Recommended cordless kit

[dmheat]

Hi all

Relatively new to install work having been heavily biased to boiler service and repair for the last 12 odd years.

I have some powertools, which I've used for the odd install or upgrade, but am finding myself stuck, often, with what I currently have.

So I'm after advice.

I currently have;
Makita 8406 core drill
Bosch GSR 10.8v drill driver
Black & Decker 18v combi drill (look I'm sorry...)
No name circ saw
No name small recip saw

The core drill I'm fine with, and to be fair the little 10.8v bosch is decent for pilot holes and driving for boiler fixings, but the rest, I am ashamed of, and it's appaling.

I don't take up that many floors, yet, so the circular saw isn't an immediate requirement, but a consideration for future purchase.

Things I HAVE struggled with....holes through joists for my pipework, drilling 10mm masonary holes (cordlessly,core will do it but no use up a long ladder) and driving anything longer than 2" and 10/12+

I guess i should maybe invest in a serious spec 18v combi drill and work my system of tools up from that? So recommendations gents, which system do I buy into? Bosch? Milwaukee? Dewalt? Makita?

 

[PhoenixServices]

It's cheaper to go for a whole kit if you want everything cordless. I've got Makita which I bought 5 years ago and like it all. Although I think Milwaukee and dewalt might be better now.

 

[dmheat]

I was sort of hoping to spend £200-300 on one or two key items and construct the rest of the kit over time. I can't justify dropping £5/6/700 on a full kit when I'm still mostly on service and repair right now

Thanks for the input

Dan

 

[solutions]

I am perfectly happy with all my Makita kit started off with just a 18v combi drill and impact driver set and now have the sds and mini grinder. All excelent tools and all share batteries. I bought my last few items as body onlys bought batteries seperate as I dont need to waste money on a new charger and box for each individual tool. Got mine from ffx, prices were fair and it was the cheapest way to get what I needed. The Makita European HQ is close to me so I can have them maintained in the future if necessary with ease.

 

[Millsy 82]

Maybe go for something like an 18V makita combi drill and then buy a bare 18V sds drill and just use the batteries from the combi drill. Will be no good for drilling big holes but good for the smaller ones (hanging rads/ clips etc)

Also a cheap corded sds to use and abuse doing bigger holes (I have a cheap bosch that I use even for coring holes although it does get a little hot! lol)

 

[dmheat]

Do you guys use an sds for hanging rads etc then? A sparky I worked with the other day couldn't understand how I was getting by without a cordless sds?

Ive always used a cordless combi drill for holes up to 10mm....probably part of the reason I'm so slow lol

 

[Millsy 82]

Do you guys use an sds for hanging rads etc then? A sparky I worked with the other day couldn't understand how I was getting by without a cordless sds?

Ive always used a cordless combi drill for holes up to 10mm....probably part of the reason I'm so slow lol

Yeah I do. I have not got a cordless sds yet but hopefully not long until I get one.

 

[dmheat]

I've got the 6kg titan sds but only use it for chiseling really,too wild for anything that requires a fixing really. I guess a 2kg sds would be much better for that?

 

[Ermintrude]

Cordless sds anything upto 15mm 450 long after that te60
Oh an Milwaukee

 

[Kev the gas]

I have been using sds for the last 20 +'years, and they can put holes in anything fast.

As I have aged I have slowed a little and started using Bosch multi construction drill bits and 18v drill for anything 10 and under.

For 3 reasons, when u mark fixing holes they drill where they should, can drill tiles better than anything else on the market and u haven't got to worry about plaster on the other side of the wall.

I do have a 240v and 36 v Bosch sds drills but only come out when needed.

 

[Ermintrude]

A good drillbit is imperative. I use the "cross head ones" usually buy box of Hilti ones as they cheap and ok quality

 

[Millsy 82]

Cordless sds anything upto 15mm 450 long after that te60
Oh an Milwaukee

I used to have a hitachi 24v that I used for everything upto 30mm it was a beast I was gutted when it got stolen. The only time I used to get the 110v drill out was if I had to drill a lot of large holes.

 

[goz666]

I have Makita 8406 core
Makita 18v combi drill
Bosch 10.8v Impact ......rarely use and not good enough really, could do with the 18v makita Impact.
Cheap Multi Cutter (vital now to me)
Cheap Circular saw
Ryobi 240v SDS had this three years and drilled holes up to 18mm on its own then a 25mm through after.
You do get what you pay for, my Makita gear is quality the other stuff is just cheap and throwable.

 

[dmheat]

Is the Bosch 18v combi drill any good? The GSR 18v Lids I think it is? Approx £150. Looks like a bit of a toy....

 

[dmheat]

A friend of mine said to me very recently he couldn't live without an impact driver, he uses it to neatly cut holes in work tops below boilers with a spade bit he was saying. I couldn't really understand why it would differ from a decent combi drill for this purpose?

I could see it being useful for drilling joists for pipe because it's physically smaller. Anyone use an impact for these purposes?

Goz, glad you mentioned the 10.8v impact, I was debating buying it alongside my 10.8v bosch drill driver but if it's gutless there's no point.

 

[Millsy 82]

Try and keep all your cordless stuff the same. So if you have Bosch 18v you can swap the batteries. Otherwise you will end up with loads of chargers etc.

 

[dmheat]

Absolutely! I only have the 10.8v GSR drill driver though so I'm not tied into anything yet, that's what's making this decision a bit of a difficult one. If I drop £200+ on a combi drill, I'll want to build a set of tools around it that can use the same batteries for sure.

Any ideas on the £150 18v bosch combis? I'm edging towards a dewalt dcd985 at the moment but it is a fair bit more £$

 

[Best]

I have the Bosch 18v combi. Got it about 8 weeks ago in a moment of madness, because I don't buy Bosch normally. It is very compact (shortest combi made) which is very handy when you are in a tight spot - like between joists. It is a very light, well balanced, yet solid enough drill. I was told recently that the Bosch Professional cordless tools are not that good for the trade & Metabo are better. Metabo however, are heavy & bulky.
Impact drivers are the way to go, because they have huge torque & also they are so tiny, plus no chuck - just a 1/4" drive.
If you can't afford a whole kit, just buy a combi drill with impact driver & 2 battery kit as it is the cheapest deal & just buy the bodies later of whatever you need.
Hilti will be doing a Christmas deal starting in a few days at start of November, which you might want to wait on to have a look.
You probably will need a right angled chuck drill for plastic, copper & waste pipes etc through middle of joists. Makita is mine.

 

[bigads28]

Makita Power Tools and Hand Tools at Discount Prices

I get all my kit from there. Once you own an impact driver you'll wonder how you survived without it!

I shop around for my 240v kit but all my cordless is the same and uses the same batteries, that way you can buy body only kit.

 

[basildog]

I have been using sds for the last 20 +'years, and they can put holes in anything fast.

As I have aged I have slowed a little and started using Bosch multi construction drill bits and 18v drill for anything 10 and under.

For 3 reasons, when u mark fixing holes they drill where they should, can drill tiles better than anything else on the market and u haven't got to worry about plaster on the other side of the wall.

I do have a 240v and 36 v Bosch sds drills but only come out when needed.

Same here not sure when we bought our first sds but it changed the game completely like you say must be over 20 years ago and they were expensive and nickable then !
After my cement mixer came a mini excavator at age 19 and then a 9 inch Hitachi angle grinder that was twice the price they are today 30 years ago ! Kit has never been so cheap as today .

 

[solutions]

A friend of mine said to me very recently he couldn't live without an impact driver, he uses it to neatly cut holes in work tops below boilers with a spade bit he was saying. I couldn't really understand why it would differ from a decent combi drill for this purpose?

I could see it being useful for drilling joists for pipe because it's physically smaller. Anyone use an impact for these purposes?

Goz, glad you mentioned the 10.8v impact, I was debating buying it alongside my 10.8v bosch drill driver but if it's gutless there's no point.

Yes I use my 18V makita impact for drilling joists when space is tight. I use the self driving helix bits that have rhe screw thread on the end the impact driver just powers through joists but it makes a lot of noise.

 

[newcastle phill]

Ive got a combination of worx. Dewalt and hitachi.
Hitachi is good stuff. 36v sds hammer will knock a house down.
Worx tools are good but batteries are not as good as I hoped.
Dewalt im real pleased with, 4ah batteries are excellent

 

[CXR100]

I own a dewalt 240v 3.4kg sds , brilliant piece of kit! light enough and the carry case is extremely small and compact, I also have a dewalt 10.8v impact & drill kit , also fantastic, drill good for drilling tiles and floorboards for pipes etc, I have bought a torch body for these batteries and it is extremely powerful. I have an 18v hitachi drill and circular saw . overall the kit I have is brilliant for the work I do, I have been buying them one at a time, the next purchase will be a core drill, but everything from now on will be dewalt. very impressed with them.

 

[newcastle phill]

Dont even get me started on my dewalt core drill.

I was thinking of going into oil exploration lol

 

[kris]

Ive the makita 8406c great machine , and last year i bought a makita 36v cordless hammer drill for boring all my pilot holes ,outside tap holes , basically anything up to 25mm and saves hassles with cables etc, but my main tool ( first on the job and last thing off the job ) is my makita bmr104 lol

 

[Millsy 82]

Dont even get me started on my dewalt core drill.

I was thinking of going into oil exploration lol

Which one was that?

How heavy is the 36v hitachi? I was looking at that but might just go for the 25.2v (or whatever it is) as when I had one before it did everything I needed and I don't think I ever ran out of battery.

 

[Millsy 82]

but my main tool ( first on the job and last thing off the job ) is my makita bmr104 lol

I bought one the other day I had it in my office whilst doing paper work I love it already. Lol.

 

[newcastle phill]

Which one was that?

How heavy is the 36v hitachi? I was looking at that but might just go for the 25.2v (or whatever it is) as when I had one before it did everything I needed and I don't think I ever ran out of battery.

Ill get the model number when I get in and weight the hitachi.
Batteries are lion so light.
Dewalt has a proper oil bath 3 manual speed gearbox and can core wet or dry

Edit d21583k

 

[dmheat]

Just bought a makita dhp459 brushless with 3ah battery and charger