Important Considerations When Buying a Cordless Drill
Cordless drills are probably one of the most commonly owned tools by a modern handyman apart from a hammer or screwdriver. Cordless drills save time and energy when drilling holes and cordless drill/drivers are excellent multi-use tools if you have many fixings to do. Of course the main advantage of a battery screwdriver manufacturers is its portability when compared to its corded cousin.
Main Types of Cordless Drill
The tool must be fit for the job, or so the old wisdom goes. So an important factor in selecting the right drill for the job is a thorough knowledge of what duties it is expected to perform. Modern cordless drills are capable of performing a variety of tasks and may come with a number of diverse features, among these are:
Multifunction Drill/Drivers. The drill is capable of drilling holes and fixing screws. An important feature to look for in a drill of this type is a variable clutch. This allows for screw fixing without the possibility of stripping the screw or destroying the mounting surface. Another standard feature in a drill of this type is a reverse setting as without it you cannot extract screws.
Hammer Setting. On a lightweight drill this can be of only moderate use in enabling drilling into masonry and concrete. This lightweight type of drill would be of use in DIY only. A more powerful cordless hammer drill would make short work of drilling into concrete and the truly powerful models may even have a rotation lock so that the hammer action can be used to "chase" a wall while installing cables, or even for light demolition.
Variable Speed Trigger. A very useful feature on a drill/driver as it makes driving screws a lot easier, but also of use if drilling metal as it allows lower speeds and avoids overheating. A similar feature can sometimes be gained by having dual speed setting which also alters the amount of torque the drill delivers.
Buyer's Decisions - Factors to Consider
When buying a cordless drill many factors need to be taken into consideration, not merely price or brand:
Whereas a corded drills power output is measured in Watts, for cordless drills it is more usual to measure the power of the drill by battery type. Generally, the higher the voltage rating, the more powerful the drill. DIY type drills are normally 12 volt or below, moderate use or light industrial drills are 18 volt. 18 volt drills are very common in industry at the moment although for light demolition a 36 volt model may be used. Choose according to the likely duty cycle for the drill.
Look for a drill that comes with a second battery and a charger. This choice enables you to work using the spare battery while the other is charging. Batteries should ideally be Lithium-Ion as older Ni-Cads have lower total charge and lose power as the charge lessens. Modern Li-Ion chargers are also much faster and some models boast a charge time for a battery of less than 15 minutes. Although "bare-tool" options may look cheap it is often much more expensive to buy spare batteries after the initial purchase. Some firms also do not sell chargers. Buying a drill with two batteries and a charger can save you heartache later even if the charger is not needed at the time.
Decide carefully and make sure you buy a drill capable of performing the tasks you will need it for. Buying a cheap cordless tool is often a false economy.
