My old Bosch has given up the ghost and so im looking to replace it.

Although it was a 'Green' Bosch it served well with great power it was a PSB 14.4v V-i

Anyway ive seen 2 drills that i like but cant quite decide which i should get.

It wont be used all the time but when i do i need some power.

Now ive seen a Dewalt drill for £80 with better spec and a lower price BUT its only got 2 x 1.3Ah Ni-Cd Batteries
Heres is the spec:-
Voltage 18 V
Battery Capacity NiCd 1.3 Ah
Chuck Capacity 1.5-13 mm
Power Output 400 Watts
No Load Speed 0-500 / 0-1700 rpm
Beats per Minute 0-8500/ 0-29000 bpm
Couple maximal 44 Nm


Now the 2nd one is a Bosch(blue) for more then double the price £180 BUT it has 2x3.0AH Li-Ion batteries.
heres the spec
Torque, max. 45 Nm
Torque, max. 19 Nm
No-load speed (1st gear / 2nd gear) 0 – 400 / 1.400 rpm
Max. impact rate 21.000 rpm
Battery voltage 18 V
Torque settings 15+1

Now i know the batteries will be a big factor but if you take those outa the equation the cheaper Dewalt has a better Impact Rate and Load Speed.

so is the extra money going on batteries alone with a slightly lower spec drill or am i reading this all wrong?

many thanks

You're probably right. Lithium-ion technology costs a lot more to manufacture than Nickel cadmium, but there are trade-offs. For a start NiCd batteries contain toxins and are difficult to recycle. Secondly 3.0Ah batteries have a far greater run time than 1.3Ah ones - 3 to 4 times as much. For a tradesman this is significant. For a hobby user it is less important. ThirdlyLi-ion batteries are much lighter than the equivalent NiCd batteries. maybe not a factor for you, but when working in awkward positions (such as drilling a ceiling) it can make quite a difference. Lastly, I doubt very much that you'll see any significant difference in the drilling or driving rate of these two drills - they are actually fairly close in spec.

Ok thanks for the reply, i guess i'll have to weigh up cost factor and how much use i will get out of it.

Sometimes i can go weeks without using one then i maybe use one for a few hours at a time so just wasn't sure what kind of batt life i'll get out of 1.3ah Nicd even though theres 2 of them compared to a to the 3.0ah LiIon whcih would last ages but if the power is the same or slightly better with the dewalt then i may go with that one.

I can recommend the Bosch 18v Lion drill from personal experience with it, i also own the cheaper 14.4v model that sells for £80 with 2 batterys. The cheap DeWalt tools B&Q sell are not like the older ones quality wise.

go for the bosch blue,exelent drills.

just got the makita 18v from B&Q not a bad tool!

Had an old DeWalt drill only replaced it cos the battery's would not hold there charge.