brands. Cannot praise their helpfulness enough. ?
 
Last edited:
We have 15 guys ( more or less) working on sites around the country. ALL of them use either Milwaukee or Makita tools. Generally the Makita guys are waiting for the money to upgrade to Milwaukee. However Makita DO do a coffee machine that clinches it for me ?
 
Elliots recommended Milwaukee to me, too. I chose Makita because I had previously found a Makita flashlight at the side of the road, so had one 18v battery.
 
I've got 18v Ryobi, a combi & a drill/driver, 2 batteries - excellent, used extensively when building an extension. Also have an Aldi 16v with 2 batteries kept on board, lighter than the Ryobi and much cheaper - excellent value.
 
duncan99210 said:
I’ve got a Makita which came with 2 batteries. Can’t remember the model but it’s ten years old now and still going strong (second set of batteries though).
Click to expand...

May I ask from where you bought the second pair of batteries to fit the 10 yr old Makita?? Mine's of a similar age - 8391D model. I did buy the De Walt from screwfix. Came with a pair of 4Ah batts & charger £150.. I think the deal ends early Jan. Better value than the similar Milwaukee with one batt at £180. The De Walt seems really well made & designed. Has a sweet, sound too. Well made chuck. However the Makita did me proud over the years though the chuck is now slightly worn. Batts only 1.8Ah though but not really a disadvantage. Be handy if I could find some decent batts for the Makita.
 
You have to judge what you personally will gain by spending more than £35 for a typical Li-Ion drill.
For a tradesman using a tool heavily 5 days a week, it doesn't have to be much better to make spending £200 a good call.
For a DIY person, you might spend the change on other useful things you don't have.
If you're doing lots of site work, you probably want a bunch of tools with shared batteries, and the drill is the least critcal.
No point picking a drill, then finding you can't get a compatible jigsaw/impact driver/saw/multitool/whatever.
I'd rather have my Ikea Li-Ion drill, and my Li-Ion Dremel, total cost about £100, than any £150 cordless drill.
But then I'm not a tradesman.
Ebay is chock full of 'nice' cordless drill whose batteries have died of old age.
You have to sweat these hings to get your monies' worth.
 
Milwaukee are very good but from experience of useing drills everyday for (work and play) i would say the best value to ability of tool is the 18v DeWalt. Screwfix often do deals with a drill and impact driver combined and 2 batteries. I highly recommend this. The advantage of buying from Screwfix too is should the thing give up on you there is generally somewhere near you can replace it under warranty. Im not from screwfix and generally dont like shopping there but,sometimes it worth the hassle!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top