Replies

1. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Dec 06, 2007 04:21am | #1

   The Milwaukee Magnum is a great drill, and has been a great drill for 30 years or so.   I like the 3/8" chuck.  http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-0233-20-Magnum-8-Inch-Keyless/dp/B0000223HD

1. 
   mimi | Dec 06, 2007 02:35pm | #3

   Thanks!

   mimi"All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

2. 
   byhammerandhand | Dec 06, 2007 05:04am | #2

   Take a trip to Lowe's Tool World or Home Depot's tool department. They have a whole section of them. Also check out Amazon's customer reviews. Going to any of these will give you some ideas, even if you don't buy there.

   Stick to name brands, Porter-Cable, Bosch, Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Hitachi, Ridgid (Home Depot) -- I am probably forgetting some. These will get you a lifetime tool.

   Down a notch in durability/quality is Black & Decker, Skil, Ryobi. It will save you some, but the top notch you should be able to get for around $60-70.

   Amperage should give you a rough idea of power. Your pick on keyless or keyed chuck.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 12/5/2007 9:09 pm ET by byhammerandhand

1. 
   mimi | Dec 06, 2007 02:35pm | #4

   Thanks!

   mimi"All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

1. 
   EdHarrow | Dec 07, 2007 02:27am | #5

   There's a general rule, true with drills, anyway, the longer the cord, the better the drill.

   Why not consider cordless?

1. 
   JohnWW | Dec 07, 2007 02:48am | #6

   I would second the other post, why not consider a cordless drill?  The modern cordless drills, in the 12 to 18 volt range, are easily as powerful and sturdy as all but the largest corded drills.  Most have fast chargers, so that with just two batteries, there is rarely a problem of having to wait for them to recharge. 

   You could hardly go wrong picking out a Ridgid brand drill available at any Home Depot, although many of the other top brands are also well made.  For less money, the 18 volt Ryobi tools, also at Home Depot, are a good value and their 18 volt tool series has a wide range of other tools that also use the same battery pack. 

   In corded drills, Makita tools have a well deserved reputation for being just about indestructible.

   John White, Yestermorrow School

   Edited 12/6/2007 6:51 pm ET by JohnWW

1. 
   Jimurock | Dec 07, 2007 04:14am | #8

   As a rider to that Ryobi has just introduced a lithium ion battery pack that works on the whole line of 18v tools.  Probably worth the extra cash for the extra battery life it gives.

   Jim

2. 
   byhammerandhand | Dec 07, 2007 02:54am | #7

   Funny how that rule works, isn't it?
   There's a general rule, true with drills, anyway, the longer the cord, the better the drill.To paraphrase a quote, "If you are looking for a $50 difference between two tools, don't look for a $50 difference, look for 25 $2 differences."

3. 
   Scott_y | Dec 07, 2007 04:29am | #9

   I just went through this process and when you start looking, you will find many corded drills that fall into to major categogies. Hammer drills and those that are not hammer drills. I wanted a shop drill only for wood working so I went with the most powerful non-hammer drill available to me at the local big box stores. It was a Hitache 13 Amp model. I've been using it to cut one inch round tenons on 4-5 inch logs with some special bits you can order from Lee Valley. It takes sustained, real power to chew off the outside of hard juniper log and I've not been disappointed. I already have a couple of cordless drills and I like them, but they won't touch this kind if job. Hammer drills were designed for masonry work, but most of them will also do any shop drilling task that you would do with a regular hand drill. Have fun shopping.

4. 
   K1500 | Dec 07, 2007 06:33am | #10

   For woodworking a cordless drill has a big advantage in driving screws (what he will probably be doing with it the vast majority of the time).  The advantage is they have an electric brake, so they stop turning when you release the trigger.

   One of my favorite gereral purpose corded drills is the following (on sale at Amazon for under $100.

    Milwaukee 0234-6 Magnum 5.5 Amp 1/2-Inch Drill

   This drill is an incredible drill, however it is nearly useless for driving woodworking screws.  I have 5 or 6 drills, and each one is useful for a different task.  If I had to pick one drill in a woodshop, it would be a cordless 14.4v hammerdrill (Porter Cable, DeWalt, and others all make one in this range).  It is light and nimble enough for woodworking tasks such as drilling and driving, and the hammer feature will allow him to drill a couple of holes in brick or concrete for tapcons. 

   The hammer function is not needed in woodworking, and any significant amount of drilling in concrete will require a corded hammerdrill.  I do not have any cordless drills powered by Lithium Ion batteries, but they are supposed to be great and less weight.  The prime reason I use 14.4V (and not higher) cordless drills for shop use is weight.  A Lithium Ion drill that combines 18V or more with a light package would probably change my mind.

   The optimum choice boils down to intended use.  If he is drilling studs for plumbing or electrical, or mixing drywall mud or thinset, he needs a giant right angle drill.  If he is doing general heavy drilling but no concrete, the above Milwaukee is great.  If he does concrete work, a hammer drill would be better (and is perhaps the most versitale choice for a corded drill).  None of the above drive screws very well.  If it is a shop drill, go cordless, but not too heavy.