what corded drill to buy for newbie?

[Finnian Dawson]

I'm new to woodworking and am looking to buy a suitable plug in drill that will last me. I will use it for occasional masonary work too. It will also be used in a small vertical drill press adaptor.

would you recommend a 2 speed mechanical gearbox for variable torque, or should an adequately powered single gear be enough?

I would like to spend $150 max but will stretch higher if needs be.

thanks
Finnian

[david brum]

$150 will get you a lot of drill for most purposes. The problem (I think) is that a drill which will actually work for masonry will be pretty big, and may not fit well into an adapter. Drills which work for masonry are called roto hammers. They work splendidly for drilling into cement, but they are big and heavy. Regular drills work for metal and wood, but won't make much of a dent in concrete. They are much smaller, like what most of us are used to. In between is a hammer drill, which sort of works in concrete and works fine in metal and wood. They vary in size from regular size to quite large. You can easily find one of these in your price range. I doubt that you will find many bad corded drills, since this is long proven technology. Having said that, brands like Milwaukee, Makita and Dewalt are pro level drills which should take more punishment than consumer level stuff, like Craftsman and Ryobi.

A dual speed switch is nice when you need extra torque.

[HANK METZ]

Not cracking wise here with my answer but used tools are downright cheap on Craigslist. For a tyro just starting to equip himself this'd be the best bang for the buck. I see opportunity for a Milwaukee or similar quality corded drill, a 5- speed bench-top drill press and a cordless drill/ driver all well within the limits of that budget.

- Beachside Hank
Improvise, adapt, overcome; the essence of true craftsmanship.

[phil harold]

Get one of these
http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/corded/0244-1

they will last you a lifetime
plenty of torque
a jacobs chuck will outlive a key-less

I have 3 of these that have over 25 years of abuse
had to replace the cord a couple times and a new switch once

[Stephen Cherry]

Not cracking wise here with my answer but used tools are downright cheap on Craigslist. For a tyro just starting to equip himself this'd be the best bang for the buck. I see opportunity for a Milwaukee or similar quality corded drill, a 5- speed bench-top drill press and a cordless drill/ driver all well within the limits of that budget.

- Beachside Hank
Improvise, adapt, overcome; the essence of true craftsmanship.

THis is true- you could get a decent used drill for next to nothing.

[Mike Heidrick]

Milwaukee 0234-6 Magnum kit. Same drill Phil linked only slightly faster. New they are ~$150 - $170. Been around forever.

http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-0234-6-Magnum-2-Inch-Drill/dp/B0000223HF/ref=sr_1_13?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1358740103&sr=1-13&keywords=milwaukee+drill


Your $150 is not a roto hammer price range so I am guessing that drill capacity is not what you meant when you said masonry drill. Also those don't fit in drill press setups anyway - I am not sure the 0234-6 will either but I am not a fan of those and would rather see you drop $100 on a cheap real floor or bench drill press anyway off craigslist.

Anyway the 0234-6 is the one to buy IMO - Mine is 15 years old and still amazing. I am super happy with my 0299-20 (keyless is 0302-20) as well if you dont want to spend quite as much or want a faster drill. They are around $130.

I have grown to love the clutch on my cordless drills/drivers. Not for masonry but I love this little Bosch PS30 12V cordless drill I just got LOL.

[Mike Cutler]

Finnian

One drill will not do everything, which is why there are multiple drill out there.
I have Milwaukee's, a 1/2" Hole shooter, and a 1/2" right angle drill. Both are beasts. Either would serve probably 90+ % of a homeowner/woodworkers needs.
To drill into concrete, as stated, takes a more specialized drill, and to be honest you wold be better off renting one when you need it. A good drill for concrete is going to cost some $$$ new.
If you need/use the drill press adapter for wood consider going to brad point bits exclusively for wood. You'll probably find that you don't need that adapter after a very short time.

[Paul Wunder]

http://www.lowes.com/Search=porter+cable+hammer+drill?zipCode=06611&masthead=true&newSearch=true&firstReferURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lowes.com%2FSearch% 3Dporter%2Bcable%2Bhammer%2Bdrill%3FstoreId%3D1015 1%26langId%3D-1%26catalogId%3D10051%26N%3D0%26newSearch%3Dtrue%2 6Ntt%3Dporter%2Bcable%2Bhammer%2Bdrill&catalogId=10051&findStoreErrorURL=StoreLocatorDisplayView&selectedLocalStoreBeanArray=[com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStore Bean%4075f875f8%2C+com.lowes.commerce.storelocator .beans.LocatorStoreBean%4076fe76fe%2C+com.lowes.co mmerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%4078047 804%2C+com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.Locat orStoreBean%40790a790a%2C+com.lowes.commerce.store locator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%407a107a10]&Ntt=porter+cable+hammer+drill&N=0&langId=-1&URL=TopCategoriesDisplayView&mastheadURL=TopCategoriesDisplayView&storeId=10151


The above link is to a Porter Cable hammer drill PC70THD $69.95. Available at Lowes and elsewhere. Real workhorse. Bought it to drill into 40 year old concrete garage floor. Ate up the concrete.

[Mike Heidrick]

http://tinyurl.com/PC-Drill

The above link is to a Porter Cable hammer drill PC70THD $69.95. Available at Lowes and elsewhere. Real workhorse. Bought it to drill into 40 year old concrete garage floor. Ate up the concrete.

Link Fixed

[Finnian Dawson]

Thanks Guys, I would only need to drill up to 3/4" holes in concrete (and quite rarely at that) and primary use would be woodworking.

I have been on the Makita UK site (http://www.makitauk.com/products/front/?id=2272), I assume I should be looking in the Percussion drill section, not the Hammer drill section?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I use a Bosch RH22VC as my concrete drill now after killing a couple cordless hammer drills. That thing is pretty good, and it's not stupid expensive. Also have the Milwaukee that was mentioned above, as well as a Dewalt 1/2", and an old Makita. The Makita is still my favorite of that lot, but seriously, they have been making corded drills for 100 years now, the major brands are starting to figure it out. Mine get used mainly for farm stuff, like field repairs in metal.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41YEMo9mogL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[david brum]

That's right. What they're calling a hammer drill, we call a rotary hammer. A good way to tell is when the description says "SDS Plus". That implies a special drill chuck which accepts a unique slotted bit. The percussion hammer is a hammer drill, which will work OK for concrete and great for all other purposes.

[Chris Fournier]

The concrete factor throws hammer drill into the fray and a good two speed will gobble up your budget, they also tend to be slower than non-hammer units. I have been very happy with the Milwaukee line up over the years.

[Greg R Bradley]

Those Milwaukee Hole Shooters made 25 years ago were great, right along with many things made 25 years ago. Even 15 years ago, they had slipped way down in quality. Under commercial use, you need to keep a stock of switches and bearings on hand.

I'm having trouble trying to suggest one drill to do at least three jobs:
Small wood bits, particularly pocket holes, requires high speed. Hard to find any 1/2" drill that does that well.
Big wood bits requires power and low speed.
Concrete requires Hammer Drill. Rotary Hammer for real use but OP did say light use BUT he did say 3/4".

If you need to stay in that price range, I might suggest a new high speed 1/4"-3/8" drill and a used 1/2" hammer drill. Bosch 1006VSR goes to 2600rpm and has recently been seen onsale for around $50

The fact that he mentions "small vertical drill press adaptor" makes me think he is not in the US.

What we call Rotary Hammer, much of the world calls Hammer Drills. They key is SDS chuck on smaller ones since that is almost universal now. What we call Hammer Drill, much of the world calls Percussion Drills.

[Finnian Dawson]

Those Milwaukee Hole Shooters made 25 years ago were great, right along with many things made 25 years ago. Even 15 years ago, they had slipped way down in quality. Under commercial use, you need to keep a stock of switches and bearings on hand.

I'm having trouble trying to suggest one drill to do at least three jobs:
Small wood bits, particularly pocket holes, requires high speed. Hard to find any 1/2" drill that does that well.
Big wood bits requires power and low speed.
Concrete requires Hammer Drill. Rotary Hammer for real use but OP did say light use BUT he did say 3/4".

If you need to stay in that price range, I might suggest a new high speed 1/4"-3/8" drill and a used 1/2" hammer drill. Bosch 1006VSR goes to 2600rpm and has recently been seen onsale for around $50

The fact that he mentions "small vertical drill press adaptor" makes me think he is not in the US.

What we call Rotary Hammer, much of the world calls Hammer Drills. They key is SDS chuck on smaller ones since that is almost universal now. What we call Hammer Drill, much of the world calls Percussion Drills.

Greg, I probably over-estimated the size of hole I would be drilling into concrete. 1/2" is maxd is probably about right.
So then, I should be looking at "percussion drills" as per the Makita UK website (what you guys call "hammer drill"?)

[Greg R Bradley]

Greg, I probably over-estimated the size of hole I would be drilling into concrete. 1/2" is maxd is probably about right.
So then, I should be looking at "percussion drills" as per the Makita UK website (what you guys call "hammer drill"?)

Yes. Drilling in masonary without some percussion will be a slow process although 1/2" is much easier than 3/4". Effort goes up exponentially when the material removal requires impact over the amount the material can absorb without cutting.

OK so you are in the UK. That explains the need for masonary as most buildings have lots of that and little wood.

Don't forget that a hammer drill is going to have a rugged chuck to handle the hammering and may be incapable of chucking a small drill bit. Actually most 1/2" wood drills won't chuck a small bit and go "too slow". The rugged chucks on a Percussion Drill just adds to that.

UK makes all your prices higher for the tool and then you have VAT on top of that. I've bought a few non-US tools like the Makita LXT Chainsaw from Toolstop.co.uk and you have to really want it to pay those prices.

Makita 6413 is a nice keyless chuck high speed woodworking drill. I'm not familiar with Makita Percussion Drills except their LXT Cordless line.

[Finnian Dawson]

I remember reading on some website that a mechanical two speed gearbox is a great addition in a drill - the slower speed gear really increases the torque and then you can also switch to the other gear, thereby decreasing the torque but increasing the speed by a lot.

From the replies it seems that the one speed gear is plenty for all woodworking needs?

[michael osadchuk]

I'm new to woodworking and am looking to buy a suitable plug in drill that will last me. I will use it for occasional masonary work too. It will also be used in a small vertical drill press adaptor.

would you recommend a 2 speed mechanical gearbox for variable torque, or should an adequately powered single gear be enough?

I would like to spend $150 max but will stretch higher if needs be.

thanks
Finnian

Get a corded drill that fits your vertical drill press adaptor and be prepared the 3x the amount of time to nibble away at making holes in concrete every several/five years..... I used by corded plain vanilla DeWalt 3/8" drill to make 3/8" by 2.5" holes in concrete and it took me about 25 minutes each hole.... if I was making my living do this I would by a specialized drill, otherwise the extra time, with no damage to the drill, is bearable ...and I would have a lower weight/less bulky drill that is more likely to fit a portable drill press, at lower cost.
good luck

michael

[Greg Portland]

IMO, I would get a Harbor Freight SDS or hammer drill given the amount of use you're planning. Alternatively, take a look at how much it costs to rent a good concrete drill; this may be your best option. Then look for a good used 3/8" drill in the classifieds...

[Charles McKinley]

Since you are in Europe look for a used Metabo percussion drill. They have been in the drill business a long time.

[Mark W Pugh]

I've had one of these for years, no problems. It's been used to drill in to concrete patios/steps/etc.

http://www.factoryauthorizedoutlet.com/dewalt/products/DW511.asp?cagpspn=pla&gclid=CJjtiN74-7QCFQ2znQodBTYA1g

[Finnian Dawson]

On the Makita UK website, they list three types of Drills:
1. Hammer
2. Percussion
3. Rotary

See below link
http://www.makitauk.com/products/front/?id=2272

I understand that Hammer drills impact from directly behind the bit in an axial direction.

I understand that Percussion drills impact in a circumferential fashion

I understand that Rotary drills have no impact, and are purely rotational motion at higher rpms.

For 90% woodwork, 10% masonary (small holes in concrete), would a percussion drill be best?

Thanks

[david brum]

For 90% woodwork, 10% masonary (small holes in concrete), would a percussion drill be best?

If you're only going to have one drill, then yes. A percussion drill will likely do all that you're asking, and last for many years. Makita makes very good products.

[Greg R Bradley]

The Makita website you linked is confusing and looks like it was created by someone who knows advertising but not tools.........

The have combined Rotary Hammers with Rotary Drills as if it wasn't already confusing enough with them using the non-US term Hammer Drill and US term Rotary Hammer to refer to the same items.

A drill for wood or metal just rotates.

What we call a Hammer Drill and you call a Percussion Drill adds some "hammering" to that. It is really not much, way to light and way to fast. Many thousands of "hammers" per minute. It would probably be better to call it vibrating but it does help drill in masonary. They work quite well in brick and cement block. They help a lot in concrete, particularly in small holes. Not much fun for very many holes larger than 1/4" but still easier on your body than a star drill and a small sledge hammer.

What we call a Rotary Hammer and you call a Hammer Drill is mostly "hammering" with a small amount of turning. When you are drilling holes in concrete you want 90% heavy impacts and the rotating is just enough to expose fresh material for the next hammer blow combined with removing the waste up the drill flutes. Hundreds of "hammers" per minute with EACH impact measured in Foot Pounds of force.

[Finnian Dawson]

The Makita website you linked is confusing and looks like it was created by someone who knows advertising but not tools.........

The have combined Rotary Hammers with Rotary Drills as if it wasn't already confusing enough with them using the non-US term Hammer Drill and US term Rotary Hammer to refer to the same items.

A drill for wood or metal just rotates.

What we call a Hammer Drill and you call a Percussion Drill adds some "hammering" to that. It is really not much, way to light and way to fast. Many thousands of "hammers" per minute. It would probably be better to call it vibrating but it does help drill in masonary. They work quite well in brick and cement block. They help a lot in concrete, particularly in small holes. Not much fun for very many holes larger than 1/4" but still easier on your body than a star drill and a small sledge hammer.

What we call a Rotary Hammer and you call a Hammer Drill is mostly "hammering" with a small amount of turning. When you are drilling holes in concrete you want 90% heavy impacts and the rotating is just enough to expose fresh material for the next hammer blow combined with removing the waste up the drill flutes. Hundreds of "hammers" per minute with EACH impact measured in Foot Pounds of force.

Thanks Greg, I understand.
Looks like either:
1. Qty 1 drill - percussion drill or
2. Qty 2 drills - Non-imapct drill and another drill with hammer action (rotary hammer or hammer drill, depending on where you come from)
would suit me best.

Would the percussion drill (that has "some" hammer action) be useful in installing large / long screws in wood, or would a good non-hammer / rotation only drill be better at this task?

[David Hostetler]

For starters, I want to try to encourage you to avoid those drill press jigs that let you use your hand drill as a drill press. I had one, no good can come of it... Just too hard to control.

To be honest, for what you laid out, it sounds like you need a couple of different drills...

Not sure about the hooey about a Jacobs chuck outlasting a keyless chuck. I have had both, both have their benefits, and their problems. I like a keyless for most applications, but for bigger bits, I have trouble with a keyless holding tight enough unless the bit has a hex shank. So the problem really is the bit. Most of my big bits do have a hex shank, but some cheapos don't...

For precision drilling in wood, metal, plastics etc... You need a good variable speed reversible drill. A 3/8" chuck is good for most applications, but every now and then you really need a 1/2" drill... As often as I have needed a 1/2" drill, I haven't had any need to go any further than my drill press...

My drill arsenal as it were looks like this...

Ryobi D47CK, okay actually it's predecessor, but virutally the same drill, just mine came in a blow molded case with spaces for bits, the new model has a ballistics nylon case, and I think you can actually hold a box of bits in this case... It's nice in that it is the only corded drill I know of with a clutch / chuck, which makes doing things like driving screws without snapping the heads off, or just overdriving them MUCH easier... I know Ryobi doesn't get a lot of love from the brand name lovers, but this drill has been a good tool for me now for the last 5 years through frequent, hard, abusive use...

Model number forgotten, and I don't see anything similar on their site now, but I have a Craftsman 1/2" variable speed drill that I bought in 1993, which has a keyless chuck as well. Works great, I believe it too was made by TTI / Ryobi. And there is nothing I can complain about this one... It's stronger than anything I want to hang on to if a bit gets hung... It WILL move my 300+ pound self around if I let it... I have used this to power a drill powered liquid transfer punp that I had for a water bed I used to own years ago. It helped me suck the water out of that big king size bladder no less than 6 times as I moved around back then... It still works like brand new.

For precision drilling, I use a Northern Industrial 15" 16 speed floor model drill press. TONS of other companies sell this same drill press. It's a basic 16 speed floor model with a 3/4 HP motor. Same one HF sells, Sears, etc... under their house brands. Does a great job, and I got it off of craigslist cheap...

Now for the concrete / masonry drilling. How much of this are you going to do? You might consider renting a hammer drill, or buying one of the cheap ones from Harbor Freight if you don't need years and years of hard service. A friend of mine has a Harbor Freight hammer drill that is at least 10 years old. We used it to mount flag pole mounts into the brick facing on his house, plus some other similar jobs on his home, and mine over the last decade. It works every time. It IS a piece of junk, but it has paid for itself many times over... Just a thought.