Searching for the Best Cordless Drill for your needs can be a time consuming process. This handy innovation has come along way since Wilhelm Emil Fein brought his invention to the world in 1895.
Today you will have a large selection to choose from, different voltage, battery types and in a variety of price ranges. In this article I'll go through what I believe to be the most import things to consider.
One of the best things about cordless drills has to be the convenience, no cords to trip over, no worrying about finding long extension leads to reach into those hard to reach spaces.
A basic cordless drill is most commonly used as a screw driver & for fast drilling. These suit the needs of many DIYers, they provide the user with adjustable chucks (the part that holds the drill in place), some have variable speeds & they are capable of drilling woods & some metal as well as driving or removing screws. Expect to find voltage between 9.6 to 24V. As a general guide the higher the volts the more powerful the drill, another consideration here will be the weight a typical 18V drill could weigh over 2kg or 4-5lbs.
3 Tips when looking for the Best Cordless Drill
1. Battery
There are different types of battery. The Lithium-ion are said to be more advanced than Ni-CD (Nickel Cadmium) & Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hybrid). Although Lithium-ion batteries tend to be more expensive they do have these advantages
There are different types of battery. The Lithium-ion are said to be more advanced than Ni-CD (Nickel Cadmium) & Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hybrid). Although Lithium-ion batteries tend to be more expensive they do have these advantages
Longer run times - can be fully charged in 15 to 20 minutes
More re-charge cycles - said to deliver 2.5 times more than a Ni-Cd
40% lighter
More environmentally friendly
No memory effect - when other battery types are not fully charged, used for a short time & not fully discharged they can "forget" how to be fully charged resulting in having to re-charge them more frequently.
It is also worth thinking about the storage of your batteries. It's claimed that when Lithium-ion are stored charged (partly or fully) they will hold their charge for months. It is still recommended that the charge be topped up occasionally when not in use.
2. Voltage
When it comes to cordless drills power is calculated in volts. The higher the voltage the more power to the drill. You will find opinion divided as to which voltage is best for the Diyer, or are cordless drills powerful enough for the contractor or tradesperson. A variety of cordless drills can be found from 12 to 24V, less common are the 36V which are often favoured by contractors for heavy duty work.
When it comes to cordless drills power is calculated in volts. The higher the voltage the more power to the drill. You will find opinion divided as to which voltage is best for the Diyer, or are cordless drills powerful enough for the contractor or tradesperson. A variety of cordless drills can be found from 12 to 24V, less common are the 36V which are often favoured by contractors for heavy duty work.
3. Price
This is often the first thing that people look for. I would suggest that rather than just focusing on the price you look through the features the drill has to offer. Just to make sure you are not paying for something you won't use, or more importantly check that it will be suitable for the projects you are likely to want it for. In the lower end price range you could expect to pay less than $100. If you are looking for a cordless drill with accessories or additional batteries, something high end to invest in you could pay as much as $500.
This is often the first thing that people look for. I would suggest that rather than just focusing on the price you look through the features the drill has to offer. Just to make sure you are not paying for something you won't use, or more importantly check that it will be suitable for the projects you are likely to want it for. In the lower end price range you could expect to pay less than $100. If you are looking for a cordless drill with accessories or additional batteries, something high end to invest in you could pay as much as $500.
You can find a variety of excellent cordless drills on the market. When choosing any tool it's always a good idea to think about what you want to use it for. Quality will vary from drill to drill & your selection will undoubtedly depend on the type of jobs you carry out & the frequency.
Unless you do your research you could find that your choice of cordless drill leads you to purchase something more expensive than you need.
If for instance you only do a few hours work in a year, fixing a few household items you won't need the same drill as a weekend warrior. On the other hand if you don't get the right voltage or battery for your needs, you may have to keep stopping work, wasting time re-charging batteries & not have enough power to achieve the desired results.
So do your research and you will be sure to find the Best Cordless Drill for your needs.
If you read reviews of other customers, good & bad you can get a reasonable idea if the drill of your choice will be suitable.
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