Cordless Drill Information

Cordless drill safety and news

For information on ergonomics in selecting and using drills and similar handheld tools -- to prevent repetitive stress injuries -- see the well-illustrated article "Tool Design" at The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

ToolsOfTheTrade.net is a good site to check for the latest cordless drill news, with expert commentary. For example, a March 2007 article by Katy Tomasulo called "European Tool Trends" reports on an editor's visit to manufacturers and safety organizations in the U.K. to get a glimpse of what's likely to be in store for tools sold in the U.S. in the future. Some more advanced tools are being made now in Europe, due partly to a U.K. ban on the use of cadmium and of Ni-Cd batteries, plus U.K. regulations protecting workers from vibration, noise and dust.

Occasionally, cordless tools or their batteries are recalled for safety problems, so it's best to register a new tool with the manufacturer so you'll be notified of any issues. In 2008, for example, Bosch recalled some cordless hammer drills, and in 2007 both Milwaukee and DeWalt recalled cordless drills and batteries. For more information, see the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

Getting into tight spaces

Right-angle drills can get into tight spaces that ordinary drills can't reach. The least expensive solution is to buy an attachment that fits on a regular drill. Milwaukee makes a right-angle attachment, the Milwaukee 49-22-8510 (*Est. $50), that fits any quarter-inch or larger drill chuck. The Milescraft Orbiter attachment (*Est. $30) can be set at virtually any angle.

Right-angle drills such as the 14.4-volt DeWalt DW966K-2 (*Est. $195), recommended by This Old House magazine, can usually get into tighter spaces than drills with an added attachment. The DeWalt gets mostly positive ratings among owners reviewing it at Amazon.com.

A June 2007 comparison review at Tools Of The Trade tests eight right-angle drills (mostly corded models).

Using cordless drills

A brief guide by Tom Klenck, called "6 Better Ways to Drill: Skill Set," is online at Popular Mechanics.

Roy Berendsohn of Popular Mechanics also has an excellent article, "Know Your Stuff: Screws," on different types of screws.

Mother Earth News has a helpful introduction to "Cordless Drills and Drivers" by Steve Maxwell.

Qualified Remodeler offers a good article written by Chaya Chang, called "Powering Up," on lithium-ion technology for power tools.

Amazon.com publishes a useful guide for caring for cordless tool batteries.

Cordless drill manufacturers:

You can find detailed specifications and features at manufacturers' websites:

Black & Decker

Bosch

Craftsman (made by TTI)

DeWalt (Owned by Black & Decker)

Festool

Hitachi

Makita

Milwaukee (owned by TTI -- Techtronics)

Panasonic

Ridgid (owned by Emerson, made by TTI)

Ryobi (owned by TTI)

Skil (owned by Bosch)

Worx