£500 for drill set

[ldoodle]

Hi,

Looking for a new drill set: combi, impact, SDS. All my stuff is knackered.

Preferably cordless. I'd say mainly light duty, with the occasional heavy duty. Advanced DIY'er rather than trade.

Is this way overkill: https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/dewalt-dck368p3t-gb-brushless-18v-3-piece-kit-inc-3x-5ah-batts - doesn't have to come in a bundle package and I have no other cordless stuff so battery interoperability isn't a concern.

I keep stuff for ages (current is approaching 10 years) so happy to spend on quality.

Bonus accessory would be a nice bit set; spades, masonry, wood, hole etc. Not interested in set that have tapes, boat level etc.! I have separate set for forstner and auger.

Thanks

 

[ETAF]

I invested in the Dewalt 18V range a couple of years ago now, and have slowly built up a set
I'm a DIYer not pro
The impact driver i got has 3 speeds, and its been excellent for putting up a fancy fence and bolting Posts onto a wall, as well as used for basic screws around the house , same one as in the kit
DCF887
BUT i ended up getting a wired SDS Drill @xmas, just because it has a standard chuck as well as SDS and a good rating of 3J
Used last week with a 14mm SDS drill and it went through brick wall so easy - had to make about 12holes for bolts
D25134

Plus loads of other kit, Jigsaw, Circular Saw , Planer, Right-angle drill , drill, multitool, grinder all 18V
Have a few 5Ah & 3Ah batts
Then a mitre-saw cabled, SDS Cabled
Should probably have got the grinder cabled , as it just eats through batteries. Cut 12 old rusty bolts from the wall - 10mm dia , and the 5AH was exhausted and changed to a 3AH for the last couple of bolts

All been excellent so far
I have also noticed some of the trades that gave done some work on windows, roof, bathroom & Kitchen all had dewalt

 

[ldoodle]

Thanks. I've always preferred Makita for the power saws (I have their magnesium base cabled circular saw and it's incredibly light and accurate). I'd only get cordless for the drills - I wouldn't have the continuous use for the SDS to worry about batteries, I don't think!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

You may keep stuff for years, but sadly batteries don't last forever, not even professional ones. That might make a corded SDS drill a better bet, that and the fact that corded SDS drills are generally a lot more powerful than any equivalent price cordless model.

As a separate issue it's probably worth considering that if you want spares for any tool in the longer term then the only approach is to buy professional tools.

As far as cordless drills and compact drivers go the advantages of portability can often outweigh the disadvantage of high price - more so if you are a professional as opposed to DIY user

 

[blup]

I use Makita cordless having invested in the platform battery wise. Very happy with their tools and back up/warranty.

Kits tend to be a compromise so it's worth considering individual purchases.

I would recommend the DHP 458, very powerful for use with larger auger bits etc but not unduly heavy, much cheaper than the brushless equivalent 481. The DTD 152 is (now) an entry level impact driver but a bargain at around £55 from Amazon.

Don't have the cordless SDS drills but they are widely used in the building trade and get very good reviews. The jig saws, circular saws and reciprocating saws (cordless) I have found to be excellent as a DIYER.

Blup

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Don't have the cordless SDS drills but they are widely used in the building trade and get very good reviews.

As a tradesman who uses both on a daily basis I'd have to point out that there are some caveats to your statement; yes, they are widely used, often because they offer the advantage of portability on bigger sites and freedom from 110 volt leads, PAT testing requirements, etc (both major issues a DIYer will never need to worry about), but in general cordless SDS drills are mainly used for smaller diameter holes (up to 10mm or so) where the lower impact power of a cordless tool is less of an issue. Start drilling multiple 14mm or bigger holes for resin anchors, or in high density concrete, or granite and cordless SDS only have enough power if you are prepared to go to 36 to 54 volt tools. Even there the battery life is limited. 18 volt cordless SDS drills are also not as effective as the corded models when it comes to chiselling concrete or masonry - they're fine for cleaning up existing holes but lack the power to punch holes at any sort of pace in heavy masonry. Finally there's battery life which on lithium batteries is somewhere in the region of 6 or so years. This isn't an issue in trade where you expect to have to replace tools such as drills impact drivers, SDS drills etc. every 4 to 6 years (they get tatty and it's cheaper to replace than repair in many instances), but it's not a factor the OP is considering

 

[ldoodle]

I'm not bound to 'sets' and would happily consider individual products and even manufacturers. It probably does make sense to stick to the same though especially with cordless so I can interchange the batteries.

But basically, get corded SDS and cordless combi and impact. I assume the 6 years battery life is due to use (?) so is it worth buying spares upfront and use them, or do they actually have a shelf life too?

Thanks for the replies.

 

[ldoodle]

As a separate issue it's probably worth considering that if you want spares for any tool in the longer term then the only approach is to buy professional tools.

My current combi is Bosch Pro range from 2011 and is only now on its last legs. Except the Makita circular saw all the other stuff is shed and which I'm looking to replace tool-by-tool.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I assume the 6 years battery life is due to use (?) so is it worth buying spares upfront and use them, or do they actually have a shelf life too?

Usage is part of the problem, but basically Li-Ion batteries lose 5 to 10% of their charge capacity for every year of life whether you use them or not. At 40% of original capacity they become frustrating to use because on smaller capacities (3Ah and below) you just dont get enough run time out of them. Cordless SDS drills, along with cordless recip saws and circular saws, can be particularly heavy on batteries.

 

[scbk]

IMO for diy use, you could get a drill/driver twin pack for £150-£200 then a corded SDS for £100, that would have you well covered

Once we get back into normality, keep an eye on lidl/aldi for powertools and accessories.

 

[catlad]

The new pro core batteries from bosch are ahead of rest at the moment, I can cut all the concrete roof tiles on a velux window install with the same 8ah battery on my grinder.

 

[catlad]

I also have the GBH 18v-26 SDS which is powerful for battery operated tool.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

And the prices of these are? Bear in mind that the OP set a limit of £500 - AFAIK a couple of ProCore 8Ah batteries will set you back about £200, whilst the SDS you referred to is circa £220 to £250 (bare), leaving at best just £80 for a charger, a drill and an impact driver. Also aren't those ProCore batteries just a tad large to stick on an impact driver or drill for smaller scale tasks?

I'm not doubting how good these items are, just the efficacy of them in this setting

 

[Keithmac]

My Dewalt Lithium combi drill is over 10 years old and still going strong, not cheap but would definitely buy another!.

 

[catlad]

J&K
I typed the sds model number into ebay and the second seller down was £216 naked, My combi gsb 18ve-li is being sold by fx tools for £137 so that leaves £147 for the op to spend on batteries and charger of his choice.
OP you won't need an impact driver with that combi drill but I would recommend investing in the 10.8 range to complement those tools for regular use.