When looking for the perfect drill it can seem overwhelming. There are so many choices. There are powerful drills that can punch through the toughest of materials, and there are more basic drills that are great for do-it-yourself projects around the house. If you aren’t sure which cordless drill is right for you, be sure to pick one with lots of battery life, great design, excellent features, and customer support that is always available.
Batteries
The type of batteries that you want in your drill is lithium ion batteries. These batteries are lightweight, have long battery life, and are the industry standard for delivering power to all of the projects you have in mind. The voltage listed on the drill is an indicator of the drill’s power. The higher the voltage, the greater the power. Ideally, you want to select a drill that has at least 18 volts. Higher voltages mean that you can drill through the toughest surfaces, including metal.
As a bit of warning, it can be frustrating if you run out of battery life before a project is finished. To avoid this, choose a drill that comes with two batteries and be sure that you look at the time it takes to charge a battery before you buy. That way one battery can be charging and be fully charged before you have to switch out the second battery, and you can continue your project without interruption.
Design
Above all, you want to buy a drill that is comfortable. If you are going to be using the drill for hours at a time on different projects, you don’t want to have one that isn’t balanced or is too heavy and has you worn out too quickly to be able to finish your project. Choose a drill that has an ergonomic design, which means that it is designed to fit comfortably in the human hand and is able to be used for long periods of time. The ideal drill will also be lightweight, less than 5 pounds, and will have the weight distributed both above and below the grip for balance.
Some other useful features that really come in handy would be an LED light that lets you see where the bit is at all times. This helps in dark places such as under the sink or while working in rooms that do not have the lighting fully installed yet. You also want to have a drill that has a bit holder that is fixed to the tool itself so you don’t lose your different drill bits.
Features
The two most important features of a drill are speed and torque. Torque refers to how many rotations per minute the drill spins at. There should be two speeds, high and low, on the drill that you select. The higher speed setting is great for drilling through tough materials while the lower speed setting is perfect for driving screws. If you choose a drill that has a high level of RPMs then you will have a versatile tool that can be used for all different sorts of projects.
If you cannot find the drills’ torque rating it may be because the company has switched over to using a power setting instead. If the drill you are looking to purchase has a power rating then there is no way to compare the power to torque ratings as they are essentially measuring the same thing. Power is listed in unit watts out (UWO) and measures both the speed and torque of the drill at once. THe higher the UWO the faster the drill spins.
Finally, the best cordless drills will have different clutch settings for you to use. These different clutch settings are used to drive screws to different depths when in screwdriver mode. Ideally, you want to have at least 20 different clutch setting in your drill, which will help you to avoid stripping screws and allow you to punch the screw down to the correct depth each time.
Support
The unexpected can happen at any time and there is nothing worse than investing a lot of money into a quality tool only to have it break. This is why it’s important to have a warranty in place when you buy the drill in order to protect yourself against unforeseen circumstances. The best companies will offer a warranty that is measured in years and covers both the drill itself and the batteries. This means that the company will pay for any repairs that the drill needs or replace defective equipment within the warranty period. You also want to look for a company that is easy to get hold of by phone or email. The best companies also have an FAQ section where you can get your questions answered quickly.
Having the best cordless drill is essential, whether you’re a beginner in simple repair and maintenance tasks or a professional in the field. The perfect cordless drill will combine ergonomic design, high RPMs, long battery life, and will be protected by a long warranty. If you can get all of these features then you have the makings of a great cordless drill.