Looking for advice re buying a cordless drill/screwdriver.

MysteryMe

Lidl are doing a middle aisle promotion on Parkside power tools starting Aug 15th so you can walk out with a cordless drill, kayak and inflatable polar bear...

https://www.lidl.co.uk/c/parkside-picks/a10052434

victor2

Another vote for Lidl. Just be aware that the parkside range of tools generally come without a battery or charger, so you need to buy those as well, meaning they're not always the bargain they seem to be.

Bookworm105

do you have access to Lidl or Aldi near you?
For the use you'll give it the Aldi's own brand (Ferrex) does a really nice 20v hammer (impact) drill for about £30. Batteries and charger are however extra. 
Lidl have their Parkside brand and do similar, although my experience is Ferrex is better
(although I use DeWalt on professional jobs, the Ferrex drill comes in handy when i can't be bothered to change bits so have the DW and Ferrex drills and a DW impact driver on the go at once)  

I have the drills I need so don't pay attention in Aldi anymore, but I did note the other day Lidl do a range of 12v Parkside drills. However, i would strongly urge you to go for 18 - 20v stuff. 12v would be false economy even for DIY (and 6v is now a child's toy power)

I do have other Parkside tools, but find they lack staying power for even DIY jobs. For example their reciprocating saw (converts to jigsaw) is a handy thing, but easily overheats if the cut is too big so you have to wait for it to cool and reset. 

if you go the De Walt route then unless you are willing to pay £200+ you are really only getting slightly better DIY quality, but it will cost a lot more than the German discounters basic quality

(you can of course get brand new Ferrex and Parkside stuff on ebay but I have no idea where those come from and personally I'd rather wait to buy them from the shops than risk eBay)

PhotoMan

tacpot12 said:

MacAlister MSDD18-Li-2 has good reviews on the Screwfix website. £40 for a drill + charger + 2 batteries. 

It's got no hammer function, but that's a good thing as it means you won't try to drill brick and concrete with it. Get a cheap SDS drill (e.g the Titan TTB872SDS) when/if you need to drill brick and concrete.
 

So, using a screw driver bit can you use this as a screw driver? (Probably a dumb question)

chrisw

I've never had much success with cordless drills and DIY. They're either flat when you come to use them, not up to the job or the batteries won't hold a charge due to lack of use.

i have a 30 year old Bosch corded drill and a Bosch ixo cordless screwdriver which have covered more or less every eventuality.

Bookworm105

PhotoMan said:

tacpot12 said:

MacAlister MSDD18-Li-2 has good reviews on the Screwfix website. £40 for a drill + charger + 2 batteries. 

It's got no hammer function, but that's a good thing as it means you won't try to drill brick and concrete with it. Get a cheap SDS drill (e.g the Titan TTB872SDS) when/if you need to drill brick and concrete.
 

So, using a screw driver bit can you use this as a screw driver? (Probably a dumb question)

yes, one has always been able to use a screwdriver bit in any drill, it just required a bit of practice

with a modern cordless drill it is now much easier as some are designed for both drilling and screwdriving - often labelled as drill drivers. Look for ones that have "torque control" as that allows you to adjust the force (torque) they turn with. Obviously it requires force to drive a screw in, but too much force can result in the screw or (more likely) the screwdriver bit being damaged

you can tell at a glance if a drill has torque control as there will be a ring with numbers and symbols on it - see the blue ring in picture above
when drilling you need a constant steady force so the drilling function has one sitting, a drill symbol
for screwing you need variable force, hence the ring with selectable numbers

if you also want to drill into masonry then you need a "combi" drill as that adds a hammer action so you have 3 options: drive, drill and hammer. For DIY you don't need to spend out on an SDS drill (they require special drill bits so adding to the expense). Yes an SDS is better than a hammer for masonry, but your use will not justify owning 2 drills as you are most likely to be drilling the occasional hole in walls for shelves etc. not trying to bore your way through an entire wall to install pipes or electrics 

Bookworm105

chrisw said:

I've never had much success with cordless drills and DIY. They're either flat when you come to use them, not up to the job or the batteries won't hold a charge due to lack of use.

i have a 30 year old Bosch corded drill and a Bosch ixo cordless screwdriver which have covered more or less every eventuality.

I agree that a mains drill will outperform a cordless and i used to think like you, but since going to a modern semi decent cordless I have never even touched the 3 corded drills I still own - dragging power cords around when up a ladder is a pain 

Grenage

For light domestic use, you can get away with just about anything. 

I have a cordless Bosch blue combi, and a corded Bosch SDS for stubborn walls.

EssexExile

chrisw said:

I've never had much success with cordless drills and DIY. They're either flat when you come to use them, not up to the job or the batteries won't hold a charge due to lack of use.

i have a 30 year old Bosch corded drill and a Bosch ixo cordless screwdriver which have covered more or less every eventuality.

My DeWalt batteries hold their charge for months. Drilling into masonry can be done with the DeWalt but you need patience, I too fall back on the good old corded Bosch for heavy work, it's much older than 30!

PhotoMan

Bookworm105 said:

PhotoMan said:

tacpot12 said:

MacAlister MSDD18-Li-2 has good reviews on the Screwfix website. £40 for a drill + charger + 2 batteries. 

It's got no hammer function, but that's a good thing as it means you won't try to drill brick and concrete with it. Get a cheap SDS drill (e.g the Titan TTB872SDS) when/if you need to drill brick and concrete.
 

So, using a screw driver bit can you use this as a screw driver? (Probably a dumb question)

yes, one has always been able to use a screwdriver bit in any drill, it just required a bit of practice

with a modern cordless drill it is now much easier as some are designed for both drilling and screwdriving - often labelled as drill drivers. Look for ones that have "torque control" as that allows you to adjust the force (torque) they turn with. Obviously it requires force to drive a screw in, but too much force can result in the screw or (more likely) the screwdriver bit being damaged

you can tell at a glance if a drill has torque control as there will be a ring with numbers and symbols on it - see the blue ring in picture above
when drilling you need a constant steady force so the drilling function has one sitting, a drill symbol
for screwing you need variable force, hence the ring with selectable numbers

if you also want to drill into masonry then you need a "combi" drill as that adds a hammer action so you have 3 options: drive, drill and hammer. For DIY you don't need to spend out on an SDS drill (they require special drill bits so adding to the expense). Yes an SDS is better than a hammer for masonry, but your use will not justify owning 2 drills as you are most likely to be drilling the occasional hole in walls for shelves etc. not trying to bore your way through an entire wall to install pipes or electrics 

Thank you for the detailed and helpful reply.