Drills

[Damian Carter]

Hi All,

I have swept through reviews on combi drills, hammer drills and everything else and nowhere near deciding what I need or want.

My needs

I am a DIYER thats it. I need something that's easily portable (no cable ideally), hold a good charge and can drill wood, concrete and brick. I have two old style Boschs whose batteries have died a death and last no time at all and the moment they hit something too solid they give up. I have been told to go for Pro Bosch or maybe this Hitachi (see below) and would welcome peoples thoughts. My budget probably extends to £150-200 if necessary.

Hitachi DV18DCL2/JC 18V Li-Ion Combi Drill

I dug through some pages on this forum but many date back a fair few years and drills like anything have moved on.

 

[Damian Carter]

Also seen this one that looks like a monster...

Makita DHR242Z 18V 24mm Body Only Cordless Li-Ion SDS Plus Brushless 3-Mode Rotary Hammer Drill

 

[JBR]

I got fed up with batteries (DeWalt) dying. The drill was good until the batteries (two) began to stop keeping their charge. I wouldn't mind, but buying new batteries is as expensive as buying a new drill.

So I bought a mains powered drill (Bosch blue), which is great. It comes with a long lead and I also have a 10m extension cable, so I can use it anywhere at home - inside and out.

 

[handyjack]

Go for a corded SDS drill.

 

[Damian Carter]

Any suggestions on the corded sds drills?

 

[JBR]

I got this one:
https://www.howetools.co.uk/bosch-gbh-2-24df-240v-sds-hammer

A big advantage, as far as I'm concerned, is that it comes with two quick-change chucks: SDS and conventional keyless, so I can use my new SDS bits and all my old bits too. As far as I know, SDS bits are really designed for hammer use in masonry, etc. For wood and metal, ordinary bits are fine.

 

[JBR]

Let us know what you decide.

 

[cful]

I have had this one for a couple of years:

http://www.gasweld.com.au/m18pp2a-502c

It is a little bit more pricey (you'll need a bigger budget if you decide to buy this combo set), but I could not recommend it more. The 3 power settings for the impact driver makes it quite versatile - setting one is great for delicate tasks, setting two is good for day-to-day construction and there is maximum power.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Also seen this one that looks like a monster...

Makita DHR242Z 18V 24mm Body Only Cordless Li-Ion SDS Plus Brushless 3-Mode Rotary Hammer Drill

It isn't really a monster, but it is a bloody good bit of kit - providing you are looking for an SDS (masonry) drill. I have one of these and I recently disposed of my 2kg SDS+ drill (Bosch) because I no longer need it - tha Makita cordless more or less replaces it (that said I still have a larger 3kg SDS drill). What it isn't, though, is a drill. Frankly for drilling small holes, driving screws, etc it's NB. For drilling masonry in most materials up to 20mm (not tried bigger) or for driving large SDS wood auger bits through large joists it's really, really good. For other drilling, including hole sawing, etc I have a Makita DHP481 combi - which happens to be acceptably quick drilling into masonry, too (using Bosch Multiconstruct bits) - but can also do stuff like screwdriving.

 

[chappers]

One thing I would say is whatever you get make sure it has a full sized 13mm chuck.

 

[baggister]

On the subject of drills drills drills, I'm also in the market for a corded drill.
This is for general purpose home DIY - drilling holes in to brick walls is probably the most I'll do.
I'm half inclined to just go for Bosch green.

Saw this ... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-PSB-6...F8&qid=1458567749&sr=8-4&keywords=bosch+drill

With plenty of very positive, great reviews (cheap, light, fantastic, powerful), but some not-so-good ones too (chuck loses effectiveness over time, or something along thiose lines - plus, could be more powerful).

However, I don't mind paying a bit more for the Bosch blue 2-24DF ot Bosch blue 2-26DRE (not sure what the difference of either these two are - if anyone can mention? )

My girlfriend had an old Wolf drill, and it was fantastic - I sort of can't help thinking that the green bosch will last as long.

So shall I just go for the normal sensible green? Or go for the blue, with this unneccesary SDS stuff (for me anway).

Thanks

 

[Belle427]

I've had a couple of green Bosch tools and they have been great, I bet the insides are the same as the blue models.
Go for an sds model if you intend to drill any stone etc, it's like night and day.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

That old Wolf Sapphire? (cream or cream/turquoise or possibly red) was an industrial tool well up to the standards of any Bosch blue, Metabo or deWalt made today. Even the orange Wolf Cub (sold as a DIY tool) was heavier than any modern DIY tool - mine did 20 odd years in trade workshop use only dieing finally because the brushes were no longer being made. A trade tool will always outlast a DIY tool, but as you are aware it will cost more. If you need to drill masonry a lot then an SDS will pay for itself - but they are one trick ponies as you are aware. As an alternative have you considered a trade type dril/impact drill instead? Good brands include Bosch (GSB13RE) and Makita (HP1641). The main differences between DIY and trade tools are in the switch gear, chucks and bearing life (1000 vs 100 or less hours is not untypical - so in answer to the previous poster in my experience the innards aren't the same)

 

[baggister]

Not sure if it is a wolf sapphire, just says Wolf, I think it's red, Made in England (whew! how old is that?) ... I should photograph it and stick it on here to show you guys.

I used the Wolf to drill holes into wall (brick) to hang up a coat hook rack ... something my cordless hammer drill couldn't manage (and subsequently returned).

The Wolf, I have to say, still works - quite compact, but it's quite heavy, slight surface rust on the chuck ... Drills nowadays are more efficient, more powerful, lighter, but perhaps not as well made as they used to be.

@ch427 Thanks mate - I was definitely thinking green, but slightly worried about some bad reviews - chuck slipping etc. Also ,I want to buy one that will still be working in tip top condition in ten or twenty years. Also, its just for drilling into brick walls in a house for normal DIY - I'm not going to be in the garden drilling stones and stuff. I can't imagine I need SDS

@JobAndKnock not really masonry, just indoor stuff (brick wall etc). Also, that GSB13RE is an impact drill, HP1641 is a percussion drill ... I don't even know what these are! Haha

As far as I know, I want a normal reliable, quality electric drill that has a hammer for the walls stuff. Thats why I was thinking that Bosch green or maybe a bosch blue without SDS

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Masonry wall means any wall made from brick, block work, stone or concrete - building trade definition, but what you'd expect from a working carpenter.

Any percussive drill will outperform a non-percussive drill with the same amount of power when drilling masonry. Impact drill or percussion drill? Same thing, really, they use a mechanical cam and follower arrangement to generate the impacts which make holes in walls. SDS really refers to the chuck type BUT SDS drills are always HAMMER drills for masonry. Hammer drills use either hydraulic pressure (uncommon these days but it was what the original Kango SDS drills used) or pneumatic pressure (almost all current hammer drills) to help them drill in masonry - and they are far more efficient at it than mechanically percussive drills