cordless drill

I don't use mine much, but I'd certainly never get rid of it and when you need it you NEED it. Can't imagine chucking up the 3/4" auger bit and drilling those dog holes in my workbench with anything less than the Milwaukee...

it you NEED

Let me ask you about that. Do you consider an auger bit the preferred drill for dog holes? Have you tried any other types of bits to drill dog holes?

I've got a 2" thick maple bench with no dog holes at all and I was considering drilling a few.

need it you NEED

I think it depends on how "clean" you want them and what kind of wood you're drilling in. My bench is just made of poplar and it's a real workhorse, not a work of art, so I didn't much care about making super-clean dog holes. Also, auger bits are VERY hungry and if you're drilling in anything much harder than pine or poplar I've found that drilling a 1/4 pilot hole helps keep the bit from twisting your dang arms off and tearing the dickens out of the workpiece. I haven't tried using any other type of bit to drill dog holes.

I probably had the same one and it almost broke my wrist. What torque that drill has. Think they call it the Hole Shooter...

drilling a 1/4

dickens out

Ok thanks. I'll probably end up drilling guide holes with a standard smaller twist drill and then go to a forstner bit to get clean holes. Considering the hardness of the maple, I expect I'll have to drill it in stages so the bit doesn't overheat until I'm almost through and then come back up until both sides meet.

I need to do dog holes in my 2.5" maple bench. I happen to have a 3/4" router bit so I'm going to use that to get the holes started in my bench, then finish up with a spade bit.

Chris

The ultimate Milwaukee is the Super Hole Shooter. 10A motor at 350rpm. Yikes! The Super Hawg comes close...13A at 450rpm.

Chris

That is probably what I would do.

Yikes!

Smooth holes! NOT!

Why not use a 3/4" hole saw with the pilot drill to get started from each end about 1/4" deep, then remove pilot drill and complete ther hole clearing waste every 1/4"-3/8".

BTDT

YMMV

Lew

Yep. Here's a 19.2V one for $30

When they were on sale for $20, I bought two: one for the shop and one to grow on. Plus extra batteries.

i like the sears c-3 assortment. they came out with a lithium battery and it works with the older c-3 stuff as well as the newer models that come with the lithium batteries - wait for a sale! They have a drill driver with radio, charger and lithium power (2 - I think) for around

I mainly use the drill driver and saws all and, though a hobbyist/ homeowner, I've built quite a lot of stiff using this set and it appears to be going strong yet.

I have read where it may be better to rebuild your battery pack than buy NOS packs that may have been sitting an a warehouse since the model first appeared on the market. Shared for what it is worth.

If you held a piece of sacrificial wood, tightly against the maple, and drilled through both, you would get a clean entry.

FWW did a fairly recent test of 18V Lithium drill / drivers, the Makita BDF452HW, scored both best over all and best value. Retail is about 200 bucks, occasionally the Big Box DIY stores discount this drill and an Impact Driver (that is a sweet tool) for $225 - $230. Agreed on the Panasonic

Phisherman was talking about the corded drill. I assume you are talking about the cordless, which won't last forever, unless you buy more powerpacks.

I had one. A bit hung on some rebar and it literally picked me up off an 8' ladder and tossed me to the floor. I love that drill.

I would suggest Rigid based on the 12v drill I have from them and the lifetime service warranty I recently got one (father's day 2009) to replace the dead batteries in my

I have two lithium ion drills, an 18 volt, which is big and heavy and powerful, and a little 7.2 volt cheapie. The cheap one is really more of a screw driver because it has that quick release 1/4" hex thing for bits. This little "toy" gun is my goto drill because it is really small and light, powerful for its size, and the batteries last surprising long.

Anyway, I'm in the market to buy an in between drill, not a screw gun, and have decided on either a Bosch 12 volt drill

Anyway, The new batteries seem really great compared to just a few years ago, and the most used drills are always the lightest, smallest ones that get the job done. I personally favor small drills without the weight and fat bottoms.

Yeah, that occurred to me after I posted. It would also eliminate the chance of two holes from both sides not lining up exactly.

Yeah I have not seen a hole saw that cuts smooth than a spade bit. And once below the surface does it really matter if the hole is perfectly smooth?