Drill Battery Question....

daggy

We currently have an old cheaoi 18v combi drill

I'm looking for another combi dril and maybe an impact driver too...although for now just the combi will suffice

Had a play with the 14 v Blue Bosch one in b and q the other day and it felt good in the hadf, however, it's only 14 ; before that I prefered Makita, but after actually handling them I think the forward reverse switch on them is abit awkward to operate; plus they seem to invariably come without a work light, which I've always found useful....

anyway, I digress

My question is this:

Would it be better to get an 18v drill with for example 1 2.6mah 18v battery or to get one with 2 x 18 v, 1.3mah batteries...

collectively the operating time would be the same, but is it better to have a larger capacity battery or two smaller ones that will give the same working time?

fwor

A lot depends on how you will use it. I've got both small and large Bosch li-Ion battery packs.

If you're doing really heavy duty stuff like driving in lots of decking screws then the bigger battery holds up much better.

However, the extra flexibility of two small batteries is good for lighter duty work, as one can be charging while you're using the other.

The latter is also good if you have several tools that take the same battery (I have both drill and jigsaw).

wellused

Sorry I can't help but seeing this I have to say that I have never had much luck with battery drills, the first one I had I used to keep the battery on charge for long periods but found that it burned the charger out and I couldn't find another charger to fit the battery, the replacement has now decided to not hold the charge for more than a few hours probably because it has been left discharged for too long. Great bits of kit but I think that they need to be used regularly to maintain their efficiency.

daggy

Thanks for the replies

I'll mainly be using it for odd jobs, so perhaps two smaller batteries would be better.... the only screw intensive job I have planned is boarding out the loft, although a new shed is a distint possibility in the near future.... seriously considering an impact driver....

fwor

daggy wrote: »

seriously considering an impact driver....

I have one, and I should warn you that they tend to be brutal little b@st@rds, that have limited use, unless you can turn the impact feature off (can't on Bosch Professional range).

daggy

fwor wrote: »

I have one, and I should warn you that they tend to be brutal little b@st@rds, that have limited use, unless you can turn the impact feature off (can't on Bosch Professional range).

By brutal you mean tortureous? :P

Do you think they're worth the investment versus say a bosch combi drill?

Been looking at the Bosch pro 18v combi they have at tradepoint for about 100 squids....
I initially refered makita, but the bosch feels really good in the hand.....

As a guide, I'm gonna be boarding the loft out, possibly building a shed and doing some other general diy stuff....

probably garden work too, decking is a distant possiblity

sancho

I have a Ryobi one+ Drill/driver - came with 2 x 18v batteries and I really rate it. It wasn't that expensive and have since added a radio, palm sander and a chop saw - all using the same batteries

tony6403

daggy wrote: »

Thanks for the replies

I'll mainly be using it for odd jobs, so perhaps two smaller batteries would be better.... the only screw intensive job I have planned is boarding out the loft, although a new shed is a distint possibility in the near future.... seriously considering an impact driver....

Driving decking screws is not heavy work for a decent battery drill. My 18v Dewalt (2.6 ah battery) will do a very large number on one charge. Also got a blue Bosch 12v which will drive home more screws than you might think. The real battery drainers are the angle grinder and the recipricating saw.
For odd jobs recommend that you take a look at the li-ion JCB tools at B&Q which are not expensive and , if I recall correctly , carry a 5 year guarantee. Lidl sell a brand called Parkside.These tools have a 3 year warranty.Handled their li-ion drill which seems to have a reasonable build quality - at £50 (ish) can't imagine that you could be disappointed.

fwor

daggy wrote: »

Do you think they're worth the investment versus say a bosch combi drill?

Been looking at the Bosch pro 18v combi they have at tradepoint for about 100 squids....

I have to admit I agree with the last couple of replies - you can get really good value lesser names. I previously had a Screwfix Erbauer that was superb for the money, but the NiCad batteries eventually failed and it wasn't economically viable to replace them.

If the Tradepoint £100 deal includes batteries and a case, it looks like a really good buy, though be aware that the GSB 18-2-Li is a lightweight that probably doesn't have a metal gearbox. I went for the GSB 18-VE-2Li which does - it looks to be well enough built to last a decade or so...

globalds

I bought this set for work about a month ago
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hitachi-KC10DFL-12-Volt-Li-Ion-Driver/dp/B002X77M8Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1333843354&sr=8-3

Really impressed ..
The torque on the impactor is perfect ,especially for getting tired old screws out .
And the drill driver for it's size is fantastic.
I have the 18V set at home ..but for the stuff I do at work this set was perfect ..so much so that I wish I had bough this set for home.
The battery charges in 40 minutes so even if you are thrashing away with decking or loft boards ..not much more than a tea break gives you another few hours work.
Oh and a 10 year guarantee.

whasup

wellused wrote: »

Sorry I can't help but seeing this I have to say that I have never had much luck with battery drills, the first one I had I used to keep the battery on charge for long periods but found that it burned the charger out and I couldn't find another charger to fit the battery, the replacement has now decided to not hold the charge for more than a few hours probably because it has been left discharged for too long. Great bits of kit but I think that they need to be used regularly to maintain their efficiency.

It's all a question of how much you spend on the kit. Good quality stuff costs a lot but you get high power, no battery reduction and 15 minutes for a full charge. And you can leave the battery on the charger for as long as you like. With cheap stuff you get all the opposites. I appreciate you don't want to spend £160 on a drill driver if you only use it twice a year. But there you are.