[Closed] 18v combi drill... Is this a good buy?

Its not bad but with only 1.5Ah batteries on a standard motor there won't be a long work time.
really you want to be looking at 3.0Ah minimum just to save you waiting for them to charge.
If you don't do much - £65 is bloody cheap.

That's a crafty sticker. If you read it quickly on a small handheld screen it looks like 4AH . Or is it just me ?

does it say makita on it? don't buy it then...

The 1.5ah thing is a misnomer for the diy user.

I have that exact drill have had for 5 years . Its stotting for diy and it comes with two battery that charge in the time it takes for a cup of tea. Ie the seconds always charged before the first runs out.

I also have a 2kg sds drill for bigger tasks such a sdrilling into masonary for extended periods. One hole the bosch sill handle it . 10 holes i go get the sds as it takes less time and effort.

Unless your a tradie on sites all day thats a good drill at a good price.

Normally I wouldn't be worried about a small battery capacity as Li-ion stuff should be quick to charge - but 1 hour charge time is actually pretty long. Depends on what you envisage doing but you'd run the risk of running one battery flat before the other has had time to charge.

For a few bucks more [url= http://www.screwfix.com/p/hitachi-dv18dgl-jc-18v-1-5ah-li-ion-cordless-combi-drill/8652f ]this Hitachi[/url] has the same battery capacity but faster charge [edit TR's experience seems to differ, but maybe they've changed the charger spec or the listing is incorrect]

does it say makita on it? don't buy it then...

Shop around online - screwfix, tool station, ffx, D&M Tools see what bargains are about. Ignore voltage, the things to compare on are

Amp Hours (the amount of charge the battery holds)
Time it takes to charge - an hour is a long time.
Torque

This latter factor is the one often least clearly stated (its not in the listing for the tool you've linked to at all) but its the most important comparison of how capable one tool is versus another.

I have a higher end Bosch drill which has 1.5 ah batteries. For diy stuff they are absolutely fine.

Thanks for the tip , ordered one just for the batteries.

They are fine for DIY stuff

All my cordless drills have 1.5 Ah batteries, absolutely fine for DIY, never managed to flatten both batteries in one go. I also prefer having lighter tools.

TR - the Ah really does matter when you start looking at the power and torque of the devices as MC said.
Unless you go brushless on the motor (almost doubling run time) then the minimal cost difference and weight for a 3Ah is worth the extra money.
The charge time on those is appalling too - you'll get the 60% 20min charge but it isn't full.
A good friend supplies B&Q, Screwfix, etc with all their kit - her advice is "don't, just don't".
The trick is to know the model designations as MC said - they have their own ranges with their own model numbers (and specs). Built to a price rather than a standard.
Screwfix is a classic example of a Makita 18v Combi with a code that doesn't exist. The main designation is there but the letters are the code for who its going to in the UK.
Its not until you get above a certain model range/price you get into the "straight from the factory kit."
If in doubt just check the manufacturers page and that'll tell you if its an "own brand" or not.

Strangely enough for Makita UK - they have an Amazon UK shop and supply directly to the public.
Theres a seller on there - UK Planet Tools who are cheaper as they are using grey imports.

The op is looking at bnq and asking if its any good. I think its fair to assume he is diying, not earning his keep with it.

The drill he linked to is perfectly adaquate for a diy user.

You dont need a rolls royces for a few projects a year.

Id put my self at the upper end of diy use in terms of how much mines gets used and its done all i ask of it, its not an sds substitute but id have to spend more than the 160 quid ive spent in drills to get an sds equivalent cordless and id be saddled with a heavy beast most of the time when the lighter unit would be better.

Oh and fwiw i do use my dads hilti gear from time to time when hes is up helping me , it is a world apart from my diy kit but it makes the job easier and a bit quicker - but not enough for me to spend the extra for the gear.

I have a 1.5ah Hitachi. I bought it nearly 8 years ago and it still runs well. I use it all day every day on my van doing light stuff and yesterday we had a couple of screws to remove from a concrete floor that my friends bigger 18v 3.0ah drill couldnt budge. I got this old battered thing out and it got them out no problem.

Dunno how true the "don't buy XYZ from B&Q, it's a budget version" is. If you look through the screwfix catalogue there's only 1 Makita drill with a "screwfix exclusive" sticker on it (it also happens to be the cheapest). No idea what's different about it, seems the same as the one for £20 more, presumably something's been cut.

Mine's a 4ah battery, TBH I'd rather 2x 2ah batteries, the umber of times I've started a job and found the battery almost dead then had to wait for it to charge, wouldn't have that problem with a spare battery.

I'm now wary of cheaper Screwfix DeWalt kit, the current combi drill is a rattly crock of shite and will die soon I hope.

How old is it? Screwfix are really good with warranty stuff.

Reminds me of an interview I read with the guy who owns Black and Decker. He was quite open about how their stuff was only slightly better than the really bad stuff, but that didn't matter, because 99% of his customers bought a drill in their early 20's, and it lasted until they were 40 because it was rarely used. By which point it was 20 years old and 'must have been a really good drill, I'll buy another one'. Tradesmen knew it was cheap rubbish so never bought it, so it rarely wore out in the 5 years or so you'd expect a decent drill to last.

You also have to remember that the the average diy owners drill sees 12 minutes of use in its life time.

Thats what the cheapest stuff in the shop is aimed at.

I'm also in the two small battery camp; don't want to handle a large heavy drill all day long.

I have a whole load of Makita LXT kit and it's survived 6 years of abuse on site. I've killed 3 x 3ah batteries in that time, but other than that it's been faultless. I buy 4ah, or 5ah batteries now, but I've bought in to the brand and I'm happy with it

Just picked mine up , the batteries are actually labelled 2.0ah

I've got the older version of that drill and it's great.
I do a lot of fencing and its stood up to regular abuse.
Batteries are strong and charge quickly.
Tim

I've got the older version of that drill and it's great.

Yep, I've got it as well and been faultless - really good torque and hammer action is decent enough for drilling 6/7mm in concrete.

That's very very cheap. Plus a 2 year warranty it should be fine for DIY stuff. It's green bosch though - every green bosch thing I've bought has gone back to the shop. Same for my Dad. I got a Dewalt with 2x1.5Ah for £99.

2x1.5Ah is better than 1x 3ah IMO. They weigh less. plus Li-ion batteries only take 20 mins to charge. Stick the other battery in while the dead battery is recharging.

for £65 I would say it is a bargain.

It may not be dark blue or light blue or 4Ah but it will be perfect for DIY.

I bought the 14V version about 6 years ago and it is still going strong. It's been used for a couple of large shed builds, renovating my flat (full new heating etc). The chuck now needs to be re-tightened after the first use with a new bit and for some of the big jobs I have had an 18V would be better (big 6mm wood screws into timber with no pilot hole) but for everything else over the years it has been excellent and I still regard it as a very goof buy for £50 so that for £65 is great.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-18v-1-5ah-li-ion-twin-pack-combi-drill-impact-driver/2903f

this is a stotting deal imo.... - even if just to leave a posi drive in the impact driver and your drill bit in the drill.

spend alot of time switching back and forth these days and hex drive drill bits to make it easy are prohibitively expensive for a consumable....