Power tools

18V Combi Drills

Andy Standing  |  Jul 25, 2007

Saftey Cordless drills are generally fairly safe tools. Assuming that you can avoid drilling holes in yourself, the main hazards are encountered when drilling into walls.

• Always make sure that you will not hit a mains cable, water pipe or similar obstruction. If in doubt, don’t drill. Use an electronic detector to verify the position of any hazard.

• Wear eye protection when drilling hard or brittle materials.

• The batteries can also cause problems if treated carelessly. Always keep them with the tool in its storage case. Never store them in a toolbox where the contacts might become short-circuited. Not only will this wreck the battery, it will also cause a considerable build up of heat, possibly leading to a fire.

The cordless drill is probably the most popular battery powered tool. It’s available in a wide range of designs and capacities and capable of dealing with a variety of everyday tasks. DIY models can be purchased for remarkably low prices making cordless convenience available to everyone.

As with any tool, however, it is important to decide what you need it for before making the purchase. With battery power ranging from under 12V up to 24V, the tools at either end of this scale are very different animals. The lightweight tools are small and convenient, though obviously limited by their low power. They are ideal for drilling timber and installing modestly sized screws. Their light weight makes them comfortable to use for long periods. At the other extreme, the high capacity machines are really designed with the tradesman in mind. They are extremely powerful and capable of doing the work of a mains powered machine. However, with all this power comes weight. The batteries are much larger and heavier and the machines themselves are obviously bulkier.

A combi drill also has a hammer mechanism built into it, to facilitate drilling into masonry. Again this will add weight to the tool.

Below you will find links to several reviews. We have chosen to feature the 18V combi drill because of their balance of weight and power. These are powerful machines capable of generating considerable torque. You need to keep a firm grip on them, and several are supplied with a supplementary side handle for added stability. They are intended for the more demanding tasks such as driving large screws, serious masonry drilling, or boring holes in timber using large diameter augers or flatbits. Though they are obviously capable of dealing with smaller workshop tasks, their extra weight makes them tiring to use for long periods, especially where a lighter tool could be employed. They are ideal for site work such as installing cables or small bore piping.

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