Corded Drill - How to Choose a Quality One on a Budget?

Russ on 05/12/2015 - 15:39

My old mains-powered drill has died. The sleeve bearings inside have worn just enough that the gears don't mesh anymore, so the motor spins but the drillbit doesn't.

So now I want a replacement mains-powered hand drill, but one that will last at least ten years of occasional use. I assume that more-expensive drills have ball bearings, and therefore won't suffer the same fate as my existing one. But how to find the cheapest drill with ball bearings? I've had a look through the collection at Bunnings, either none of them have ball bearings, or it's not a feature that is mentioned on the outside of the box.

My budget can stretch to $100 - are there any drills within my budget?

Also, if anyone knows, are there any hammer drills with ball bearings? Does the hammer action make it impossible to have ball bearings? Hammer action isn't essential to me, but it's a nice-to-have feature.

I'm not intrested in cordless drills, because the batteries won't meet the "lasts ten years" requirement. I've had cordless drills before, and they're not for me.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • kywst on 05/12/2015 - 17:31
    +1

    Bunnings or TradeTools. Grab yourself a Makita corded but an Ozito for 1/2 the price would probably be more than sufficient and should also last the 10 years. Hammer function only if you suspect you'll be drilling into masonry - installing plugs for mounting brackets on brick walls, dynabolts, masonry anchors etc.

    http://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-710w-13mm-hammer-drill_p62… - $99

    http://www.right-drill.com/images/HAMMER_DRILL_SHOWING_FAN.j… - a component view of a typical hammer drill.

  • [Deactivated] on 05/12/2015 - 22:26

    I have a corded NRG drill that is still going strong.
    The only time I use it though is when I need the grunt that my cordless drill won't give me.
    Think I paid $50 for it 15 year ago.

    • Russ on 07/12/2015 - 15:38

      I can't see that brand available online - I searched for "NRG drill" on Google.

  • altomic on 05/12/2015 - 22:34

    i have a bunnnings ozito $25(ish) drill. had it for 3 years. installed a steel framed shed with it - holes in to 3mm galv. had to drill into a concrete slab. drill is good.

    • Russ on 07/12/2015 - 15:44

      My previous drill was a K-Mart "Performer" brand, and it lasted a decade. But when I opened it up, I can see why it failed, it was poorly designed. I want one with better longevity. I don't want to forever be buying disposable drills.

      Cheapest drill that I can find now is $39, and brand-name drills start at $59. I want to find the cheapest "non-disposable" drill.

      • altomic on 07/12/2015 - 23:30
        +1

        Hit up garage sales. Look for an old black&decker. The ones from the 70s just live on.

  • eatwell365 on 06/12/2015 - 05:13
    +1

    mine has 2 ball bearings and still going strong - my wife says so, it works well but I don't lend to the neighbours.

    It is a Makita wired but expensive (few hundred bucks).

    what do you need it for? If it is for screw around the house, hole on concrete wall, or metal,
    I have a Makita drill and hammer drill and a cordless hand drill ($15)

  • Russ on 06/12/2015 - 23:29

    Thanks everyone for your comments. As two of you recommended Makita, I did a bit of digging on google, and found that searching for the model number and the word "breakdown", e.g. "HP1631K breakdown", and google image search finds exploded diagrams of that drill, showing that it does indeed have ball bearings. HP1631K is the model recommended by kywst, sold by Bunnings.

    While I'd like a cheaper drill, I doubt I can find exploded diagrams of any cheaper drills, so I prefer the certainty of knowing what I'll be buying. And apparently spare parts are available too!

    Does anyone know if Makita ever go on special? Should I wait for the post-Christmas sales?

  • Russ on 07/12/2015 - 00:02

    Looking through the cheaper options at Bunnings, this Ryobi also has ball bearings, but is only $59:
    http://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-500w-13mm-corded-impact-dri…
    Here is the page showing the bearings:
    http://www.toolspareparts.com.au/ryobi-rpd5004-g-spare-parts…

    Anyone have an opinion of Makita versus Ryobi? Bunnings says "commercial: yes" for the Makita, but not for the Ryobi. Will that make a difference to me?

    • PVA on 07/12/2015 - 23:39
      +1

      dont get Ryobi, not great quality and you can only buy from Bunnings. Look around and get a Makita.

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