Trade-offs Of 18 Volt Cordless Drills vs. Corded Drills
For those who have the appropriate tools available to them, it is definitely possible to have a much more comfortable and easy experience while performing repair jobs at home or on the work site - one of which is having a set of cordless tools. One good example would be 18 volt cordless drills which you could work on drilling, boring holes, and driving while avoiding challenges of entangled cords and wall outlets being too far away. Traditional corded drills get power supply straight from the electrical outlet and though the cordless models may not supply as much power, you will certainly remedy it with comfortable and efficient ease of use.
Realize this trade-off when buying a cordless tool, you will be accepting a deficiency in power. Corded types are usually stronger and since the power supply is continuous, they are capable of boring holes and driving screws faster and even more effectively. Having said that, if you are using it for working on projects around the house or prefer comfort and simplicity of use over a continuous power supply, there is no reason not to choose an 18 volt cordless drill.
I’m sure you likely already realize many of the benefits of why having a drill without a cord would generally be more beneficial. But lets look into power supply and battery capabilities. It is important to determine how heavy of work you will normally be doing with your drill so you can then look at what battery size you’ll need. Obviously 18 volt cordless drills utilize bigger and stronger batteries than drills with 9 or 12 volt batteries. Of course at the same time, they aren’t as big as the ones with 20, 28 or a 36 volt batteries. The benefit though is that the size of an 18 volt cordless drill is small enough to remain comfortable for use, but big enough to supply plenty of power and a long operation time.
If you are planning on only using your drill for the purpose of driving screws, you are better off finding a drill which offers more power than speed. It would also be smart to look for one offering dual speeds which will help in getting your jobs done. A smaller drill for around the house screw-driving wouldn’t be a bad idea either. But if you’re one who is likely to use your drill often and for more than just screw-driving, I’d recommend sticking to the 18 volt cordless drill.
Here is a short breakdown of features that would be ideal to look for:
- Drilling speed is important depending on your project, so look for at least a dual speed gearbox.
- Look for extra durability.
- Find one with a nice, durable carrying case
- Look for one that comes with at least 2 batteries. Most do now days.
- Determine whether you need a basic drill, a drill driver, or a hammer drill.
- Find out if the manufacturer lists how long the battery is estimated to last on a full charge.
- Also find out how quickly the battery will charge. Less time waiting for charging batteries is more time getting work done.
- See if it comes with a manufacturer warranty. Just in case…
Hopefully some of this information has helped show the benefit of using 18 volt cordless drills over corded drills. Spend some time looking around this site and see if there is one that fits best for you. Also, please browse through the other articles listed below for further information.