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| drill recommendation wanted |
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| message from Sathyan Sundaram on 9 Jan 2003 |
I am seeking recommendation for an inexpensive drill/driver (this is
my first power tool). I can spend up to US$50 (including drill,
essential bits set, that Dewalt adapter that makes screws go in
straight [DW2055, $6], tax, and shipping).
I will probably go corded as I don't need cordless (I might get a
cordless screwdriver later) and there would be too many trade offs in
this price range.
Use will be light-duty. I figure 80% screwdriver/ 20% drilling pine. A
few times per month. The most demanding use will be putting 1/2" holes
in 3/4" MDF and plywood.
I'm going to build an AV rack like this:
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/flexye.html
and some lighter duty CD racks (1/4" dowels in 2x4's)
I tried a few of the models at Lowes and like the keyless chuck. The
Skil seemed better balanced than Black and Decker.
I want: Variable speed, reversible, enough power, compatible with
after-market bits
some options I'm considering:
Skil 6265 $30
B&D DR200 $25
Ryobi D45C $40
B&D DR220K $40
Craftsman 10106 $30
comments? any other suggestions?
A few general questions:
1. Can you use anyone's bits with a drill or does one have to stick
with the same manufacturer?
2. How do I know if I need a 3/8 or 1/2 in drill? (What does the size
mean)
3. How many amps is enough for the above applications plus driving
screws in pine?
thanks,
sathyan
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| Bob replied to Sathyan Sundaram on 9 Jan 2003 |
Skip the cheap, new crap and go to a Bosch, DeWalt or Makita repair facility
and buy a good quality reconditioned drill. Several posts have stressed
that a drill is one of the most used tools, so get a good one. A
reconditioned drill will also likely come with a 30, 60 or 90 day warranty.
Plus, if it does break, it's worth fixing.
Bob
"Sathyan Sundaram" <sundaram...@osu.edu> wrote in message
news:2f936516.0301091529.334201c9@posting.google.com...
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| Brad Bruce replied to Sathyan Sundaram on 09 Jan 2003 |
This almost sound like a troll but here goes
Any manufacturers bits will work with any drill (as long as the chuck size
is as large or larger than the bits shank)
A 3/8 inch chuck is enough for just about anything. If you need 1/2 inch
you're going to be looking at a lot more power and a lot more money.
5 amps is plenty for a drill (unless you're drilling a lot of masonry).
I agree with going corded for a first drill. My cordless drills batteries
are never ready when I am, so I use the corded drill most of the time
anyway.
NJBrad
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| Jesse replied to Sathyan Sundaram on 9 Jan 2003 |
Here's my ounce's worth.
Actually I built an A/V rack basically just like that one except mine has
4legs rather than 3. Not sure how the 3leg would be but mine with 4legs is
rock solid. I've been very pleased with it. I did not add any fancy
washer's for extra dampening but haven't found the need for it either. I
sand bagged my components at one point and that really made a difference
(especially for CD player).
Anyway for drills. I have a Makita corded drill which is a couple years
old and it's got plenty of power. And it's about in your price range. I
think I paid around $50 for it. However, here are the drawbacks to this
drill. First is it has the old chuck style that requires you get 2 hands in
and twist apart in order to tighten. I find this a big awkward because
there if VERY little room to grab the lower portion of the chuck to hand
tighten it. In this regard I'd prefer a keyed chuck over this one. But
then again I also have a Dewalt 14.4volt cordless which I wouldn't trade for
anything in the world (but I paid something like ~$220 for it) and this
drill rocks. It has plenty of power and very reasonable battery charge and
since it came with the charger & an extra battery I always have one in the
charger while using one. So there's always a battery ready to go. And I
find that the batteries charge very quickly too (I want to say within
30-60minutes, which I never find myself running out of one and not having
the other fully charged yet.) While the Dewalt may be totally out of the
question for now what I would look for at least are these features:
Keyless chuck which requires only one hand to tighten (like my Dewalt, which
has a very good Jacobs chuck on it). And as someone else mentioned variable
speed is IMO very important. Because with my Makita while it's a good
drill with plenty of power the problem with it is that it's not variable
speed and I've found myself literally twisting the heads right off a screw
because it has so much torque.
Also I owned a B&D real cheap drill that came with a driver bit set and it
cost me less than $25 bucks when I got it a few years ago. That was the
biggest piece of garbage I have ever invested in. I ended up giving it away
to Home Depot to get a discount on a new tool purchase. ;-) I will never
buy a B&D again.
Personally I'd go with a quality Makita or Dewalt in your price range. A
drill is probably one of the most used power tools you will every own. Why
not get something good. You will probably need to bump up your budget a bit
to do so. On that same note though if you are thinking about going
cordless then you'll most definitely have to bump your price up to at least
$100 to get something worthwhile in a cordless to have enough power. I
would get at least a 14volt in a cordless (which I think is plenty of power
for most people's applications) Heck I had to drill a couple holes in my
cast iron extension wing on my table saw a good 1/4" thick and I used my
Dewalt 14 volt and it was powerful enough to get the job done but that was
also probably the most demanding hole I've ever had to drill with that
cordless and it handled it fine.
Oh also if your going to be drilling MDF you should get Good bits cause they
will dull FAST. which also means a bit more money to get so Titanium bits.
Hopefully I haven't confused things too much as I kind of rambled on (as I
usually do) and jumped from one thing to another and back again. ;-)
Good luck.
Jman
"Sathyan Sundaram" <sundaram...@osu.edu> wrote in message
news:2f936516.0301091529.334201c9@posting.google.com...
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| David A. Frantz replied to Sathyan Sundaram on 09 Jan 2003 |
HI SATHYAN
A few comments below, but before your read them consider my perspective.
A cordeed drill is a basic tool much like a hammer or screwdriver, it
pays to buy quality. This applies wether your a professional or a home
owner.
In the future you may find your self having to invest in tools that may
not be main stream toyour needs. This is a good time to buy the
cheapies.
On Thu, 09 Jan 2003 18:29:00 -0500, Sathyan Sundaram wrote:
This is to little money. Best to save a bit more for a good unit.
Also consider purchasing the accessorries seperately and then buy
quality.
Believe it or not I do not reccomend battery powered unit unless you
intend to use them on an almost daily basis. You get much better value
for your money buying a corderd model. So here we agree completely.
Wel I can understand your need to equipe yourself for your first project
but do consider that there are likely to be many more in the future.
Most of those we haven't even thought about yet. This is why I suggest,
for this tool at least, investing in a quality unit.
I've neve found a keyless chuck that I like. In many instances I end up
removing the chuck and then install an old fashion keyed Jacobs chuck.
This is of course another personal issue, but I still maintain that none
of the keyless chucks last very long nor do they grip well.
Your not going to get any of that with the drills above. If you want
power, which is something I agree with, then go with a professional
drill. The only corded drills I reccomend are those from Milwaukee.
They hold well even with industrial use.
Further In my opinion Milwaukee has about the best variable speed control
going. I often use mine to drive screws. Sure it isn't as convienent
as a driver with a clutch but you can control the speed of that chuck and
apply a tremendous amount of torque in a way that I've never been able to
do with other drills.
You can use anybodies, in fact it is reccomended to purchase the best
bits or toolling that is available based on your needs. You will find
your self constantly adding to your collection of tooling as your needs
change. The important thing is to buy quality and take good care of
them. In other words protect them from rust, keep them sharp and clean
them after usage.
The differrence between 3/8 and 1/2" drills often comes down to gearing (
at least after the obvious differences in chuck sizes). The 1/2" drills
often turn thier chucks slower with more torgue. Sometimes the faster
3/8" drills can be an advantage for woodworking, but for your first drill
go with a 1/2" model
As far as Amps go I don't really know. Buy a Milwaukee and be done with
it. One of Milwaukees Magnum drills such as a 0234 might be a good
start. Depending on where your get it you might have to double your
budget and a bit more. The other option is to find a reconditioned unit.
Thanks
Dave
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| Bob G. replied to David A. Frantz on 10 Jan 2003 |
This must be Milwaukee day.... BUT I do have to agree... They are
my personal favorite in both corded and cordless drills
$50 bucks however (including a simple set of bits) however is really limiting
the OP's selection. The Dewalt attachment (?) the OP mentioned
should not even come into the discussion at this point with such a limited
budget.BUT I have no idea why he thinks he needs this... a simple
12" cheap square will do the same thing and also serve other purposes if he
needs to drill straight holes..
Of his limited selection he did mention I honestly can not offer a suggestion
on which to buy..I do not think much of any of them.
I guess I would recommend the one that "feels" good in his hands...
Bob Griffiths
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| Leon replied to Sathyan Sundaram on 10 Jan 2003 |
Actually driving screws can be tougher on a drill than drilling holes.
Unfortunately most corded drills do not have clutches and or electric
brakes, those features are a big advantage when driving screws. Just about
any drill will drill holes. Very minimum you want variable speed and
reverse for driving screws.
I'd totally skip Skill. The higher dollar Ryobi or B&D will be your best
bets out of that group.
What fits one will fit another as long as each drill has the same capacity.
The size designates the maximum diamater capacity that the drill will hold.
Normally the larger the diameter capacity the more powerful the drill will
be.
4-5 minimum
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| Ben replied to Sathyan Sundaram on 10 Jan 2003 |
Despite what the others have said already, I would say the all purpose
corded drills are completely useless. They don't do anything good
except drilling holes in wood. The corded drills don't have brakes so
be ready to sink some screws deeper than you want and ruin your
projects. You specified 80% screwing and 20% drilling then it just
tell me you need cordless for the electric brake feature. Don't be
mistaken - if you go with a corded drill you will never be able
install screws properly. It will be a lottery, ooops too deep, ooops
not enough.... just a little bit more... hiiiiiii... argh! too far.
The only first drill you should consider and will ever need is a
12Volts cordless of a decent quality. If you can't go with the big
names (Milwaukee, Bosch, Metabo, Hitachi, Makita, DeWalt), get a
Firestorm (B&D) or a Ryobi. Obviously you will get what you pay for
but if you use it once and a while, they will be more than enough
provided that you recharge them before you use them...
I do have to agree though on one point with the other folks here is
you should consider putting up more money to get something that will
last. If you can't put more, then prepare all your lumber and dedicate
one day to work and go rent a drill for 10$/day. You'll get a taste of
a professional tool and you'll do a great job. If you end up too often
at the tool renting store, then consider buying one...
Only my 0.02
Ben
On 9 Jan 2003 15:29:00 -0800, sundaram...@osu.edu (Sathyan Sundaram)
wrote:
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| SwampBug replied to Ben on 11 Jan 2003 |
I am not sure what you mean by 'brakes' but my corded Ryobi has an
adjustable chuck to avoid 'sinking screws too deep'.
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| Lew Hodgett replied to Sathyan Sundaram on 10 Jan 2003 |
IMHO, you can't get there for $50.00, save some more money.
I buy drills like the above and use them as throw away drill motors to drive
a jiffy mixer to mix epoxy.
When it dies, trash it and get another one.
That works.
You sure are a bottom feeder, the above are all garbage, IMHO.
You want a corded drill, then buy a 3/8" Milwaukee.
All other drill manufacturers would like their corded drills to be Milwaukee
when they grow up.
You want a cordless drill, that's a whole new ball game.
Bosch, DeWalt, Milwaukee, Panasonic and Porter Cable are all players.
Some how, Mikata has managed to fall off the turnip truck lately, maybe they
will figure out how to get back in the game.
For a cordless drill system, budget $200 and you won't suffer "sticker
shock", when you start looking.
HTH
BTW, are you at Ohio State University?
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