Right angle drill adapters

[Rob Horton]

Been looking into getting something like this:

anyone had any experience of these and how do you stop it from spinning around on the end of your drill?

Thanks.

[Alan]

You hold it still with the other hand.... They work OK but are no substitute for a proper R/A drill.

Alan.

[Steve Firth]

I've been using one of these for some time:

works well, though for drilling you need to buy the quick change drills with a screwdriver hex shank. You stop it spinning by holding it with one hand.

[Kev]

I looked at buying one and wasn't all together convinced so bought a RA drill and I have to say it has been invaluable.

This thing is also extremely usefull but doesn't have the drill capacity of of a pukka RA drill.

[PM]

I bought that exact adaptor a couple of months ago. Absolutely brilliant for what I needed it for (drilling through floor joists). I have never used a proper RA drill so I can't compare the two.

The long outer sleeve just after the bit that your drill chuck holds does not rotate with the drill going round, that is the bit you hold. Because it is not fixed you don't need to hold the drill at a particular angle, you can rotate the adapter.

This particular adapter has metal gears for the right angle conversion, apparently you can get ones with plastic gears that don't last.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Rob Horton saying something like:

For occasional use, it'd be ok.

've used one of these for the past few years and it's superb.

[Doctor Drivel]

The link doesn't work.

[Doctor Drivel]

£90? I have seen proper angle drills for around £110.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Doctor Drivel" saying something like:

It wasn't 90 when I bought it - only about 40 odd, iirc. True, against an actual angle drill now, it's not really worth it.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Since Xmas is near you might put the Wicks Hi-Torque cordless drill on your list. It has a right angle adaptor - you just pull off the keyless chuck, clip it on - it locks in near any direction - and clip back on the chuck.

Excellent drill, two decent batteries and an intelligent charger. They were on special offer for about 100 quid - but don't know about at the moment.

[Doctor Drivel]

A proper angle drill can get in real tight as well.

[Doctor Drivel]

Made by Kress in Germany. Bought on the web or in the shop.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

But I actually have one...

[Fash]

The problem I have with all right angle drills I've seen is that they are battery powered. Drilling through 200yr old oak joists is pretty tough work and battery drills are just not really up to the job. What I would use a drill attachment for is attaching to a mains drill so it doesn't slow down after 10 minutes.

Fash

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The snag is that a standard drill doesn't lend itself to fitting a right angle attachment easily - if you look at the Wicks one you'll see how they've done it. (it uses a non standard chuck fitting as part of the design - it's not screwed in) This could be done with a mains type too at the design stage - but I've not seen one. And I've looked at the Kress site - they make the Wicks cordless one. So really you're into buying a pukka right angle mains type for this specialist need.

[Doctor Drivel]

Nice to know you took up my recommendation. This is encouraging. This drill is the only drill made in the world with this dual functionality. If anyone needs to buy a powerful drill/driver and angle drill with 2.0A/h batteries then this is a great deal - even at £120. The chuck can be removed and driver bits slotted into the hex slot on the drill body and angle attachment. Two separate tools of this quality would be X 2 in price.

[Doctor Drivel]

DeWalt and Makita make mains powered angle drills.

The Wickes/Kress is high torque and "may" do it, but a mains angle drill is what you need. From £140 upwards. Look on Ebay. If on sites and 110v is needed a company in the USA will send you one for a knock down price.

They are very expensive for what they are (and angle grinder body and chuck). B&Q were selling a mains semi-angle drill (very short body drill that can get between normal joists) for around £40-50, but no longer stock it. They were selling them off for £30 about a year ago. An Australian company made them, or imported them from China to their spec.

Or buy a proper angle drill that can get in real tight. Very useful when drilling joists in tight spaces. You will find that you will use the drill as a general purpose drill too as many are easy enough to hold when drilling normally.

[Andy Dingley]

What for?

For most purposes where you need a right-angle drill, then these are too big and clumsy to fit in anyway. For the others they're just a big crude and ungainly.

I don't use one, although I do have one. Instead I use either an old '50s straight drill (small, low power, spins wire brushes beautifully though), a hand joist-brace for drilling timber, or an angle grinder.

[Doctor Drivel]

Angle grinder as an angle drill? Prey tell. We are all ears.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Take any notice of a fool like you who just reads catalogues? No thanks.

I'd rather trust QVC...