Looking for a new cordless drill...

StevieP

StevieP

StevieP

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I'm looking to get myself a new drill, primarily for small jobs around the house but have no idea what is any good!

I've seen this Makita 8391 which has a couple of batteries and quite a few accessories but I have no idea if it's any good, or even overkill for my uses!?!?

In the past I've generally had rubbish cheapo drills and electric screwdrivers and they have invariably died a death!

Should I be looking at one with a lithium-ion battery maybe??

I don't really want to be spending more than around £100 so any suggestions are welcome! (and it would be handy to have something with a carry case that has the various accessories contained within because I tend to lose things that aren't kept all together! :p)

Thanks...
 
Thanks for the reply!

I'm tempted with the Wickes deal since it has the higher capacity battery (I assume a 3amp battery lasts a lot longer than the standard 1.3amp one?) and also includes an accessory set!

I assume this piece of kit is suitable for all kinds of drilling and also has a variable speed for screwing in screws? (ie. you can start out pressing the trigger lightly for a slow speed to start off and gently increase the speed rather than it being full speed straight away?)

Sorry for the daft questions but as you can tell I'm very much a novice in this area! :D
 
If I was buying a new drill, the wickes one is the one to go for.

I would not buy anything other than Li-Ion cordless. Its charged after you use it and retains full charge. NiCd and NiMh both need charging before use, and have a lower power output.

There is one mistake on the description, and that is the drill will never ever do 13000 RPM. 1300 yes.

And yes, it had torque settings, and variable speed (depending how you press the trigger)
 
Just bought a makita too, but the BHP453SHE @ £130. I treated myself to a Makita drill bit set too @ £20.
I'm just about to buy a house and need to build every bit of furniture you can imagine, plus hanging curtains, blinds, and any other jobs around the house that crop up.

Very happy with the limited use I've had out of it so far. I suspect the drill you listed and the BHP453 are both roughly the same drill, but the li-ion battery bumps the price up (they're £80 a pop bought separately)

Mine does exactly as you say, slow speed with a slight press, full tilt with a full press. It also has an electric brake so it slows to a stop quickly.
I would shop around using the product number and google. With the BHP453 the letters after it denote extras, the 'E' is a 2nd battery, 'RFX3' is single battery but with accessory kit, and I think there were a couple more.

You may find you can get a 2nd battery cheaper than buying the E version, etc.
 
Cheers! :D

What is the charge retention on these things like? I'm just a bit worried that I might not use it often enough and end up with the battery slowly dying!

How often should you use/charge it to keep it in top condition?
 
StevieP said:
Thanks for the reply!



I assume this piece of kit is suitable for all kinds of drilling
Click to expand...

Yes, it covers masonry, wood & metal, plus you have selection of screwdriver, torx bits & three socket for driving coach screws,etc.

The only other thing I would treat myself too,( NOT essential) is a set of 'Bosch Multipurpose Drill Bits', I have the four piece set, can drill most holes in masonry with out hammer function.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-multipurpose-drill-bit-set-4pcs/95958
 
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I'd go for the higher capacity and smaller kit, that great big kit you'll use one or two bits and the rest will be lost in a few months, once you burn out your brown plug masonry bit the set will be useless.

Buy the better drill and build a set of bits you need slowly.
 
Depend what DIY you intend to do, the 101 set, covers most jobs including hole saws, which aren't used that much in day to day jobs.
I myself would prefer the larger battery & smaller accessory kit as that covers 99.9% of what you would most likey tackle, & buy any others you may need as the job comes up.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions guys! I think I'm leaning towards the Makita with the 3amp battery after all the suggestions!

(maccapacca, I think a £40 drill bit set in addition is probably overkill for my uses but thanks for the suggestion!)

If I do end up using this beast sporadically, how long can I safely leave it between uses without it losing too much of it's battery life??
 
Mine sits for months without use and doesn't drain, it's only a short charge so I tend to just use mine till it's dead and recharge which I assume is better for the cells than keeping them topped up all the time ready for use.

That drill set is great though, it'll be the only one you ever buy, I've just replaced the brown plug masonry a couple of times but that's it.
 
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