Recommendations for a Cordless Drill

Soldato
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I want to buy a cordless drill, mainly for use as a screwdriver, as I already have a normal wired hammer drill.

Any recommendations? Anything in particular to look for?

Thanks Guys :D
 
Will it ever be used for drilling? If not then perhaps get a cordless screwdriver or impact driver instead?
 
Agreed, need a budget.

I bought a Makita from the LXT (453 I think) range for £150 and it is hands down the best tool I have ever bought (although most expensive as well so that is probably why)
 
Thanks for the replies so far guys.

I could spend up to £200 if I wanted to. I don't want to but just a cordless screwdriver, I would prefer something that can do light to medium drilling to, although my hammer drill can do the heavy stuff.

Favourite brand recommendations also welcome.

Thanks :)
 
Makita every time for that budget. I spent about £150 on mine and it's been the best power tool purchase I've ever made.
 
If your hammer drill is an SDS you can get a SDS drill chuck for standard drill bits (no hammer action with the chuck but that's what SDS bits are for).

I found the Bosch PSB 18V Li-2 (Li-ion) a decent drill - driver. After 3 years it's still going strong (including putting large 150mm bolts in the walls, coring ceilings etc). The only downsides are - the aggressive brake can loosen the keyless chuck and it's form factor is bigger than a simple driver. It's not an impact driver - this means it can hammer but not provider the pulses of rotation torque that an impact driver has for long length screwing without pre drilling (but it's not a slouch in the torque department). The PSB doesn't have a safety clutch required for masonry coring.

However it has two speed with torque control (can set the limit which is great for screwing soft woods/MDF), it's drilling is good and the hammer action is decent too with variable speed control. The B&Q offer has two fast recharge batteries it's always available. Also you need that larger form factor if your drilling to get the right accuracy. Lastly it has LED lights that light up the drilling area. Lastly it can be used one handed - including selecting forward/backward easily..

B&Q for £98: http://www.diy.com/departments/bosch-psb18li-18v-li-ion-cordless-combi-drill/258347_BQ.prd

I have it's bigger brother now :D An 850W Bosch SDS drill in the 2Kg size. The Li-ion PSB is great for 80% of tasks - and it's the first drill I will pick up. Although have seen the SDS 3.2J hammering in action.. it does make the PSB seem a little less hammer and more 'purr' :D However it's 'purr' has done me proud putting bolts in masonry.

It really depends on the overlap of your equipment and if you don't want to the hassle of pre-drilling large length screw holes where an impact driver would be better.

As a screw driver I'd look for:
* variable torque limit - this means you won't sink the head of the screw into soft wood and ruin MDF (or snap the bolts they provide)
* variable speed - so you can start slowly.. ensure the screw is right.. then speed up.
* size - to fit into awkward locations - I use a hex-bit flexible screwdriver extension with both my titchy ixo driver and the PSB. It should be balanced enough to have in one hand.
* impact is useful feature if you don't want to pre-drill long screw holes. Note your screws need to be able to take the high torque and so must your screwdriver bits.
* LED lighting
* magnetic bit holding - if things are going to drop down spaces.. they will.. unless it's magnetically held!
* light enough for one handed operation
* removable batteries - having multiple batteries means being able to cycle and continue...
* belt clip - useful if you're up a ladder..
 
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I've got a 12v milwaukee drill driver on the M12 platform and I'd recommend it as a general screwdriver, it has a 1/4" chuck instead of a twisty one like most drills. I got it based on a review I saw and the fact it was only £100 delivered with two 1.5ah batteries.

Very good for refined spaces and suprisingly powerful for a 12v unit, hasn't got the drive of a decent 18v drill but would you expect it to? And it can bog down if you're screwing into harder stuff but it's a good bit of kit for casual diy use not least of all because it's light and can be gotten into the smaller spaces.

If I'm driving screws into plasterboard all day I then use my main 18v combi drill but if I'm bolting together stuff or doing a quick job in the house then the milwaukee is the drill I go to.

And if needs be you can get 1/4" shanked bits for drilling.
 
I always thought it was the chuck that distinguished? With a hex-type chuck having a lot more play in it, making it less suitable for drilling?

I've no experience of this tool though so it could be fine, the build quality of my Milwaukee kit is very good so perhaps so?
 

Yes - perfect. Batteries are good - I've only found hammer drilling a mass of masonry holes in brick to cause the batteries to drain faster but even then one battery lasted for the session.

I've put in loft boards (drill & screw), put in shelves (again drill and screw), mixed paint (slowly using screwdriver gear! Using drill gear = muck spreading!), cored ceiling to put in extractor fan, drilled block masonry to put in an 18Kg solid oak frame mirror with an SDS bit (it's not an SDS drill but the chuck will open wide enough to take the bit), drilled brick outside to fix screws for decking, put up fence (drill/screw), drilled brick in the garage for bolts to put up tool boards. Also drilled wood and aluminium for an astronomy spectrograph project. Also preferred instrument for putting together flatpack because you can set the torque setting - so it will do up the screws etc without tearing the MDF or worse (iso!) snapping the screw themselves!

I'm considering doing a ixo/PSB/SDS comparison video at the weekend :)
 
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Yes - perfect.

I've put in loft boards (drill & screw), put in shelves (again drill and screw), mixed paint (slowly! Using drill gear = muck spreading!), cored ceiling to put in extractor fan, drilled block masonry to put in an 18Kg solid oak frame mirror with an SDS bit (it's not an SDS drill but the chuck will open wide enough to take the bit), drilled brick outside to fix screws for decking, put up fence (drill/screw), drilled brick in the garage for bolts to put up tool boards.

I'm considering doing a ixo/PSB/SDS comparison video at the weekend :)

Great, thanks.

I'll pick it up at the weekend!

Just need a few dril bits to go with it next!
 
I think my Dad has that Bosch, of the couple of times I've used it the chuck seemed to keep loosening itself off?
 
I think my Dad has that Bosch, of the couple of times I've used it the chuck seemed to keep loosening itself off?

Yup - that's the aggressive stopping it does. When you release the trigger - the drill immediately stops by breaking action. The result with the chuck is that it may loosen. I've got used to it to be honest and got into the habit of checking the tightness before drilling again. It doesn't just untighten mid-drill, nor does it untighten every time on stopping. Also it's not loosened when using the screwing gear speed.
There's also a point when it 'locks' with a soft click.. so it may be that it's not being tightened enough compared to the design.

This comment on the reviews in the B&Q sum it up:
As the trigger could not be released slowly, the drill went from full speed to off & spindle locked straightaway - this caused the chuck to loosen & the bit fell out.

I'm highlighting this as it's something that is a know 'issue' with the drill :) Still I manage to drill away quite happily without loosing bits..

Overall, after 3 years with it - it's a good drill, just with that 'oddity'.
 
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Thats something that can happen with most cheaper drills. The more expensive drills will have self tightening metal chucks that in 3 years of owning my drill have never slipped on a drill bit or come loose.
 
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