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RDB85

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I’ve been working as an Adult Trainee for just under a year now. I’ve bought some 18v Milwaukee Drills and SDS and a Combi Drill. We mainly work in Fire and Security and I was considering selling it and maybe buying some 12v gear as using an 18v SDS to put up a bell box is a right pain. Due to the weight.

The other possibility would.be maybe another brand of 18v. I’m just in two minds what to do.
 
The first cordless SDS drill I bought was an small 18v Bosch. It was small, light weight and it used the 1.5Ah 18v batteries which were light and charged quickly.
Advice on Power Tools bosch1 - EletriciansForums.net

Used it for years and one day I thought I'd treat myself to the bigger version with more power, bigger batteries, a fast-charger and the rotary stop function so it can chiesel. It was impressive with bigger batteries, higher Joule impact rating and it's magnificent looks.

I think I used it twice before I went back to using the smaller one. The type of work I do doesn't involve a lot of first fix, I might have to drill for a few screws and rawplugs or or maybe even a few rawbolts and that's about it. My problem was exactly the same as you where the larger drill was just too heavy and bulky and not worth the tradeoff for me.
 
12V kit is excellent and does most of what 18V used to be relied upon for, but I wouldn't rush to get rid of the bigger stuff as it definitely has its place.

If memory serves me right, Milwaukee chargers do both voltages, so might work out best sticking with the same brand. I've used Makita gear for years, but I don't see much between the big brands beyond personal preference and loyalty from a lot of folks - they all churn out light, cheap drills and impact drivers and they all offer more expensive, robust options.
 
Depends what sort of jobs you're doing in the future, you can always buy a cheapo corded SDS drill for when you need it. I was using a Power-Fix SDS yesterday to put some brackets on a concrete block wall and it smashed holes into them with ease; I have a feeling my cordless 18v DeWalt drill in hammer mode wouldn't have made the job half as easy.

I use my DeWalt Impact Driver and Drill all the time but only occasionally need SDS.
 
Depends what sort of jobs you're doing in the future, you can always buy a cheapo corded SDS drill for when you need it. I was using a Power-Fix SDS yesterday to put some brackets on a concrete block wall and it smashed holes into them with ease; I have a feeling my cordless 18v DeWalt drill in hammer mode wouldn't have made the job half as easy.

I use my DeWalt Impact Driver and Drill all the time but only occasionally need SDS.

Probably not, but that's down to how combi drills create impact - compared to rotary hammers, combi drills are just toys when it comes to masonry drilling.
 
I use both 18v and 12v Milwaukee gear. The 12v SDS is a very good little drill, but the 18v is capable of 4.5" core drilling. Horses for courses. Wouldn't be without either.
 
I use the Millwauke 12V combi drill in preference for almost everything now - so much lighter and easier to manage in small spaces. Mine has taken some abuse over a few years and still going strong.

I recently bought an 18V one for drilling through cavity walls etc, and the plus is that the 18V charger will charge both 18V and 12V batteries, so only need one charger on site.

The 12V 2.0Ah batteries don't last long if you're drilling big holes, but for plugs/screws etc it does very well - and the batteries are cheap enough and small enough that you can keep several in the bag.

There are often some good deals on Screwfix on Millwauke sets, though you do need to watch when comparing as they are sometimes unique models that don't have the same specs as other stores.
 
i bought a Workzone 18V SDS from Aldi. £50 complete , 3 year warranty , light and compact, great for the lighter duty jobs like drilling for wall plugs, esp. up a ladder, and not a great loss if dropped 20 ft.
 
£50 with 3 year warranty - not much you can fault with that!

The little Makita SDS I use is the HR166, which cost just under £50 and came with a 3 year warranty. Although it seems they forgot to put batteries and charger in the box :D
 
Thanks for the advice. I do think the 12v would be great. Being much lighter and the 12v Combi and Impact also look good. We generally only drill 5.5 inch holes for red plugs. Then occasionally drill holes 20mm for a few cables.

So it could be worth the trade off. I like the idea of that SDS you have Tel for £50 it’s great. Plus cheap enough.
 
One point I'd raise now that you're selling the 18V gear...

Make sure you have a hole saw arbor with slim shaft as many are 11mm and wont fit the 10mm chuck that most 12v combi drills are fitted with. This is the main reason I still keep an 18V combi drill.
 
One point I'd raise now that you're selling the 18V gear...

Make sure you have a hole saw arbor with slim shaft as many are 11mm and wont fit the 10mm chuck that most 12v combi drills are fitted with. This is the main reason I still keep an 18V combi drill.
Very good point - the millwauke 12V is a 10mm chuck. I have a couple of arbors that will fit it, though I had a cheap Erbauer drill for hole cutting, until I left the charger somewhere and of course they changed the design so a replacement wasn't available....
 
i prefer keyless chuck. the key is one more thing to lose in the bottom of tool bag/box/case
 

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