Suggestions for a "Serious" Drill please

Property & Home
#1

Following on from my thread about OH not getting the same internet speeds on his computer as I am and the fact that he’s in the next room to me and the livebox, I can see we will be drilling a hole through the wall between our offices.
I have been promising myself a decent drill for ages. At the moment I’ve got a “standard” Ryobi corded drill.

I would love something cordless that will get easily through our 50cm old walls and also the incredibly hard modern bricks that the French use.

Grateful (as always) for any suggestions / advice. Thanks.

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#2

I’ve got one of these, brilliant bit of kit, but you’ll need bits, batteries and charger too

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#3

We use a couple of these, a little expensive perhaps, but will suit every occasion. With the supplied batteries and a decent bit it will easily cope with putting 25mm holes through 900mm granite walls…several times a day.

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#4

If you only want to drill the occasional hole of 2 I suggest hiring one from you local Brico shed.

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#5

I’m a DeWalt man myself. I know they’re owned by Black & Decker but they’re their professional brand. I’ve bought their kit for over twenty years now, after spotting a builder working on my major renovation using one.

#6

remember that the hole has to be enough to get the RJ45 plug through and cover it before pulling through (unless you are going to “remake” the RJ45 connection) :wink:

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#7

Good point. But I quite fancy having one - there’s a water butt waiting to be fixed in place and various other bits and pieces that it good usefully be used for.

#8

If you plan to go through a 50+cm stone wall it will have to be an SDS type, I have one of these:

Meaty though it looks it’s really only up to occasional use but it makes stuff which will shrug off a regular hammer drill feel like butter.

You can get drills with more punch - eg this 12J Sealey
https://workshopping.co.uk/electric-power-tools/electric-drills/electric-hammer-drills/sealey-sdsmax40-rotary-hammer-drill-sds-max-40mm-1500w230v

But they start to get bloody heavy.

PS - that Makita looks nice but only 1.9J impact.

#9

@spj - Lidl this week coming has sets of 1m long drill bits (and perhaps the 600mm version). They may be ideal for getting through a thick wall.

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The drill bits are SDS - so you would need an SDS drill. I have one of the makita ones that @Mark_Robbins has (and one of the corded ones) - they are good but may be expensive for just a couple of holes as you need to add a battery & charger. I have been using mine this week with a paddle attachment to mix tile adhesive.

Perhaps check the Lidl Brico week, they may have an SDS drill that will come with a long warranty and for occasional use would be fine).

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#10

Thanks for the later replies. Yes, I need an SDS drill - couldn’t remember its name.

You’re right @ptf - weight is an issue for me! So the lighter the better - if the two concepts aren’t totally at odds. I do wish tools manufacturers would recognise that not all their customers are great hulking 16 stone men!

Thanks for the heads up @Mat_Davies

#11

Nobody ever got fired for specifying Makita. In that sense, Mark’s suggestion can’t be gainsaid. . However, that’s a lot of dosh for a drill that would see action on very few occasions appropriate for its spec. The trade uses top-end cordless SDS Makitas costing 100’s £/€. The convenience of not having 110V transformers to lug about plus cables saves time=money.

I have an ‘own label’ SDS corded drill from Screwfix. Back-along it cost me £35. Corded gives you power: many years of it - 35 years in the case of my 5kg beast [I call it Big Huge] including plenty of paid work. It will run a 25mm hole through 2 courses of London brick like it was going thru’ cream crackers. I’ve used it to break up concrete paving slabs, strip tiles off walls, put 12mm anchors in concrete walls… Now, they want £60 for a more powerful tool.

The thing about jobs like this is that only the right tool will do. My top-line AEG 13mm chucked drill will not look at any of the above jobs. But Big Huge is completely useless for work with wood or steel, despite the specs given for those materials. Not enough rpm. But show it to masonry - no substitute.

I recommend you look at the Screwfix SDS Titan range for the reviews. It will give you a clear idea of what it can do and how well it does it.

Here’s one for 39€ from Leroy Merlin. That’s an amazing price. It must be a true DIY spec machine, tho’ they do offer a 2 year g’tee.

https://www.leroymerlin.fr/v3/p/produits/marteau-perforateur-sds-plus-232315-900-w-e1501640871?megaBoost&gclid=Cj0KCQiAx9mABhD0ARIsAEfpavRwtbit9AU-8JtFu8CqdfLzpO3JrON0sUAEIEF0ACDtaVeqVUbyFJoaAm1sEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

And another from L.Merlin. Beefier.

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Even Lidl has got one - 50€
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Chisel and point and three common dia bits for holes to hang cabinets etc - nice set.

With one of these fitted into an SDS drill, you’ll have your cable hole done chop-chop.

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#12

574.41€ ! Jeepers! Hire someone to do it and keep 539.41€ in the bank.

Thaaa’s the badger, Paul! Next weight up from the one I recommended because I did bear in mind that for use by a woman, weight becomes a significant issue. As one of the trademen reviewing his Titan on Screwix said “I wouldn’t want to be using it overhead for too long.” Mine is not called ‘Big Huge’ for nothing, although that also reflects the ease with which it despatches brick, concrete, stone.

The cheaper of the L.Merlin and the Lidl are lighter - but I do like to know I’ve got as much power as I can handle.

Well, they are, to a degree but check the weights of the L.Merlin and Lidl models. They won’t come much lighter than those and still be up to the job.

As Graham noted, you will need to pass the connector thru’ the hole. I did this very same job - ethernet cable from router, thru bedroom wall into office. 16mm may do it. No smaller. If it’s a bit sticky, run the bit back and forth a few times and hoover out the tunnel.

I poked a bit of string thru, the ‘destination’ end of the hole, taped it to the connector [also protecting that from debris] and pulled it thru’.

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#13

It may be pricey, but that is not necessarily the retail price. But it does give one a cordless drill/driver, a SDS drill, a right-angled drill/driver and a corner drill/driver. That apart it is very female friendly, my OH uses one, at times, all day long and on one charge.

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#14

I called mine “The Behemoth” :slight_smile:

The Sealey one is over 10Kg!

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#15

You could get something to match, just will cost a bit more:

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#16

I was hoping to get one from Screwfix Christopher, but unfortunately they are not delivering to Europe at the moment - they stopped early last year because of COVID and now I’m sure Brexit is adding to their woes.

#17

There is a selection at French Toolstation (a good alternative to Screwfix).

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#18

If I were nearby I would just come and do it for you but I have a feeling we are not as we are in 33.

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#19

Sue’s in Lot-et-Garonne I think? Rather closer than I would be up in the Morbihan, were I lucky enough to be in France at the moment.

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#20

Makita or Hilti :wink: