Combined cordless screwdriver and drill

[Jim K..]

Easier than holding a cylindrical drill bit sPamela...

[Pamela]

I am interested in getting a small cordless screwdriver like the one in Lidl at the moment.

Is it possible for this to take a small drill bit to make a pilot hole?

I haven't seen any combined cordless screwdrivers and drill. Are they too different to include in one tool?

[Andy Burns]

you can get hex-shank drill bits, e.g.

but you might find a screwdriver is a bit slow for them, compared to a drill-driver

[Jeff Layman]

You can get drill bits with a 1/4" hexagon end (the same size as screwdriver bits). Or you can get a pin chuck with a hexagon end like this:

For making a pilot hole these are probably ok, but I wouldn't try to use a cordless screwdriver for anything needing any degree of accuracy, and I most certainly wouldn't use it with a drill bit over about 3mm diameter.

[Roger Hayter]

They have drills to fit without bothering with a special chuck adaptor (which are also available). For instance:

I don't think that particular driver will do with any but the smallest drills, and it is a bit weak for many screws. May be worth having for occasional use.

[Andy Burns]

No, there are *plenty* of drill-drivers out there.

As well my heavier 18V hammer drill/driver and 18V impact driver, I have a couple of these 10.8V drill drivers ... handy to have more than one so you don't need to keep shuffling between e.g. drill/countersink and screwdriver bits

[charles]

a great many years ago I had a B&D battery device that came with drill bits and screwdriver blades. It wasn't very good at either job - to fast for screwdriving and too slow for drilling. I can put screwdriver blades in my present rathr larger drill , but it has a varaible speed.

[Marland]

The hex-shank bits I have had appeared to have been held in by an adhesive which made them fine for pilot holes in wood or plastic, a couple I used for a pilot hole in metal ended up with drill loose in the shank. Possibly heat generated in doing that ruined the bond.

GH

[Dave Plowman (News)]

A screwdriver needs a positive drive for the bit. A normal drill chuck could slip, being simply friction. So screwdrivers usually have a hex chuck.

You can buy hex shank drill bits to fit a screwdriver, but they are obviously more expensive than ordinary twist drills.

The drill speed is also likely rather slow for drilling.

Also, there will be some play between bit and drill. Not ideal for accurate work.

[Andy Burns]

yes, some use resin others are crimped ... they're all expendable.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Apropos of actually answering the OP, I bought a dirt cheap wickes screwdriver and it drills OK for reasonably light use. Going into brick with a hammer option I use something more manly...

It takes standard drill bits just FINE

is what I have. Unlike the cheap orbital sander which has died *again* this product seems OK. # DO NOT BUY THIS POS # Ive bought a makita to replace three days ago and although its more expensive its SO much better

The paper clamping is the best Ive ever seen, the motor is smooth and runs cool, and they even provide a punch to make the anti clogging dust extractor holes in the sandpaper.

[tabbypurr]

that's a cordless drill, not a screwdriver.

NT

[Pamela]

Intresting to see it's called a "drill driver" although it looks like a drill.

Presumably "drill driver" means "drill and screwdriver" rather than "something which drives in drill bits"

How do those three fingers in the chuck hold a screwdriver bit correctly?

[Pamela]

[Pamela]

That looks very useful. It's just what's needed to make the screwdriver into a basic lightweight drill. Thank you.

[Andy Burns]

You can get it for under £50 as body only, I actually bought one kit with 2x batteries, a drill and charger, plus an extra drill and an extra battery ... I'm sure there are plenty of similar shed-brand drill drivers if you don't like the Makita price.

I think it was TNP who linked to this £30 one earlier, it has a keyless chuck instead of a 1/4" hex chuck, so it's a bit longer.

[John Rumm]

Yup, drill driver normally means a drill, that can also drive screws.

It distinguishes it from a powered screwdriver, which is usually too feeble to do anything, a "combi" drill (which is a drill driver that also has a hammer action), or an impact driver, which is a very high powered screwdriver with a percussive angular mechanism to gain a big increase in torque and reduce the tendency for the bit to jump out of the screw under load.

That is just a normal "three jaw" chuck. The fingers will sit nicely on the three of the flats of the six on a hex shank.

[Martin Brown]

Just avoid the Hitachi - I got one on special offer from Screwfix because the price was just too good to ignore. The chuck failed before the batteries did but after way too short a time. Its predecessor lasted nearly a decade. I replaced that junk after three years.

For casual use if you wait long enough Aldi/Lidl will have something that will do in the drill which will work as a screwdriver. I honestly wouldn't bother with an electric screwdriver pretending to be a drill.

[Andy Burns]

Probably like many, I bought a B&D rechargeable screwdriver in the late

80's it wasn't replaced when the battery died.

[charles]

That's probably the one I had, too.