Drill/driver V Cordless screwdriver

driver. I bought the Ryobi One+ driver a while back, it's a bit overpriced on its own but Screwfix often have it in a set with a drill and 2 batteries for =A399 which is a bargain.

Yup- go for an impact driver, if you're building heavier constructional joinery - not so good for small cabinet screws.

A cheap solution though is hex-bit drills swapped with screwdriver bits in a holder.

You can overcome that problem by using a 'flip driver'.

Or you can use a quick release bit holder

Many of the smaller & cheaper cordless drivers have internal batteries, which means you can't carry on when it runs flat.

Just a thought. Why would you need to swap a drill bit for screwdriver bit (unless it was a masonry drill bit)?

I haven't drilled a pilot hole in years.. Check out

I'd definitely go with a 2nd drill/driver, the performance of low voltage cordless screwdrivers tends to be pitiful.

Picking one that takes the same batteries as the existing one is a plus. The titan offerings are cheap at screwfix and more than effective enough.

Re hammer action on cordless, I've yet to find much use for it. If violence is needed, best to go for mains kit, which is far more powerful than any cordless.

There is another tip: for drilling wood you can regrind drill bits to give way faster performance, making your cordless much more capable. More speed, more holes per charge.

NT

I guess it is just a habit I got into, I drill pilot holes in "everything".

...and I pilot hole then screw in, then pilot the next hole then screw, then... hence all the bit swapping.

may also be worth considering an old mains drill. These do much higher speed than a cordless, they never run out, they're far more reliable, and at =A33 or so you can then get yourself some other fancy tool.

NT

For the hack DIYer its rarely necessary to drill pilot holes when setting screws into wet forced-grown knotty pine from one of the sheds but is a "must do" if doing better class work. If the job requires setting brass (not the plated junk) into decent well-dried stuff then its best to run a steel screw in first to form a thread.

You've not tried a Makita TD20D, then. ;-)

Buy some Turbogolds from SF - you ain't gonna believe how well they work.

no :)

You should :-)