This is your first pivotal decision to make. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of drill:
- Cordless drills tend to be more convenient to use. They can easily be used in any location quickly without having to deal with extension cords and power outlets; so long as the battery is charged. The significant asset of corded drills is that they can be used for extended periods of time. When using a corded drill, you will never find yourself waiting for batteries to finishing charging.
- While it may sounds strange, cordless drills tend to weigh less than corded drills. However, if you opt for a high-power cordless drill (18V and 24V), they are sometimes as heavy or heavier than their corded counterparts.
- Cordless drills are safer. There is no cord dangling about waiting to be tripped on.
- If high power and torque and long usage times are required, a corded drill will work better than a cordless model. While there are many high-power models available for cordless drills, corded drills can supply more power, and they will be able to supply it for a longer period of time.
- Even the best batteries have a finite lifetime. You should expect that the batteries on your cordless drill will only last for a couple years at most. Batteries are very expensive to purchase; it's often more cost effective to purchase a new cordless drill than it is to get two new batteries. So if you are purchasing a cordless drill, expect to be purchasing a new drill in a couple years time. By comparison, if you get a corded drill your drill should last for at least 10 years, if not more.
- If you are planning to buy a cordless drill, be 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 better for the environment since they have fewer harmful metal elements.
2) Pick a Chuck
The chuck is the part of the drill that holds the bits. 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 to be able to use bigger drill bits, choose the 1/2" chuck since many bigger bits will not fit in a 3/8" drill. If you do not need or want the capability to accommodate larger drill bits, the 3/8" chuck is a good option since typically they have higher bit speeds with the smaller chuck sizes.
There are two different types of chucks: keyed and keyless. With the keyed chuck, you use a mechanical key to tighten and loosen drill bits. For drills with keyless chucks, the drill bit is tightened into the chuck by holding the chuck with your hand and powering the drill. The keyed chuck has the advantage of being able to hold bits tighter so there is less chance of the 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 usage from your new drill, make sure that it has these key features:
- Reverse. Even if you don't plan on using your drill for driving screws, reverse is a very important feature to have for removing 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), so you only need to check for the presence of this feature when you are purchasing a drill with a keyed chuck.
- Variable speed. If you plan to use your drill to drive screws, this is key feature. If you don't plan to drive screws, this is still an important feature since it makes it far easier to drill clean holes in materials of different hardnesses.
- Speed range settings. This feature is only needed if you plan to drive screws using your drill. If you are, this is critical to have. The lower speed range makes it far simpler to drive screws without stripping them.
- A torque clutch. Again, this is usually only required if you are driving screws. The clutch lets you set a maximum torque after which the drill will stop. This is extremely useful when you are driving screws so that you do not over-drive the screw into the material. If you are driving large amounts of screws (like on a deck for example), this feature is a real life-saver.
Author Resource:-
William has been doing finish carpentry for more years than he would care to admit. You can read his drill rankings at www.drill-reviews.com.
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