Best drill for drilling wood.

[maikz]

Can anyone recommend some drills and drill bits(auger) for drilling 40mm diam. and 40cm deep holes into wood(logs).
Thanks

 

[Scrit]

40mm is a seriously large hole. I've been using Sandvik/Bahco power auger bits for years and they are pretty goo and will also work in a hand brace which can be pretty handy, but they no longer seem to go above 32mm. A similar design bit is made by Marples (Irwin), but again the maximum size seems to be 38mm. Is that a problem?

As to a drill to hold the bit all I can say is that you need something with a variable speed because you need to drill at 500 or so rpm, and use a drill with a reverse as you sometimes need to reverse out! I'd forget about cordless as the batteries don't last long with big bits - I use my 500 watt Bosch SDS drill with a 3-jaw chuck and it doesn't complain much at all

Scrit

 

[Scrit]

Oh, and when there's no power I resort to 1930s 2-jaw ratchet brace (12in sweep) - OK for a few holes buit I wouldn't fancy doing 600 holes that way.....

 

[maikz]

Thanks for replay. I'm just thinking, because i need to make 150-200 holes a day when i need it, will that sds drill cope with pressure. I used my hilti sds(1 year old) for mixing plaster and it didn't last long(luckily guarantee is 2 years). And does anyone know from where to get longer drill bits, should be like 40cm or 15inches long. Diam. 38-40mm.

I've looked some special drills from milwuakee and bosch, but those will cost a fortune(£400)
thanks

 

[Scrit]

There's quite a difference between drilling wood and mixing plaster or cement. I know some plasterers buy special low-geared mixers to handle the strain. If a 2kg SDS isn't man enough then why not go to a 3kg - problem is, as you are doubtless aware, the bigger you go the heavier the task becomes over the day, so I think a 3kg class machine would be the limit for extended working. As to drill bit length, you can get longer auger bits from people like Rutlands, I'm just not sure about the quality. Sandvik/Bahco certainly used to do an extension bar for their augers and I'm sure you'll find that other manufacturers do them as well. If nothing else and you find you need an oddball size, try Clico (Clifton Tools) in Sheffield. They still make auger bits and do loads of oddball tools - but they aren't on the net

Scrit

 

[Jasonb]

Possibly something in the mafell range may do, but I can only see upto 30mm augers and their stuff isn't cheap.

You can get the clifton augers on line here if you are up for it then the ring augers are close to the size you need and power augers on this page

Jason