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I need a new drill. My Worx one has died.
Need it to actually be able to get through masonry - not sure I’ve ever had one that does that particularly effectively…
but most of the time I seem to use my drill as a screwdriver for decking and stuff. I spend a weird amount of time cocking about with decking…
have seen a couple of options online where you get two drills in a package and wondering if that might actually be a better idea.
budget around £100 but could flex if I can’t get anything decent for that.
Up your budget if possible so you can get a decent quality cordless hammer drill and impact driver set
Something from makita or dewalt from screwfix or Toolstation would work great. Will last you years
Alternatively look at for the lidl or aldi options
Look at the makita ones.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/makita-dhp484z-18v-li-ion-lxt-brushless-cordless-combi-drill-bare/3738v
If it's for around the house and outside, get a corded one, they tend to be better for masonry within this budget, spend the rest on decent drill bits.
For that sort of money, drilling masonry I’d get a corded SDS. Also useful as a breaker or removing tiles.
Even my reasonably expensive Makita battery drill isn’t great against brick of decent hardness or stand any chance with concrete.
If you don’t have hard masonry to deal with the twin packs with an impact driver are great for jobs like decking. Probably need to spend more than £100 though.
Makita impact driver for screws and rotary hammer (SDS) for drilling masonry are both tools I love and couldn't be without for DIY. I'd highly recommend upping your budget a bit and investing in the Makita LXT Hl18v range of tools.
The cord is a real faff though. I’m pleased enough with my Bosch PSB 1800 18v with hammer action, bought in 2015 and used fairly regularly. I’d choose a battery system to buy into if going battery powered. I do also have a big hammer drill that I used when smashing plaster, bricks, or poured concrete though; but the little drill gets used when drilling to hang anything.
I am however not a guru.
Makita twin pack here, not come across any masonry it's failed to smash through with decent bits, including putting a hole for a bit of twin and earth all the way through a 1930 solid brick exterior wall.
save up and get a makita lxt kit. even the basic drill is pretty good. at some point i got a decent deal on one of the higher end drills, its a monster but is very heavy.
dont discount the smaller, much lighter cxt drill. its ny most used drill for drilling pre holes / cabinetry work.
if you go cxt get a decent sds for heavy masonary work.
it really depends what you are going to do most often. i tend to use 3 drills, you work faster as no need to keep switching bits and spending 20mins trying to fond where you dropped it.... cxt with small bit for predrill, mid size lxt for bigger holes in wood like drilling for cable runs and bigger lxt drill for drilling out wall plugs. sds is only needed for serious stuff like drilling through a cavity wall, cutting a vent hole or chasing.
i also have a cxt and lxt impact driver, again both with different bits for less faffing.
my cxt is the most used, its light on the wrists which makes a difference as mine are weak from a few too many bike crashes
its a slipperly slope!
Ive got the full armoury of makita drills for work. A combi drill with a good bit is very handy and I will often reach for it for smaller holes. Going bigger gets you into breaker territory which is either pricey or less versatile.
For 100 notes Id search out the best combi I could find. It'll do a lot. If you need something bigger for masonry, a corded sds.
Personally ive found the makita 18v lxt to be superb, im tied in to the system now but they do everything youll need, including spare parts
This one works for stuff round the house. Hammer setting too, battery lasts really well
Came to say not the Bosch green psb nonsense it's terrible minpe caught fire in the end which was suboptimal
The GSB on the other hand really is quite good and has outlasted the psb by 10 years
Budgets a bit tight because I’d like to recommend a makita or other pro level too. Mines lasted very well.
But regardless, a battery combi drill will never be much good on masonry. Much better is a corded hammer drill which can be bought for peanuts. Better still a (small) SDS drill, corded or cordless to suit budget.
I doubt you’ll get a cordless SDS and combi pack within budget even from the budget brands. So I think the sensible, budget conscious, answer is to get a cheap cordless combi along with a cheap corded hammer drill to spare the combi the hard work on masonry.
Whichever Makita/DeWalt/Milwaukee/Bosch blue fits your budget. I bought into the Makita LXT for no real reason and they're great.
Only killed my 12yo Makita drilling through a 9" vitrified brick wall with a 125mm core bit. After the second hole it went a bit sparky.
Totally fine for drilling and driving, but if you can run to an impact driver as well they're really handy and less tiring than a drill, and less swaps. I managed about 10 years without though.
Personally ive found the makita 18v lxt to be superb, im tied in to the system now but they do everything youll need, including spare parts
Agreed, I use the combi and impact for work.
It’s not often I have to use them but I’m always pleasantly surprised when I do, also nice the batteries seem to last well even with infrequent use, unlike the utter crap Urbaur my boss bought once.
Unfortunately way out of budget.
Is what my 100 quid would buy.
Is what my 100 quid would buy.
Looks good, can you upgrade to say a 5ah battery? Might make it more usable.
Used to love my old Boschammer SDS, lasted ten years of trade use, eventually it expired in an exciting manner.
I've got Makita LXT stuff, combi drill, with hammer and an impact driver. TBH though I don't use the combi for masonry as I also have an old but amazing corded black and decker pro line SDS hammer drill. Hot knife through butter!...
Bosch green is the amateur range.
Bosch blue is the pro range.
Green stuff is ok for intermittent use, but not as good as the Blue range.
As has been said, if you want to get through masonry, corded is the better option unless you want to spend more money.
If you do go cordless, the big decider is if you're likely to buy any other tools, as the batteries are the significant part of the cost.
Oh, and look for Brushless. Usually more expensive, but better performance than brushed.
I was going to suggest Makita, many of the workshop guys where I was working up until a year ago were using Makita with a battery lasting most of the day, in my department they were fitting the dual controls for school of motoring cars, drilling into the sheet metal of the footwell, for 12-hour days.
Looks good, can you upgrade to say a 5ah battery? Might make it more usable.
You can. Not sure there's much benefit
Can't remember when during house hold tasks I've rinsed at 2ah that started fully charged during a task
5ah required for the grinder /ripsnorter /hedge cutter and bush cutter as the 2ah just goes straight to empty due to the start up current required
But the drill and impact work fine with the 2ah
Bosch Professional GSB 12v. I have used and abused one of these for years at work. So good I bought one for home use too. 2 batteries, hammer drill, drill/driver , battery indicator and light. Tough as old boots.
If you are struggling to drill into masonry then a combi drill isn't great, you are better with a proper hammer drill and a screwdriver. The bosch universal hammer 18V is great but isn't going to hit your price point unless you get lucky with one of their offers. They have the Uneo range as well but that uses a funny version of SDS and isn't as powerful as the universal hammer
And decent drill bits make all the difference! None of your Homebase nonsense...
Another vote for a corded SDS for the heavy duty work; then a dedicated cordless impact screwdriver. That way, each tool does its job well.
My ryobi rechargeable manages ordinary brick and block fine. engineering brick is a bit slower but it still copes
My Dewalt Combi (DCD709) is hit and miss on Masonry. It's managed some brick fine, but I have seen it struggle on others. And I once tried fitting a curtain rail into into concrete lintel... for which it was totally useless.
I've got a corded Titan 6.3kg SDS though which I picked up during a Screwfix deal for 65 quid, and that's excellent (if a bit of a beast to hold).
I need a new drill. My Worx one has died.
Was it cordless ? and in that case was it the battery or the drill itself that has packed up.
Latter - get a new battery. Drill itself then yes by all means.
.
Masonry then corded is better, as combi are trying to do everything, and if its combi then there are pro combi drills that are the best part of 300, the cheaper ones maybe not up to the job long term.
As above, a basic sds gives you the hammer for stonework, but also a basic small jackhammer which is nice to have, and then maybe look to get a cordless drill/driver also.
.
£100 bosch or makita isnt really a pro tool, more aimed at the homeowner desite claiming 'professional' on the side.
Other point is cordless are good if using outside and its wet, not such a good idea if corded. so think about what you're most likely going to use it for.
Corded - more power, longer usage.
Basic combi might not be up to the task or last long enough to be a good investment.
If you really want cordless, then makita have a lot more bare tools available. Bosch are limited in that respect, so if cordless I'd say opt for makita for versatility.
My dewalt 18v is awesome. Had bosch green which was chuff, and an alfi special which was also poor before. I have a corded hammer drill which has had 0 use in the 3 years ive had the dewalt (and i do a fair bit of DIY. Its drilled a lot of brick and masonry.
I would use makita too btw. Milwalkee will probably be too expensive but are the choice of the lads i work with (who have the choice of anything).
thanks everyone - really helpful. I've gone for a Blue Bosch and will keep an eye out for a corded SDS for masonry later - less pressing right now. I have a boot fair next door to where I live so once that starts up again in the spring I'm sure I'll be able to pick something up there
The drill bit quality makes a huge difference too. Make sure you aren't using cheap crap.
In a domestic setting the occasions where I've needed to use an SDS are pretty rare. I own one but the occasions where the time to go out to the van and get it outweighs just using my wee drill driver are really quite rare. One or two houses I've worked in the SDS has been a godsend - my GFs parents house seems to have been built of the weirdest brick - black in the centre and really difficult to drill so putting new handrails up the stairs from them would have taken hours without he SDS. In my own house - which I've pretty much pulled apart and put back together - holes are a doddle to drill, never bothered to reach for the SDS even through it was just sitting there.
For DIY - you're only generally drilling holes in your own house. So you either live in a house thats difficult to drill or you don't. Now that you've got the drill driver - don't just pick up and SDS later - get some decent drill bits first - it's the drill bit that actually makes the hole.
But what you can do is get decent SDS drill bits - as you can still put those in the chuck of a conventional drill driver. I keep some of my SDS bits in with my regular drill driver. If that combo works - then its a winner, if it doesn't, you've still got the bits ready for whatever SDS you might pick up later.The Bosch Multi-Construction (painted pale blue in the grooves) bits are very good - so if you get a set of those and they're not drilling holes well enough for you the case is proven for an SDS.
"For that sort of money, drilling masonry I’d get a corded SDS. Also useful as a breaker or removing tiles.
Even my reasonably expensive Makita battery drill isn’t great against brick of decent hardness or stand any chance with concrete.
If you don’t have hard masonry to deal with the twin packs with an impact driver are great for jobs like decking. Probably need to spend more than £100 though."
I guess this is the ideal.. however, despite owning an SDS, again I only really use it for mental tough jobs. (i only bought it to chisel out a fireplace..it's corded).
By bosch pro (blue) impact and drill driver set are my go to 99% of the time.
Actually, i recently bought a small, 12v electric screwdriver (cough..lidl..cough) which is actually really useful for simple screwing..
DrP
Decent drill bits and a dewalt for me. It’s getting tired now but it’s taken a remarkable amount of an abuse. 1/2” drills through 12mm plate and large holesaws.
Battery pack size doesn’t seem to make much odds. I have a large an a little most of the time it’s not a thing.
If its for big masonry and it has to be cordless get a Hilti. Nothing will come close. They are mega dollars though.
Fortunately I know someone who has one so can get access when I need to drill a 'Stairfoot blue'.
I was struggling with drilling into solid stone/brick wall and almost purchased a cordless Makita sds to complement my Makita combi. Saved myself a few ££ and got this instead:
https://ffx.co.uk/products/einhell-einhell-tc-rh6204f-kit-240v-sds-plus-rotary-hammer-drill-290698
Can't fault it for the price after using it several times now. Highly recommended. IF you can deal with the cord!
Comes with SDS bits and goes through the wall like it's butter!
I guess this is the ideal.. however, despite owning an SDS, again I only really use it for mental tough jobs. (i only bought it to chisel out a fireplace..it’s corded).
By bosch pro (blue) impact and drill driver set are my go to 99% of the time.
As mentioned by others there is a huge variance in masonry hardness. Some brick, you could put a hole in it without using the hammer setting and using a blunt wood bit.
Some brick is that hard, an SDS is the sensible way to put an accurate round hole in the wall, without getting white finger or letting the smoke out of the drill.
Did a lot of house bashing years ago with underpowered battery drills (probably inhaled a fair bit of asbestos too, go careful kids).
Whilst you can with a sharp bit battle through, being accurate is the challenge.
What drill bits are people using then?
If not the cheapo B&Q etc ones
Get a good brand Cordless pair:
Makita have a better range of other tools on their battery system so i might go with that (my stuff is dewalt and some of the other tools i might have bought are just a bit too pricey)