DIY Dad Gets The Bit Between His Teeth With Cordless Drill.

Finding the right tool for the job is important especially when it comes to cordless drills. They come in such a wide price range and all with differing specifications. So how do you know what to buy? I always used to have two drills. One mains powered drill for heavy duty work with a hammer action and a cordless that doubled up as a screw driver. The problem with mains powered drills is that inevitably you are struggling to find a power supply or you have the added complication of extension leads. So to find a cordless drill that would tackle drilling into concrete and stone seemed to be the right way ahead.

Finding a truly versatile cordless drill I knew would be a challenge. The more powerful cordless drills tend be heavier and therefore not so good if you're doing lots of light screw driving and the less expensive models tend not to have the power when drilling concrete or stone. Even the most powerful cordless drill will have difficulty cutting through concrete if you use a blunt bit. The users who complain that cordless drills are not powerful enough are usually the ones with a set of blunt drill bits.

With so many manufacturers to choose from and with prices ranging from 40 pounds to 400 pounds, I managed to narrow it down to the Dewalt cordless drill as they had a product on offer in the mid-price range. The Dewalt DC729KA cordless drill although weighty, is still fairly compact, the two speed gearbox is precise in operation and features all metal gearing for long life. The motor is standard for Dewalt and sourced from the Far East.

With the Dewalt DC729KA Cordless Drill you also get a 17 position clutch for screwdriving applications which features adjustable torque settings as well as spindle lock and electronic motor break; which we think is a really important feature for accurate drilling.

The chuck is 10mm in size, as normal and can be operated with just one hand, like most cordless drills in the Dewalt line up. There is an attention to detail in this cordless drill which we were impressed by, the drill feels well-made and solid, our standard 1 metre drop test onto concrete did not damage the drill in any way.

Included in the package is the drill of course, two 1.3 AH NiCad batteries, a fast 1 hour battery charger and a well-made metal carry case.

Manufacturer's Description

"This powerful Dewalt 18 volt drill driver is ideal for drilling and screw driving applications. It has a compact, lightweight design and 17 position adjustable torque control to deliver consistent screw driving into a variety of materials with different screw sizes. The two speed gear box, a variable speed trigger and reverse switch provide you with maximum control to reduce drill wandering and extend bit life. It has a ten millimetre single sleeve chuck which can be operated with one hand as the drill features a spindle lock when not in use. The electronic motor brake gives you additional control".

Recommended Extra!

If you have the money they offer a '90 Piece Worksite Powertool Accessory Set' that's guaranteed to contain sharp bits for a wide range of applications! We found a package deal that represented good value for money under cordless drill here.