Should I pay extra for the brushless 12v drill

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opps

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I never got around to learning how to drive and am looking to buy a small and light cordless drill.

I currently have two old 18v Dewalt nicad drills and an ageing Festool TDK 15.6. The Festool's batteries only last for about 15 minutes but I like the fact that it has the various attachemnts such as the right angle and the offset fitting.

Bosch, Milwaukee and Metabo now sell "12v" drills with the same attachments. I am considering buying the Bosch version. I can buy the brushed Bosch drill with attachments for about £150

https://www.lawson-his.co.uk/bosch-...-2-x-2-0-ah-al-1230-cv-l-boxx-gfa-ghx-gwa-gea

But I see that Bosch also sell a brushless version of the drill that uses the same accessories.

The brushless version will probably cost about £80 more.

The brushless model has a higher torque but my main consideration is the amount of space and weight it will add to my rucksack. Will the brushless version need charging as regularly as the brushed version? If not then what are the advantages of the brushless version?

I don't plan to buy any other 12v tools so I am not wedded to one brand over another. Ideally, I would be happy to buy it without the expensive proprietary box.
 
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Dewalt also do a 12V range , but possibly not with all the attachments
Brushless should give longer battery life, as you say more torque and of course wont need the brushes to be changed after a lot of use

So it really depends on what you are planning to do with it - as a DIYer I have a few cordless Brush tools and they work fine for my needs

having the 2 batteries will be good
https://cordlessdrillzone.com/drill-wars/brushless-vs-brushed-motor/
 
Brushless version will need charging less, as it will last longer on the same battery size.

You'll be very surprised at the power, torque and lightweightness the brushless 12v has compared to a nicad tool.

I think they are a great category that's often overlooked.
 
I mainly use 18 volt and 2 x 18 volt tools at work, but I do have a couple of 12 volt Milwaukee tools for tasks like kitchen fitting and work around the house - the brushless oil impact driver and the brushless drill/driver with those really handy detachable noses, similar to the Bosch. Was it worth the money? Probably, yes - at least to me.

TBH I don't think there is a great deal of weight difference between the brushed and brushless versions of the Milwaukee (compared to a colleagues brushed kit), but as expected the brushless versions are more powerful and the batteries do last longer, which is just as well considering how slow the battery charger is.

If you do get any modern 12 volt Li-Ion kit you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much more powerful it is than the old 12 volt NiCd kit, and how much longer the batteries last (and how small the batteries are in comparison). Is it worth buying the brushless versions over brushed? I think that depends on how much work and what type you are doing

They won't replace my 18 volt kit any time soon, but they are very handy to have at times
 
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ETAF said:
Dewalt also do a 12V range , but possibly not with all the attachments
Brushless should give longer battery life, as you say more torque and of course wont need the brushes to be changed after a lot of use

So it really depends on what you are planning to do with it - as a DIYer I have a few cordless Brush tools and they work fine for my needs

having the 2 batteries will be good
https://cordlessdrillzone.com/drill-wars/brushless-vs-brushed-motor/
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link.

Unfortunately Dewalt do not have the attachments. I suspect that Festool own the patents and only 3 brands have decided to pay a licencing fee.
 
Swwils said:
Brushless version will need charging less, as it will last longer on the same battery size.

You'll be very surprised at the power, torque and lightweightness the brushless 12v has compared to a nicad tool.

I think they are a great category that's often overlooked.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I am sold. I will order the brushless version. Not having to carry the charger for small jobs will be a big bonus.
 
opps said:
I suspect that Festool own the patents and only 3 brands have decided to pay a licencing fee.
Click to expand...
If they ever did own patents, they presumably ran out a while back. Milwaukee (and sister brands Atlas-Copco, AEG and Kango) had quick change chucks on SDS drills bscknin the 1990s (I've owned a couple of them), whilst offset chucks and angle chucks are hardly new, either. Maybe DW, Makita et al just think the market is too small for a relatively expensive option?

BTW don't AEG also have a switchable head tool?
 
JobAndKnock said:
I mainly use 18 volt and 2 x 18 volt tools at work, but I do have a couple of 12 volt Milwaukee tools for tasks like kitchen fitting and work around the house - the brushless oil impact driver and the brushless drill/driver with those really handy detachable noses, similar to the Bosch. Was it worth the money? Probably, yes - at least to me.

TBH I don't think there is a great deal of weight difference between the brushed and brushless versions of the Milwaukee (compared to a colleagues brushed kit), but as expected the brushless versions are more powerful and the batteries do last longer, which is just as well considering how slow the battery charger is.

If you do get any modern 12 volt Li-Ion kit you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much more powerful it is than the old 12 volt NiCd kit, and how much longer the batteries last (and how small the batteries are in comparison). Is it worth buying the brushless versions over brushed? I think that depends on how much work and what type you are doing

They won't replace my 18 volt kit any time soon, but they are very handy to have at times
Click to expand...

Thanks.

I hadn't taken in to account the battery charging times. I will need to check the times for the 3 brands. IIRC the Festool 10.8v is only available as a brushed option and it would take up more space in my bag.

The main thing that puts me off the Milwaukee is that it looks as though when using hex bits, without a chuck, there is no locking ring. That said I would probably only use it without a chuck when space is very limited.
 
I don't think the battery charge times will be an issue - you'll be hard pushed to use more than one 4Ah or 6Ah battery in fast, surely?

The Milwaukee choice was simply because Bosch didn't offer a brushless at the time
 
JobAndKnock said:
If they ever did own patents, they presumably ran out a while back. Milwaukee (and sister brands Atlas-Copco, AEG and Kango) had quick change chucks on SDS drills bscknin the 1990s (I've owned a couple of them), whilst offset chucks and angle chucks are hardly new, either. Maybe DW, Makita et al just think the market is too small for a relatively expensive option?

BTW don't AEG also have a switchable head tool?
Click to expand...

I hadn't thought of AEG.

Funnily enough, my first ever orbital sander (VSSE 280) was an AEG sander rebadged in black as Atlas Copco, circa 1993(?) ##

AEG seem to have an angle attachment for their OmniPro tool.

https://www.aeg-powertools.eu/en-eu/products/woodworking/multi-tools/omni-rad

It is a tool body that can be used as an oscillating saw, angle drill, reciprocating saw, toaster, kettle...
 
JobAndKnock said:
I don't think the battery charge times will be an issue - you'll be hard pushed to use more than one 4Ah or 6Ah battery in fast, surely?

The Milwaukee choice was simply because Bosch didn't offer a brushless at the time
Click to expand...

Good point, I hadn't even thought about buying a 4 or 6Ah battery given that the Bosch drill are typically supplied with 2 or 3 Ah batteries.

The following lists charging times when using the standard and fast chargers.

https://www.bosch-professional.com/gb/en/products/gba-12v-6-0ah-1600A00X7H
 
opps said:
circa 1993(?)
Click to expand...

the renowned German engineering company, AEG, went bust since then. some parts were bought up. For domestic appliances, the brand name is owned by Electrolux who stick it on some of their products. I don't know if anyone bought the rights to use the badge for power tools.
 
JohnD said:
the renowned German engineering company, AEG, went bust since then. some parts were bought up. For domestic appliances, the brand name is owned by Electrolux who stick it on some of their products. I don't know if anyone bought the rights to use the badge for power tools.
Click to expand...

I lose track of whom owns who these days...
 
i have the bosch set it cost me the same price [150]but about 3-4 years ago
starting with a smaller bodies any way give you better access and it fits in your pocket:D
yes the brushless will be stronger and last longer but would suggest another 2.5/3/4ah battery would be better use off the cost difference
 
I wouldn't pay any premium for brushless unless I was using the tool heavily and frequently and I got a tangible benefit. I can report that every single one of my battery tools is working just the same, and a battery swap solves things when a battery run down :rolleyes:

TBH, brushless is not exactly a new technology nor is it more expensive. Its a big swiz from the manufacturers who are holding it back and pumping out the same brushed motors and bringing in brushless gradually and in limited numbers as an "upgrade".
 
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