Dewalt cordless drill for home DIY use

[d000hg]

The tradesman I use has a Dewalt cordless drill he uses for most light tasks and swears by it. I went to look online and got immediately confused by the slightly different versions around...

I see there are 18V and 20V ones, ones with/without hammer facility, etc.

I've so far been looking at the DCD780 and DCD785 but there are seemingly multiple versions of these as well and it's not obvious what the differences are.

My uses are home DIY, mainly it will be used as a screwdriver (overkill) but also for drilling wood and breezeblock. I might very rarely want to drill small holes in brickwork but that's about it. Probably Dewalt is a bit OTT for this but I'd rather get something that will last and for ~£150 it seems a wonderful bit of kit.

So anyone able to advise the differences between the models, and which might be suitable? Do I actually need a hammer setting - can I drill masonry without one?

 

[Aragorn84]

Masonry drilling ideally needs hammer, especially harder materials like brick.

The multiple versions your seeing is usually down to the accessories included, ie one or two or more batteries, battery capacity etc etc.

Various stores often have some good deals on.

This for instance seems like it would suit your needs and is on offer at the moment:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-dcd776c2-gb-18v-1-3ah-li-ion-cordless-combi-drill-xr/17648

I'd look for one with two batteries if you can (and IMO two 1.5AH batteries is better than a single 3ah) As you can have one charging while your working with the other. The smaller 1.5ah packs also means the drill is lighter which is nice for home DIY use where your not needing the extra capacity using it all day long as a tradesman would be.

Also try to get lithium ion battery packs, they're lighter than the older nicad stuff for similar capacity points.

 

[d000hg]

Masonry drilling ideally needs hammer, especially harder materials like brick.

Oh yeah, I know it's better but for someone like me who maybe wants to drill maybe one or two small holes in brick a year, is it worth it or could I get away without it?

I was looking at this one which is very similar to the one my builder used - I thought the LED was particularly useful. But it looks virtually identical to the one you listed.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0051HE6J8

Then I probably need to get some new bits as well, mine are a random assortment that come with an old £30 cordless years ago

 

[footprints]

Follow Aragorn84's advice, whatever you do don't buy one without hammer, unless you have another hammer drill and want if just for drilling timber and metal.

Trying to drill even one hole in a hard bit of brick will have you kicking yourself for not buying the hammer version.

I have an old Dewalt 14v drill I have abused it like crazy and it still comes back for more! Best drill I have ever had apart from my old Elu (nicked from my van by some oik!) which is the same tool before it was rebranded as Dewalt

You may find some of the DIY market ones use more plastic components in the gearbox rather than the pro versions that are a bit more robust for long life but that will not be a problem for normal DIY use

 

[JBR]

I have an old DeWalt DC725 with two 1.3Ah batteries that is still working perfectly.

I have just been drilling 24x 6mm diameter 25mm deep holes in York stone flagstones without any problems (with hammer action, of course). The only thing is that the battery would run down after 5 or 6 holes, but this wasn't a problem as I just put one on charge and carried on with the other.

I suppose that, ideally, I should buy replacement batteries but I'm pretty sure that the ones I need are not made any more, at least the current ones are a different shape.

 

[d000hg]

I found this link which looks pretty useful: http://www.its.co.uk/blog/buying-guides/dewalt-drill-buy/

Although it doesn't actually cover all the drills listed by Dewalt here: http://www.dewalt.co.uk/powertools/productoverview/hierarchy/15/

I definitely want a hammer function after the advice given here, and it seems clear the 7xx series is where to look for my needs. But Dewalt also do the DC727... is this a drill only i.e. not usable as a screwdriver?

 

[Deluks]

To use it mainly for drilling and screwdriving, buy one of the 10.8v jobbies from bosch or makita. They both have models with hammer action.
DIY masonry drilling goes up to about 6 or 7mm, for hanging shelves and cupboards.

Within your budget you can get the machine with case and 2 batts, plus have some cash left over for some decent quality masonry bits. Get a 4,5,6,7 set and always start the hole with the 4mm.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Makita-10-8V-Li-ion-Drill-HP330WWX2/p/105853#tab-reviews_content

 

[d000hg]

I don't know anything about Makita but know Bosch are a decent brand - but the reviews and personal experience I hear about DeWalt make me feel it's worth a bit more and it will last for ever?

 

[alan333]

I bought a DeWalt 18v hammer drill from B&Q for exactly the same reasons as you about 4 years ago, IIRC it was about £100. At times it sits unused for months but when you pick it up the batteries have held a good charge. It's done it's share of general DIY and more, including hammer drilling into brickwork. It's light to work with so it's also good as a screwdriver. It came with two batteries so you can still work while charging as mentioned earlier (1 hour charger too). The variable speed works well at low speeds, and it has torque settings - handy for gyproc screws for example.

 

[footprints]

I have quite a few Bosch tools and they are good and I would recommend them, but the drills are not a patch on my DeWalt they are the dogs whatsits of cordless drills!

 

[foxhole]

Have 12volt dewalt drill/driver and far superior to same 14volt makita I have.

 

[mickyg]

I bought my dad the 14.4v dewalt twin pack for a present for general diy, he's delighted with it, it really does work well. Nice kit will do everything you need. If you wanna use a combi for screws then you need something with some power, if you get an impact you can drop the power down.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-dc...-twin-pack-combi-drill-impact-driver-xr/35109

 

[d000hg]

So I think I'm set on the DeWalt DCD785. Unusually, B&Q seems to be about the cheapest place at £148.

Next question is about bits for it. Even DeWalt seem to sell a massive range of sets from cheap to expensive.

Is there any reason I need to buy matching DeWalt bits or do all drills use compatible ones? Even the screwdriver adapter fitting... e.g. if I got something like this would it all just work?
http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/power-to...h-X-Line-50-Piece-Drill-Accessory-Set-9287762

I have a collection of crappy bits which are mostly useless but does include sockets, etc I could probably avoid re-buying so would something with less parts like this be better:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/DeWalt-DT7928QZ-Extreme-Tough-Pieces/dp/B000Y8QJQ2

B&Q advertise this but I'm guessing it's DeWalt-compatible based on the price and reviews: http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/power-to...eWALT/DeWALT-109-Piece-Accessory-Set-11407860

 

[foxhole]

B&Q model onlt supplied with a 1.5ah battery you can get a 4ah battery, body and charger separately a bit cheaper.On ebay.

 

[d000hg]

This one comes with 2 1.5Ah batteries... and I trust B&Q better for returns. Amazon or ScrewFix would be fine but I'm not keen on eBay for expensive things.