Cordless Drill/Driver advice needed.

[Design_Rob]

Hi all,

I'm about three weeks off starting a barn conversion and want to buy a few items to ease my chore. I've spoken to a friendly builder and he's suggested a minimum voltage of 18V, and to buy two so you can be drilling and screwing without changing bits all day. He also said get two batteries per drill. Is this overkill?

anybody have a top three manufacturers, I've looked at Makita, DeWalt (I could only afford 14V if I did) and Bosch but I'm really not aware of which I should consider.

Thanks in advance. (I'll be back to ask about table top saws next week!)

 

[Deluks]

Before Big-all jumps in with his "I rate them light to medium trade" routine. I can recommend Ryobi. You can get the one+ kit for about £100 on screwfix, this is a standard 18v combi and a right angle drill, with 2 batts and charger. not sure that the right angle will get lots of use but you could ebay it and buy a bare ryobi drill/driver for all your screwdriving.

ooh look, I just found this.

If you can stretch the budget this Bosch set will cover all your needs, the impactor will become your best friend when driving screws into big timbers (no pilot hole needed!)

 

[Design_Rob]

Excellent, thanks, just for info, my budget was around £200-£250 for the two, inc batteries and charger.

 

[splinter]

Excellent, thanks, just for info, my budget was around £200-£250 for the two, inc batteries and charger.

screw*** are doing ahitatchi 18v wih 2 battries for£90 well worth that price,other than that you can get a hitatchi 14v with 3 battries for less than £120.

 

[big-all]

Before Big-all jumps in with his "I rate them light to medium trade" routine. I can recommend Ryobi.

l m a o
yes i know i sound like a scratched record
but i have to agree

 

[Deluks]

Before Big-all jumps in with his "I rate them light to medium trade" routine. I can recommend Ryobi.

l m a o
yes i know i sound like a scratched record

I've been wanting to do that for ages

 

[Design_Rob]

Thanks yet again everyone.

Have looked at the Hitachi at Screwfix but it comes with 1.4Ah Ni-Cd Batteries, so for me that's probably a non-starter.

The Ryobi two pack is seriously good value, but again it uses Ni-Cd's. This has really surprised me, I would have thought that nobody uses Ni-Cds any more, or is the cordless tool market a long way behind the camera/laptop market which are now li-ion, after many years of Ni-Mh. I had assumed all batteries would have been Ni-Mh by now? I really don't want to have a great drill let down by poor batteries I need to nurse.

The Bosch drivers mentioned above however are Ni-Mh and are in budget.

I've found a Makita 2 pack which comes with three 2.6ah Ni-MH, and for a bit more 3.0ah ones, but I haven't had any recommendations for Makita.

I've still got a week before I need to commit. Anyone who has a negative or positive opinion on Makita shout now!

 

[gcol]

Yep, I'm a makita man. I've got one of these http://www.powertoolsuk.co.uk/webcat/details.asp?ProductCode=8444DWFE&ID=2920 and it's the best bit of kit I've ever bought. Batteries last ages and the torque is unbelievable. You're paying for the batteries really - you can pick up another drill body here for £60 http://www.powertoolsuk.co.uk/webcat/details.asp?ProductCode=8444DZ&ID=2922

 

[Deluks]

The nicads are fine, but you must follow correct charging routine. I get a suprising amount of use from my one+ batteries.

Anyway, you've got the money, get the bosch set. This is perfect for your needs. Like I mentioned before, screwdriving into big timbers is a piece of **** with an impact driver, and the bosch is one of the best you can get. You might be able to pick up equivalent makita set for about the same price, but performance wise it'll be the same. Dunno about makita but the bosch come with a 3 year guarantee if you register within 4 weeks of purchase.

 

[seaangler]

hang fire for the new bosch "turbo tough" range which look like they will out perform the opposition . as for two drills - just get the one and a few trend snappy bits

 

[Deluks]

Late entry!!

Good value and with some accessories to boot. (I'd personally still get the Bosch though for the impact driver )

 

[JB Gas]

I only use makita or bosch blue get li ion if you can afford £258 18v drill driver makita li ion 3 ah on its

 

[Design_Rob]

Thank you everyone for the advice and links.

Landscape manager at a local builders merchants I use for my day job says she will do me the twin Makita deal for £170 plus VAT without the canvas bag and drill bits. So I'm going for that simply as its too good a deal money wise to miss.

I was going to post a follow up question about 'which sliding mitre saw' but I've found enough answers on other posts, making this a truly useful site.

 

[gcol]

Good price! I hope you'll be very happy together.

 

[ModernMaterials]

Yep, I'm a makita man.

you'll learn

(probably not)