Points to Consider When Selecting a Drill

1) Corded or Cordless?

This is your first significant decision to make. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of drills:

- Cordless drills are usually more convenient. They can easily be used in any location quickly without having to deal with power cords and power outlets; so long as the battery stays charged. The big asset of corded drills is that there is no limitation on how long they can be used. With a corded drill, you will never find yourself waiting for batteries to charge.

- It is somewhat counter-intuitive, but cordless drills tend to weigh less than corded drills. However, if you select a high-power cordless drill (18V or 24V), these models are sometimes just as heavy as their corded counterparts.

- Cordless drills are safer as there is no cord dangling about to be tripped on.

- If power and torque and long run times are required, a corded drill will perform better. While there are many high-power options available for cordless drills, corded drills will always be able to supply more torque, and they will be able to supply it for a longer period of time.

- Even good batteries have a limited lifetime. You should expect that the batteries in your cordless drill will last two to three years at best. Batteries are very expensive to replace; it is often cheaper to purchase a new cordless drill than to purchase two new batteries. So if you are purchasing a cordless drill, expect to be buying another drill in a couple years time. For comparison, if you choose a corded drill your drill should last for at least 10 years, if not more.

- If you are planning to opt for a cordless drill, make certain to purchase one with Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries; stay away from Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH) batteries. Li-Ion batteries are more powerful, they have longer lifetimes, they do not have "memory" issues, and they are better for the environment since they have less harmful metal elements.

2) Pick a Chuck

The chuck is the part of the drill that holds the bits in place. There are two decisions to make here: size and type.

The standard chuck sizes are 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" with the most common size being 3/8". If you plan on using large diameter drill bits, choose the 1/2" chuck since many bigger bits will not fit in a 3/8" drill. If you do not want or need the ability to accommodate larger bits, the 3/8" chuck is a better option since you typically can get higher bit speeds in these type of drills.

There are two types of chucks: keyed and keyless. With the keyed chuck, you use a mechanical key to tighten and loosen drill bits. With the keyless chuck, you tighten the drill bit into the chuck by holding the chuck with your hand and powering the drill. The keyed chuck has the advantage of being able to hold bits tighter so there is less chance of your drill bit slipping. The advantage of the keyless chuck is that it is much quicker to change bits, and there is no key to lose or keep track of.

3) Important Features

To get the most from your new drill, be sure that it has these key features:

- The ability to reverse direction. Even if you don't plan on using your drill for driving screws, reverse is key feature to have for removing drill bits that get stuck. If you are getting a drill with a keyless chuck, it will already have reverse (otherwise there would be know way to get the drill bit out), you only need to check for this feature if you are buying a drill with a keyed chuck.

- A variable speed trigger. If you plan on driving screws, this is key feature. If you don't plan to drive screws, this is still a great feature as it makes it far easier to drill clean holes since different materials have different optimal bit speeds.

- Two speed ranges. This is really only needed if you plan to drive screws. If you are, this is very important to have. The lower speed range makes it much, much easier to drive screws.

- A torque clutch. As with the speed ranges, this is usually only needed if you plane to drive screws with your drill. The clutch lets you set a maximum torque after which the drill will stop driving. This is really handy when driving screws to guard against over-driving the screw into the material. If you are driving large numbers of screws (like in decking), this feature is a real life-saver.

Article Source: ArticlesBusiness.net

William has been a carpenter for many years. You can find his drill rankings at www.drill-reviews.com.

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