I want to buy a new drill, I have a budget of about £60-£80 and need to be able to drill into bricks e.g through plaster and bricks. My old joiner friend had a standard Dewalt which he used as a screw driver and it would go straight through bricks. This what I need.
Is a drill that good possible with my budget? I would get a corded one as they are better value for money.
I am refurbing my bedroom and need to put some shelves up as apart of this as well as a lot of general making good of the plaster. I will also put down a new floor.
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DON'T buy it. Nicad batteries. 8< Snip - you know why!. overpriced. Buy something with a cord. Much better value. Better still borrow one and give the donor a decent bottle of Red or whatever cos I guess you'd only place it in a cupboard when your done ruggering up your shelves!
Only my Op of course.
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 19 Oct 10 at 20:52
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I see the likes of Argos and the DIY sheds have corded drills for £10 to £20.
Can't see the point of paying more for light domestic use.
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But I already have a £20 drill and it won't go into bricks at all. Fine for wood but thats it. And yes I was using a masonary bit.
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...And yes I was using a masonary bit...
Worth reserving some of your budget for some decent, sharp bits.
A 750W cheapo drill will have just as much grunt - 750W - as a £100 one.
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It will be handy to have anyway as a good drill should out live me given it will used a few times a year.
A corded one would be better since I will always have mains where I need to use but I can clearly see the benefit in a cordless one. Maybe a corded Bosh is the answer?
Just a simple question I have bought £20 800w drills before and they are useless with bricks, how is a 800w Makita so much better? Is the W figure just a pointless marketing number like they are in HIFI and computer power supplies?
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Check Wickes whilst you're looking Rattie, i bought one of their own branded corded hammer drills some 10 years ago and it's been great, it's really a Bosch in Wickes Professional colours and came with a 2 year warranty instead of Bosch's one year...variable speed and slow enough to be an excellent high torque screwdriver, even concrete doesn't slow it.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Tue 19 Oct 10 at 20:16
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Check Wickes whilst you're looking Rattie
careful, because the old Wickes professional tools were fairly good, but most of the modern ones are much lighter weight.
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>> careful, because the old Wickes professional tools were fairly good, but most of the modern
>> ones are much lighter weight.
>>
Thanks for that P, noted for future ref.
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>> the old Wickes professional tools were fairly good, but most of the modern
>> ones are much lighter weight.
Ah. I'd forgotten about the wrist problems.
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I agree with Mr. Devon. Buy a cheapish electric "corded" drill, with a metal gear housing if you want to get all airy fairy. Your cordless drill battery pack will compost in a year or two. You could get an SDS drill, but for what you want it's not necessary, or even desirable if you're only getting one machine. A keyed chuck will suit you better, too.
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car boot sales alway have a lot of corded drills - get a decent one for £5-£10
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But it sounds as though you be better off with a 'hammer' drill.
Of course, you could find yourself a hammer, an old rawltool, and some asbestos rawlplug material. Will definitely out last you!
IIRC the professional way of mixing the asbestos fibre with water was to chew it.
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I wouldn't like to say when "Black and Decker" first sold electric drills but I've still got one my dad bought some time in the '60s. It's pale grey painted metal, sparks a bit but it works fine. For most purposes I use a Bosch 24v cordless. Good bit of kit that.
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Hump. I have your Dad's Grey drill Brother!! Also my Father's and it still works fine.
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Heh heh Martin - On the odd occasion I use it, such as when the Bosch is re-charging, It always strikes me as prudent to wear wellies. It gives you a sort of buzzy feeling and your heart beats a bit oddly but it's fine otherwise...
:-)
Last edited by: Humph D'bout on Tue 19 Oct 10 at 20:24
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The 'Old Chap's' is fine, but it sits on the shelf in the Garage ...alone...! It should be used in some way as it performs fine. Modernity has us at it's beck and call despite our irrelevant protestations.
Best........M
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Rats. An SDS drill is required for hard concrete etc. However an 'ordinary' impact drill can manage. Just use a small bit first (3-4mm) followed by a larger bit. Take your time and drill slowly and be accurate. 6mm hole for a red plug followed by a maximum screw size of 5mm. Screw length required determined by condition of wall.
Reg's.....M
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You do need an SDS drill Rattle.
Neither of us do DIY unless it has wheels and an engine or grows plants in soil.
When we moved into this house almost 4 years ago we had a £20 drill and went through endless drill bits.
We bought a more powerful £40 drill and asked someone else to use it who told us the walls were like concrete and the drill was rubbish. We bought an SDS drill and some masonrh drill bits and I know have hanging basket brackets hanging up everywhere and they don't bloew down in the Fenland wind either.
The moral is buy the best first, and it will save you money in the end, or you're only as good as the tool that you're using!
I've got a little man on my roof this week doing things with lead and slates, that could have been you Martin:)
Pat
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What I am doing wrong general with drilling? Is it that I am now allowing enough torque?
Thanks for the comments, I might lower my budget and spend the rest on a better quality floor finish.
Just to carify what I want to do, I want to be able to use it as a screw driver to directly drill through bricks. This what my mate did in the bathroom and it saved so much time messing about with raw plugs.
The plaster in the bedroom is all too weak and won't support anything. It has countless of holes of things I have but up in the past and failed.
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You really need an SDS drill to be able to drill into brick and concrete easily.
One like this. www.wickes.co.uk/620W-2kg-SDS-Hammer-Drill/invt/195538
Once used you'll be amazed at how much better than hammer drills they are.
Edit. Beaten to it by the professional MD.
Last edited by: Crocks on Tue 19 Oct 10 at 20:30
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An SDS migtht be a good idea as I do have a cordless Impact drill with a brand called McCalister I got it for £25 down from £70 in a B&Q clearout. Its actually very well made and comes with replacement brushes etc.
The impact drill is fine for general joinery work, so an SDS might be an idea to handle the masonary. I have just been a bit scared of them as they look quite lethal.
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Rats, even though you drill into brick, you will still need rawplug type fixings.
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Got to say Rats that with the greatest respect that you sound like most customers rolled into one and that you don't have a chuffing clue, but pretend (or wish) you had.
Make a plan. Re-make it. Cost it. Will it work. Is it affordable etc etc etc. and then decide and then PLEASE stand back and leave it to someone else.
I am always happy to give assistance against a specific, but YOU could probably confuse Spike Milligan. No offence intended mind.
Best reg'.............Martin.
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Why do cordless drills have Ni-Cad batteries rather than NmH? Isn't there a memory effect with the former?
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>> Why do cordless drills have Ni-Cad batteries rather than NmH?
Cheaper.
>> Isn't there a memory effect with the former?
No.
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NiMH (Bosch) seemingly fine. No Memory effect. L-ion (lithium) some OK Some snip!. New 'untested' Technology as far as I am concerned.
Pah! M
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 20 Oct 10 at 00:42
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A bit of wire out of the handle's better, unless a cordless thing is in continual use as part of a living. More powerful, too. Mind you, it's *obvious* what'll happen here.
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He'll use the wrong rawlplug??
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I'm thinking water pipes, electrical cables...
:-)
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Good job you're on the case!
Can't imagine this place Ratless........
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I await with baited breath for the next episode.
Anything could happen :-)
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No water pipes in the area, apart from the the cuboard where the water tank is but I shall not be touching that.
There is some really rough plaster work which needs making good near the light switch but I shall be isolating the circuit before I go any where near that and if I do damage the cable by accident it is not the end of the world.
There really isn't anything to go wrong, its not like I am doing a major building project.
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"There really isn't anything to go wrong, "
I fear news of a major Rattle saga about to break :-)
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>>There really isn't anything to go wrong
That has an ominous sound. Made me recall the time I banged in a picture hook, and about 2 square feet of plaster fell off the wall.
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>I await with baited breath...
Q: What happened when the cat ate the cheese?
A: He waited for the mice (or, in this case, Rats) with baited breath.
And Rattle, if I understand rightly that you want to put screws straight into brick without drilling and plugging first, the way you might into chipboard, then you really shouldn't be buying - or using - tools at all.
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>>>>And Rattle, if I understand rightly that you want to put screws straight into brick without drilling and plugging first, the way you might into chipboard<<<<
yes you can -
www.acefixings.com/products/cat/49/medium-and-heavy-duty-fixings/tapcon-screws/
very useful particularly for frame fixing and jobs where there are lots of holes that have to be lined up thro a 'frame' with predrilled clearance only holes (ie no space for plast'c fixings with a head). OK you could use match sticks instead:)
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>>particularly for frame fixing and jobs where there are lots of holes that have to be lined up thro a 'frame' with predrilled clearance only holes (ie no space for plast'c fixings with a head). OK you could use match sticks instead:)
Or you could use the "proper" thing with no bodging :-)
tinyurl.com/27xwdoc
Fits any length hole. I have used them for decades but they seem to have gone out of production hence I am stocking up. This is the only source of a good supply I have found.
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I use matchsticks 'cos I can break them off to the right length.
Pat
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I bought a matching 14v NiCd pair of Makita hammer drillswith 3 batteries between them and use them for handyman work. Nicely balanced and feel well made. Nothing has defeated them yet. I drill with one and screwdrive with the other while a battery lives in the charger while I work. They've had regular use over the last 3 years but I don't use them every day.
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If what is writ is what is really happening:
>> I want to be able to use it as a screw driver to directly drill through bricks.
things would progress better using the masonry bit, with hammer mode on.
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>> I want to be able to use it as a screw driver to directly drill through bricks<<
There are drivers and then again, there are screwdrivers.
Pat
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>>
>> There are drivers and then again, there are screwdrivers.
>>
Vodka and orange juice.
Ice.
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Now John, I was trying to make a subtle point, seeing as this is primarily a car forum!
Pat
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An SDS drill to put up a few shelves, does Ratts live in a nuclear bomb shelter?
If he takes the advice here he will end up with something more powerful than the Panda. :-)
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Thanks for the pointer, PMH - I wasn't aware of tapcon screws. I can see they might be useful for things like the top stay of a tall bookcase, where the weight is on the floor but it needs to be secured to prevent it toppling. Not sure I'd be happy to trust much weight to them on their own, though - brick gets awfully crumbly at the texture level once you drill into it.
I'd agree that SDS is overkill for brick. It was indispensable in our old house, which was made of Victorian concrete blocks containing pebbles. A rotary drill would hit a pebble and stop; hammer action would just make the hole wider, but with SDS the only problem was remembering to stop. Now we have walls of 1970 brick and breezeblock construction, and I've yet to need anything stronger than my cheapie 14.4V cordless rotary.
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I'm with ON. Is Rats REALLY using hammer mode to go through wood? Does he really "want a screw driver to drill holes"?! I hope these are all typos?
OK, my two penn'th. I have an ancient B&D, 550w iirc. Corded as they didn't have cordless when I bought it and I never have to wait for batteries to charge. It doesn't drill holes in brick / concrete so much as intimidate the holes into appearing. It's powerful.
Get a decent, corded, known brand, powerful hammer drill and, like mine and several others here, it will last forever. Mcwho? £50 should cover it. Nothing wrong with a second hand one. Then buy good quality masonry bits and red Rawlplugs. Screws MUST go into the brick or block. Plaster might be up to holding a picture but that's it. Tap the rawlplug in gently with a hammer if it's necessary. A bit of paper tape on the drill bit is useful for marking the depth to drill to.
OK, who's goint to start on spirit levels? I favour the old fashioned bubble, bet someone got tempted by a laser... :-)
John
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>> OK, who's goint to start on spirit levels? I favour the old fashioned bubble, bet
>> someone got tempted by a laser... :-)
>>
>> John
>>
OK I'll bite. I have a laser level. Brilliant, (groan) for putting up a row of shelf brackets along my garage wall. And it was done with my DeWalt 14v drill without any problems. I use a 1050w mains hammer drill for stone or concrete.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 20 Oct 10 at 10:29
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My laser spirit level was great for setting out levels round the pool and determining straight lines for boundaries etc. not so useful for indoors. still prefer a bubble.
The latest use of the laser is to illuminate reflective road signs at about 400m to surprise the odd motorist:) It will probably get used for blinding pilots next on FA!
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From a DIY rank amateur - buy a corded Bosch Hammer Drill - proper Bosch drill bits.
www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=10957601&fh_view_size=10&fh_eds=%3f&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB%2fcategories%3C{9392094}&fh_search=bosch+drill&fh_refview=search&ts=1287565077530&isSearch=false
I have one of a preceding type to the above - it drills holes in walls, both plaster and brick. It's made like a BMW and will last as long as you need it.
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Me - I got a laser level years ago - now brought out only at Christmas.
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I bought a JCB corded drill - 1kw I think - 5 years ago for £30.
With high quality LONG drill bits and extensions drilled through 0.6 metres of stone wall..
It took quite a time.. (millstone grit).
It's all dependent on the quality of the drill bits and the patience and skill of the operator how well a drill performs and how long it lasts. (My prior 500w B&D drill was 31years when I burned out the windings...)
For light work I have an 18Volt rechargeable with two batteries...
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PU, I bet you would now use your iphone spirit level app. Just cos you can!
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what ?? Please tell me it has one ! :-)
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Oh yes, even I've seen it, on a mates iPhone.
You're missing out.
John
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There was a mention on the Gadget Show !
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I was going to suggest that you use the compass to layout your bedroom - but then i had a new idea. But unfortunately somebody has already developed it (:
tinyurl.com/anothernewidea
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Nokia have had spirit levels from 2007 at least!
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I will have a look to see if I can get a discounted older model, I do like Bosch, I have a Bosch electric screw driver which has lasted years.
I do feel with Bosch including car parts they make you pay for the brand though. We have also found that Bosch domestic appliences are poor value for money. The £200 Samsung waching machien cost a fraction of the old Bosch one has has lasted longer.
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I agree about Bosch prices but our Bosch washing machine is 11 years old and (touch wood) has never gone wrong...
Our reduced Miele tumble drier is very good : highly recommended.
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What drill? - Old Navy
