Drill recommendations?

[Fustican]

I have a few projects that have been stacking up on me. Hanging a slab door is the most pressing. The others require paint/rust removal from some old fixtures and tools.

The easiest solution is of course to pick up the phone and hire someone, but I'd rather do the work myself and come out of it with some good tools even if the cost ends up to be somewhat higher.

Tasks: Drill holes in hardwood for door handle, locks, etc. Some ******** wire brushing.

Budget is very limited -- $150 maximum. Mostly I figure I need a good powerful drill (compared to the small cordless driver I have).

Advice?

• Corded, or is there a cordless solution that will do the job?
• Things to look for used (craigslist, etc)?
• New?

Prefer to get something that I would buy anyway at some point, so a good durable, flexible tool. As close to made in USA/Europe as possible (??).

Thanks,

--Jon

 

[VWandDodge]

I have a DeWalt VSR ½" hammer drill that I bought when my B&D drill burned out. I've used it for heavy duty spot weld drilling on cars as well as wire wheel work. It is very rugged with excellent torque. It would rip through what you need with zero issues well within your budget.

 

[Mike662]

I would actually recommend two different tools; a drill and an angle grinder.

Since your budget is limited, and you already have a cordless driver, I would recommend a corded drill. As an example, Amazon has a 3/8 coded Dewalt for $54. That would handle all of your "drilling" needs.

For paint/rust removal, I'd recommed an angle grinder with a wire brush. Angle grinders spin a lot faster than drills (like about 4 times faster), and the brushes made for them a more "heavy duty". Therefore, you can strip paint/rust a lot more efficiently. Also, drills really aren't designed for running a wire brush. Once in a while is probably fine, but if you are going to do a lot of that kind of work, you'd be better off with the right kind of tool.

You can probably get a decent angle grinder for $100 or less, thereby staying just about within your total budget (not including wire brushes, drill bits, etc).

BTW, a few safety pointers if you are not familiar with using an angle grinder. Since they spin fast, they are very good at sending things flying across the room. Make sure whatever you are grinding/brushing is held down firmly (and NOT in your hand). Also, the wire brushes tend to "shed" individual wires, so a full face shield is manditory. Lastly, you need to make sure the brushes and wheels are designed for the higher RPM of a grinder. Putting a wire brush designed for a 2,500 RMP drill in an 11,000 RPM grinder is asking for trouble.

YMMV, Just my $0.02

 

[Joe B.]

I would actually recommend two different tools; a drill and an angle grinder.

This... but I would spend a little more on the drill and a little less on the grinder. Either way, you can get some perfectly good equipment for $150.

 

[back2class]

In ten years of contracting I have destroyed about 7 or 8 electric drills. The only one I managed to not destroy through abuse is a Milualkee corded unit. I have broken Dewalt, Makits, B&D Skill and I am sure a few more brands too. That said if you are not beating them to death remodeling old buildings, and you have such limited use for it that you have not needed one till now, then just about any VSR corded drill will give you a lifetime of service. Corded drills are nice, but are only a smart investment if you use it almost every day. Should be able to go to any pawnshop and get a good QUALITY drill for $20-50.

 

[rodm1]

Made in china but a grate drill for 90% of your work. It can be a bit large for crawl spaces or joist work. Go to HD and look at there 1/2 Milualkee corded drill and see if the size is right for you.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005Q7AH/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Monte]

I would actually recommend two different tools; a drill and an angle grinder.

+ 1.

 

[Fustican]

Thank you for all the replies -- they have given me a much better idea of what I should be looking for. I am particularly interested in the idea of the angle grinder, because much as I am willing to put in the time and effort, I wasn't looking forward to wire brushing with a drill. It also occurs to me that if I go for the angle grinder, I needn't bother getting a corded drill, but might be better off with a more powerful cordless -- if I can find such within my budget.

I'll post back here whatever I end up doing.

Thanks again,

--Jon