Looking to buy a new electric drill? The drill is the most commonly owned power tool and a large range of brands and quality are available. How do you choose which power drill to buy?

This buyers guide contains some useful features and benefits of the different types of drills to help make sure you choose the right electric drill for the jobs you have in mind.
 

Cordless or Corded?

A cordless drill (battery powered) has one major advantage over a corded drill (mains powered) and that is convenience. Cordless drills can be used in many situations where a trailing power cord could be a nuisance or where no power supply is available. Also a battery powered unit can be used in damp conditions without fear of an electric shock. However the main disadvantage of cordless drills is that their use is restricted to the charged state of the battery.

Cordless drill batteries need to be charged regularly as the unit is used. Depending upon the type of battery used in the drill, this could mean that the unit may be out of use for up to three hours while charging takes place. Some of the better quality drills do have a quick charge system, usually one hour. Also, to ensure that you always have a charged battery available, you could invest in a second (spare) battery and then charge one while you use the other. Most quality 'trade' cordless drills include a second battery as part of the kit.  

Consider also the type of battery that best suits your application. Traditional Nickel Cadmium (Ni-CD) batteries are a lower cost option but suffer in capacity (ie. run time) and overall life of the battery. For frequent use or for any trade application a cordless drill using Lithium Ion batteries is recommended. Top trade brands also incorporate electronic control circuits into their lithium ion batteries to protect the battery from the damaging effects of operator misuse. Look for the Amp/Hour (Ah) rating on the side of the battery to give you an indication as to how long the battery will last – ie a 3.0Ah battery will last much longer than a 1.2Ah battery.

A mains powered electric drill is plugged into a standard household outlet and can be used for a long period of time without losing power or charge. Where you use the corded drill is restricted by the length of the cord or alternatively, an extension cord is required.  Like all electric appliances, performance (and the safe operation) of a tool is affected if a long power lead is used. Consider a cordless tool instead of using a very long lead. 
 

How Much Performance Will you Need?

Think about the size and type of jobs you will be using your drill for when you are trying to decide what performance you require.  Operating speed and the torque required are more important factors than simply the wattage (power rating) of the tool. For small holes a higher speed is better, while for larger holes (holesaws, augers etc) a low speed, high torque drill is the best option. Models with two-speed gearboxes provide versatility where both large and small holes can be efficiently drilled with one tool.

Cordless drills are available in a range of voltage sizes, from 7.2 volts to 18 volts. Usually the higher the voltage the higher the power and torque and, as with the mains power units, your choice will be dictated by the jobs you have in mind.

Chuck Size

The chuck is the part of the drill that bits and other extensions fit into. Chuck size is important if you need to use large size regular drill bits. These are the bits that have the same shank size as the tip. So if you want to drill a hole, say, 13mm diameter then you will need a chuck that will open to this size. The size refers to the maximum the chuck will open to. Drill bits below this size can be used. Chucks usually come in sizes between 10 to 16mm with 10 and 13mm being the most common.

 
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Hammer Action Drills
Will you be doing much drilling into concrete? If so, make sure you choose a drill that has a hammer action function as this will make drilling concrete so much easier. 

For frequent concrete drilling a Rotary Hammer Drill is the safest and most efficient way to drill through concrete. A Rotary Hammer Drill utilises a piston to compress air inside the drill and deliver a far greater ‘thump’ when drilling through the concrete. Rotary Hammer Drills often have a safety clutch which prevents damage to the tool should you jam the drill bit on a piece of reinforcing steel hidden in the concrete.

Reverse Action

If you plan to use your drill as a power screwdriver, make sure it has a reversible action. This will allow you to remove screws as well as insert them. (The reverse feature is also very handy to back a drill bit out of a hole.)

 
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Checklist
Below is a checklist that you can print off and refer to when you are buying your new electric drill. It will help you to find a drill that has all the features you require.
 

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