Looking for a decent electric drill

Joined
13 Feb 2006
Messages
241
Reaction score
3
Location
Tyne and Wear
Country
United Kingdom
My current drill, a Black & Decker was actually my father's so it was in the family for about 30 years (I would guess)

I say was .. yesterday it ended up in the bin

The hammer action button at the top has had to be taped to stay 'on' for a few years and yesterday it finally stopped working.

Now I'm looking for a replacement ... I'm only a DIY'er buy not that keen really .. more often or not hanging TV's for daughter, putting up blinds, and that sort of thing rather than regular use.

I'm sure a battery one would be good, but would it have enough power to drill through masonry?

Any recommendations please ?

thank you:)
 
Sponsored Links
As just a DIYer , my 18V Dewalt battery drill, drills through masonry OK , i have taken a 12mm drill all the way though a brick, also a lot of drilling for hanging things, shelves, window seat , outside taps etc , and a frame in the porch to name a few
you may want to look at some of the kits that include an impact driver, often on offer as a deal, and which I wish i had purchased years ago now, makes jobs so much easier and quicker (but i do have a 3 speed impact driver, which helps with small screws into wood )
whats your budget
Cordless , would you be buying other tools, saws, etc

Dewalt, Matika, or even places like Lidl (Parkside) and Aldi - not sure of there make now - i think it was workshop, and often screwfix/toolstation have offers
 
For occasional DIY use get another corded, and a branded one (eg Bosch) - a drill battery used occasionally is unlikely to last more than a few years and an unbranded corded drill is unlikely to have long term spares availability. You also get more power for less money with corded.
 
If you've put up with a taped B&D drill for so long, then unless you plan on embarking on a mass hole drilling exercise, then I would suggest any cheap no-name drill from where ever would see you through the next 30 years.

If your current drill is not an SDS and drilled your walls OK, then any 18v battery drill will do the same. But the thing to consider is if you will be using the drill for more non-wall drilling than wall drilling, and if so a 12v cordless may be better if going cordless
 
Sponsored Links
I'm not a big DIY'er and bought into the Ryobi cordless range a few years ago and have been more than happy with the tools that I have.
A "proper" tradesman would turn his nose up at them, but I'm not using them to earn a living. I've never had a problem with any of them...;););)
I'd highly recommend them for your intended use.

Another one worth a look at are these from Screwfix.....
https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-ebcd18li-2-18v-2-0ah-li-ion-ext-cordless-combi-drill/785hf

Comes supplied with two batteries/charger and gets brilliant 5 star reviews.
 
A "proper" tradesman would turn his nose up at them, but I'm not using them to earn a living.
You mean brand fan-boy surely?
I've not been a proper tradesman and not been doing proper work since 2006 :(
 
I've not been a proper tradesman...
Which is why you berate the lads who've spent their hard earned dosh on decent gear to speed the jobs up, then? :eek::sneaky:

Some kit can indeed make you faster, but if you are trade there is a payback time - I agree, though, that DIYers have the luxury of time and of not having to work against the clock which means there is less pressure to have "bells and whistles" tools. At home when I do DIY I often resort to a 12 volt cordless drill driver these days rather than bring work kit home. My home saw is probably 30 years old as well, but for masonry I do resort to my work kit SDS
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Which is why you berate the lads who've spent their hard earned dosh on decent gear to speed the jobs up, then? :eek::sneaky:
I bet my ryobi drill is just as fast as your [insert brand here] drill. :p And if I wear Snickers and the latest fashion toecap trainers, no-one can even tell im not a proper tradesman. :rolleyes:
 
Snickers? Nah, try Blaklader. Far more comfortable.

I actually have a semi skilled lad working for me right now who has Ryobi kit - drill/driver, impact driver, circular saw and jig saw - so I've had the opportunity to compare first hand the relative merits/brickbats. The biggest difference between his kit and mine is that in those four tools mine are all brushless (Makita) whereas Ryobi don't do brushless AFAIK. What that means is that, for example, his drill/driver is slower and gets hotter piloting steel for 5.5mm TEK screws, his impact is noticeably slower driving 6 x 100mm screws into C24 softwood, his circular saw is a lot slower and tends to "gag" a lot more when cutting 18mm structural hardwood ply and his jigsaw is just plain slower - but they still do the same job, and at about half the price I paid. Which is why tradesmen these days tend to opt for brushless tools in trade brands. Not a matter of being a fanboy - more a matter of necessity, especially if you are on a schedule or on a price

BTW that does mean that your Ryobi ISN'T as fast as my (insert name here). But at least it's cheaper. Your Ryobi is also a darned sight lighter and more comfortable to use than those horrible 18 volt big battery NiMH monster drills of 20 years ago and better than the 12 volt Makita NiCad stuff I had in the 90s, but I think that's as far as it goes.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Snickers? Nah, try Blaklader. Far more comfortable.

I actually have a semi skilled lad working for me right now who has Ryobi kit - drill/driver, impact driver, circular saw and jig saw - so I've had the opportunity to compare first hand the relative merits/brickbats. The biggest difference between his kit and mine is that in those four tools mine are all brushless (Makita) whereas Ryobi don't do brushless AFAIK. What that means is that, for example, his drill/driver is slower and gets hotter piloting steel for 5.5mm TEK screws, his impact is noticeably slower driving 6 x 100mm screws into C24 softwood, his circular saw is a lot slower and tends to "gag" a lot more when cutting 18mm structural hardwood ply and his jigsaw is just plain slower - but they still do the same job, and at about half the price I paid. Which is why tradesmen these days tend to opt for brushless tools in trade brands. Not a matter of being a fanboy - more a matter of necessity, especially if you are on a schedule or on a price

BTW that does mean that your Ryobi ISN'T as fast as my (insert name here). But at least it's cheaper. Your Ryobi is also a darned sight lighter and more comfortable to use than those horrible 18 volt big battery NiMH monster drills of 20 years ago and better than the 12 volt Makita NiCad stuff I had in the 90s, but I think that's as far as it goes.

It was 2006 when I decided to get rid of my ad-hoc collection of various tools and different batteries. At that time, Ryobi had some great offers of tools and batteries which meant I could quickly get a good set relatively cheaply. But more so, at the time they had a wider variety of less common power tools at vastly cheaper prices than the big brands. I knew nothing about them, or the quality, or performance so it was a chance. But they worked and that was the main thing.

Today if I was in the same position, Ryobi may not have that same advantage, as the big brands tools have come down in price, whilst Ryobi are not really that much cheaper and the batteries are disproportionality expensive. But as you say there are better tools that drill better and cut better etc, but the thing is is whether they drill and cut £200 better? I know that I would not benefit from any faster better tool, but I know some like you may well do.

But what annoys me is when I hear that people "should" get a Dewalt/Bosch/Makita or whatever and you can't use some other name or else you wont do a good job or you are not a tradesman.

When I visit sites and see the lads working, if I see some particular tool I will always ask about their opinions and experience, and I do see Ryobi being used by good and not so good lads, and by lads who have bought and use Ryobi and other brands for different reasons - but Ryobi invariably was bought on price and allows work to be done at cheaper cost. One interesting fact is that the lads don't have to worry so much about their Ryobi being stolen - and if it is, its cheap to replace!

BTW, Ryobi have a good range of brushless, and have recently released a range of compact 18v brushless too.
 
Well, there is a saying, "All the gear, and no idea". We have a couple of guys who that definitely applies to. These guys haven't yet grasped the fundamental principle that having high quality/price top brand tools doesn't turn you into a good joiner - chosen correctly they often do, however, make life easier for a competent joiner as well as making him more efficient. But it isn't a given. An ignorant (I.e unknowledgeable), lazy, disorganised or just plain second rate joiner won't suddenly become a great joiner by buying a the latest first fix nailer, or track saw, or SDS drill - but a guy who has a bit of skill, a bit of nous, is systematic and not lazy can often benefit from a more powerful, faster piece of kit.
 
As the old saying goes, "you pays yer money and makes yer choice"
I pay more for top range brands, my choice.
Faulty or less accurate tools cost me money.
 
Yes a trades person may well know (should know) the benefits of a particular tool. But in context of this and other "recommend a tool" threads, the person who needs to ask that question, especially if a DIYer, won't know the difference between a £200 drill with a brand name or a £19.99 special from Argos or Aldi, and I doubt will get any benefit at all from paying the extra just for the name.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top