Cordless Drills: Cordless Drill Review

Executive Summary about : cordless drills By screwdriver-tool.com

Ten of the tested cordless drills use lithium-ion batteries. Despite their higher price, expert reviews say lithium-ion cordless drills and drivers have such longer lives that they can be better investments in the long run. Lithium-ion cordless tools are also much better for the environment.

The lithium-ion cordless drills compared at Consumer Reports vary in voltage, while the more recent comparison tests at Popular Woodworking cover only powerful 18-volt cordless drills. Fine Homebuilding tests 12 lithium-ion cordless impact drivers in an even more recent review.

A review at Tools of the Trade also tests lithium-ion cordless tools, including circular and reciprocating saws. Lithium-ion batteries have also reinvigorated cordless tools at the lower extreme of size and power. Experts say this 1.8-pound cordless drill can drive most screws without the need to drill a pilot hole, and one review in Fine Woodworking recommends it as the best cordless drill/driver for most users. For example,

Popular Mechanics recommends the 12-volt DeWalt DC742KA (*Est. $140) as the best cordless drill for homeowners. Reviews also favor compact, lightweight cordless drills ranging from the “pocket-size” 10.8-volt Bosch PS20-2 (*Est. $100) to the 15.6-volt Panasonic EY6432GQKW (*Est. $190). Among budget cordless drills, Ryobi and Craftsman outperform Black & Decker, Firestorm and Skil.

What kind of cordless drill or driver do you need?

If you mainly need to hang pictures and shelves, assemble furniture and other light tasks, experts recommend a small, lightweight cordless screwdriver or “palm driver.” Here’s a rundown of the various types and uses of cordless drills.

• Cordless drill/driver: Best for most homeowners. The most common type of cordless tool, these come with bit for both drilling holes and driving or removing screws. An adjustable clutch regulates the torque, or twisting power, applied to a screw. These are best for most homeowners who need both drill and screwdriver functions.
• Cordless hammerdrill/drivers for drilling in concrete or brick. These are more powerful but also heavier. They have a specially designed clutch that allows the drill bit to punch in and out while it’s spinning. You can turn off the hammer action for general use.
• Cordless impact drivers for driving lots of screws. Impact drivers are different from hammerdrills. When an impact driver senses resistance, torque increases so the bit is less likely to slip out of the screw head than it would with a regular drill. While capable of drilling holes, they are mainly used for projects which require driving a large number of screws — such as building a deck.
• Cordless screwdriver. Sometimes called “palm drivers,” these are small, simple and lightweight tools, good for hanging shelves and pictures or assembling furniture.

If you’re just drilling a lot of holes, a cordless drill is faster. But if you’re drilling a pilot hole, then switching bits to drive a screw, a cordless impact driver is the faster and better tool, partly because it eliminates the need for a pilot hole.

The type of battery affects runtime and price.

• NiCad batteries cost the least but are the least environmentally friendly — that’s because their manufacture releases cadmium. NiCad batteries require careful recycling to prevent contamination of soil and groundwater. They lose their charge in storage, and it can be tricky to maintain them properly through a lot of recharging cycles. Their one advantage is that they work well in very cold weather.
• NiMH batteries have a longer runtime between charges and are considered more environmentally friendly. To work at full power in very cold weather they need a few minutes of recharging to warm them up.

Lithium-ion batteries are smaller and lighter, so you get more power with less weight. A 28-volt lithium-ion cordless drill may weigh as little as an 18-volt NiCad drill. Lithium-ion batteries have a long runtime, keep their charge for a very long time between uses and have a longer lifetime (more charging cycles) without any “memory effect.”

They’re also designed to keep the tool running at full power up to the very last second of battery charge (using a “fuel gauge” to warn the user), and work well in cold weather.