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Tool Guru Tip of the Month

Cordless Drills

I would like to talk this month about cordless drills. At last count, we stock in excess of 85 cordless drills, and the obvious question is "which drill is the right one for me?" In attempting to answer that question we have to determine your needs.

Let's start by determining the proper voltage drill for your use. Current models of industrial quality cordless drills range from a low of 7.2 volts to a high of 24 volts. The voltage is important for two reasons. The higher the voltage, the more torque, or more power, the tool delivers. This is not always the case, however, and it is important to check the inch pounds of torque on any drill you might be considering.

As a general rule of thumb, for a general purpose drill for around the house or home workshop, 12 volt or 14.4 volt will do the job just fine. Most of the kits available today come standard with two batteries and a charger that will fully charge your batteries in less than an hour, so run time of the batteries should not be a factor. The main features you should look for in this category are variable speed, multiple clutch settings for setting screws, and a keyless chuck for easy bit changing, as well as the amp hour rating of the battery. This is very important, as not all batteries are alike. You might have a 12 volt battery rated at 1.2 amp hours, or a 12 volt battery rated at 3.5 amp hours. The difference is the amount of run time between charges. I like to equate this to a tank of gas in your car. Assuming that both cars get the same mileage, the car with a 10 gallon gas tank will run out of gas in half the time of the car with the 20 gallon tank. Amp hour ratings on batteries are the same. The 3.5 amp hour battery will last about 3 times as long as the 1.2 amp hour battery.

The next grouping of drills is more for the professional user. It gives you the ability to use larger bits, and obviously becomes more versatile. The 18 volt to 24 volt category ranges in torque from approximately 390 inch pounds to a high of 500 inch pounds. As opposed to 7.2 and 14.4 volt drills, these will afford you much longer run time between charges. For the most part, these tools also offer all of the "bells & whistles" available in cordless technology today such as a twenty two position clutch for setting screws, as little as a 12 minute complete charge cycle, built-in bit storage compartments, and a feature that I particularly like called "constant torque". This feature is great if you're setting screws in wood. It delivers constant power at the slowest speed as it does at the fastest speed! There are also two different designs to choose from, one being a back handle, and the more popular "T" handle design. The "T" handle provides better balance, and it is where the industry seems to be headed.

The big thing to keep in mind when making your decision, the higher the voltage, the heavier the tool which is why the 14.4 volt models seem to still be our best sellers. They offer ample power and are still relatively lightweight.

Now it's time for the moment of truth - which cordless drills do we recommend:

There are many other models available that will do a wonderful job. These are simply some of the our personal favorites. If you have any questions about the models listed here or any other models, send me an email or call at 1-800-338-3384 and I will be glad to share my thoughts and experiences with you.

Read previous months' tips:
Cabinet Tablesaws
Slide Compound Miter Saws
Mid-Sized Plunge Routers
Cordless Drills
Detail Sanders
Random Orbit Sanders
Brad Nailers
Hammer Drills