Which cordless drill/driver?

[Lobster]

Well my all-singing-all-dancing (!) Performance Pro has gone to meet its maker so I've decided it's time I had a proper one.

My main question concerns what voltage to go for. I'll be using it mainly for drilling timber and driving in screws - which TBH the 14.4V PPro did quite well. However I'd also like to be able to do some light masonry drilling too when required, which the PPro couldn't touch (although it had hammer action). But I don't want to end up with an unwieldy monster just to be able to achieve the masonry drilling - should a decent make of 12 or 14V cope with that, or do I need a more powerful machine? I do have an old mains B&D drill as well as Screwfix's stonking great cheapo SDS machine for emergency use, so it's not the end of the world if the cordless won't cope with brick.

The Bosch 24V Combi Drill PSB24VE2 (Screwfix 41479) looks like not a bad deal to me at 130 GBP with a spare battery: any comments on that model?

Thanks David

[Andy Hall]

I use a Makita 14.4v model for exactly that range of jobs - it will comfortably drill into masonry at up to 8 even 10mm. Torque and motor speed control is very good and it's pretty light and well balanced for smaller jobs.

I recently bought one of their 18v NiMH models for doing bigger jobs such as larger diameter hole boring and that then covers everything that the SDS won't do.

It doesn't seem bad for the money.

I spotted a few things which may or may not be an issue:

Do you want to do much screwdriving with it? My concern would be it only having 5 torque settings. I tend to use a few more than that for driving screws across the size ranges.

Are you happy with the weight. The 24v Bosch weighs 2.6kg. 14.4v models tend to be around 1.5kg. May matter if you are using it all day.

[John Rumm]

Sounds like a decent 14 or 18V should do fine. The 24V one you mention looks OK, although the battry capacity at 1.3Ah is not that impresive.

I find my 18V combi does masonry about as well as a conventional mains hammer drill (i.e. ok into plaster, block, brick and other soft(ish) stuff, and "nowhere fast" into things only an SDS will touch!). It is great as a screwdriver but also has the power to stick a 32mm spade bit through solid timber, or drive 5" screws without a pilot hole, I expect a good quality 14V one may be as good for your planned usage (it will certainly out perform the PP by the sort of margin you would expect from going up a voltage range or two).

I have not seen any reports of their performance as yet, but I notice that Axminster have just introduced a White "plus" range of drills that are supposed to be better than the previous ones (which have failed to impress a few folks on this group IIRC).

Reasonable choice here:-

[IMM]

Riyobi are doing a deal on new drill that comes with 3 batteries.

[Simon Stroud]

I have had my DeWalt 12V combi drill/driver for a couple of years and have been EXTREMELY pleased with it. Got it in some half-price deal at Homebase (*SPIT*) online so it only cost £138 including 2 batteries and a case.

I was slightly worried at the time that it wouldn't be man enough, as all tradesmen doing work on my house seemed to come equipped with a 14.4V DeWalt drill, "the choice of the professional", but my concerns were unfounded. Since buying it, my old 1kW B&D drill hasn't once been out of its case. The

12V DeWalt has been heavily used on may projects including screwdriving and drilling in masonry up to about 22mm holes through engineering bricks (TBH it did take a little while to go through them).

A pleasure to use (unlike my totally useless Homebase blue cheapo range cordless jigsaw which recently had its final journey to the dump - but that's another story).

The two batteries on this vintage of drill are only Ni-Cad. Not sure whether more modern tools come with Ni-MH batteries. I think in recent months the batteries do seem to last slightly less, but I always diligently run them RIGHT down and then recharge (it came with a 1hr charger) and I've never yet been caught short in the charging department.

So basically I am suggesting that the bigger heavier chunkier batteries may not be necessary.

Regards, Simon..

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Crikey. My B&D Tradesman mains hammer drill barfed at drilling 8mm holes in engineering bricks. They were Stafford Blues, though.

[Grunff]

As one who was definitley unimpressed by the original 18v White combi, I think their new stuff seems hugely improved. I had a good play with them at the Axminster show, and they are better built. Haven't used one in anger though, so can't really tell.

While I'm typing, I'll put in my vote for the Makita 8443. Superb drill. The only thing I've used my mains drill for since buying this is mixing. For everything else it's either the Makita or the SDS.