One for the toolbox. You are in your apartment and you want to hang curtains, you want to hang a pot rack, you want to repair a table.... If you want to do almost anything handy, you need a drill. This one tool is arguably the most essential part of the apartment tool kit, and it must be cordless, because worrying about extension cords is just not on.
A good cordless drill is also a very sexy tool to have in one's closet, and we find that most people enjoy the thrill of using one almost as much as a ride on a Harley.
Our cordless of choice has always been a Makita (we like the green color), though others swear by DeWalt. We have bought and liked Black & Decker, but they have not been well rated (price is good). Most cordless work well these days, and for apartment use you certainly don't need to spend a ton of money on a heavy duty model. A lightweight version will do perfectly. MGR
LINKS
- Makita for $70
- Makita for $88
- DeWalt for $100
- Makita for $109
- Ryobi for $79
- Black & Decker for $70
I have a Black & Decker 18v cordless and have come to feel that it was a waste of money. Although the 'technically' equivalent Makita or DeWalt would have been twice the price, I do think it would have been worth it. The Black & Decker chuck is not straight, and never has been, I talked to friends that have had Black & Decker drills and they all say the same thing. So most of my holes end up bigger than I need, or slightly crooked. The battery life isn't that great, the balance is a little off and the grip is kinda thick for people with small hands.
I agree with thom that B&D are poor. I bought a smaller drill, a 12v Hitachi (don't have model to hand) and it's been faultless. Battery life is good and you get three batteries as standard. Its very good for the small jobs you need to do like hanging a door or a mirror. For mass concrete requirements I'd recommend more power.
The best gift my brother ever gave me was this Ryobi Cordless Drill:
http://www.ryobitools.com/product/product.asp?prodid=220&prodcat=1&toolcat=1
It even has an attached level, which makes it so much easier to get things straight!
He's in the building business, so I felt like I wasn't getting some toy drill, or even worse, a lady drill. My drill is serious business!
I have been using a light weight rechargable drill from the Discovery Channel Store. I put elfa closet organizers in three closets using it. It is on sale at the moment for $9.99 and though people laugh when they see it (it is light green and blue) they are amazed at how well it works.
after i moved a few months ago, i told my sister that i was in love with my cordless drill (a black and decker with replaceable batteries; when my previous one died, it had to be tossed because i couldn't replace the batteries). her response was that that didn't sound very good -- i think she meant it sounded like charlotte and her vibrator on "sex and the city." but still. . .
My Dewalt 18v drill was stolen from my truck and I miss it terribly