Cordless Drill - Which One

[stevec59]

Hi,
I have had my cheap cordless drill for about 3 years now and it still works fine, but the batteries don't last, I have 2 of thme, but neither of them last longer than 5 mins, so i am looking at replacing it (probably not worth or can't get batteries).
It's a case of what to go for, i don't won't to spend a fortune,

B&Q do
Black & Decker EPC188 18V Combi Drill £49 (Item No. BQ 70580)

The '150-piece accessory set.' is a bit of a joke, it includes screws and rawplugs, some drill bits and screwdriver bits, so i guess worth £20.

Asda are selling a Draper Drilldriver
Catalogue number: 123-0968 £17, only 1 battery (14.4v)

http://direct.asda.com/Draper-Drilldriver/001230968,default,pd.html?purl=hotukdeals#BVRRWidgetID

And Home base do a 12v drill for £9.99 (only 1 Battery)

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet
Advise?
Is 3 years average, in wich case might as well go for something cheap?

Thanks

Steve

 

[merlin50]

none of these they are rubbish

try the link below and on a wednesday take an oap with you and get another 10% off

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2917380

 

[merlin50]

if you do not want to spend a lot get a drill with a cord on it, something like a bosch. even the cheap bosch green are better than that rubbish.

 

[stevec59]

Thanks

£50 is my limit really,will have a look at Bosh

Steve

 

[Jake1886]

£50 won't buy you much.

Have a look on Ebay and search for a brand call Site, basically made my Makita. I see a 14.4v going for £47 and a 18v for around £80.

 

[gblades]

How about http://www.screwfix.com/prods/52347/Power-Tools/Cordless-Drills/Ryobi-CHD1201-12V-Drill-Driver
My main advice would be to go with a well known make such as Black & Decker, Ryobi, Bosch etc... Avoid the cheap own brand shop makes as they are usually pretty poor.

 

[stevec59]

Wow, thanks for that
Looks good, £29.99 with 2 batteries and according to the 1 review:-

"Good Drill / Driver for DIY, but probably a bit under powered for the professional. No Hammer action so you will need a second hammer drill for brick work etc. The built in light is a great feature giving spot on light just where you are drilling. Having the two batteries is fantastic; it’s so annoying getting half way through a job and running out of juice. The built in light-up spirit level is quite a good idea if not a little gimmicky. A Good Basic Drill Driver"

I quite like the idea of the ' built in light-up spirit level', might help me drill straight

Just dug out my old one, Is a Performance 14.4v Hammer Drill, so I guess it came from B&Q. The cheapest Performace they now do is £29.98 and comes with 1 battery.

Steve

 

[merlin50]

do not take any notice of screwfix reviews they remove the bad ones

 

[noseall]

If battery life is what you want then look at lith-ion battery powered machines.

You will pay a premium because of the batteries but they are the dogs.

Anything under £50 is considered 'throwaway', i.e. not serviceable. You are unlikely to get lith-ion for that price.

 

[merlin50]

as i said this is a bargain Bosch 18v Li Combi Drill (+2 Batteries) £90 @ B&Q order it online, the site is a bit tricky, then go with an oap on wednesday and pay £81.00 for a drill that will last, i bought one and i already have 4 bosch drills and 3 others

 

[bonzobanana]

Don't buy a nicad based drill with only one battery. You'll be tempted to recharge before its fully discharged shortening its life. Nicad batteries should be fully discharged before charging to maximise life. This is because many nicad drills come with simple timed chargers that will charge for a set time like 1hr and then stop. If you charge a battery already half charged you will damage it and ultimately reduce its lifespan considerably over time.

However lithium drills you can safely buy with only one battery as they normally come with intelligent chargers that sense when the battery is fully charged. The chargers tend to be better designed as there is a small risk of explosion if over-charged with lithium.

£50 is to low though. There are many great models below £100 but nothing as far as I can tell at £50 or below.

 

[stevec59]

Thanks for all the replies guys
Think I will go for the Robi, my last B&Q Performance last me 3 - 4 years and that isn't bad, will probably get the same from the robi.

Steve

 

[Mackins]

Push the boat out and get a Makita LXT 18V, Ryobi and all them other makes are cheapo tat, a LXT will last you the duration and do any job needed.