looking for a corded drill for woodworking projects
Allenanupama
| Posted in New To Woodworking on
I am looking for a corded drill for woodworking projects, mostly furniture and handy household level tasks. I love Dewalt and Milwaukee as brands.
I want to be specific about couple of things before buying one as I don’t want to drop big bucks and later regret.
I think 8-amp motor would be enough. What should be the minimum to get right amount of torque?
I am with keyed chucks as they offer a more reliable grip to drill bits. Do you prefer keyless ones?
Variable speed, reversible and chuck size is 3/8 inch.
Any more suggestions? I would greatly appreciate, thanks
Replies
In the size (3/8") you are looking for, you will have "later regret" unless you buy either a Dewalt or Milwaukee cordless drill with a keyless chuck. I have at least 1/2 dozen excellent corded drills that I never use anymore.
1/2" chuck definitely recommended. Variable speed and reversible without a doubt. 8 amp has worked well for me. Milwaukee Hole Shooters are definitely worth checking out. Mine are over 20 years old and still going strong. I'm sure they are not what they used to be but I believe they still get very good reviews. I continue to hear good things about Milwaukee and while I own a lot of Dewalt, I am hearing more and more negative comments on the newer power tools. Mostly complaints of very short lifespans.
+1 for the Milwaukee Hole Shooter. It will bore through anything, period.
after Dewalt, i do prefer Milwaukee tools. Most of the tools i actually own are also from Dewalt
I will echo the first responder,why do you want a corded drill? The only corded drill I still use is my Milwaukee right angle hole hawg. In this era a quality DeWalt 1/2 cordless drill, XR if you can afford it, is all you will ever need more than likely. You can get a Milwaukee but I prefer supporting American companies over Chinese, but I can't argue they still good tools.
thought of buying corded ones to get longer life, better torque and overall a more robust product, especially in my woodshop environment.
1/2 inch chuck in either corded or cordless. There is no purpose in using a 3/8. Period.
Do you have a decent 18 volt cordless drill? That would be my first purchase. Far more useful, and a good make -- Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita, Bosch -- does everything an equivalent corded drill can do.
The only corded "drill" I still use is a Dewalt mud mixer. It's a slow speed drill on steroids. I use it mainly to mix buckets of concrete or joint compound, but once in awhile for drilling long or large diameter holes.
If I had nothing with which to drill holes, my first purchase would be a good quality 18 volt impact driver. You can drill holes with hex bits, and drive fasteners with ease. 90 percent of my tasks use the impact driver. Tons of torque. I only bring out the drill for very specific tasks.
I use my corded drill for concrete and sanding turning projects, which may need a longer time than battery allows.
I prefer keyless chucks and the grip is ample. You can usually replace the chuck anyway, if it wears.
My weapon of choice is a 28 year old bosch hammer drill. Never missed a beat despite being, well, hammered over its lifetime.
When doing furniture and cabinet work, you will often find the need to work in cramped spaces. Years ago, I purchased a Craftsman close quarters drill somewhat like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Makita-DA3010F-8-Inch-Right-Angle/dp/B0000789HO/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=close+quarters+drill&qid=1637360204&qsid=142-3033760-0985008&sr=8-4&sres=B000XUHA8C%2CB0052MII3C%2CB0000789HO%2CB00OXUPOTK%2CB00339OU4W%2CB0002SRMZG%2CB01J060LR6%2CB0000614UU%2CB000QV3CM6%2CB07NQS465R%2CB00BD5G3UC%2CB002SQK996%2CB089RKSYTZ%2CB01HZWTLUK%2CB0912P36N3%2CB0000223HJ%2CB009K1H3Z0%2CB0781WNBF3%2CB000XYOUS6%2CB00K194TQQ&srpt=DRILL
This makita, at 4 amps, is not as powerful as you are looking for but I have found that the Craftsman has all of the power I need most of the time. I have found this configuration to be very useful. Yes, you can buy right angle adapters for an ordinary drill. However, they add bulk and weight that is not needed when working in tight spaces.
i loved the compact design of this Makita tool, looks well suited for closing spaces.
thanks a bunch for your recommendation
A corded drill will run all day. A keyed chuck will, properly tightened, outlast a keyless chuck in my experience. It is less likely to slip or loosen in reverse. If I didn't already have every kind of drill and could only have one I would keep my Milwaukee Magnum with a 1/2"keyed chuck. Mine has a removable cord feature. It came with a 8' cord and I purchased a 20' - very handy. I also have a dedicated Milwaukee screw gun ,same thing ,same power all day. I have had these tools and worked them hard for maybe 30 /35 years. I've probably burned through a dozen battery drills in that time. I also have a hole hog, it's a beast- but for big stuff it's pretty great. It has the reduction gear so that when that big hole saw grabs you can get away without breaking your wrist!
In a few years, I doubt you'll even see many corded tools.
I’ll toss in this: I’ve got an old corded DeWalt. Somewhere. Maybe, I’m not sure. I just tossed a thirty-plus-year-old cordless Makita on which the handle had cracked some time back, giving me an excuse to buy a DeWalt 18V 1/2” cordless I still have/use, and while that DeWalt was on vacation in a friend’s garage, I got an 18V Milwaukee 1/2” cordless that is now my primary hand powered hand drill. (I live in a 90-y/o house, and love to fix things that need fixin’, move walls that need movin’, etc. That drill, like the others, sees quite a bit of work. I’ve shifted to Milwaukee tools from DeWalt over the past several years, not necessarily ‘cuz they’re better, but because once I got to a critical mass of tools and accompanying batteries with Milwaukee, buying bare tools in red & black just kept making more sense, and I wanted to stick with a major brand.
I’d never buy another corded drill unless I had to. That goes for most everything else in the hand power tool world, too. One especially—I’ll never use another corded circular saw again if I can possibly avoid it. Not having to dance with a cord while using a circ. saw (or a recip saw) is a good thing. I like good things.
At one point, the cordless drill didn't have enough power to do what I needed. I went to either an Osh or Ace Hardware. I ended up buying the most inexpensive name brand corded drill I could find. It was a Black and Decker and it was significantly less than the big name brands. It works exceptionally well. I am not a professional. Just a homeowner. For occasional use, I think you will be fine. You could also check store return policy if you worry it may not be good enough.
Was at the place I had bought the drill a few years ago. The price was $50 for the Black and Decker drill. Still very happy with it for the three or four times a year I need a corded drill for it's extra power. It is much more powerful that my cordless drill.
As someone who grew up before battery powered tools took over the world, I used pneumatic and electric. Dealing with cords is just a part of using tools IMO. While I don't always enjoy dragging out runs of over 50ft or so, it's not a big deal to have constant uninterrupted full power all day long.
My first 'proper" cordless tool was a Milwaukee 12 Volt Hi-Torque Driver/Drill
Now they're listed on ebay as vintage
I can't remember the last time I used a corded drill (not including my Bosch hammer drill or Milwaukee HoleHawg). I think it was maybe a few years ago, when I was making a steel mobile base for my Unisaw. I think I gave up on it and went back to the cordless.
I'm pretty certain the new Makita cordless I recently got has more power and torque than my 30 year old Milwaukee corded (that I bought new), plus it has a brake and adjustable clutch. As for driving screws, cordless impact drivers will run circles around corded drills.
Corded hand drills are almost specialty items these days. The only reason I could think of using them is if you were doing a specific task all day long every day.
For a standard 3/8" or 1/2" drill, there is almost no reason to buy a corded drill. The cordless ones from Makita, Milwaukee, and DeWalt are just that much better. Get a decent drill driver combo kit with a couple batteries from one of those three and you will never look back to corded drills.
I get the passion for corded. OOPS Met Cordless. (correction)
That said, I’ve two corded drills a Milwaukee 1/2 inch and a DeWalt 3/8 inch, (lighter and smaller). I’ve owned both for over 40 years. I’ve never put a single penny into them since I bought them. Never had to stop work because both batteries for a unit ran out of charge. I’ve never had to pitch them out because finding batteries to keep them running was impossibly expensive or non-existent. (As I previously had to do with 3 cordless models - a DeWalt, a Milwaukee and a Crapsman.). IMO when you buy cordless, you need to do so knowing you’re going to have to buy a newer technology tool eventually.
However, I do use my cordless 1/2 inch DeWalt all the time. It’s convenient, light weight and… well cordless. When I’m gone, I’m pretty sure my son will be able to use the corded ones long after the cordless is kaput.
Long-term usability or a permanent commitment to buy a new cordless every few years?
Hey, it’s your money.
If it’s furniture and household tasks I’m wondering if the Bosch 12 v would be sufficient.
Although I have a 20+ year old corded Dewalt, the Bosch was all I used for the last three years until I added an 18 v kit three months ago.
Building furniture and doing light home repairs should not demand 8 amps of power. The cord will get annoying, especially every time you are more than a few feet from an outlet and need to drag an extension cord around, too.
Mike
Allen,
I honestly was too lazy to read all of the replies above, but thought I’d give you a quick thought or two.
-As far as corded drills go, I’d say that the cheapest drill that has decent chuck with suit all your needs in woodworking. This is because it’s incidence of need is rare (drilling dog holes in benches, maybe in chair making with really long extensions, etc...) I personally think you’d served with a drill press if you want something corded that will be of great use to you. The precision, repeatability, refinement in counter boring/drilling pilot holes for mortising.
-Secondly, a decent brace with a 10” swing would meet nearly all your woodworking needs and can be picked up nearly anywhere often for a few bucks.
-If I were to do power only, I’d recommend the drill press (start with a cheaper table top and later sell and graduate to a floor drill press) and then get you a cordless combo like dewalt’s 20v brushless drill and driver (for example see link below). That should meet all of your drilling and driving needs, as it can handle tiny bits for pilot holes, will accept your various hex drives that you use, and the motor controls are delicate enough to ensure you have great control over what’s going on. The same set will serve you well for woodworking or home repairs.
Just my 2¢ for what it’s really worth. Good luck 👍
S/F, SMEAC
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200791541_200791541?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Power%20Tools%20%3E%20Cordless%20Power%20Tool%20Kits&utm_campaign=DEWALT&utm_content=98654&gclid=Cj0KCQiAubmPBhCyARIsAJWNpiN9RW6rpepmIfQfFBPcqzPdka-7rilaRMcaQwlU0UkWFiZCt7a_VAIaAvEoEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)
I am still using the old dark grey, heavy Black and Decker Industrial 1/2” corded drill with a keyed chuck, which my wife got me through her machine shop where that had several, and that was 35 years ago. I have also have had Bosch, Milwaukee, Dewalt, and Craftsman cordless drills, all dead within 3 years. When I need power, it never fails. Caution: if your drill bit catches, this brute will spin you!
Don
Batteries dying in cordless drills bothers me. Getting a replacement battery can cost on par with what the tool costs. This feels wrong and wasteful for sure. And yes, I have both a corded and cordless drill.
Yeah, I know this is a thread from a few months ago, but I will say that I often have woodworking situations where I need to drive screws in tight places, where there's not enough clearance to get a regular drill, corded or not, in position. I found Harbor Freight has a $50 short corded drill (Bauer) made for tight work that's helped.
+1 I don't need it often but it there when needed.
It's astonishing how often one uses a drill and how many different purposes they serve. I now have two corded drills and five cordless, all of which get used such that one or more are used every time I have a period in the workshop, in the garden or about the house fixin'-up.
My oldest corded drill is a 45 year old Wolf Sapphire, still going as a means to sand with rotating drums and discs. The "younger" corded is a beefy Metabo with a single speed but 75 Newtons of torque, used in a drill press.
Two Makita 12V of the old style, now approaching 20 years old, are still going strong. One has hammer action that's good for up to 8mm diameter holes in anything but granite. The other is a smaller thing originally bought in a sale as it came with three new batteries that also fit the other Makita and a case full of bits, sockets and the like. It was substantially less than the price of two new Makita batteries bought individually.
Recently I bought a 12v Lithium Ion battery Bosch with the gubbins to drill around corners and close to the sides of things, along with an impact drill to match. They too have been busy - and very useful with those gubbins.
*********
So, corded drills last forever (if you buy a good quality one) and no defunct battery issue. But good cordless are also available and some (such as those Makitas) still have batteries available, more than 20 years after they first appeared in the market.
I also use third-party Makita-shaped 12V batteries of the older design. Very good ones can be got for just over £20 with twice the capacity of the original Makita Nickel-Cadmium type.
As ever, pick brands with longevity, resilience and a stated intention to support the format for a long time. Bosch currently promise to keep their 18V and 12V stuff with the same battery design for the foreseeable future, for example.
Lataxe
I can see why those who are pros or want to save time go cordless. I agree with those though who see the waste of going through tools, batteries, and chargers. I use a corded Milwaukee drill, a corded circular saw (occasionally), a brace and bit and an eggbeater style drill.
Ecyor, old sage,
You make a good point about the hand drilling. Sometimes slow and sure is a better way, since those motors can chew a wrong hole in less than the second it takes to let go of the trigger!
In addition, the bigger augers can't be sensibly driven by a motor, especially those that pull themselves through the big hole their digging with a lead screw. Such a big bit in a drill press or beefy hand drill will jerk it's way into the wood far to fast and perhaps break one's wrist if we're clutching that beefy hand drill.
Just yesterday me & a friend were making his 50cm X 60cm bench top to be used for making numerous small items (boxes, frames, plinths) to go with his slate carving work. The benchtop needed 42 closely-spaced 19mm diameter dog holes 80cm deep through plywood. Only an auger in a hand brace could do this safely and well.
It took him most of the morning, mind. :-)
Lataxe
Yes, Lataxe, sometimes I get impatient with the brace and bit and reach for the power drill. I usually regret it.
My 2 cents. I have, somewhere, although I haven't seen it in years, a large B&D that I bought in an army post exchange in the 60's. I used it forever until the better cordless ones came along.
After several Dewalts, I ran across a 'can't turn down' deal on the largest Bosch about 15 years ago; it is geared low and has wrist-breaking torque. There are now 3 sizes on the shelf. The nice thing is that when I replace a battery, I get the largest and it fits all, and I rarely run one down. The downside I see with Bosch is that on the smaller ones, the brushes are not replaceable, replace the motor.
I also don't like the chucks loosening during use, but I had that with the Dewalts, so I assume it it goes across all brands.
I do sometimes reach for granddads 100 year old brace and even the antique Stanley egg beater style hand drill for delicate situations.
But - I haven't even seen the corded drill in 15 years; I recall the last time, the cord had become brittle and cracked and needed replacement.
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