Cordless drill advice

jonny2510

After 20 years of occasional service, my old (B&Q corded 600W) hammer drill bit the dust, following some abuse I gave it over-drilling a tree stump (lesson learned).

I'm now looking for a replacement, and figured cordless now seems to be the way to go. However, there seem to be lots of different types of drill, and at this point I'm stuck.

What I'm after really is a multi-purpose drill, for (very) occasional DIY use around the house. Mainly wood and plaster I guess, with occasional use in masonry (maybe 4-8 holes in brick/mortar per year based on previous usage).

I'd ideally like something that will last another 20 years, to save me having to write posts like this, though I suspect batteries will let me down here. I don't know if it's feasible, but I'm also considering getting a cordless strimmer, so wonder if it's worth while trying to get something where the batteries can interchange between the two - no big deal if not.

Can anyone recommend:
- The type of drill I should be looking at (hammer, impact, combi)
- What I should look out for in a cordless drill
- Good brands for the DIYer
- Any specific models to consider

Finally, with the cordless drills, if the battery does run out, can you plug in an use it from the power, or do you have to wait for the battery to recharge?

Any advice appreciated

[Deleted User]

If you're only using it around the house & garden, my first question would be why on earth are you buying cordless, they're pointless unless you need a drill out in the sticks where there's no mains.

Norman_Castle

For occasional use a corded drill makes much more sense. Much cheaper and should still work in 20 years unlike a cordless drill.
£35-50 should get a decent corded drill with enough power for diy. With variable speed these can also be used as a screwdriver for larger screws.

When Do it All closed down, about 20 years ago, I bought a Bosch cordless and a Skil corded. The Skil still works as new, the Bosch struggles to hold a decent charge on either of its batteries.

lstar337

Norman_Castle wrote: »

For occasional use a corded drill makes much more sense. Much cheaper and should still work in 20 years unlike a cordless drill.
£35-50 should get a decent corded drill with enough power for diy. With variable speed these can also be used as a screwdriver for larger screws.

I have to disagree. For occasional use I would think the flexibility of a cordless drill makes so much more sense. With a corded drill you have to worry about extension leads and all that bother, and most aren't suited to doing up screws, or have quick release chucks.

I bought a Hitachi cordless that has done very well over the last five years and actually came with two lithium ion batteries. Two batteries makes good sense as you can stick one on charge while you use the other. I have never had to wait for a battery because of this.

Grenage

I used to be in the corded camp until I bought a Bosche Blue combi cordless. Now I have two, and you'd have to prise them from my cold, dead hands.

daivid

Have a look in some of the DIY catalogues and try to work out the requirements you need, e.g max diameter through various materials, functions and settings and see which drills meet your needs. It is true that with corded you can get much more power for your £, however modern cordless drills are very good and allow greater versitility in terms of drilling and driving, and going from one little job to another. If you go for cordless for light use a small battery should be fine, 1.5 or 2 Ah. If you want continous use 2 small batteries should work fine. I have an 18v bosch drill driver with a 4Ah battery. I find the drill to be excellent and the battery easily lasts a day of fairly heavy use, but over the top for light occasional use perhaps, and I dont expect it to last 20 years - the battery even less so.

adonis

lstar337 wrote: »

I have to disagree. For occasional use I would think the flexibility of a cordless drill makes so much more sense. With a corded drill you have to worry about extension leads and all that bother, and most aren't suited to doing up screws, or have quick release chucks.

I bought a Hitachi cordless that has done very well over the last five years and actually came with two lithium ion batteries. Two batteries makes good sense as you can stick one on charge while you use the other. I have never had to wait for a battery because of this.

I decided to get a Hitachi cordless drill and it is a really good drill and you get a 3 year warranty if you register it with Hitachi, I recommend as above you get a drill with two batteries as it is saves worrying that the battery will not last the job.

A cordless drill can be used as a screwdriver as well without a cable getting in the way.

jimmo

I am only an occasional DIYer on a real need to do basis but have a 14.4v cordless drill with 2 batteries (given to me as a present) and a 680w corded drill.
According to our kitchen scales the cordless drill weighs in at a little over 2.5 kg whereas the corded one is 1.7 kg.
Maybe I'm getting on a bit now but the cordless drill is so heavy that I only use it in places where the corded drill can't reach and neither are any use as a screwdriver because I have to use both hands to hold the drill.
In addition I have a very cheap corded SDS drill which is much heavier again but really does the job on the heavy duty stuff.
I also have a 3.6v pistol grip cordless screwdriver which has 6 torque settings and came with a pilot hole drill bit and cost me all of £15 in a B&Q sale. That weighs 420g
In my own circumstances I wouldn't be without any of the above but by far the most useful, and most used, is the screwdriver.
Think about what you really need, go to places like B&Q, Homebase etc See if you can actually get your hands on the display models and see how they feel. Then go online for the best price.
By the way, having 2 batteries with a cordless item is great if you want to get on with a job but really naff when you are looking for an excuse to leave it 'til tomorrow.

VoucherMan

I have a cheap corded drill for those jobs needing a bit more power, but prefer a cordless for everyday use (as an occasional DIYer that's generally limited to weekends, and only some of them). When the battery died on my previous cheap cordless I decided to get a DeWalt combi, figuring that if the battery did die on it there'd be more chance of getting a reasonably priced replacement.

Pleased to say that up to now I consider it one of my best DIY 'investments'.
Bought during a B&Q weekend sale, so great price too.

maisie_cat

I think a cordless drill makes perfect sense actually. They are much more convenient and modern batteries charge really quickly. I have 2 makita drill drivers with hammer and use them all the time. They are actually lighter than my older corded version. I'm female and find corded tools heavy and unwieldy but perhaps that isn't a problem for a bloke

Chrishazle

I've used cordless drills for quite a few years now, mainly 14.4 and 18V, but replacement battery non-availability meant I had to bin 3 good drills rather than pay £55 per pack to have battery packs re-celled (I had 7 of them!). Metabo say their battery packs will still be available in 20 years time, so initially I bought their 18V combi drill (2 batteries + charger, in a decent case), then about 18 months ago I also bought their 10.8V combi drill (again, 2 Li ion batteries + charger in a nice case) and have been amazed by the performance - it quickly became my "go to" drill, I've hardly used the 18V since I bought it! OK, you'll pay about £105 for the kit unless you're lucky enough to hit the FFX online sale (bought the same kit for my SIL a few months ago for £75 delivered). The drill is so small, light and easy to handle, yet has all the power I need for DIY jobs. That's what I'd recommend the OP gets!