Cordless Drill Buying Advice

The only major difference between a good new cordless drill and non-cordless drill is the absence of the power cord. With the new more powerful batteries, up to 36 volts, you would need a very specific reason to buy a corded drill over a cordless.

There is a wide variety of drill choices that you can buy. This is good for the consumer, however it can also get confusing so here are a few considerations to take note of.

You will usually find the chuck sizes (the largest diameter bit that will fit into the drill) of 3/8". This is adequate for almost all operations, however there are also models that have 1/2" chuck sizes.

Batteries

The battery voltage is the power of the drill. The higher the voltage, the stronger the torque. This means that when you are putting a long screw into hardwood, there will be enough power to do the job.

However, the voltage, whether it be 24, 18, or 14.4 will not necessarily determine how long the charge will last. An inexpensive drill probably comes with a cheaper battery that will not hold its charge over time.

Look for a NiMH battery instead of a Ni-Cd. The NiMH (nickel-metal-hydride) is a newer technology and will last longer, and be smaller than the Ni-Cd (nickel cadmiun).

Make sure you read the instructions that come with the drill for how to charge the battery properly.

Weight and Balance

A higher voltage battery will have a larger battery and be heavier than a lower voltage. The difference can be a few pounds, there are drills that weigh in the 12 lbs range. If you are doing alot of repetitive screwing of small screws, the wieght will eventually become tiresome. If you do not need the high torque, then use a smaller, lower voltage battery that weighs less.

Operation

Another feature that is very useful is the clutch. This is a setting that determines the amount of force that the drill can apply. You do not always want to use the maximum torque on a screw as you drive it. With the clutch setiings, you can control the drill so that it does not bury a screw too far into the material. Most drills will have two speed setiings, high and low, basically one for screws and one for drilling

holes. There will be a switch located on the drill to choose between the two. Better models will let you ajust the speed straight from the trigger.

In conclusion these are the main features to remember to look for when buying a cordless drill: