On 2 Mar 2004 01:54:28 -0800, (Phil) wrote:

Cordless drill upgrsde time. Have been using argos specials but after
a whole bathroom refit the trigger is gone (Still not bad for 15 quid)

The front runners are
Screwfix 9.6 v Makita
B n Q 12 volt RYOBI

Both £75.00, Both 1 hour 2 batterys
Which?

Ryobi seems to be B n Q only (cannot find it on net anywhere else)
Ryobi has 2 year warranty MAK has 1
Ryobi has built in spirit levels which look kind of fun BUT do they
actually work.
Also MAKTEC is turning up on EBAY quite a lot.

http://tinyurl.com/3ds4z

What is this (ignoring the puff which states that they have the same
quality) Is this worth considering?
MAKITAs website is curiously quiet about this.
Basically is a 75 quid MAK better than a 75 quid 12 V RYOBI?

Usage Advanced DIY + occasional trunking job CAT5

Cheers Phil

I've never found it useful to do comparisons of power tools on a fixed
price basis when the comparison is different categories of tool at the
same price point.

In cordless tools, especially drills/screwdrivers the key points a

- build quality (which determines quality of use and reliability)
- battery quality (which has an impact on power and run time)
- speed controller (which determines how good the drill is for mixed
work)
- weight and balance (which determines comfort of use)
- service and spares backup

A 9.6v ordinary drill may not be as powerful as a 12v one, although if
well engineered and with good batteries could be. For example, I
recently read a review of a Panasonic drill which was in teh £200
range and with a 15.6v battery outperformed the 18v models in a
similar to slightly lower price group.

I suspect though, that in general a good 9.6v tool might get close to
a poor 12v one. One exception is the Makita angle drivers, which
have a low gearing and perform certainly better than the next voltage
up in standard tools.

If your objective is to meet a price point, then it is going to be a
trade off on performance and relaibility. I have several Makita
cordless tools and all of them are excellent against all the criteria
that I've mentioned, especially relaibility and motor control.

Bear in mind that B&Q do not provide for a spares and repair
capability for their power tools. The assumption is that you get a
warranty of 1-3 years and if it breaks after that then you bin the
tool and buy another. They play the numbers game. I personally
prefer to provide products that are better quality and for which
support and spares are available.

A more useful comparison is to compare tools in the same voltage class
- i.e. compare the Ryobi 12v product with the Makita one and decide
whether the extra quality and service of the Makita justify themselves
to you for your application. From my own experience, there's no
contest and I think that the Makita products are worth the extra
money. Go and try them out.



It is worth choosing a brand for several tool types if you can because
commonality of batteries is useful.




..andy

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