Power Tools You Need: Drills
October 12, 2011, By Andy Hinds 1 comment
There is perhaps no power tool more essential or basic in concept than the power drill. It’s a motor with a handle and a switch, and a place—the chuck—to insert whatever it is that you want the motor to rotate. Like the power saw, it’s one of those tools that I cannot imagine living without. I picture carpenters of yore using a brace-and-bit to drill through massive beams and wonder how anything ever got built in the olden days and how people survived more than a couple years in the trades.
Despite the simplicity of the drill, there are countless variations and specialty versions. I just did a mental inventory of my drills, and I think I have nine, unless I missed some. You could probably get by with just one for most projects, but what fun is that?
Must Have
Corded, ½” VSR: If you had to limit yourself to one drill, this would be a good option. A cordless ½” drill is arguably more versatile, but if you don’t have a fresh battery handy, it’s no better than a hammer. Corded drills are also less likely to bog down while drilling, and as long as you’ve paid your power bill, they’ll keep turning after boring hundreds of holes or driving thousands of screws.
The ½” refers to the size of drill bit shank the chuck will accept. A 3/8” drills are fine, but if you ever need to use certain types of larger bits, you won’t be able to fit them into the chuck. Also, ½” drills tend to have more power than their kid brothers, which you won’t always need, but for which there is no substitute when you’re halfway through a wet 6x6 with a ¾” auger bit.
“VSR” just stands for “variable speed/reverse,” which is so standard on basic drills that listing it as a feature is like Ford bragging that their latest trucks come with four-wheel brakes. If you’re considering buying a ½” drill with only one speed and one direction, you’re shopping at the wrong swap meet.
As always, characteristics to consider include ergonomics, balance, power (should be somewhere around seven amps or more), smooth operation and durability. Keyless chucks are a nice feature that allow you to change bits without using any tools.
You can learn a lot by reading reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. There are quite a few decent corded drills that are pretty cheap; but you’re not doing yourself any favors if you get the dead cheapest one on the shelf. I like DeWalt corded drills, just because I’ve had quite a few of them and they always perform well and endure the considerable abuse I heap on them.
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