Cordless Drill for less than €150

cormie

Hi,
I think it's about time the house got a cordless drill. It will be used quite rarely for the likes of screwing masonary walls, plasterboard walls, timber frames etc. I also need it to put down floorboards in the attic in the next week or so. I know the good makes are Makita/DeWalt etc, but I don't have that kind of money and I don't need something that good. €150 would be stretching it but if I can get something for that price that is a mile above the rest then so be it. I'd be looking for one with more keyless chuck, more than one battery if possible, included kit would be handy too and if there are ones, one that can also be powered by the mains. I may also want to use it to put an attachment on that will allow me to sharpen chisels and the likes.

Also, if I was to buy a 2nd hand one, what should I be looking out for in terms of wear, besides the lifetime of the batteries?

If anyone has one they are willing to sell, please let me know too:)

Any feedback appreciated:)

Heinrich

You can get a damn good Black & Decker in Homebase for around the €70 mark.Mine is an HP148F2B 14 volt. I have already screwed over 1500 drywall screws with it. It comes with a spare rechargable battery and charger!

CJhaughey

Ryobi are an excellent drill, you can get a nice 14.4v with a driver quite reasonably.
Lots of tradesmen I know use them with no problems.
Dewalt are a fantastic drill but realistically DIY doesn't need a drill of this quality.
B&D stuff has a slow charge on the 14v stuff, and can take hours to charge, My Ryobi CDI1803 charges in 1.5 hours.
NOTHING is more frustrating than having to wait for a battery to charge...
So the very minimum you should be looking for is 2 batteries preferably 3.

LegacyUser

i got one in argos, around €70, comes with cordless drill, cord drill, and box full of drill bits.

v handy.

using it now to assemble a drawer.

Dilbert75

Get 18V min, with 2 batteries and 1 hour charge. After that, your budget will decide. I got a cheapo version of above for about €50 in a local hardware. Built a deck with about 500 screws, from 2" to 6" and it was fine. Second battery would be worn out when the first was recharged. Smaller drills will drive you crazy for intense work and charge time is usually too long.

delly

Page 1038 of the Argos Catalogue, item no.710/7827.
Challenge 18v cordless harmer drill, comes with 2 batteries, 13mm keyless chuck. All for €59.

Bought a 16v version when i moved into my first house 3 years ago and its still going strong.

cormie

Thanks for the replies. I've read a few places that the argos type drills are terrible. However, I wont be doing much at all with it so I suppose as long as it can suffice whenever I will rarely need it that should be ok, come to think of it, €150 is a lot more than I should be spending on something I will be using so little. Anyone know which of the ones mentioned above would be the best to go for?

Corkey123

Cormie

Get your ass on to Capel street and try McQuillens or the tool shop on the opposite side of the road, there is also one around the corner in little Mary street and you will find a range of gear suitable to your needs. If you're an occasional user don't go buying thing like multi sets by Black and Decker. No self respecting DIY man , professional tradesmen, etc would be seen buying tools in Argos or Woodies. Go to a tools shop and see a range suitable to your needs. Ask the sales person questions and make you decision based on usage, cost, etc.

FrankGrimes

I have to second the vote for a Ryobi cordless drill - I have one and its class. I had a carpenter that ended up using it and loved it. It has two levels, battery indicator, depth gauge, but more importantly, solid drilling power and speed. Very good torque. Ryobi do a two year warranty which is a major bonus. And of course it has the standard two batteries (14volt).

I think it cost me £90 from http://www.tooled-up.co.uk - think it was 20 euro delivery no matter how much you ordered - i ended up getting about 70kg of tools from them for 20 euro delivery! Couldnt find any other decent priced web sites that deliver to Ireland.

I'm doing major renovations on my house so I've bought loads of tools. I tried my luck with a chop saw for 190 from B&Q and it's been such a success I've ended up buying a load of power tools from them, and all have been a success (though the nail gun aint up to paslode standards in what it can sink a nail into, for 120 quid its grand). Their 'Pro' range has 3 yr warranty and you can tell straight away the build quality walks all over the likes of ROK sold in Argos or Woodies. My mate who is a builder has checked them out and approves, saying the only difference is he'd expect his top end tools to stand up to his rigorous demands for longer. For even a serious DIYer I can't recommend B&Q's tools enough (man €36 for a skill saw with laser guide and a blade just can't be beaten), though you get so much use out of a cordless drill its worth getting a decent one.

That said, I noticed a cordless in B&Q the other day that I'd swear is a re-badged Ryobi cos it looks identical to mind, though I'd guess its way cheaper.

rooferPete

Hi,

Like Frank, I second Ryobi or similar because they are basically Makita rebadged, also they get so much abuse it can be a shame to see a fancy drill / screwdriver with a load of materials sitting on it in the van, or worse falling from a roof.

I don't knw where they bought he last kit but it came with a screwdriver and drill 3 batteries 18v 2.0 amh for less than 100 euro, now that's value.

.

cormie

Thanks for the feedback:)

Roofer, any chance you could find out where they got all that for under €100 please?

rooferPete

Hi cormie,

I'll check up on it, there has to be a receipt or even my Sons can't claim expenses

.

antoinolachtnai

There's nothing wrong with the Argos Challenge Extreme drills for what you are doing. If you were out jobbing 5 days a week, it might be worth buying something fancier and that might last longer (although it would be more likely to get stolen). But really. You are probably going to use this at most 100 times a year, maybe 300 times ever.

I bought the drill they do for 40 euros the other week. It comes with two batteries and a couple of accessories. I think it's a great product for the money. The only fault I'd have with it is that the screw bit they supply with it is pretty much useless. So I went and bought a decent one.

I don't know how the batteries will last. You never do when you buy battery gear, no matter who you buy it off. But the batteries certainly hold great charge at the moment. Before this drill I had another really cheap Argos drill. There was only one battery, which was a nuisance. But it worked fine for bits and pieces around the house. I actually lost it (can't for the life of me figure out where, between my house and a relatives) before it wore out. But who cares? It only cost 23 euros and it lasted three years.

My experience is that the Ryobis are good too. However, just because it looks like a Makita doesn't mean it is as good as a Makita. It has to do with the tolerances that the equipment is made to. Lower price can mean (doesn't necessarily mean) larger tolerances in the manufacturing process. I'm not saying this matters, but if you're going to be fussy about tools, at least don't fool yourself.

If you really want a fancy drill, go ahead and buy it, but don't think it'll actually make any difference after you have taken it out of the wrapper.

Sometimes the cheap argos equipment beats the more expensive equipment (in my experience anyway), because the cheaper equipment is built to standard plans that are ten or twenty years old, and doesn't incorporate 'innovations' (I'm thinking of quick-release jigsaw blade holders here) that only serve to shorten the useful life of the product.

rooferPete

Hi Cormie,

The pachage deal was bought in the shop opposite Mc Quillans in Capel Street,
it works well and always has a charged battery, one thing to note, the tool used the most is the big drill with an adapter for the screwdrivers.

We are not cabinet makers which is what the small screw driver appears to be designed for, one tool to stay away from is a B&Q special Nutec (I think).

.

antoin.......... is correct there is a difference between Ryobi and Makita, the extra money must be justified somehow, in this case I think it's in the gears, Ryobi are a nylon / plastic where Makita are metal.

If I was fitting kitchens all day I would have the Makita, it has a nicer feel to it and very adjustable, for the heavy duth we have Milwaukee (sp) and AEG both very good high performance tools, sadly about 4 times the budget figure you posted.

.

cormie

Thanks for the feedback. I'm now even thinking the budget I posted is a bit too much, I wont be using it that much at all, I doubt even 100 times a year for jobs, the only job I need it for really is putting down chipboard in the attic, maybe the odd job around the house after that, but it will be a very odd job and then if I use it for. I intend to build a bench for woodworking that's the only other thing I can think of upcoming and then maybe get an attachment for sanding etc which I wont be using that much either. In fact, if the cheap ones will do that, I'd just prefer to get a cheap one. Ok, so new budget, say €50:o Antoin, you reckon the one you suggested, you can't go wrong for €50, do you or anyone else have any idea how it compares to the other cheap ones posted from B&Q/woodies etc?

cormie

Hehe, how about this pile of crap? Worth it? For €40, can you go wrong?

CJhaughey

Waste of time.
Cordless jigsaws are gutless would hardly cut slabs...
why mess around, because I guarantee that the one time that you want the drill to work, it won't.

cormie

Hmm, but I wont actually be using any of them things much at all, but all 3 could come in handy, and the torch I suppose. I'm sure they will actually do the odd job though? Surely they wouldn't sell them if they didn't even do what they are supposed to do? If I can get 20 screws in with the screwdriver on one charge, cut about 6 ft with the jigsaw and do a little sanding I'd be happy to pay €40 for it. What you think? Plus there is also a 2 year warranty and It's also from Aldi who basically have money waiting in their pockets to refund people with:)

kadman

Hi cormie,

Powercraft tools from Aldi, euro for euro are good value for money.

I have used the power craft router for about 2 years, cost me 35 euros, and I can't fault it. Personally i normally stick to De walt power tools. I used to fit teak and oak staircases, and it was the only cordless drill that has taken the constant punishment, of driving 6x100 screws all day.

If you are on a tight budget, then I would go for it.

kadman:)

cormie

Cool Kadman, I think I will, we have a power craft router in my course too. I think I'll get one the next time Aldi have them:) Wont be using it much but will come in handy!