Cordless drills ideas/help .......

mark1e

Looking to get a cordless drill driver - purely for diy projects but along with a vast array of prices etc, can someone explain the difference between the batteries on offer - either the sizes 14.4v 18v 24v etc and also the battery type - is it purely charge up time and usage time or eg Ni-MH , li-ion etc.

Thanks

1984ReturnsForReal_2

How much do you want to spend?

I would aim for a li-on 18v combi.

B&Q sold an AEG for £80 with bits in my local store

& now they have an Hitachi for £99

They have an AEG with 2 NiCads & bits for £80 online now.

leveller2911

Hi Mark, Ni-cad batteris are old technology as is Nickel metal Hidride.They tend to take longer to charge and will get a "Memory" .This means you need to charge them fully when they are fully depleted, if you don't they will tend to only partially charge after a while. Lithium Ion are lighter in weight and you can trickle charge them, so if the battery is say 50% full you can pop it on charge and top it up.You should charge them fairly frequently to stop them failing to charge which they can do if kept in an uncharged state for too long.


When it comes to voltage thats the power, ie 24 v will be more powerful than 18v and 12v, more importantly for tradesmen is the amp hours, many batteries are around 1.4,1.8 or 2 amp hrs, this means if you held the trigger down (without drilling into anything) the batteries will last for 1.4, 1.8 and 2hrs. This isn't important unless you are doing regular work. The better cordlesses will do around 3amp hrs...........

Hope this helps.............Leveller

diable

Check out the deals on Screwfix and listen to the advice posted above.

TimBuckTeeth

The higher voltage drills are more powerful but cost more and are heavier due to the larger battery pack. A more powerful drill will cope better drilling holes with larger diameter drill bits and into harder materials, but is more awkward for use as a screwdriver.

The Li-ion battery packs are lighter and have a higher charge density so hold more power, but they also have disadvantages. I chose a NiCad battery as it was cheaper and should still be usable after a few years. Li-ion batteries deteriorate from the time they are manufactured, whether used or not, and will be damaged if over-charged or over-discharged.

Whatever type of battery you get, a good quality charger will keep it in the best condition. Cheap chargers do not control the voltage and current very well and do not switch off at the end of charge so can reduce the life of the battery. Very fast chargers eg. 30 minutes are convenient but are not good for the battery.

I bought the 18V NiCad AEG drill from B&Q and I am happy with it. It has 2 batteries, a good quality charger and it seems robust and powerful.

mark1e

Thanks guys !