Is 14V cordless sds drill ok for diy?

[Andrew]

Do you have a local hire shop where you could acquire a mains SDS drill for a day (or half a day) ?.

[John Rumm]

I have used a 14.4V Makita combi, and as you might expect, it's not quite as powerful as the 18V, but certainly adequate for most drill driving and carpentry tasks. It will also stick wall plug sized holes into reasonably solid masonry easily enough.

I would expect the SDS version to do so with ease. The are it might struggle with is larger hole saws or auger bits.

The trend seems to be away from the mid voltage batteries these days - with more focus on the small and light 10.8V, and the 18V ranges (and the multiple 18V ones for big tools)

I noted that the openreach wiremen seem to get given Makita 10.8 SDS kit for sticking holes through walls these days... (the one who installed my FTTP came equipped with such and no charged batteries - fortunately I was able to offer him a range of alternatives!)

[John Rumm]

AKA 2 x 36V

Makita seem to have given into the trend of using peak charged voltage to describe their cells on the new high voltage ranges (much the same as some makers call 18V cells 20V)

[Steve Walker]

It's less than 50 quid to buy one. I did that, as I wanted a drill with a safety clutch for core drilling. It has come in useful a number of times for core drilling, normal drilling in brick and chiselling.

So far, just for core drilling, it has done at least 2 holes in the bathroom (moving soil pipe and adding extractor fan; two in the second toilet (same things); two in the kitchen (boiler flue and tumble dryer exhaust) - all 125mm. 50mm holes for two washbasin drains, one shower drain, sink drain, waste disposal drain, washing machine drain, dishwasher drain. three 80mm holes for underfloor ventilation ducting.

It has also done one 170mm chain drilled and chiselled hole for the cooker hood vent. Numerous normally drilled holes. And has chiselled out for backboxes and the like.

Buying has cost a fraction of what the repeated hire costs would have been.

Okay, it is not a high quality machine (Titan from Screwfix), but it's good enough for occasional DIY use and, at that price, if it failed tomorrow, it'd still have been a good investment for what it has done.

[Mike Halmarack]

Great thread, very informative but I didn't feel at all confident that the used 14V Makita from eBay would do the job. So I clambered down the price range and bought the Titan from Screwfix as described in this post by Steve Walker. If it only lives long enough to do a couple of jobs it's not much more expensive than a hire. And Screwfix deliver to my door. Not only that but the reviews on Screwfix are so positive, though some might suggest too positive.

[polygonum_on_google]

I know this has been answered by purchase of a Titan.

I have a now very old Bosch 12V drill. And it has been absolutely fine in terms of power.

But if buying a drill today, I wouldn't be very tempted by a 14.4 V cordless. I think I'd either go for a very cheap one such as Aldi/Lidl. Or a decent 18V one. Or live with a mains drill.

(I do now have an 18V Makita so the choice would be "Which model Makita?" - but if you haven't got one, it is a high cost of entry.)

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Using a higher current obviously. Brian

[Mike Halmarack]

I'm definitely going to go for 18V Makita in future where frequently used tools are concerned. Where the heavier duty SDS Drill Is concerned I'm having difficulty coming up with 2 jobs for it right now.

[Mike Halmarack]

Succinctly put. :-)

[Dave Plowman (News]

Quite. For normal DIY it would be difficult to justify the cost of a cordless SDS (if you already have a mains one)

[David]

Just got to the ends of this thread and went and looked at my Makita to confirm that it is 18V, which it is. I originally bought a Site drill set from Screwfix which is rebaged Makita, then added an impact driver body and a hammer drill body over time along with a third battery. Ni-Cd.

Must be well over 10 years old now and still going strong.

{wanders down to man cave}

I also have a dinky little SDS drill from Lidl (battery has 2013 date) and is marked 18V.

This manages small to medium SDS activities and I have a big mains one for tough jobs.

Late to the thread so probably not much help.

Cheers

Dave R

[Tricky Dicky]

The trend has generally to up the voltage on power tools. I do not know about battery SDS drills preferring my mains powered type, but when I went up from 12V to 18V for my hammer action drill it was quite a difference in performance I suppose some of the difference might have been due to changing from a DIY Bosch to a professional DeWalt as well as changing from NiCads to LiOn but there was a noticeable difference in drilling ability most of which I put down to the increased voltage.

Richard