How to choose a Cordless Drill

The first thing you're faced with

when choosing a cordless drill or

other tool is which voltage to select

When it comes to power, the more

torque a drill has, the more

"oomph" it has for spinning a big bit

or for driving long, large screws

and fasteners. Many manufacturers

list a maximum torque output in

a drill model's literature, and a larger

number equals more drilling/driving

power. Generally, drills with higher

battery voltage and/or lower gearing

have more torque on tap, but speed

also plays a factor {and I'll cover

that later). A puny 9.6-volt drill can

successfully drive long screws, but

it'll drive them more slowly and run

slower than a 14.4 or 15.6 drill will

If your goal is to slam fat screws

into hardwood with gusto, choose

a 24- or 28-volt model and you'll

have tremendous power at your

fingertips.

Besides being a factor for raw

power output, battery voltage also

affects how long a drill will run

before the battery poops out. Think

of a battery as a tool's gas tank: The

higher the voltage, the more "juice"

you have on tap. Higher voltage

drills bore more holes and

drive more screws on

a single charge than lower

voltage models. A battery

pack's amp hours {Ah)

also affect run time. Packs

with a higher Ah number

yield more run-time than

lower-Ah packs of the same

voltage. Hence, if you plan

to install a deck or sheath

a house, you'll get more

work done between charges

using a high-voltage drill

fitted with a high-amp-hour

rated pack.

Buying advice: Most

woodworkers find cordless

drills in the 12- to 15.6-volt

range powerful enough for everyday

drilling and driving tasks.

BULK; Usually,

the higher the

voltage and

amp hours of

a bat tery pack,

the bulkier and

heavier it i s.

Size and Weight

When it comes to cordless drills,

is bigger always better? Before

you say "super size me," consider

this: Higher voltage drills and their

batteries tend to be bigger, heavier

and more expensive than lower

voltage models. Most models that

feature heavier construction {all-steel

chucks, metal gears, etc.) aimed at

more serious users are heavier than

less expensive "light-duty" models.

For example, the DIY-leaning 12-volt

Sears 315.115330 weighs a petite 3.5

lbs., while the pro-oriented, 18-volt

Makita MXT 6349D tips the scales

at a hefty 6.5 lbs. Therefore, it's

best to temper your power lust

with a unit's size and weight. Ask

yourself, "Is it worth lugging

around a heavy drill just so you

BODY LENGTH: If choosing a drill for jobs around His house,

check size and body length. Longer dr i l ls are less l ikely to

f it into cramped spaces — under a sink or inside a cabinet.

have enough power to deal with

every possible drilling or driving

situation?"

Speed

As previously hinted, a drill's overall

performance is dependent not only

on its power, but on its speed. All

but the cheapest "bargain" drills

have a variable-speed trigger, a

must-have feature for driving and

removing screws, or for

starting drill bits on

hard materials, like tile

or metal, or sensitive

materials, like melamine

and hardwood plywood.

Squeezing speed out of

a trigger lets you ramp

up a bit's RPM from

zero to top speed. But

simply slowing down

motor speed doesn't help

to generate the kind of

torque you need for demanding jobs,

like driving big screws and boring

big holes.

Higher RPMs are better for

running small bits or driving

screws quickly. Lower RPMs

increase torque output as needed

when driving big bits and fasteners. Lower-priced 9.6- and 12-volt

"economy" drills usually offer

only a single-speed range, with

a top RPM around 550 - 600 RPM,

fast enough for occasional tasks

around the house. Woodworkers

and serious DIYer's, however,

need the higher revs (typically

between 1,000 -1,600 RPM) that

multi-speed models offer. For

greater speed-choosing versatility,

Ihree-geared models, like those

offered by Makita, Hilti and

DeWalt, allow high speeds up to

2,000 RPM. Such drills spin fast

enough to run useful accessories,

such as rotary wood rasps and

other rotary tools.

Buying advice:

For greater drilling

and driving versatility,

make sure the drill you

choose has a variablespeed trigger and at

least two speed ranges