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Drill Buying Considerations
Article Summary: If you are looking to get a new drill, this brief article suggests some points you may want to think about prior to spending your money on a new drill.
1) Cordless or Corded?
This is the first decision to come to. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of drill:
- Cordless drills are usually more convenient. They can be used in any location quickly without the need of extension cords and power outlets; at least, so long as the battery is charged. The big asset of corded drills is that there is no restriction on how long they can be used. When using a corded drill, you will never find yourself in the situation of waiting for batteries to finishing charging.
- While it may sounds strange, cordless drills tend to weigh less than corded drills. But, if you select a high-power cordless drill (18V or 24V), they are often as heavy or heavier than their corded counterparts.
- Cordless drills are safer. There is no cord acting as a trip hazard.
- If power and torque and long usage times are required, a corded drill will fit the bill better than a cordless model. While there are many high-power options available for cordless drills, corded drills can supply more torque, and they will be able to supply it for a longer period of time.
- Even the best batteries have a finite lifetime. Expect that your cordless drill batteries will only last for a couple years at most. Batteries are very costly to purchase; it's usually cheaper to just buy a new cordless drill than it is to purchase two new batteries. If you are purchasing a cordless drill, expect to be getting a new drill in a couple years time. By comparison, if you choose a corded drill your drill should last for at least 10 years, if not more.
- If you are planning to buy a cordless drill, make certain to buy a cordless drill with Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries; stay away from Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH) batteries. Li-Ion batteries are more powerful, they have longer lifetimes, they do not have "memory" issues, and they are less harmful to the environment since they have fewer harmful metal elements.
2) Pick a Chuck
The chuck is the portion of the drill that holds the bits in place. There are two picks to make here: size and type.
Standard chuck sizes are 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" with the standard size being 3/8". If you want the ability to use bigger drill bits, choose the 1/2" chuck since many of the larger drill bits will not fit in a 3/8" drill. If you do not need or want the ability to accommodate larger drill bits, the 3/8" chuck is a better option since you typically can get higher bit speeds in these type of drills.
There are two types of chucks: keyed and keyless. For drills with a keyed chuck, you use a mechanical key to tighten and loosen the drill bits. With the keyless chuck, you tighten the drill bit into the chuck by holding the chuck with your hand and powering the drill. The mechanical advantage of the keyed chuck makes it able to hold bits tighter so there is less chance of your drill bit slipping in the chuck. The advantage of the keyless chuck is that it is significantly quicker to change drill bits, and there is no key to lose or keep track of.
3) Important Features
To get the most from your new drill, make sure it has these key features:
- Reverse. Even if you do not plan on using your drill for driving screws, reverse is key feature to have for removing drill bits that get stuck. If you are getting a drill with a keyless chuck, it will always have reverse (you can't remove bits without reverse), you only need to check for this feature when you are buying a drill with a keyed chuck.
- A variable speed trigger. If you plan to use your drill to drive screws, this is key feature. If not, this is still a great feature since it makes it far easier to drill clean holes since different materials require bit speeds.
- Multiple speed ranges. This feature is really only needed if you plan to drive screws. If you are, this feature is very important to have. Having the lower speed range makes it far simpler to drive screws without stripping them.
- A clutch. Again, this is usually only required if you plane to drive screws. The clutch lets you set a maximum torque point after which the drill will stop. This is really handy when driving screws to guard against over-driving the screw into the material. If you are installing large numbers of screws (like on a deck for example), this feature is worth its weight in gold.
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About the Author:
FrankBrascon
Frank has been working construction for more years than he would care to admit. You can find his drill ratings at eDistiller.
