It’s bite the bullet time on a replacement cordless drill.

[CHJ]

Reason, faithful small 12volt Makita started smoking whilst in use today *
And the convenience of more than one hand drill and not having to keep changing drill bits or drivers is hard to ignore.

Now any hand drill I purchase is only going to get occasional use these days but I’m used to the convenience of having a decent tool to hand when needed.

The last unit I bought was an Axminster ‘Own Brand’ works fine but the batteries are propriety and of unknown reliability, currently still have 4 that take a decent charge out of many purchased from AXY. Clearance sale.

The Dilemma is justifying how much pocket money does a DIY octogenarian splash out on a two variable speed drill/driver with torque settings.

Go for something from a local outlet in the low £10’s of pounds on the basis that the tool and more importantly the batteries will have more than adequate life span.
Or be a complete tool nerd and go the whole hog with something such as the compact Makita brushless offerings with batteries themselves costing more than the low-end sets.

* (s*d’s law only bought some replacement PA12 compatible batteries recently)

 

[RogerS]

Ask yourself....which one will give you the most enjoyment.

 

[Cabinetman]

The ubiquitous DeWalt over here (not sure if it’s available in the uk, sorry) isn’t the best it has a well commented on chuck problem, and the light that points at the work surface, just doesn’t! And in contrast to the lit area the bit you want to see is in shadow grrrr, must say I’m a Makita convert and find them to be well designed and efficient.

 

[JamesHow]

The best budget drill I've used is thevwyckes 12v one....

Wickes 10.8V 1 x 1.5Ah Li-ion Cordless Drill Driver | Wickes.co.uk

Wickes 10.8V 1 x 1.5Ah Li-ion Cordless Drill Driver

www.wickes.co.uk

It's good enough for drilling and driving screws.

Were I drill holes in masonry or timber timber screws into sleepers you would want something with more power.

The wickes brushless drill is £100 with two 5ah batteries.

If your spending big bucks then pick your colour! Although black and red are a bit more expensive..

 

[JamesHow]

The ubiquitous DeWalt over here (not sure if it’s available in the uk, sorry) isn’t the best it has a well commented on chuck problem, and the light that points at the work surface, just doesn’t! And in contrast to the lit area the bit you want to see is in shadow grrrr, must say I’m a Makita convert and find them to be well designed and efficient.

Several levels the DIY one isn't as good as my Stanley farmax tbh. I use both regularly.

The pro level one should be good.

 

[wallace]

My two penneth, Aldi/lidl I am quite impressed by the one I found in mother inlaws which was father inlaws who passed 5years ago. When I found it it hadnt been charged in a year and still had chooch. Its light, comfy, has a light and they are cheap with 3years warranty

 

[Steve Maskery]

I have a range from Festool, down through Bosch to Aldi & Lidl.
The Aldi/Lidl ones are the ones that get picked up most often. The Festool is the heaviest.

S

 

[Malc2098]

I like my Bosch GSR 12v. It's small, powerful for 12v and just feels better than my Aldi version.

However, have you though of looking for second hand. I sometimes see a Festool drill come up on Facebook Marketplace.

Half my festool stuff is second hand.

 

[Woodbloke]

I've had several drills over the years, (Bosch, de Walt, Makita etc) all of which have burnt out over the years. The current one is a 14.4v German made Festool which I've had for nigh on a decade and gets used all the time; pretty indestructible.

Buy cheap, buy twice - Rob

 

[Jonathan]

Over the last 40 years I've had pretty much every brand of battery drill on the market, most seemed to die with daily use.
Now I seem to have only Festool and they keep charging and going year in year out.
As Rob mentioned they are spendy but reliable and very nice to use….. also they are designed so that they don’t fall over and damage your finished work

 

[Spectric]

And the convenience of more than one hand drill and not having to keep changing drill bits or drivers is hard to ignore.

If you are looking for something that is both light and is great in use then look at this Milwaukee .

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/milwaukee-m12fddxkit-202x-m12-12v-fuel-installation-drill-driver-with-interchangeable-heads-kit

Yes it is only 12 volts and not as powerful as a bigger Makita but unless you are driving in 6 inch screws or other more demanding uses then it is great, I really find it to be so handy. Keep a pilot drill in the chuck and a driver bit in the collet and it is easy to swap between them, also you get the 90° head which comes in useful when you find yourself in a tight spot and there is also the offset head to allow you to get in close when there are obstructions or framework above.

For £215 and you can pay in three I think it is good value for the money, especially as it is light and easier to handle as you get older.

 

[HdV]

First thing to decide is what you will be using it for.

My favourite drill (by far) is the old style Festool CXS. It is light, has the smoothest trigger you'll ever see on any drill, and to me the D-style grip is perfect. It is not the most powerful drill though. It falls into the category of installers drills. A cheaper equivalent would be the Milwaukee M12 installers drill. But that is definitely not as good as the Festool (I have both and would choose the Festool over the Milwaukee any time). I even bought some of the older CXS drills when the newer version came out. I am glad I did.

Will it be a "small jobs only" drill? Or a general purpose drill? Or a drill that has to be able to tackle heavy duty jobs?

 

[AJB Temple]

I have the small Festool too and would not be without it. Interchangeable dill and driver chuck, and a right angle chuck which come in very handy at times. It's small, light and the batteries charge fast and last a long time.

 

[marineboy]

+1 for the Festool CXS. Beautifully (and ergonomically) designed with some clever touches like the hook which attaches to your belt and can be reversed for left handers. And the right angle chuck has got me out of trouble on more than one occasion.

 

[Woodbloke]

+1 for the Festool CXS. Beautifully (and ergonomically) designed with some clever touches like the hook which attaches to your belt and can be reversed for left handers. And the right angle chuck has got me out of trouble on more than one occasion.

I have the CSX 14.4v version also with the 90deg chuck in addition to the offset chuck....also very handy - Rob

 

[CHJ]

First thing to decide is what you will be using it for.
.........
Will it be a "small jobs only" drill? Or a general purpose drill? Or a drill that has to be able to tackle heavy duty jobs?

Definitely in the (smallish) general purpose role, the one to pick up for the odd DIY type task around the home, piloting, countersinking and driving the odd cross or nut headed screw. ("Work" has been a swear word around here for 30+ yrs)

I have a heavy duty 13mm chuck mains Bosh that's strong enough to give the wrist a workout for the occasional big hole in the wall type tasks and the no frills Axminster 13mm chuck 18volt unit that does the general bigger wall fixing and outdoor tasks with lager wood bits etc.

 

[spb]

My personal favourite drill for anything that doesn't involve masonry or excessively large holes is this little thing, which I picked up when Toolstation had the full kit with all the different chucks on clearance a few years back. I quite often keep a driver bit in the hex chuck and a drill bit in the three jaw, and just swap between those to pilot and screw. It's also just a lot lighter than any of the 18V options and that alone makes it more pleasant to use.

 

[Dr.Al]

My personal favourite drill for anything that doesn't involve masonry or excessively large holes is this little thing, which I picked up when Toolstation had the full kit with all the different chucks on clearance a few years back. I quite often keep a driver bit in the hex chuck and a drill bit in the three jaw, and just swap between those to pilot and screw. It's also just a lot lighter than any of the 18V options and that alone makes it more pleasant to use.

Me too. I've got one of the higher end Makita 18 V drills, which is frankly amazing in what it can do, but for most things the little Bosch works perfectly (and can get into all sorts of awkward spots thanks to the different heads).

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

Bosch 18v. Light, smooth, powerful, beautiful balance in the hand. Makes my colleagues' DeWalts look, feel and sound like ones from East Germany before the wall came down. I've drilled and driven oodles with it over 5 years. Only issue has been sticking jaws because I didnt lubricate them. WD40 infusion, plus Light Machine Oil, sorted.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I assume the OP not to be a pauper so he should buy whatever he finds the most comfortable and enjoyable to use. When I upgraded I though it would probably be for the last time so all my battery stuff's Milwaukee.

 

[Lons]

I'm one of the odd ones out as I have four DeWalt drills, three of which are the old style 14.4v ni-cad, the newer one, still more than 10 years old being 18v li-ion. At least two of them are in almost constant use and the others occasionally. The older ones have had a hard life during my business days and the only repair was a new gearbox to one which had been abused by one of the lads on site.

perhaps I've been very lucky or maybe the latest ones are poorer quality, I don't know. I've only recently thrown away the forst ever DeWalt cordless I bought 30 years ago. The drill still worked but I didn't need it and not worth buying more batteries.

I do have a Bosch cordless right andle drill which is also extremely useful.

 

[HdV]

Definitely in the (smallish) general purpose role, the one to pick up for the odd DIY type task around the home, piloting, countersinking and driving the odd cross or nut headed screw.

In that case I would start looking for a second hand Festool CXS of the original type. They are available for very low prices right now, because everyone seems to think the new models make the old model obsolete. Not so. The old model is much quieter and the trigger is still unbeaten. It may not have the umph of the new CXS12, but for most jobs its power is easily sufficient.

As chance would have it I have bought my 4th CXS just a few hours ago for €175 (for an unused "2.6-Set"). Yeah, I know, a bit excessive. But, believe it or not, they are all in almost daily use and I am not a professional. Go look at eBay or something like it. Good deals can be had for this great little drill.

 

[RogerS]

Do you need a hammer option?

I do know that most manufacturers (not sure about Festool) exclude their chucks from any warranty. DAMHIKT

 

[RogerS]

In that case I would start looking for a second hand Festool CXS of the original type. They are available for very low prices right now, because everyone seems to think the new models make the old model obsolete. Not so. The old model is much quieter and the trigger is still unbeaten. It may not have the umph of the new CXS12, but for most jobs its power is easily sufficient.

As chance would have it I have bought my 4th CXS just a few hours ago for €175 (for an unused "2.6-Set"). Yeah, I know, a bit excessive. But, believe it or not, they are all in almost daily use and I am not a professional. Go look at eBay or something like it. Good deals can be had for this great little drill.

That’s interesting as I have two - one old style, the other the new style - and they rarely come out of the box. My Milwaukee M18 is my Go-To

 

[HdV]

For what I do the CXS has plenty of power. I do have M12 Milwaukee tools and they are great. But their installers drill is way too loud for my ears. Its trigger doesn't feel as nice as the Festool either. And the direction switch can be in a weird place for some people (on top). The extra weight of 18V drills is not worth it to me in most cases. Of course, I do have heavy duty drills (Festool T18+3, Makita and Hilti) for jobs that require that much power. For woodworking I never need those. Just once in a while for DIY jobs.

 

[Spectric]

But their installers drill is way too loud for my ears.

You must have fantastic hearing because if that is to loud then how do you handle machinery like tablesaws, P/T's and tracksaws ?

I will say the direction button does take some getting used to and bigger hands helps, not sure why they did not just use a simple slide switch like Makita.

 

[HdV]

I wear earmuffs all the time when I have loud machinery running. Often 3M Peltor, but when I want some entertainment and I am doing things that are not too risky I wear Hellberg XStream earmuffs with music on. Some decades ago when I was building my house I made the mistake of running a tablesaw and not wearing hearing protection. Dumb mistake that I am paying for 24 hours each day. I have tinnitus because of it. Luckily it is a mild case, but annoying all the same. Don't make the same mistake as I did. Take care of your ears.

 

[RogerS]

For what I do the CXS has plenty of power. I do have M12 Milwaukee tools and they are great. But their installers drill is way too loud for my ears. Its trigger doesn't feel as nice as the Festool either. And the direction switch can be in a weird place for some people (on top). The extra weight of 18V drills is not worth it to me in most cases. Of course, I do have heavy duty drills (Festool T18+3, Makita and Hilti) for jobs that require that much power. For woodworking I never need those. Just once in a while for DIY jobs.

That is very true. The Milwaukee has fearsome torque. I recall drilling in some wood, the bit stopped but the drill didn't, whacking the back of my hand in an instance into the corner of the door jamb.

I will shortly be assembling our kitchen cabinets and will certainly be blowing the dust off the Festool's !

 

[Phil]

Bosch 12V - small compact light easy to use. Replaced a very, very, old Bosch when the battery packed up and could not be replaced.
Pedestal drill for accurate work and large Makita drill for other work, and a very old Bosch impact SDS drill for walls and concrete.
An early 1970's Wolf drill which is no longer used - sentimental. An old B&D drill mounted on a board with a sander disk.

 

[CHJ]

If we are mentioning old but usable kit, how about this B&D with Slow Speed Gearbox, must have acquired this in the early 1960's.


Its Full Speed mate which I know I bought in 1963 died a few years ago.
But its DIY companion bought at the same time still lives on.

 

[Woodbloke]

Wolf Saphire 76; the best power tool I ever bought and I still use it when I need a drill with a tail - Rob

 

[Doug]

I was given one of these little Mafell drill drivers a year or so ago & I’ve been really impressed with it, it comes with two chucks a standard one & a quick release hex one shown standing on the timber in the photo. It also has a hex drive on the front of the drill which the 2 chucks clip onto, so rather than have 3 drills with different bits in them I can just quickly swap between chucks which I’ve found really handy on little jobs where I don’t want to get loads of tools out of the van.
Also the hex chuck takes any hex bits unlike the Festools snappy Chuck which is designed for their centrotec hex bits



I believe it’s made by Festool it certainly has many similarities to my 15 year old cxs but with the advantages of a more modern design.

 

[CHJ]

Well for better or worse decision made and all that is needed now is a new project to put it to work.

Chosen on the basis of size and pleased with balanced feel now it's in the hand.
Need to sort out some fitted common bit storage (loads of excessive space in the supplied case) for those times when "grab the little Drill" is the convenient option.

 

[fuse]

It should last longer than a budget item and the case looks as if it would accommodate a higher capacity battery.

I have a dewalt impact and combi for outside the workshop but inside there a selection have a of corded drills set up with the most commonly used sizes and tools and as a screwdriver I use a makita df0300 corded driver
It felt like a backward step buying a mains powered tool but its worked out really well- powerful but small and no more dead batteries queuing up at the charger.
Prior to that I had a parkside one from lidl that had a detachable chuck that revealed a hex drive socket.Very good but the thing burst into smoke just sat on the bench.If I hadnt have been there it would have been a fire engine job

 

[Artiglio]

I was a long time user of Panasonic battery tools, took endless use and abuse, were’nt cheap when new but worth the money. BUT when they eventually started to play up getting them repaired was a long expensive tedious process. So moved over to dewalt ( i have a dewalt tool centre a couple of miles away). Whilst not as durable as the panasonics , the tools ( especially the smaller drill drivers) are cheap to buy and if and when they fail out of warranty there’s no point getting them repaired just buy new. I buy drill drivers in whatever the current 2 pack deal is ( new batteries and charger included) anything else is bought naked. Local dealer is a local legend , looks after his customers.

 

[Cabinetman]

Well the last few comments have made me realise that we’re all different, it had never (and probably never would have ) crossed my mind to have more than one rechargeable drill at a time, buy one use it till it stops after a few years and then buy another. As to having lots of drills set up with common drills and bits in them —— well as I said we are all different!
I know, I’m tight.

 

[AndyP]

Sadly no more but the speed of which one can work with a drill for holes, one for countersinking and one for screwing is very satisfying .

 

[fuse]

As well as drills with common tools set up I have two drivers ,one with pz1 the other pz2 as I often make things in batches of a dozen with 3mm and 4.5 mm screws on the same workpiece
Even with a magnetic bit holder having to stop to change bits 23 times is a royal pain.
Because the powerdrills have only one job each they share the work and dont have to be expensive ones.
The only trouble was getting the cords in a tangle but putting them on overhead racks and outlet sockets is a cure.