What cordless combi/driver drill?

[Prizen]

Hi All, After eventually getting through the image verification, I can post my first thread!

I a DIY user from Ireland, and I currently have a corded SDS drill for all the DIY heavy work. I mostly plan to do woodwork and am contemplating what type of cordless drill to get.

If I am using my corded SDS for all masonry / concrete work, will a cordless drill driver be fine for all or at most woodwork tasks, or should I get a combi cordless drill that has a hammer function also?

Any other buying advice on cordless drills?

Thanks

[Bill Wright]

I use a pair of Bosch cordless 24V hammer drills for heavy stuff. The drill that compliments them is a 400W mains drill, quite small and light. I feel that I don't need anything else.

Bill

[John Rumm]

Why not cut out the middle man, and post here directly?:

I a DIY user from Ireland, and I currently have a corded SDS drill for

Its a deep question...

Much depends on use intended, and budget

General comments:

specifics:

you want something that is not just for occasional use, then look at Makita, Bosch (blue bodied, not green), Hitachi, DeWalt level of tool - you can frequently pick up some good bargains if you shop about. Be prepared to spend at least £100

For woodwork, and chippying in general, you could argue that hammer action is not going to add much value. So a 14.4 or 18V drill driver might be a good fit. Either will do any carpentry and wood working task.

You want at least two batteries, and preferably three if you want to work continuously.

Also have a look at the new(ish) 10.8V Li-Ion small drills that have become popular recently. Bosch and Makita both have very nice examples.

[Chris Bartram]

For general DIY, I've found my DeWalt cordless (with hammer) is good enough I no longer need anything else.

[Dave Liquorice]

Have they overcome the problem with the Li battery protection circuitry cutting in when you put a half decent load on the tool? I had a Li based cordless screwdriver, the moment the screw got even a little bit tight the thing would cut out.

I'm not keen on Li batteries, of the battery powered kit I have it's the bits with Li batteries that are the least reliable.

[Bill Wright]

Three batteries won't help you work continuously unless you have two chargers, unless you have a very fast charger and you are a very slow worker.

Bill

[John Rumm]

My 18V Makita charger takes about 20 mins to charge a 2.6Ah NiMh battery, which is normally quick enough to keep me working.

The point about three batts is that you can have one in use, one cooling, and one charging (charging a hot battery that you have just taken off the tool is a good way to reduce its life).

Also with three batts, you often find that is enough to complete many jobs anyway.

[The Medway Handyman]

I'd say first of all, go for a 'brand' like John has suggested.

Next most important thing is the batteries & charger. Most 'deals come with 1.3a/hr Ni/Cd batteries. Bigger batteries hold more charge, Ni/Mh batteries are better, Li Ion are best.

Most good makes have smart chargers, cheap one have chargers that cook batteries.

[Prizen]

One last question, how do Li-ion batteries hold up to relatively long periods of storage?

[John Rumm]

Yup, they have the lowest auto discharge rate of any of the common technologies.

They are generally more complicated and require smarter chargers and dedicated control circuitry on the battery itself. Generally that will prevent them from ever running truly flat (a situation they probably can't recover from). So you just need to make sure that if you run a battery down to the point where the monitoring circuitry disables it, you then charge it within a reasonable time. If you leave a flat battery for months before charging it may get "bricked" and become unusable.