Best features found in an 18v cordless drill

I bought the 12 volt Hitachi cordless drill combo kit as a replacement. I started to wonder if I had made a good choice without doing a cordless drill comparison, did the 12 volt Li-Ion battery have enough power to do what I did with my 18 volt Nicad drill/driver. I felt better about my cordless drill kit after I read in my latest "This Old House" issue that Tom Silva uses a 12 volt li-ion drill.

The first project I did with my new lithium cordless drill/driver and impact driver on my first project involved driving deck screws into pressure treated wood. The first screw i tried to put in with the 12 v impact driver didn't want to go in all the way. I knew right away that I wouldn't be happy with the power in my 12 volt lithium Ion Hitachi drill/driver kit and I needed to find some information and do a cordless drill comparison.

I first compared Li-ion batteries to Nicad batteries. Li-ion batteries are better because they are lighter, about half the weight of a Nicad battery, Li-ion batteries charge faster and hold a charge longer. However, power wise a 18 volt lithium ion battery has the same power as a 18 volt nicad battery and a cordless drill/driver with a 12 volt li-ion battery will not have the power to replace the heavy work a 18 volt nicad drill/driver can do. Higher volts in a 18 v cordless drill driver means it has more power than a 12 v cordless drill driver. Higher voltage means more torque-spinning strength to overcome resistance while driving in screws.

Many cordless drills are are referred to as drill drivers (i.e. 18 v cordless drill driver) because they have a clutch located behind the chuck The clutch disengages the drive shaft of the drill, making a clicking sound, when a preset level of resistance is reached. The result is that the motor is still turning, but the screwdriver bit isn't. The clutch gives you control so you don't strip a screw or overdrive it once it's snug. So once you get your new drill driver its important to pay attention to the clutch settings so you are able to take advantage of clutch.

You will notice the clutch has settings in numbers and a drill bit icon, the numbers are settings for driving screws and the drill bit icon for drilling. While doing a cordless drill comparison you'll want to check the number of clutch settings because the more settings, the more control you having in controlling the depth screws are driven. Also you'll notice that many drill drivers have two power settings, the lower settings for driving screw and the higher for drilling.

Another feature of 18 volt cordless drill driver to is the chuck. Most have keyless chucks so all you need to do is tighten it by hand. Be aware that some consumer level drill drivers have keyless chucks that only take quick connect (have the chubby end on them) screw bits and drills.

Once you know what features you want in your new 18 v cordless drill driver the most important factor to consider is how the drill feels in your hand. pick up the drill; its nose should point straight ahead without tipping up or down. Raise it to be sure it isn't too heavy for overhead tasks. If you are just shopping online you can compare the drill weight to give you an idea of how the drill will feel

when your looking at cordless power tool combo kits and 18 v cordless drill driver check to make sure the tool has the power (volts=torque) to get the job done. Does it have enough clutch settings, does the chuck match your drill bits and make sure that the drill driver feels good in your hand.

When I went back to the store to buy an 18 v li-ion drill driver I saw an 18 v drill driver for the same price as the 12 v drill driver combo kit I had first purchased. I was about to by this drill driver when I realized that it came with a nicad battery and not the lighter weight Li-ion battery I wanted.

So take your time while doing your 18 v drill driver comparison and make sure that the drill driver or 18 v cordless tool combo kit has all the features you wanted.