Novice at DIY

[catholic]

I am new at DIY, have just bought a house but can't afford a handyman. I'm not tackling anything more ambitious than putting up mirrors, loo roll holder, coat hooks, towel rail etc. Can anyone recommend a good, not too expensive cordless drill. I'm not going to make a career out of this! Thanks

[Zacs-Master]

I've heard that the B&Q own brand ones are very good. Otherwise, Bosch, DeWalt or most of the big names.

[gingejbee]

headwreck: how could you? I'd never do anything like that (much)!
All Which? Best Buys are pricey - the cheapest Best Buy is about £90.

[sherrardk]

Aldi sometimes do power tools - check their website to see what deals are coming up.

[marden40]

B & Qs own brand is called "performance power" and is a good choice for what you want.....I would opt for an 18 volt one as you get that bit more humph in the drill and it comes with hammer action to drill into masonry, these you can buy for about £55, Black and Decker also do this spec at the same price.....B & Q always have offers on and I'm pretty sure with Easter coming up it wont be long before they have some good deals on.

[seadogg]

You can pick up drills that run off the mains very cheaply second hand .Just get an extension lead and away you go, with no battery to deteriorate during long spells out of use. Make sure its a hammer drill though.

[HowardKennitby]

What sort of walls will you be drilling into? If masonry you might be better getting one with a hammer action. If you go down the route of cordless look out for any that come with 2 battery packs.

[sunny-dave]

Aldi - this coming Sunday 12th - all sorts of DiY offers including Cordless Drill - £44.99

[jomifl]

If you have access to mains electricity then get a mains powered drill, they are cheaper (much) more powerful, are available all day and last much longer than the irreplaceable battery in your cordless drill. I now have 5 cordless drills which are almost unuseable whereas my original mains drills are over 25 years old and are still going strong.

[Old_Geezer]

I tend to agree with jomifl. Cordless is an expense you need not have unless you have in mind a situation where you have to use cordless.

As for make, I tend to think there isn't much in them, buy one of a known brand that is about what you can afford on your budget. I've not come across a brand I'd recommend avoiding although I suspect you pay for quality and would avoid those that seem too low a price.

[theshedman]

Hi, I personally wouldn't go for a B&B own brand one. Had one a while back and it spent more time on charge than actually using the thing. Have since purchased a Black and Decker 18Volt one with 2 batteries and it's works a treat, doesn't take long to charge, hour tops and lasts for a decent time before recharging needed. If you are drilling into brickwork make sure you get one that has hammer action as well. I say this as most new builds don't have many solid walls so hammer action may not be needed but always handy to have just in case. If you do get one, use sharp bits and don't try to force the drill as all you will end up doing is snapping the drill bit and maybe injure yourself. Good luck with it.

[buildersmate]

Don't buy cordless if you intend to do projects working in the house - 240V is readily available in the wall sockets.
Do buy a reputable brand - Bosch or Black& Decker. You get what you pay for.
Do ensure you get a drill with a hammer action.

I'm with the last 3 replies on this (but not cordless for your application)

[theshedman]

Sorry that was meant to be B&Q.

[Clanad]

Personally, I couldn't do without my 18v cordless drill... here in the U.S. a brand that had been popular a few years ago is now available again, that being Rockwell. They have always been a mnufacturer of fine tools. They really good thing is that the batteries will fail from time to time, even if charged properly (be sure to take them off the charger when the green light comes on) but Rockwell has a program called "Batteries for Life"... if one fails, e-mail them or call them and they will send a new one without charge for as long as you own the drill.
I would expect hey would be available in the U.K.

[catholic]

Many, many thanks to you all for your advice. I'm now the proud owner of a new hammer drill so wish me luck. Headwreck, I loved your cheeky reply. By the way, the name might be Catholic but I didn't say I was a good one!!