Anyway - right angle drill adapter.

[morqthana]

I need to buy a right-angle drill adapter. Not SDS, and I don't have a quick-release chuck system, so I'm looking for the sort with a hex shaft and a keyless chuck on the other.

I can find any number of "makes" and sellers flogging this:

which looks exactly like the one I have, and it's a POS.

The reason I need to buy one is that mine has failed, because it's a POS.

Does anybody know if a real maker, not children under a kitchen table in China, makes one which is not a POS?

 

[Old Salt]

I just searched Google for “quality right angle drill attachment”

One of the results was from UK and looks promising. I would paste a link to the results but a lot of the wording is pants

 

[GhostIntMachine]

This may not be what you want to read. If you are doing any serious volume of angle drilling then the only ones worth considering are made by Bosch and Metabo for their corded drills (Metabo also have models for some of their cordless models). They have die-cast aluminium bodies and hardened steel gear teeth (photo culled from eBay):



I've used the Metabo model strapped onto the front of a Bosch 1100 watt 1/2in drill for quite a few years. The problems are that you need a heavy duty drill (i.e. 750 watt and above) with a 43mm Euro collar to use one, but they do work - and they are very expensive (about £160 these days, street price - mine cost £50 about 7 or 8 years ago off eBay, brand new). BTW, they come sans chuck, which you ideally need to buy as an extra. I used to use mine for drilling 14mm bolt holes through 3in thick joints for joist sistering (and it did more than 30k holes on one job alone)

Everything else I tried over the years just fell apart in no time at all, and I tried quite a few types over the years, including a small angle drill (Sioux/Milwaukee) which turned out to be gutless. I already had the drill at the time, so I thought £50 was a bargain. I've since bought a single-purpose angle drill (36 volt Makita)

If you are looking for a lighter solution, maybe take a look at the deWalt DT20500-QZ (£70-ish):

​

or Milwaukee OSD2 (£45-ish):



cordless adaptors. Both have decent cast chassis and are from reputable makes, but I doubt that they are all that heavily made (although still better than a £10 item of the 'net)

I've used a Makita DTL061 (18v angle impact driver) for 9 or 10 years now - a bit low on power and horribly slow, but that slim head gets ito small spaces where nothing else can which makes it an indespensible. One of these tools that everyone joshed me for buying - until thgey needed to borrow it to get them out of a hole!

 

[morqthana]

I just searched Google for “quality right angle drill attachment”

So have I, just.

One of the results was from UK and looks promising. I would paste a link to the results but a lot of the wording is pants

And the reason it's pants is that it's AI generated, and this AI, which we're all supposed to fear will take over the world, can't even tell the difference between a drill and a screwdriver.

 

[robinbanks]

I own one of these and it's been great for a number of years. I don't use it in my impact driver, mind

For situations where I've needed to drive a screw at a right angle with only about 10mm space to spare I've literally cut a PZ2 bit down to remove most the hex part using a grinder and then used a 1/4inch open ended spanner to turn it (while holding it into the screw with a flat bladed driver, I was that short on space)..

 

[morqthana]

This may not be what you want to read.

Well it isn't, but I'm resigned to the fact that this situation is just one more aspect of the enshittification of everything which is going on.

If you are doing any serious volume of angle drilling then the only ones worth considering are made by Bosch and Metabo for their corded drills (Metabo also have models for some of their cordless models). They have die-cast aluminium bodies and hardened steel gear teeth (photo culled from eBay):

View attachment 383491

Couldn't find that, but it looks as if it takes the place of the normal chuck, not connects to it.

I've used the Metabo model strapped onto the front of a Bosch 1100 watt 1/2in drill for quite a few years. The problems are that you need a heavy duty drill (i.e. 750 watt and above) with a 43mm Euro collar to use one, but they do work - and they are very expensive (about £160 these days, street price - mine cost £50 about 7 or 8 years ago off eBay, brand new). BTW, they come sans chuck, which you ideally need to buy as an extra. I used to use mine for drilling 14mm bolt holes through 3in thick joints for joist sistering (and it did more than 30k holes on one job alone)

I don't need that level of longevity or "duty cycle", but I would like to be able to buy something which isn't a made-as-cheap-as-possible POS. Is that so unreasonable?

If you are looking for a lighter solution, maybe take a look at the deWalt DT20500-QZ (£70-ish):

View attachment 383493​

or Milwaukee OSD2 (£45-ish):

View attachment 383494

cordless adaptors. Both have decent cast chassis and are from reputable makes, but I doubt that they are all that heavily made (although still better than a £10 item of the 'net)

Both of those are for screwdrivers - they take ¼"/6.3mm hex bits, not drill bits.

I've used a Makita DTL061 (18v angle impact driver) for 9 or 10 years now

That's a screwdriver, not a drill.

 

[morqthana]

View attachment 383513

I own one of these and it's been great for a number of years. I don't use it in my impact driver, mind

That's for screwdrivers, not a drill. It takes ¼"/6.3mm hex bits, not drill bits.

For situations where I've needed to drive a screw at a right angle with only about 10mm space to spare I've literally cut a PZ2 bit down to remove most the hex part using a grinder and then used a 1/4inch open ended spanner to turn it (while holding it into the screw with a flat bladed driver, I was that short on space)..

I don't need to drive screws.

I need to drill holes.

I need to buy a right-angle drill adapter.

 

[morqthana]

For situations where I've needed to drive a screw at a right angle with only about 10mm space to spare I've literally cut a PZ2 bit down to remove most the hex part using a grinder and then used a 1/4inch open ended spanner to turn it (while holding it into the screw with a flat bladed driver, I was that short on space)..

This sort of thing wouldn't work if you did only have 10mm to spare, but it would once you'd got the screw part way in, and it's a useful addition to ones collection of tools:

 

[cdbe]

I've got one of these, smaller as it's 12v and only 10mm chuck but obviously can be used with blacksmith/spade bits if you take your time. Obviously battery and maybe charger needed if you don't have one; I already had a toy SDS drill.

I also have one of these which is a bit bulky compared to the Milwaukee (which I bought to do a kitchen - handy for pilot holes in cabinets etc) so it'll be going on eBay when I get round to it

 

[drives]

I've got this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0001GL098?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_7

Used it a few times and it has been good. Last time I did use it, for whatever reason it was a real struggle to loosen the chuck by hand to get the drill bit back out but got there in the end. Whether this is slightly better or the same as the ones you've owned, I don't know and I've only had it 9 months and used it 4 or 5 times so not rigorous use.

 

[foxhole]

How big are the holes you need to drill , lots of hex drill bits around.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/11Pcs-Carbon-Steel-Shank-Working/dp/B0B5FC8886/ref=asc_df_B0B5FC8886?mcid=569333c17ee03edfa54a814ecedc050f&hvocijid=802426065087627830-B0B5FC8886-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=802426065087627830&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006637&hvtargid=pla-2281435176698&psc=1&gad_source=1

 

[morqthana]

How big are the holes you need to drill ,

20 & 25mm with augur bits

 

[foxhole]

Lots available.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woodworking-Precise-Drilling-Various-Materials/dp/B0DHLL7FR7/ref=asc_df_B0DHLL7FR7?mcid=6b6d1e2f1bfc36d2a59ff0c876c435a6&hvocijid=12716075257783162862-B0DHLL7FR7-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12716075257783162862&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046574&hvtargid=pla-2281435176658&psc=1&gad_source=1

 

[GhostIntMachine]

Lots available.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woodworking-Precise-Drilling-Various-Materials/dp/B0DHLL7FR7/ref=asc_df_B0DHLL7FR7?mcid=6b6d1e2f1bfc36d2a59ff0c876c435a6&hvocijid=12716075257783162862-B0DHLL7FR7-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12716075257783162862&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046574&hvtargid=pla-2281435176658&psc=1&gad_source=1

Auger bits need to be run at lowish speed in 25mm size, and that is only a 12 volt too, so not a lot of torque, Larger auger bits, over 12mm normally have a 7/16in (11.1mm) hex shank. I just confirmed this by measuring a few of my own. So anything with a 10mm chuck won't be big enough for an auger bit (just as well given the high power/torque requirements of such drills). TBH even if you could get a smaller shank auger bit I doubt that would have the beans to drill through a 2in joist with a 25mm auger bit very often without the risk of either knackering the gearbox or cooking the motor. I use one of these for cabinet installation (Milwaukee M12FPDXKIT), it has a 13mm chuck and whilst it can d 25mm holes in 2in joists it labours and gets pretty hot - and it's a brushless tool:



It will, however, drive a 32mm spade bit through a 38mm laminated chipboard worktop, so I agree with @cdbe and @foxhole that the OP would be far better off switching to a spade bit rather than an auger bit and running at higher speed - it doesn't require such a powerful motor, just a fast one, and you don't need a tool with a 13mm chuck. Just keep the tool sharp if you are drilling many (needle file). And, OP, I know that what I showed was an angle impact drill, but with 1/4in hex shank spade bits it will indeed drill 2in softwood joists with smaller bits up to about 20mm (never tried bigger ones, but TBH you didn't specify your requirement for 25mm holes through joists). Despite being pretty gutless it has the speed, and I do drill smaller holes with it periodically when I don't have a heavier angle drill with me (fortunately my spade bits are all 1/4in hex shank), but it really isn't my tool of choice for joist drilling

You can get all sorts of drill bits in 1/4in hex shank these days:









But always bear in mind that auger bits require a lot more power/torque than spade bits. You can even get 1/4in hex drive auger bits up to 25mm or so, the problem is that they have a tendency to wind up and snap like carrots in the larger sizes, so I no longer use them (sorry, Trend).

Take it from me, NO drill adaptor, other than the heavy duty ones I first linked to (mounted on a reasonably powerful drill) will ever be able to run a 25mm auger bit through joists reliably and consistently without breaking. Despite what you may think, this really IS a heavy-duty application. FYI for heavy applications the trade has started moving on to tools like this (Makita DDA460) which will run 30mm auger bits or 50mm hole hog bits through joists with ease:

,

But they are expensive, and they weigh a ton, especially when used above your shoulder level.
Bosch, Fischer, etc

 

[morqthana]

In no particular order, and avoiding all sorts of multi-quoting.

I'd been hoping to avoid buying more bits, as I already have sufficient. Ironically the spades and augurs do have hex shafts, but of course neither are ¼". The spade bits are a tad under (0.23"/5.8mm) and the augurs are over (⅓"/8.4mm).

TBF I was only using an augur bit because that's what I'd been using in other places where the joists were wider apart. Still too close to use a spade bit in my drill, but there was enough space for an augur. Where I am right now the joists are so close I can't even get the drill with no bit in it in there.

My 18V (NiMh, not Li-ion) drill copes with a 25mm augur through the joists without any complaints, and whilst I agree that the reality is that right-angle adapters aren't capable, that's partly what I mean by "POS", and I can't help wondering if an adapter built to a price point of £50 rather than £10 might be capable. Yes - a professional doing lots of drilling would be better off with a dedicated right-angle drill, but it is a source of disappointment to me as a DIYer that outside of that, or a drill with a replaceable chuck, my only choices are POS 'A' or POS 'B'.

Lastly, I did have a chuckle about taking it slow and steady.

These things are about as amenable to being restrained to "slow and steady" as a Jack Russell in hot pursuit of a rat.