Matthew Robinson Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Hello, I'm looking for a cordless drill/driver with a budget of about £30-40. I already have a pretty decent Black and Decker hammer drill, but it's often a bit too big and heavy for the uses I need it for. So, I'm looking to get a cheap, but hopefully reasonably good, cordless drill to supplement it for small jobs (and those where I don't have a power supply). Any suggestions? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Well when I wanted just that a cheap drill, I bought two of the one Maplin had on offer at the time so I got two drills two batteries and two charhers for about £30. With other cheap drills it's been the battery or charger that give up so now I have a £15 drill and a full set of spares. I don't do big DIY or building so a cheap drill is fine and should last 3 - 6 years for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 £30 will get something from screwfix ... like the budget stuff you REALLY want to be saving up and getting a makita/ ryobi one, even a dewalt (screwfix sometimes do great offers on 14.4v ones for £99). For £30 it will die rather quickly, I have had a dewalt at work for 5 years and it only died because someone insisted on using augers + drilling LOTS of holes in 2x9, I had some cheap things that died in about a year or 2 that did 0 work only pilot and screwing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Screwfix have a reasonable selection of models in that price range. I have one of their Erbauer ones, which is very good, but even the cheaper ones of this brand are a little out of your budget. If you're going to be using it a lot, though, it might be worth spending a little more for, e.g., a better battery with more capacity, a quicker charger, a larger chuck, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Don't get a £30 drill. If you can spend the extra pennies you'll end up with something that works better and lasts better. Screwfix have some good deals. That said, if you haven't got the pennies then the £30 will make holes in things, but don't expect high torque or great battery life, or for the gears to last very long before getting too grindy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 I have seen Erbauer popping up elsewhere lately, I have a plainer off them and I have to say its REALLY good I think the best tool I have for the price it was. It is built like a brick out house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Robinson Posted June 29, 2010 Author Share Posted June 29, 2010 I already have a pretty decent Black and Decker hammer drill I used this a couple of weeks ago to drill a couple of 10mm holes in engineering brick, but I'm not looking for a cordless equivalent! I'm looking for something to drill holes up to 6mm in wood and screw things in. Anything more, I think, I'd get out the hammer drill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomHoward Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 A few years ago I got a £30 'Parkside' branded drill from Lidl or Aldi that has served pretty well for £30. However, it's pretty bulky and heavy, and I mainly use one a Makita 8391, which was £99 with two batteries at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I'm not a heavy user of electric drills, but: About 8 years ago, I bought a 14.4 volt "Powerbase" drill from Homebase. I wasn't expecting much from it--I just needed something cheap and quickly for a project I was doing. However, it works well, has built quite a few flats, bookcases and shelves and even once drilled through the brick wall of my house when the BT engineer's expensive Makita wouldn't. It's earned its purchase price many times over. Yeah, I'd go for quality stuff too, given the choice, but I can't complain about this one. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 By all means buy something cheap as a first foray into power tools, but be prepared to replace it in the short to medium term. Any drill will do 6mm holes in wood; if you start driving screws with it, you'll probably kill it as you will be using a lot of torque at low speeds. I'd watch Screwfix for a deal, last summer for work I got a Hitachi combi for something like £90 with three batteries. OK, not as good as my Bosch cordless, nor as light as a Makita, but it is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pritch Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I'd echo Andrew's comments, but also keep an eye on B&Q, especially if they do one of their 20% off everything weekends. A few months ago, I managed to get an 18v Makita with two batteries, which was already marked down, for £80. It's even replaced my mains hammer drill for certain lighter masonry drilling tasks, and makes light work of pretty much any screwdrivering jobs. I did have a £30 Black & Decker, which the Makita has replaced, and the difference is remarkable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musht Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 If you can find stock and stretch another 20 quid http://www.screwfix.com/prods/49414/Power-...ss-Drill-Driver Site , now getting dropped, are made by Makita , even Makita batteries fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenalien Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Battery technology matters a lot - older designs with Nicad batteries will self-discharge quite quickly, so if you don't use the drill for a few weeks, you may have to charge it overnight before it's any use. Lithium Ion batteries, however, keep their charge much better, so it's much more likely that the drill will actually work when you want to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinE Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 My old Stayer drill was around £25 and I've had it years; I only replaced it when the battery no longer held a charge, the drill itself was fine. I bought a Makita which were on special offer from a certain electronics catalogue company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heinz57 Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I bought this one from Argos a couple of months back http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7112960.htm Its a little bit more than £30. But it is well worth it in my opinion. Its a very good drill, quite powerful. And it has two batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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