Choosing a cordless drill: volts, torque and what you really need

A cordless drill is the power tool most people buy first. The shelves are full of numbers: volts, amp hours, newton meters. Here is what they mean and what you really need for jobs at home.

Volts: how strong the drill is

The voltage of the battery says how much power the drill has. Small drills of 10.8 or 12 volt are light and handy for flat-pack furniture. For drilling into stone, driving long screws or building a shed, 18 volt is the common choice. The Hoogmaat cordless drill 18 volt has enough power for nearly every job in and around the house.

Amp hours: how long the battery lasts

Amp hours, or Ah, tell you how much energy the battery holds. A 2.0 Ah battery is light and fine for a few hours of normal work. A 4.0 Ah battery lasts twice as long, but is a little heavier. The Hoogmaat drill comes with two 2.0 Ah batteries, so one is always charging. For a big job, like a deck, add the Hoogmaat battery 18 volt 4.0 Ah. It fits every Hoogmaat 18 volt tool.

Torque settings: the ring behind the chuck

The numbered ring behind the chuck sets the torque, the turning force. At a low setting, the drill stops as soon as the screw meets resistance. That stops you from driving a screw too deep into soft drywall. At a high setting, it keeps turning into hard wood. The drill symbol means no limit, for drilling holes. Start low and turn it up until the screw sits flush.

Drill or impact driver?

A drill drills holes and drives screws. An impact driver only drives screws, but it does that much better. When a long screw gets tight, it gives short, strong blows that push it in without twisting your wrist. If you build decks, fences or sheds, the Hoogmaat cordless impact driver 18 volt is a great second tool. It is sold without a battery, because it uses the same batteries as the drill.

Bits matter as much as the drill

A strong drill with a blunt bit is slow and frustrating. Use the right bit for the material: wood bits with a center point, masonry bits with a hard tip, and metal bits of high-speed steel. The drill and bit set, 100 pieces, has all three in the sizes you use most.

Our advice

• For flat-pack furniture and the odd picture: a ratcheting screwdriver may be all you need.
• For general jobs at home: an 18 volt drill with two batteries.
• For decks, fences and sheds: add an impact driver and a 4.0 Ah battery.

And whatever you choose, wear safety glasses when you drill. A chip of stone in your eye ends the job early.