There's a lot more than you may think that goes into the making of a modern cordless drill. Todays cordless drills offer features and capabilities that put them head and shoulders above their ancestors. Because there are so many features to consider, picking the best electric drill can be a bit of a challenge. The purpose of this article is to sort that all out so that you can end up making the wisest choice.
The original cordless drill had neither a motor nor a battery. There was a hand drill in my dad's workshop long before he bought an electric drill with a cord. The first battery-powered drill was the tool that started off the cordless revolution which eventually caused all sorts of tools to become obtainable in cordless models. Some types of tools are more suitable to cordless use than others. As a rule, those tools that move about a lot in operation and do not require large amounts of power are the best candidates for battery power. So, the electric drill, by its very nature, was the first tool to get a battery.
When you are using a drill at many different places, it’s a real pain to have to drag a cord around with you. At first, cordless drills weren’t very robust and the batteries didn’t last that long. For a while, that was an excuse for woodworkers to resist the upgrade to cordless. Today’s cordless drills, especially in the 18 volt class, are both powerful in terms of torque and their lithium ion batteries are long-lived. The chargers are quick and so, with two batteries to swap, it’s hard to run out of electrical power.
So where do different makes of cordless drills stand apart from one another? Actually, in several areas, the most important being tool weight and twisting power or torque. It used to be a rule that if you wanted more muscle and/or longer battery resillience, you had to accept heavier tool weight. While this is still correct, in a broad sense, important innovations are being made by major drill designers to turn this truism around.
Tool weight is of great consequence in a drill or impact driver because these are tools that you hold out at arm’s length all day and while 5 to 10 pounds may not sound like much, each weight increase from drill to drill counts for a lot at the end of a long day on the job even if your name is Hercules.
Drill muscle power is important because drills are often used to drive screws even though there is a better tool for that job: the impact driver. Most 18 volt cordless drills come with half-inch chucks and if you have ever drilled a deep 1/2” hole in hardwood, you know the need for power. You might even find yourself driving a large Forstner bit which is a lot more than 1/2". You don’t want to buy a drill that will burn out on the job.
A drill is the kind of tool that a woodworker uses frequently and so it is important to conduct due diligence to make sure that you are buying the correct one for your requirements. Battery capacity, expressed in amp hours is another key consideration. All lithium ion, 18 volt batteries are not comparable in terms of size, heaviness or how long they will keep up between charges. That goes for chargers, as well. A half-hour charger, as opposed to an hour charger can make a real difference if you are continually switching batteries.
When you shop the designs, you will be aware that that drill power and drill weights are all over the place. So are the price tags. You can economize by buying factory-reconditioned tools but don’t purchase an underpowered drill with a small battery just to save money. Don’t buy a heavy drill just because it has a bit more torque than its lighter competitor. Get the drill you really need. You will thank yourself later on.
Bob GillespieWoodworker
CORDLESS DRILL REVIEWS:http://www.perfectwoodworking.com/cordlessdrillsreview/
WOODWORKING TOOL REVIEWS:http://www.perfectwoodworking.com/woodworkingtoolreviews/
© 2010 Robert M. Gillespie, Jr.
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