Gone are the days of cords and drill chucks from
Your fathers tool box - now onto battery power and multi settings.
Ditching your drill’s power cord means greater freedom and mobility. Untethered from the wall, there’s no limit to how far you can travel, drill in hand. In addition, you don’t have to worry about tangling the line around step stools, ladders, or your own arms and legs. And the tool kits meant to pair with them provide a host of add-ons that share the same body and battery, saving both money and space vs. buying a host of additional standalone tools.
But even high-priced, heavy-duty cordless tools can lack performance. It's not necessary to pay extra for lithium-ion batteries, even though their lighter weight and longer run time helps—and they’re by far the most popular type now.
As a construction superintendent I see multiple tradesmen and tradeswomen have their "weapon" of choice. From the carpenter to the Electrican to the HVAC mechanic and finally the appliance installers. Why do they choose that tool? What was the best drill they ever had? What was the worst drill they ever had? Warranties, battery life, interchangeable batteries and strength all come into this equation
Putting the Screws to Cordless Drills
Choose a Battery Type - the end cap trap
Newer and lighter lithium-ion cells (Li-Ion) have helped cordless drills shed some bulk over once-predominant nickel cadmium (NiCd) types. The Li-Ion models are now the highest-rated and the top sellers overall. In addition to decreased weight, you get added power and longer run time. They're also greener because they don’t contain cadmium, a toxic metal that can leach into ground water if spent NiCd batteries are thrown into the trash instead of recycled. NiCd-powered tools do still make up some of the market, though, thanks to their lower cost and decent performance for most needs. You’ll also find a few nickel–metal hydride (NiMH) batteries out there, although they are increasingly rare. Based on this stay away from the older models.
Hold It in Your Hand - make sure it's right for you.
In addition to checking the drill's weight, check its balance by gripping it firmly and lifting it to a wall as if to drive a screw. So many brands have their own little nuances. The drill's chuck (the top) should point straight ahead and not tilt up or down. A light should activate when you squeeze the trigger. This little feature helps to see when working in smaller places or behind cabinets.
For Kits, Check All the Tools - it's not always worth it.
They tease you with bundles. A cordless circular saw is useless unless your cutting wrapping paper.
Most cordless tool kits include a drill, reciprocating saw, and circular saw for $300 to $500. But while cordless circular saws have improved, some them and some reciprocating versions have been unimpressive and proved to be slow and ineffective, especially those in lower-priced kits. STICK WITH THE DRILL/IMPACT DRIVER - get the cord with the saw (we will review that in an upcoming blog)
Weigh the Pros and Cons of Specialized Drivers
You'll also see more Li-Ion impact drivers and small, lightweight cordless screwdrivers that weigh one pound or less. But our tests revealed some notable drawbacks with small screwdrivers.
Impact drivers add twisting power using an internal hammer that pulses the chuck and bit back and forth as it spin. This is what you want as a homeowner. Appealing as it seems a pocket-sized cordless screwdriver may be, most have been slow and shy on power. The Suck! : NORTH SHORE CONTRACTOR ADVICE - Spend $10 or so for a good set of old-fashioned hand screwdrivers instead.
What's the Drill?
Unless you're handling strictly light-duty tasks, you're likely to be disappointed with the least expensive models of cordless drills. The same goes for tool kits.
Single drills priced under $100 make up most of the market and typically have smaller, 3/8-inch chucks, the part that holds the bits. Your Ryobi, black and decker are homeowner specials but when work needs to be done these tools are not your friend. If you're more serious, a contractor-grade drill trades some lightness for the extended run time you'll need for decks and other large projects - your Bosch, Hilti, Dewalt heavier in hand due to bigger motors making more power.
Cordless Drills
Cordless drills are best for fast drilling and most screw-driving. NiCd-powered models can handle most jobs, but Li-Ion and NiMH tools performed best in our tests. The 18-volt drills (typical these days) weigh about twice as much as 9.6-volt models.
Cordless Impact Drivers
Gaining in popularity, the big advantage to an impact driver is that it can loosen a difficult screw without stripping the head. And the same applies when driving a screw—an impact driver won't damage the head.
Cordless Screwdrivers
Most professional cordless screwdrivers weigh about 2 pounds, and cost about $100, but for most people a cordless drill is a more versatile choice. Smaller, less expensive cordless screwdrivers weigh around 1 pound, and cost about $60. But these less expensive models are really only good for light-duty jobs because they are limmited and very slow. You can find more-capable (if larger and heavier) drills for the same money. or even less
Batteries
All but the less-expensive drills come with two batteries so you can use one while the other is charging. Craftsman, DeWalt, and Ryobi are among the brands that let you use lithium cells with some of their nickel-cadmium tools.
Several brands let you buy drills, saws, and other tools without batteries and chargers, saving you money by letting you share both among multiple tools as you would with a cordless kit.
Battery charger: A "smart" charger on many models can recharge a battery in 15 to 60 minutes, compared with three to five hours or more for conventional chargers. It also helps to extend battery life by adjusting the charge as needed. A few models can charge two batteries at once, which is handy for big projects. Most models now have a charge indicator, a meter that indicates the remaining charge. This feature is especially helpful with lithium-ion batteries, which can be damaged if you let them run down fully before recharging.
My pick - 18V Dewalt Impact Driver with extra battery.