Portable devices

[Feltwell]

Phil, if you invest in decent 18v cordless tools with Lithium-Ion batteries, honestly you'll never look back. Cheap, low powered 9.6 or 12v cordless and the 18v stuff are just worlds apart.

The Makita's I've got are nearly as powerful as corded - the only tool I ever have to revert to corded on now is the SDS drill. I've got a cordless Makita LXT SDS drill and that is fine with ordinary drill bits, but unsurprisingly when using diamond core bits, the power of the corded drill is required - on the larger bits at least.

Asking a cordless tool to put a 5" core drill through a wall is a bit much! I had to drill 3 holes recently with this for soil pipes - my elderly corded SDS drill struggled, the clutch kept slipping, I thought it might finish it off but no, it lives to fight another day.

The 3ah Li-ion batteries recharge from flat in about 20 minutes - 4 and 5ah take a bit longer of course - but you don't even have to fully recharge them, though I still prefer to. I keep multiple batteries on the go but on the occasions I've ran out, with a 20 minute recharge time then a cup of tea break takes care of it.

[philpjuk100]

Many thanks for that. For use at home, I have an SDS drill for the big stuff and a smaller hammer drill (both mains) cannot remember what make they are I have had them for years and seem to remember the SDS came from "cash converters" I have a huge 13A extension that reaches anywhere on the property (my son lent me that about ten years ago and I hope he has forgotten about it!) I only need a battery drill in the marina and it is usually just to put a 3/8" hole through 1/4" thick fiberglass for a cable or with a hole saw for a bigger hole for a pipe. I lent it to a boater further along the pontoon to drill a hole to secure a fire extinguisher and he drilled a hole through his hull below the waterline! I will consider a Makita when it comes to a replacement but I think that lack of use is what kills the batteries. I forget to charge it so when I need it the batteries are flat.

[Feltwell]

he drilled a hole through his hull below the waterline!

Now that beats hitting a cable in the wall for stupidity any day!

If that's all your doing with it and you're happy with corded at home ( I find them a pain and couldn't go back!) then even the cheap brand low powered drills will be fine of course, but if you go for Li-ion battery then you'll find it keeps the charge a lot better than the old ni-cad type. They do self-discharge in the end but it takes quite a while.

[philpjuk100]

he drilled a hole through his hull below the waterline!

Now that beats hitting a cable in the wall for stupidity any day!

I

I was proud of my actions that day, I heard a lot of bad language coming from his boat so went to investigate. His boat batteries were ashore on charge so his bilge pump did not work, the water was coming in fast. I fastened two ratchet straps from his handrail to the pontoon and pulled the boat into a list so the hole was now above the water. I leaned over the side and countersank the hole, fitted a countersunk bolt in it with plenty of Araldite on it. It ended up well below the surface so he could finish it with some white resin. He watched me do all this but did I get any thanks? no, he said "look you have bent my handrail"

[Feltwell]

did I get any thanks? no, he said "look you have bent my handrail"

Should have left him there with his finger in the hole, like the Little Dutch Boy!

I live not far from a primary school, we have lots of parents parking in the street to drop kids off. One of the mums, with a car full of kids, had a flat battery on her car the other day, it wouldn't start - so I brought my car out with some jump leads and jump started it for her. I didn't get a word of thanks. Rather puts you off being nice to people!

[LadyArowana]

"look you have bent my handrail"

Did you offer to straighten it after you removed the bolt and resin?

[philpjuk100]

I took his handrail off, found a forked tree in the car park and straightened it by eye then checked this by rolling it on the pontoon. When I was happy I slid it back in the stantions and tightened the grub screws (hope he didn't spot I dropped on in the drink!) after this he pointed out it needed a coat of paint so I agreed with him!