I need a decent mains power drill for the usual DIY stuff (including putting holes in masonry). My current one was a 400W Bosch, which was never quite powerful and the chuck is knackered (last job the bit kept grabbing). It's probably 15 years old, so I can't complain. Assuming I'm staying with mains (I have a crap 12V drill/driver that is mostly a screwdriver), is there anything specific I should look out for? I'm fairly brand agnostic (I think I have power tools from Bosch, Ryobi, Clarke (drill press, almost never used), Makita, B&D and others, few of which have batteries).
I have a mains powered drill, but I left it in the UK, my battery Makita goes straight through any solid surface in the building I live in.
Brick, concrete, concrete mousse (the stuff they make the interior walls with here), all no problem.
Things to look for in a drill that will be drilling masonry:
- Chuck size - Make sure that the chuck is big enough to take the drill bits you need. I wouldn't want to go smaller than 13mm. This will allow most stills upto about 16mm to work.
- Level on it - Drilling masonry you often want to make sure your drill is level to make sure what you screw in fits well.
- Light - Nice add on, not critical, but I do like it
- Support handle - If you are doing something on troublesome solid stuff, being able to brace it with both hands, can be nice.
Beyond that, in terms of mains power drills, you get what you pay for, a 100 quid drill from blue company will be just as good as one from yellow, red, or green company. You're really looking at the polish features that make the drill easier to use.
J