I need a new cordless drill/driver - what's recommended?

[cl]

I'm after a new cordless drill driver to replace my aging Metabo ones, I have an SBT12 and a BST9.6 which have done sterling service for well over five years now.

What I'm after is something slightly more compact (and thus probably lighter as well) but otherwise basically about the same. Thus 10.8 volt or 12 volt LiIon would seem to be about where I'm aiming.

I can't afford to buy new Metabo, they're out of my price range now (I bought the ones above at clearance prices) so I'm probably looking at sort of 'middle of the range' good DIY or cheaper end professional tools.

I *definitely* want automatic spindle lock like the Metabos have, other than that and being light and compact I don't really have any major requirements.

What I have looked at (on-line) so far are:-

Erbauer ERP407DDH 10.8V - Screwfix own brand, seems to fulfil my requirements, anyone have any experience of this?

Ryobi 12v from B&Q

Similar price (when bought with two batteries)

Any other suggestions at around the same sort of price range, I can stretch it a bit if necessary.

[Tim Watts]

On Tuesday 04 February 2014 12:50 [e-mail] wrote in uk.d-i-y:

I have an earlier version of:

and it's been excellent. Lot sof power for a small device.

[newshound]

Don't know either of these specifically but I have been very happy with several bit of Ryobi kit, I have one or two Erbauer things and they are OK but don't feel quite so nicely made.

[John Rumm]

Not that much more than the Ryobi:

Well how about the same price per tool:

[Mike Clarke]

I bought the earlier 7.2 volt version about 5 years ago and it's given good service and still going strong.

[chris French]

In message , [e-mail] writes

I bought a Bosch 'Blue' 10.8V one last year before doing the bathroom refit (I got mine in a package with a impact driver and a torch as well, the torch has been surprisingly useful))

It's a great bit of kit, small, light, handles well, surprsingly powerful for it's size. I've a bigger 14.4V jobbie, but I normally pick this one up as it's so nice to use.. I used it for drilling holes through joists as it is nice and short. It will drive an auger bit upto about maybe 15mm or so can't remember off hand through in one go. I did

25mm holes for 22mm pipe with a multiple goes. Fine for the number of holes I needed to do.

This is the drill (and recommend FFX service and prices a swell). There were at one point selling spare batteries cheap on Ebay

[Tricky Dicky]

This seems a bargain to me, I went De Walt a while back and never regretted it.

Richard

[Bob Minchin]

+1 on FFX for service and prices

[cl]

Yes, I've seen that and I'm tempted! :-)

Yes, but I don't really want an impact driver, Combi + ordinary would suit me better.

[cl]

Thanks for the recommendation Chris, really useful.

Also for the FFX recommendation, I've seen good prices from them for a number of things.

[John Rumm]

How can you not want an impact driver? ;-)

[polygonum]

Absolutely.

[chris French]

I ws also impressed with the Bosch 10.8 impact driver that I got with my drill driver.

[meow2222]

I went to get a dewalt from screwfix, only to find it was a lot heavier than a cheaper brand using nylon gears. If weight matters, the good trade kit is much heavier, and I decided against it.

NT

[Weatherlawyer]

I would hang on until the carboot season restarts and visit all the major o nes regularly to find out the ones with the likely tool sellers on. When th e diy season starts in the shops just before they start stocking easter egg s and playing xmess carols, the car boots get a flood of old stock and seco nd hand (usually) ex-police/lost and found and unclaimed recovery tools.

[Chris Holford]

In article , Tim Watts writes

I can second that recommendation. Was given one the Xmas before last; have been so impressed by it I've just bought another one. (Drill in one, screwdriver bit in the other, really speeds things up)

[cl]

What do you actually use an impact driver for?

[chris French]

< F>

Basically driving larger/longer screws than a plain drill/driver will manage, without the need for pilot and clearance holes. Or other times when you need a higher torque

They have much much higher torque and the impact action, as well as driving in the screw, seems to mean that they are much less likely to cam out.

I was using mine for quite a bit of stud walling etc. doing our bathroom. I don't know what is limit is, but my little Bosch would happily drive in 120x5 mm screws (5" no 10 ?).

It's one of those tools, that once you have used it, you don't want to be without it.

[John Rumm]

Sticking in screws... lots of them, with little effort, and fast.

[cl]

I specifically bought my non-impact Metabo for doing that. It's a 12 volt driver that provides 50nM of torque.

Compared with the only impact driver I have it's heaven to use and will happily drive 6mm x 100mm screws into fencing posts (my major use when I got it).

Well, as I said, my Metabo quite happily copes with 6mm x 100mm screws so no gain there! :-)

I did use one, and hated it!