Power Tools for the New Normal, Part 4 – Cordless Impact Drill
I have always considered the drill to be a must-have for every household. It doesn’t matter if you use it yourself or if a someone else uses it on your behalf, there will always be a need for it every now and then.
In spite of this, I never purchased one because they were expensive, heavy, unwieldy and, in the case of wired tools, limiting.
Thankfully, much of these problems have been resolved with the latest batch of cordless power tools. Not only are prices comparatively lower, at least when using early versions as a basis, the current crop has come quite close in terms of productivity to their wired counterparts.
Table of Contents
Know Thy Customer
I am new to the world of DIY, having been boxed into it by this pandemic. If I were to rate myself on a four point scale of Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Hardcore, I would be the first.
The tasks I need to accomplish are relatively simple:
- Tightening hose clamps
- Attaching curtain rods
- Swapping out old doorknobs
- Fastening LED ceiling light housings
- Changing bathroom drain covers
- Inserting wall hooks to hang items off
- Replacing switches, receptacles, or panel covers
- Substituting broken cabinet handles with new ones
- Attaching wall holders for bidets or shower heads at the end of a hose
- The occasional unsophisticated DIY project involving wood or cement
What matters to me most is portability because I sometimes have to scale ladders, climb trees, crawl under sinks, and squeeze into tight spots. The last thing I need is a thick electrical cord getting in the way.
Furthermore, I do not need unlimited runtime offered by wired power tools. The typical charge of a cordless battery is sufficient because I will most likely get tired long before running out of power. And for those occasions when I need to work longer, a simple battery swap extends work time.
A nice-to-have would be a power tool with reduced vibration because several studies have indicated that prolonged exposure can result in permanent damage to ones limbs and digits. Since I already have a string trimmer and leaf blower, both that vibrate, any reduction would be most welcome.
Interestingly, I don’t seem to be alone on the matter of cordless tools. As I was window shopping in one the more popular hardware stores in the metropolis yesterday, a family was asking similar questions I had about an untethered drill.
Search
After searching the internet and stores for as much information as I could get, I eventually settled on a Cordless Impact Drill because it has the ability to penetrate concrete and fasten screws and bolts with the twist of a switch.
It needed to come with a brushless motor running either an 18-volt or 20-volt battery. The plan was to make this the anchor for a new system of power tools.
I narrowed my search to two brands that had a presence in the local market. I initially thought that the biggest issue would be their high price tags but that was not the case. The main problem turned out to be the lack of availability.
[That’s not to say that price does not matter because it plays a big part in my decision.]
Well, when I approached the salesmen on duty, I was told that the model I wanted was either not offered locally or that it needed to be ordered. If the latter option was chosen, there was no timeline offered on how long it would take for the product to arrive.
[So close, yet so far.]
Decision
The unavailability of the models I wanted ushered me back into the Ingco store where I purchased my Cordless String Trimmer and Cordless Leaf Blower.
Much like the leaf blower, the price of their Cordless Impact Drill was not far off from other better-known brands on the market. It was for this reason that I was hesitant to purchase this power tool, especially since I wanted to build a system. But with jobs needing to be worked on a home, I just couldn’t postpone things any longer.
I ended up going home with a Cordless Impact Drill. This particular bundle came with two batteries, a charger, a few accessories, and a nylon bag. However, unlike the Cordless String Trimmer, the batteries and charger did not come free nor did they come discounted. Nonetheless, they were welcome as I needed an extra pair for my Cordless String Trimmer.
[Thanks to their interoperability I could now finish the garden in an hour and a half straight.]
Test
The first test involved tightening the clamps of a couple of hoses in the garden.
You’re probably thinking that getting an impact drill is overkill for just a hose. Well, I have been manually fastening those clamps for as long as I can remember and they always manage to leak a few days later.
The torque of Cordless Impact Drills also allow you to tighten clamps to a degree unmatched by manual efforts. After using this power tool, I haven’t seen any leaks so far.
[Test number 1 is a pass.]
Several holes need to be drilled in cement to hold up a new curtain rod. And since this needed to be done atop a ladder, I was quite thankful I didn’t have any thick power cords to fiddle with.
While this test would have been better had it involved drilling into a cement wall, this was not the case as it was done with wood. Still, this Cordless Impact Drill didn’t break a sweat when working with wood.
My only issue is that one of the drill bits included was crooked, making this power tool wobble as I was using it.
[Test number 2 is a pass.]
The next test involved swapping a rusty old doorknob with a new one. Yes, I have done this manually in the past. But I will tell you, it felt really good using an impact drill at an easy-to-control low speed. I’m never going back to using a manual screwdriver after this experience.
[Test number 3 is a pass.]
The next test involved replacing several old and, at times, rusted out, panel covers. I actually tried replacing them through the manual process but gave up because I began to strip the screw heads with my efforts. The high torque coupled with my pushing down on the screws got them out without much difficulty. No fatigued wrist this time around.
[Test number 7 is a pass.]
It’s been years since our kitchen cabinet handles were replaced. After decades of heavy use, they either crumbled or broke off. A total of twenty-one handles were replaced I just a few minutes, thanks to this Cordless Impact Drill. If I had done this manually, it may have taken me at least an afternoon.
[Test number 8 is a pass.]
The final test was a small PVC project for the garden. This involved a mounting a couple of motion sensor light on several plastic pipes, junction boxes, and covers. Having the control of adjusting the drill bit speed allowed me to be as precise as I could be.
Incidentally, I have a manual drill which I have had since high school. In capable hands, it might be a breeze for such a project. But for someone with the skills of a DIY beginner, that manual drill was tough to use.
[Test number 10 is a pass.]
As you can probably conclude, my requirements aren’t complicated or difficult at all. It’s not like I am building a new dining table or constructing a terrace with this power tool. All I need it for are simple day-to-day jobs.
The rest of the list above is still pending as of this writing so I won’t be including them in this essay. However, I am hoping this Cordless Impact Drill will be up to the task. In the mean time, I will give this power tool a pass for light duty work.
Final Thoughts
I have been using this Cordless Impact Drill for several months now and am pleased with it’s ability to handle light duties so far. My main operating issue, as mentioned earlier, is that one of the drill bits is crooked.
Another issue I have is the six-month warranty. My preferred brands actually offer a two or three year guarantee, making this comparatively short. An extension would instill confidence in this power tool as I still have not come across any long term reviews.
Moving on, it was mentioned in the essay entitled Power Tools for the New Normal, Part 2 – Cordless Leaf Blower that certain power tools are better when they come as a duo. Well, the ideal scenario for a Cordless Impact Drill is for it to come in a trio.
The first would be a Cordless Impact Wrench, which would be great at replacing flat tires or even opening and closing those metal pipe covers that older houses have. The second would be a Cordless Rotary Hammer, which is basically a handheld jackhammer. This thing would be great for digging out pipes or drain covers that are embedded in cement.
[And did I mention you can get brushless versions of those tools too?]
While the dreamer in me would love add these two power tools to my arsenal, I simply cannot justify the cost, especially if I will rarely use them. Perhaps you would have more use for them, given your own requirements.
And that is it for my purchase and test of a Cordless Impact Drill. Please join me for an essay on what I hope to be my final purchase. This time it is a Cordless Reciprocating Saw that was, again, immediately needed.