Versatile drill

[John Rumm]

That's far less of an issue with LIon batteries IME. I find I can leave them untouched for months and still have useful charge in them.

[John Rumm]

Agree completely. All the guff about cordless not being suitable for occasional use does not really hold up to scrutiny. Li-Ion batts in particular have slow auto discharge rates, and so can go many months without significant loss of charge. Secondly fast chargers don't take "hours" to charge a battery. if you have at least two batteries then there is very little impediment to work.

In exchange you get much better portability, better screw-driving control, and smooth torque delivery. Since owning cordless drills (early

90s) I can't remember having used any of my corded drills other than the SDS for normal hand held "drilling" type jobs. (I am excluding things like core drilling here!)

[PeterC]

It's also 18mm shorter and that could be handy. My 10.8V Bosch is so short it's useable between standard joists even with a

25mm spade bit.

[harry]

So long as they have a 2 speed mechanical gearbox.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

But the point really was how long the batteries last before becoming scrap.

[newshound]

I still get out my 750 watt mains Ryobi "standard" hammer drill for multiple holes in brick or stone of 5/16 or larger. But I only have the relatively light-weight Makita 18 volt NiCad.

[AnthonyL]

I thought I had and it is cited above.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Well, the OP seems to have managed with a mains drill since the early '70s. Which would suggest very occasional use. Anyone who used a drill a lot for general DIY would likely have got an SDS first in addition, followed by a cordless. Or two. Or more.

Point I was making was that the battery will likely fail after a few years no matter how much used or not. I doubt even Wodney would expect it to last for 45 years...

[Martin Brown]

I dunno but my last battery powered drill was a Hitachi from Screwfix. It has had moderate to heavy use on a range of materials.

I am in the market for a new one after about 5 years. I won't be buying that brand again. The chuck has all but given up the will to grip drills and one of the batteries is on the edge of expiring too. The battery catches are also iffy and require prizing the old packs out with a screwdriver whilst pressing them (possibly because the packs have swollen slightly). I would run it into the ground if my patience allows but the chuck having become unreliable is the last straw.

Its predecessor on basic NiCads lasted more like 10 years and only failed when metal swarf got into the motor causing it to burn out.

Any other recommendations for a decent battery powered drill that will do general screwdriver functions and hammer settings as well?

Also in the market for a cheap and cheerful Aldi/Lidl one to leave permanently at my mums to save taking mine every time I need one.

[John Rumm]

I accept that you need to pay more for a good enough cordless. Decent batteries ought to last at least 5 years if treated well. I had to replace the three that came with my drill a couple of years ago - and they were bought in probably 2003.

Personally I find the convenience is worth the extra expense. Also a mains drill with a proper gearbox and forward and reverse, with a good speed controller, may not be *that* much cheaper.

[John Miller]

I bought the drill in March 2011 and the batteries are still going strong with no sign of any charging problems. I'm happy with that for the versatility that the drill allows. I simply couldn't use a mains drill on my caravan steadies! I have a mains drill and can't remember the last time I used it.

John M

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Think you need to read the OP's post again. He has been, it seems, happy with the same mains drill for over 40 years. Do you really expect your batteries to last that long?

If he really needed a cordless drill, he could have bought one 20 odd years ago. So what has changed between then and now?

[newshound]

Cordless drills have *much* better performance and value for money than

20 years ago.

[tabbypurr]

A lot can change in 20 years. The OP isn't clear enough about the priorities to get much more help.

NT

[Dave Plowman (News)]

And mains ones are much cheaper too. Pretty well all things electrical are.

[AnthonyL]

There seems to be a limited range in the corded market and for around ~ ?100 a Li-ion combi drill will do drilling including into masonry as well as screwdriving.

Otherwise it seems the choice is to go for a separate screwdriver and drill which for my occasional use seems OTT.

The corded stuff that looks reasonably all seems aimed at the professional rather than the occasional diyer.

I don't think I want to end up with something like

but maybe it's ok.

[AnthonyL]

If I could find one.

[AnthonyL]

Correct.

It seems in this day of electronics nothing is expected to last.

[tabbypurr]

One reason I get old stuff

NT

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Lidl had mains drills the other day. Didn't really look at them, but their tools are generally excellent value.