A cordless drill is a very important tools. After all, these are tools that you will rely on for home projects like remodeling your kitchen or building a new deck. Here are five important cordless drill features that you should evaluate before buying one.
Chuck Size. Cordless drills come with either a 3/8 inch or ½ inch chuck. This is the size that will tell you two critical things about a drill. First, this gives you the shank size of the bits that a drill can accommodate. Bigger bits have wider shanks, thus using heavy-duty paddle bits you normally use for mixing joint compound or grout will not fit into drills with smaller chucks. Second, the chuck size will closely track a drill’s capability and power. The more powerful ones normally have bigger chucks and vice versa.
Charge Indicator and Charger. The earlier versions of Li-ion batteries require charging and must be used on precise conditions to achieve peak performance. However, the later batteries and chargers have features that prevent battery overcharging, thus lessening the need for the batteries to drain fully between charges.
Lithium-ion Batteries. The batteries used for cordless power tools have two critical specs: voltage and amp hours. The voltage equates to power, while amp hours tell you how much fuel your battery has. Basically, this also translates to the battery’s run time.
Brushless Motor. Brushless motors are designed to help lessen sense resistance and reduce friction from the material. They adjust the amount of power they get from the battery. According to manufacturers, brushless motors translate to more power, longer product life, and better run times.
Useful Additional Features. Almost all the cordless drills you see today has a built-in LED light. Others provide extras like hard-sided cases and belt clips. There are also brands that do the extra mile with their features. One brand offers chargers that are capable of charging both an 18 and 12-volt batteries simultaneously.
