Thread: Suggestions for electric drill and price range

I have been constantly impressed by my Makita 18v drill and drill driver

I got a AEG 14V 2 speed,2 batts.it has a steel drive train/gearbox,had this about 12 months now followed my son who bought the same nearly 3 years ago.
This cost me $139 my son's was about $190
My son uses his a lot more than me,we both think it is the best one we have bought.

First check, if you can get your old batteries repacked.
That will give you time to shop around.


Paul.

There was a recent and positive write up on here about a corded AEG drill. When you find your professional's store, pick the tools up and get a feel for them. I have to try these things on. I will not use Hitachi cordless because they simply do not fit my hand. Some Metabos are just plain uncomfortable. What does fit is Makita but be warned, there is Makita and there is Makita. Dandenong South would be a good place to start looking.

Originally Posted by Njoy

Hi,
Ryobi drill 14.4V batteries both dead, virtually.
No replacements for this size now.
Frustrating.

Near decided to buy electric instead.
Need basis drill for timbers of various thickness,mainly.
Need 'gears'
And need speed change.
Durability, reliability, and tough.

Hope this makes sense. Still basic learner on such matters.

What drills would you suggest?

I dont know if I have a budget or not. Obviously not going to pay the earth. What price range should I be guided by?

Also, where on the South Eastern side of Melbourne or surrounds is the best couple of places to purchase power tools - professional but know what they are doing, and price, and supportive if need to get further advice etc
.
with thanks ahead of time,
Njoy ...Life

I'd recommend a drill equipped with lithium batteries an an excellent start. They're just so much better than the older chemistries in so many ways: slow self discharge, lighter weight/energy ratio, no discharge memory or partial charge or discharge penalties. They're the perfect solution for intermittent, heavy use.

As for the type of drill: whatever fits your needs, your hand and your pocket best.

Some superior features that I've personally found useful are:
2 gears only, with a 400-450 max in low for big augers, screwdriving, holesaws etc., and 1600+ in top for spade bits, riveting and other sheet metal work.
a battery that you can set the drill down on so that it can be easily picked up again without taking your eyes off that critically placed workpiece.
a nice, big 1/2" easily click-tightened knurled metal-sheathed Rohm chuck to provide a strong, reliable grip on cylindrical shanks even with sweaty palms.
a belt hook or lanyard hole for ladder work.
hammer function only if necessary: a drill driver is smaller, lighter, cheaper and probably more robust than a combi drill. Corded hammers, and cordless SDS tools run rings around cordless combis for plugholes and through-holes in masonry.
A reliable, reputable name-brand that offers genuine after-sales service and reliable spares and inexpensive batteries. Makita are one of the better examples of this currently, with an extensive repair network, and 3.0ah. Li batteries for about $100 ea.

I don't own or use Makita myself, but about 80% of tradies I know do. This in itself speaks volumes about the brand's reputation.

I have never really had much success with 14V drills. I have several of them in my shed that are just collecting dust. useless. The 18V drills are much better and hold their charge longer and have more power of course. I have 2 Ryobi 18V drills and so far doing okay. I have found that one needs to use these tools regularly for the batteries to hold their charge for longer periods. If you dont use them much, the battery seems to lose its charge very quickly.
I recently got a Black and Decker 18V driver and that has quite a bit of punch to it.
None of the drills I have are expensive models, the Ryobi's were around the $70 mark and the B&D I am not sure about as my daughter bought it for me for Christmas.
If you are after a drill for more than just hobby work then I guess you need to go to one of the more expensive brands but I cant advise you on those... I have never had one.

Mainly depends what size you want to drill and where, close to power or not. If you choose to go corded there are OK Makita models from about $110 upwards. I always check to see where its made first and go for one made in Europe or Japan.

Back on Batteries, it would be worth opening up ( unscrewing ) the case of one of the dead batteries to check what is inside. It's not uncommon for these things to be packed full of rechargeable C or D size regular batteries !! If that is the case you can go down to dickies or surf the net for some high capacity reachargeable batteries and repack it yourself !! Just make sure you replace Ni Cad with Ni Cad, Lithium with Lithium etc ( or stand well clear of the charger the first time you charge them in case they explode ).
For example, open up any regular 6V torch battery and what do you find ? 4 D cell batteries and a plastic packer !!

My Bosch 240VAC hammer drill is now more than 35 years old. made in Switzerland, it was the first electronic speed control drill released by the company. One new power plug and a new chuck. That's it. It has been used and abused and still chugs along. However, Bosch ain't what they once were. They're not made in Switzerland anymore.

My Bosch (yes, I'm a Bosch fanboi) blue series 12 Volt driver/drill was made in Switzerland and, apart from a few failed batteries, keeps on going. I don't think the new ones are made in Switzerland anymore either.

My next driver/drill will be one of these:

Cordless impact drills

Protool is owned by Festool.

Say no more.

I've got a Ryobi 18V lithium ion ONE+ cordless, an Aldi lithium ion cordless, and two corded Makita drills. The two Li-ion cordless are very handy and both seem to do the job - but I don't use them a lot and they have a pretty easy life. The 2 Makitas sometimes have a very hard life and go through every challenge without missing a beat.

Mind you, I've also got an old B&D corded drill that I just can't seem to be able to kill. My darling "borrowed" it for a few years and hammered it relentlessly, then I found it again and it still goes well.

I'm mostly a Makita man, but sometimes I balk at the price...