Having tools with excellent durability is extremely important. Not only will it mean you will not have to spend out on replacement tools when they break prematurely, but because tougher tools will do a better job. Sometimes cheaper ones can appear to work great until wear and damage suddenly make them unusable, and you are left unable to complete your task. This will lead to an extended work period as you will have to go out and buy a replacement. If you use that tool as part of your profession, it could mean the difference between hitting your deadline or not. No matter what kind of job you have or how you’re using the equipment, make sure your tools can stand up to the task in the first place. Of all 19 products there were a total of 15 that were more expensive and 2 that were cheaper than DeWalt DCD776S2T-GB 18V 1.5Ah Li-Ion XR Cordless Combi Drill. Cheap drill bits do not cut well when they are brand new and don’t cut cleanly either. It will make the job slower and more difficult. It can be challenging to identify if a cheap drill bit is doing a good job because they can work great on lighter materials. Once you go to use it on the heavier stuff, however, you will run into an array of issues that will frustrate you. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

Wear clothing that fits well. Loose clothing or accessories can get caught in a tool’s moving parts, which could result in dire consequences.Screwfix has an excellent reputation and is arguably the best brand for trade tools in the UK. This is down to them supplying only top-quality tools at extremely reasonable prices. It’s obvious that the team at Screwfix are passionate about what they do – having friendly and helpful staff that range from online assistants to instore staff. If you are unsure or need any advice on your DIY or trade job, they are more than happy to answer your questions. Weighing in at 1.3 kg without the battery, this is a rather heavy beast. It’s certainly not the lightest of the cordless drills that I have tested, but that’s to be expected in a brushed motor drill. It’s fairly long as well, at just under 230 mm in length without anything in the jaws. It won’t get into the tightest spots compared with some of the smaller cordless drills on my list. It’s also 225 mm tall without a battery installed. Nowadays, top brands offer work boots in a whole array of colours and designs to give more options to the buyer, as well as doing a fantastic job at keeping your feet safe while you are working. Cheap / Off brand Power Tools Performance-wise, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a DeWalt combi drill with these specs. It did the job comfortably, but it wasn’t going to win any speed records. The brushed motor is a bit on the large size and it’s a tiny bit front-heavy, but the DeWalt DCD776 is a dependable drill that should last for a long time.

If you were a professional tradesperson, you might want a bigger battery to go with this combi drill. 1.5 Ah batteries are slimline and lightweight, but don’t expect to drill hundreds of holes in a row without stopping for a recharge. When in control of a hand or power tool, it is your responsibility to do everything in your power to keep you and the environment safe. That means wearing visors, gloves, goggles with anti-fogging coatings, vented respirators, face masks made of premium cushion materials and ear muffs with soft ear cups. All the best combi drills on the market, as far as I’m concerned, run on 18 Volt batteries. So, it’s good that DeWalt have been working on their XR range of tools for years and years. Supplied with a single 1.5 Ah battery, the DCD776 combi drill kit is ideal for DIYers that aren’t going to push this drill to the limit for hours on end.

For DIYers, this is an ideal place to start if you want to look the part. Professional tradespeople might expect more features and higher build quality from a combi drill though. There are a few too many plastic parts, a rattle that got on my nerves, and no place to store batteries any bigger than little 1.5 Ah ones. When you are finished using a compression tool like a nail gun, make sure that the pressure is released before you break the hose connections. Power tools can sell for a decent price, which has opened up the doors to cheap and fake tools coming onto the market to maximise profit. The issues we have with such tools are that they may not provide the power needed to complete the job given. Also, many of them are made with flimsy materials that could fall apart easily with the vibrations of usage. The best-case scenario is that the tool will stop working, but in the worst case, they can explode, burst into flame or shatter over the user.

Make sure you maintain your tools by performing regular maintenance tasks like grinding or sharpening. Remember to follow the manufacturer’s instructions while you’re doing this. As with any product, when you’re shopping online you’re often given a set of alternative products to consider. These aren’t always the same type of product, but usually products that people are interested in when they’ve bought DeWalt DCD776S2T-GB 18V 1.5Ah Li-Ion XR Cordless Combi Drill. Cheaper brands, such as those you would find in high street bargain stores, will have been mass-produced with lower grade materials which allow the low price tag. Though that may sound good for your bank account, you will soon discover you have a tape measure that slices your fingers, screwdrivers that don’t fit in the cross slot of a screw and a hammer grip that is slipping from the handle. When working at heights, never leave tools lying out in the areas where they could present a hazard to the people below.

Corded drills

The solid reliability of this DeWalt combi drill was evident when it came to driving screws. 70 mm long wood screws went in and out without camming or much pressure needed. The 150 mm screw could have kept going through the timber there was that much torque left over! I wasn’t forced to use the drill mode for driving screws, which was a good sign. You may have to pay more than the cheaper or disposable options on the market, but you will be thankful if a near miss or accident occurs and it was your PPE that reduced or avoided the injury. Work Boots The power that this battery system puts out gives this drill a reasonable level of torque. You get 42 Newton metres (Nm) worth of twisting power, and in hammer mode a solid 25,500 maximum beats per minute (bpm). The drill bit is spun up to 1,500 rpm, which isn’t the fastest but perfectly adequate for most DIY jobs.

First of all, many well-known brand names tend to boast about their flagship tools in television, trade magazines and online ads. They tend to make the harder jobs look extremely simple when using their specific brand. Of course, the basis of this is to help sell their product. So is this a realistic representation of what the tool can do for you, especially if you’re just starting out? The answer is no. Different skill levels and experience has a significant factor in the effectiveness of a tool, as well as other things.

DEWALT D25033K-GB SDS+ Corded Hammer Drill 240V - 710W

Of all 19 products there were a total of 13 that were more expensive and 4 that were cheaper than DeWalt DCD776D2T- GB 18V 2.0Ah Li-Ion XR Cordless Combi Drill. Finding a trustworthy brand can be a big undertaking, and when you are faced with lots of recommended companies, the search can feel daunting. Some manufactures cater to different areas of the workforce, and not all brands offer all the tools in every field. First, you need to ask yourself if the brand you have chosen can provide you with the tools you need now, and the ones you will need in the future. Of course, you could buy from multiple brands, but that will require more research that takes up valuable time. There is a long list of brands that excel in specific tools, but don’t do so well with others. One company that is fantastic across the board is Screwfix. Many bargain footwear suppliers offer work boots for a fantastic price. But these are often not steel toe capped, do not have anti-fatigue soles and won’t protect your feet against liquids or extreme heat. In fact, some boots that look the part may as well be a pair of sandals if a hammer or power tool was to drop on your foot.