Drill Master 18v cordless drill vs 3/4" auger bit and 2x4. Who will win?

[dbhost]

One of the big reasons I would use a cordless drill, is where a cord won't reach, say for example drilling a 3/4" hole in a tree stump to apply stump rot. But are cordless drills, particularly cheap ones really up to the task? To answer this question I take my ultra cheapie Drill master 18V cordless drill, charge it up, and chuck up an Irwin SpeedBor 3/4" auger bit to punch some holes in a 2x4 scrap. How do you think the drill did? Well watch the video and find out!

[capncarl]

Good contest. A tree log will be all end grain and much harder for an auger bit. Even with a real drill motor it just gnaws its way, and the threaded end is not as effective. I thought the HF tool would have done better though.

[LCHIEN]

I don't have an auger bit like that... I do have several spade bits. I'm pretty sure I have used my cordless drills and 3/4" spade bits with a reasonable success on wood - not a total failure like you exhibited.
Maybe the auger bit drew the bit into the wood and lacking enough torque stalled the bit. Whereas a spade bit cuts uinder pressure, if it starts to stall you back off the pressure somewhat so it never stalls for a reasonably skilled operator..

[leehljp]

The drill masters or current 18v HF drills have about 240 inch pounds of torque, while another consumer grade cordless drill (Ryobi 18v) has 330 inch pounds. I had a 14.4 nicad Porter Cable in bought in 2000 that had 360 inch pounds of torque. And the pro version of cordless drills such as the 18v Bosch, Milwaukee, Dewalt etc will have even more torque.

It isn't a matter of cordless vs corded, it is more along the lines of what one intends to do with what kind of tool. I had an old light weight corded drill that has less torque than my old PC 14.4.

You are right to ask, "Will the cheaper ones do the task?"

And that is one reason I am almost always against the someone buying the cheapest tool when they want to test the waters in a new hobby or new type of tool. A cheap tool makes it so hard to accomplish what one "thinks" they can do, and leaves negative impressions of a possibly good relaxing hobby or tool set. Your test is a visible affirmation to my soap box rants on the matter.

[dbhost]

The drill masters or current 18v HF drills have about 240 inch pounds of torque, while another consumer grade cordless drill (Ryobi 18v) has 330 inch pounds. I had a 14.4 nicad Porter Cable in bought in 2000 that had 360 inch pounds of torque. And the pro version of cordless drills such as the 18v Bosch, Milwaukee, Dewalt etc will have even more torque.

It isn't a matter of cordless vs corded, it is more along the lines of what one intends to do with what kind of tool. I had an old light weight corded drill that has less torque than my old PC 14.4.

You are right to ask, "Will the cheaper ones do the task?"

And that is one reason I am almost always against the someone buying the cheapest tool when they want to test the waters in a new hobby or new type of tool. A cheap tool makes it so hard to accomplish what one "thinks" they can do, and leaves negative impressions of a possibly good relaxing hobby or tool set. Your test is a visible affirmation to my soap box rants on the matter.

I know my experiences with cordless are pretty old, but even the DeWalt and Makita cordless drills from about 10 years ago I have used leave me wanting, often...

You are right the HF drill isn't exactly torquey, and is a prime example of bottom of the barrel performance, but it DOES do what I bought it for well, which is run 3/8" or smaller wood bits, and driver bits. However this one application is just, welll.... lacking...

The Ryobi corded drill I used is way more powerful than any cordless I have laid hands on, but then again, like I mentioned, I am just not a big cordless guy. Just not my thing. I am sure there are powerful cordless tools out there, I just don't get exposed to them much...

[dbhost]

I don't have an auger bit like that... I do have several spade bits. I'm pretty sure I have used my cordless drills and 3/4" spade bits with a reasonable success on wood - not a total failure like you exhibited.
Maybe the auger bit drew the bit into the wood and lacking enough torque stalled the bit. Whereas a spade bit cuts uinder pressure, if it starts to stall you back off the pressure somewhat so it never stalls for a reasonably skilled operator..

I didn't shoot the efforts with spade bits because, well my spade bits are in desperate need of sharpening, but the results weren't a lot better with that.

Oddly enough, this is my 2nd of this particular model of cordless drill and it is perceptible less powerful than the first. Go figure.

[LCHIEN]

Another thing to consider. My cordless drill has a low/high speed setting, the low has more torque for cutting tough holes. Your drill may be geared too high for speed.
Auger bits (many of them anyways) are designed for hand braces and slow speed drilling. They tend to pull themselves in to the wood so low torque drills will just stall when pulled hard into wood.

[JimD]

I had essentially the opposite experience. I have two high speed DeWalt corded 3/8 drills. I thought I had a 1/2 chuck low speed Craftsman but when I went to use it I found it wouldn't work. I needed to wire my shop garage. I had the 1 inch version of the same Irwin speed bore bit shown in the video. The DeWalts performed about like the HF cordless. They just wouldn't work. So my only other alternative was my Ryobi 18V. On low speed, they worked great (they because I have two). I chewed through as many as 5 2x4s in a row (with extensions on the bit). Batteries did not last real long but I have 3 so I could keep going. I had to hang on tight or they would twist me into something.

I think these experiences show two things. First, the Irwin speed bore needs a low speed drill. Corded or cordless, use low speed. Second, a decent cordless will do nearly anything a corded drill will.

I've also used my Ryobi cordless drills to bore solid doors for locksets. I've drilled 1/2 holes in my boat trailer with one. I'm not claiming the Ryobi is the best, just that it works.

I could also use a better or at least lower speed corded drill. In the shop, it isn't that hard to come up with a cord. But cordless tools are very handy. I used my Ryobi drill and jig saw (cordless) to put an outlet on my dock yesterday. It would have been possible to drag a cord to the spot but was much easier to use battery power. My Bosch jig saw is definitely nicer but the jig saw works too.

[dbhost]

I should have videoed my last experiment with the bits. I used a 1-1/8" recently resharpened spade bit in my Drill Master drill to bore holes in that same hunk of 2x4 (actually for a purpose), to make a hanger for my pry bars. The HF drill was able to punch the hole no problem with the spade bit, but was a bit slower cutting than the corded Ryobi drill...

So yeah, it would appear that the SpeedBor bits are kind of, well.... needy, no. Not the right word... Demanding on a drill. They seem to need low speed and lots of torque to cut without stalling.

Don't get me wrong. I picked up the HF drill to get my feet wet cordless drill wise. It is a LOT better than the cordless tools I used in the late 90s, but I am not wedded tot he idea of dumping my corded tools yet...

Certain cordless tools I know I just have no interest in though. Multitool, because the battery makes it uncomfortable to use, circular saw... Maybe, but I would need to be convinced, Impact driver. No thanks. I like Pneumatic impacts...

There are some tools that can go cordless that might work well with that format, drills, recip saws, jig saws, sanders etc... Although I can see sanders running batteries down fast...

[leehljp]

Don't get me wrong. I picked up the HF drill to get my feet wet cordless drill wise. It is a LOT better than the cordless tools I used in the late 90s, but I am not wedded tot he idea of dumping my corded tools yet...

Starting off with and HF to get your feet wet is kinda like starting off with a Hugo to see if you like compact cars before buying a Porsche. And I mean it is just about that much difference. HF does not play on the same field as Ryobi, especially with the difference between NiCad (HF) and Lithium ion (Ryobi and others). As much as a Ryobi is above the HF, so are the DeWalts, Bosches, Milwaukees etc over the Ryobi.

If you are not up to Cordless tools, and many people are not, - that is a personal decision, but equating comparisons of cordless tools based on an HF is not exactly checking out reality in the cordless field.

Certain cordless tools I know I just have no interest in though. Multitool, because the battery makes it uncomfortable to use, circular saw... Maybe, but I would need to be convinced, Impact driver. No thanks. I like Pneumatic impacts...

I often see people equating one word with another similar and drawing conclusions that they are essentially the same. Pneumatics are Impact WRENCHES! Cordless Impact DRIVERS are not the same nor intended to be the same. Pneumatic WRENCHES are for nuts and bolts specifically. Impact DRIVERS are primarily for screws, but will do fair at best with stuck nuts and bolts in a tight spot/need. They are not the same by any stretch of the imagination. Recently, some companies have released Cordless Impact WRENCHES and they are listed as such. There is about as much distinction between Impact Wrenches and Impact Drivers as there is between a Llama and a camel, or a camel and a giraffe.

As to the circular saw, I keep my 18v in the trunk of my car and use it more for cutting down a couple of boards to fit in my car at Lowes or HD than any other use. It just is not there yet. I bet if I went the 24V route, I would be happy (and my wallet much much lighter). Probably the reason for 24V+ being more effective on a circular saw is that 18v just cannot deliver the power needed in circular saws.

Getting back to IMPACT DRIVERS: When they first came out, they were expensive. I was overseas and did not know anyone who had one. I read here, there and yonder about them but I could not in my mind imagine that they would be as effective as everyone had said. I started using the 9.6?V Makita cordless drills in the early 90's. Loved them (except the nicad battery life) and used them for driving screws as much as for drilling. I continued to use that Makita until I bought a 14.4 Porter Cable cordless drill/driver in 2000. (A DrillDriver is NOT in the same league as an IMPACT Driver.) That PC would drive screws, but I stripped a few heads now and then. I had to put considerable pressure to drive 3 and 4 inch screws, but I did. THEN in about 2004, I bought an 18v NiCad Ryobi Impact Driver and it was light years ahead of the PC for screws. The 14.4v PC had more raw power, but the Ryobi Impact Driver delivered more screw far more effectively, almost nil stripped heads and less strain due to not having to put pressure on the ID for driving screws like is needed on a Drill/Driver.

I learned that a DrillDriver is has a hammer-like impact - for drilling into concrete. But THOSE impact forces do not translate into driving screws. DrillDrivers have forward impacting forces to help break into concrete. Impact DRIVERS have Lateral impacts for driving/rotating screws. "Lateral impact forces" (Impact Drivers) and front/back impact forces (DrillDrivers) produce different results because they are intended to do so. A DrillDriver is nowhere near as effective as an Impact Driver in driving screws.

Pneumatics on the other hand are for huge torque needed to bust loose tight nuts and rust locked bolts. Using Pneumatics wrenches on wood screws is like using a sledge hammer on a nail. I have tried to use my Impact Driver on my lawn tractor to change blades and a few other things, and some bolts/nuts - it would handle, but the tight rusted ones - No Way. However, the ID wasn't built for that nor intended for that. I could have used an impact wrench for that - If I had one. I last used a pneumatic impact wrench back in the '70s when I worked on my own cars. I know the power. But I would not use a pneumatic on driving screws, unless they have miniaturized them!

[LCHIEN]

I think what you call drill drivers are really properly called hammer drill - forward impacting for drilling masonry and concrete, Usually corded.
A drill driver is a cordless drill with a torque limiter intended to drill holes or drive screws and other items.Usually cordless.
An impact driver has rotational impacts for driving wood screws and lag screws without camming out..Usually cordless
An impact wrench has rotational impacts but much greater torque for nuts and bolts and wheel lugs and such. Usually Pneumatic

[LCHIEN]

Oh, Dave, you will LOVE using a cordless impact driver.
Drives 1/4" and 3/8" hex head lag screws and 3" wood screws like butter.

If you've never tried one, try it.

If you are not paying attention, you can completely bury the head of a 1/4" lag screw into a no-pilot hole 2x4 so deep you can't back it out. DAMHIKT

[JimD]

I don't just use my two Ryobi 18 V drills. I also have the circular saw, reciprocating saw, impact driver, light, brad nailer, oscillating saw, jig saw, weed whacker and hedge trimmer. I had the circular saw and reciprocating saw when I was still using Ni Cd batteries. They would power the drill fine and the impact driver but the battery life was so short on the saws that I hardly ever used them. Then my son gave me a couple lithium ion batteries and charger. HUGE difference. I used the circular saw when I was framing up my wife's office. I have a Milwaukee circular saw I like but running cords and dragging it around was unnecessary to cut a few 2x4s. The Ryobi did it fine. I use the reciprocating saw a lot too but had to resort to the corded DeWalt when I was putting in a new back door. The previous owner nailed the door frame to the pine siding in the great room. So I had to cut if off. The Ryobi would make the cuts but went through batteries so fast I just got out a cord and corded tool. It cut faster and I didn't have to stop for battery changes. I also don't use the Ryobi jig saw in the shop. It just doesn't work as well as my Bosch corded saw. But my cordless brad nailer is my go to nail gun for most things. I used it today to put most of the trim up for a window. It wouldn't do the crown I did before that, however. It wasn't that it was cordless, it was the fact it was 18 gauge. I sprung the piece too much and needed 15 gauge nails to hold it down flat to the wall. But most of the time, the 18 gauge Ryobi has sufficient holding power and it is much more convenient, even though I have a little 20 lb Senco compressor.

My son also gave me a 18V harbor freight impact wrench. It is rated to put out 330 ft lbs but and independent review said it's more like 200. But the other tools they tested were over rated too. He got it for me when we were putting new floats on the dock. It will drive 3/8 lags with no pilot hole. The little Ryobi impact struggles even with a pilot hole. But not the HF. I use it changing tires some too. It is Ni Cd batteries but they work pretty well in this tool. I looked at the HF drill when I was down to one Ryobi but the weight of the HF scared me off. But I may get another HF someday. The charger takes several hours to charge a battery but we did almost all the floats on the dock on one battery.