What brand of Power Drill should I buy for Christmas?

January 1, 2010 by admin · 5 Comments
Filed under: Maintenance & Repairs 
power tools
zja zja asked:

I want to buy my boyfriend a Power drill (like power tool, specifically drill… just not sure if i’m making that phrase up). He’s very handy and has wanted one for some time, I’m looking to spend max $150 on it, less is more though! What brand should i buy and where can i get it? even if it’s over the price limit but you really suggest it please let me know!

I’ve been looking at DeWalt at Sears…

Thanks a lot!

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5 Responses to “What brand of Power Drill should I buy for Christmas?”
  1. mike p says:
    January 4, 2010 at 5:59 pm

    DeWalt is a real good brand, and Sears stands behind their tools as far a warranty.
    If you get him one, get one with Lithium Ion batteries. mike p

  2. joel95ex says:
    January 5, 2010 at 12:05 am

    just make sure it is 18v . unless he is a contractor, he ddoesn’t need a dewalt or makita. a heavy duty 18v keyless chuck, with clutch ,black and decker is about $69 at home depot right now. i just got one to replace a sears professional model and i used it already to build a large workbench…drove a ton of 3 inch screws no problem. 18v is the standard right now….ten yrs ago it was 12v. you could also get him one that is lithium—–the advantage is runtime and faster charging but if he is just fixin stuff and home improvement, a regular ni-cad 18v is fine. joel95ex

  3. Murphy says:
    January 7, 2010 at 8:38 am

    Hi!
    There are a few things to consider when buying a drill: do you want a corded drill or a cordless (battery) drill?
    Do you need a hammer drill or not?
    Do you need a 3/8″ chuck or a 1/2″ chuck?

    Whatever drill you get make sure it has Variable Speed. That means that when you squeeze the trigger lightly the bit turns slowly, and when you squeeze it hard it spins really fast. It is wonderful to have this control and to not have it can be frustrating and cause damage to projects.
    BATTERY VS CORDED?
    This is the biggest decision to make.
    If your boyfriend does most or all of his work in a workshop or garage or somewhere that has power he can plug into, then a corded drill works well (and is usually cheaper for the same amount of power.) The downside to a battery drill is that some batteries do not hold a charge very well and certain things (like using hole saws or drilling larger holes through thicker materials) will eat up your batteries fast so you end up stuck not able to work on your project while it is recharging and eventually you have to buy replacement batteries just like a cell phone that won’t hold a charge anymore. The downside of a corded drill is that you have to drag an extension cord around with you wherever you go. If you want to go do some work on the car which is parked down the street or work out in a field somewhere or work in a house that is under construction/renovation then you might not have power available or a long enough extension cord! Corded drills are fine if all his projects are in the garage or if all his projects are battery drainers (big holes in difficult materials.) One other detail: battery drills usually have an adjustable clutch and corded drills don’t. I’m clueless as to why corded drills don’t. Adjustable clutches are good to prevent stripping out screws and threads.
    HAMMER DRILL OR NOT?
    If your boyfriend wants to be able to drill into concrete or block walls or tile or bricks then you need to get him a hammer drill. Both corded and battery drills are available as hammer drills. (Drilling into these materials requires special bits, though. Masonry bits are just as cheap as regular metal and wood bits, so don’t worry about that.)
    3/8″ CHUCK OR 1/2″ CHUCK?
    Most home drill users will be able to get away with a 3/8″ chuck, but if your boyfriend wants to use large hole saws or drill (for example) 1″ holes through thick steel, then he will need a 1/2″ chuck.

    DeWalt, Makita, Hitli, Bosch, Milwaukee, and Ridgid are brands with decent reputations. They all make a wide variety of corded/battery, hammer/regular, 3/8″/1/2″ drills.
    My favorite so far is the Makita 18volt (battery) drill. ~$225.000
    I also own a 1/2″ corded Bosch VSR hammer drill. Between these two I can do anything I might possibly need to. ~$150.00

    To save more than a couple bucks (especially if he is not likely to use his drill very frequently) you could go with maybe Black and Decker or one of the other “off” brands such as offered by Harbor Freight (cheap!!!!!!). ~$40-$80. Most trades people will snobbishly tell you those aren’t good enough, but the truth is they MORE THAN get the job done for your average homeowner who won’t be using it every day.
    I just bought a $79 Black and Decker 18v drill in a pinch and it’s doing just fine. I love my Makita and would never choose the B&D over it, but the B&D got me through the job when I didn’t have my Makita available.
    Hope this helps!
    Happy Holidays! Murphy

  4. ATom says:
    January 8, 2010 at 10:37 am

    check Home Depot and Lowes - DeWalt is a great drill, i have one and love it. I also have a Ryobi and like it a lot and it’s a bit less in over all price. New batteries will be needed someday. ATom

  5. Alex says:
    January 9, 2010 at 2:21 am

    I suggest Makita BDF452HW

    or Makita DF030DW Alex

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