wrote in message
oups.com...
My grandpa does recreational woodworking, and he recently built a nice
tack chest for me. So in return, I intend to buy him a better
cordless drill. (He's using a piece-o-junk discount store cordless
after his previous two cordlesses kicked the bucket). My budget is
about $150.

My questions:
- Should I get him a hammer drill? I know he won't touch masonry, but
I know he cuts oak with a 1.5" forstner bit, and according to him it's
a physical workout. Would the hammer handle and extra torque help
him?

- I want one that's simple to use but built solidly. If you have any
recommendations, say a particular Makita, DeWalt, Milwaulkee, etc, I'd
like to hear it.

Thanks,

Dave


I have had, a Panasonic, 2 DeWalts, and 2 Makita's. I would buy any of them
again but would prefer the Panasonic. Typically, anything you get over 12
volt starts to become a bit heavy and cumbersome unless you go with the more
expensive and lighter weight Lithium Ion battery models. Expect to pay a
lot more for those models. The first Panasonic had much more refined
attributes than any drill that I have used.
Do not buy a hammer drill for wood working. If he uses Forstner bits often,
consider a bench top drill press.
Something else to consider would be an Impact Driver. These have tremendous
torque and typically the 12 volt models will out perform any voltage Drill
Driver and they are relative small. Great for driving screws and small lag
bolts. A few have a clutch setting to help prevent over driving the screw.