What is a cordless drill?
A cordless drill is a lot like a wired drill but tends to be less powerful. It consists of a chuck, motor, handle, and battery. The defining feature of a cordless drill is the battery that is usually located at the bottom and can be clipped on and off. Most cordless drills don’t have a hammer function so they are useless for drilling into walls.
What is a cordless drill best used for?
A cordless drill is best used for turning in or removing screws in most spaces. You can easily insert a screwdriver bit into the drill’s chuck allowing you to work with a whole bunch of screw drives.
Larger cordless drills tend to have the hammer function making them essentially similar to a normal drill. The downside is that they tend to be heavier than a normal drill because of the added battery and are more expensive.
I recommend a small cordless drill to use alongside a regular drill, especially for home use. Large cordless drills are just too expensive to justify them around the home.
Is a normal electric drill better than a cordless one?
It all depends on the situation, an electric drill is better if you are going to drill holes into hard materials like metal or concrete. A cordless drill is a lot better for turning in and out screws.
What is the best cordless drill for DIY?
The best cordless drill will be one of quality. I believe you shouldn’t cheap out on tools because a good tool lasts a lifetime. That being said I recommend any drill from Dewalt, Makita, Bosch, or Ryobi. I’m not a fan of some of Ryobi’s tools but I am impressed with the cordless drill I own.
What should I look for when buying a cordless drill?
There are a few things you should look for when buying a cordless drill. Here’s a checklist I recommend.
Weight | Less than 6 pounds or 2.5kg |
Battery included | Yes |
Battery size | 1300mA or more |
Torque | 200 – 600 inch-pounds 22 – 67 Nm |
Voltage | 12 – 20 |
Speed | 800rpm and up |
Are cordless drills worth it?
I would say a cordless drill is a must-have. It makes life so much easier when you want to build something, hang something on a wall, or just wherever you need to use a screw you should use a cordless drill.
How to use a cordless drill
It is relatively easy to use a cordless drill just follow a few steps.
- Make sure the battery is charged and inserted correctly
- Fix the bit to the chuck securely
- Make sure the drill is turning forward
- Hold the bit to where you want to screw
- Press down the trigger slowly till the bit starts to turn
- Press the trigger completely
- If you are using small screws make sure to not use a fast setting
- Make sure to have the appropriate amount of torque set
