Corded Drill Recommendations?

[KregBrady]

Looking for recommendations for a corded drill for use mainly with the Kreg jig. My requirements:

• top speed of at least 2500 rpm
• reversible
• variable-speed
• adjustable clutch

What corded drill do you folks use?

[Ken Darga]

I'm not familiar with a ''single corded drill'', that includes all the features you've outlined.

Higher speed is needed for drilling and lower speed for driving.

I use a separate corded drill for drilling the holes, and a separate

cordless driver for installing the screws, is the way to go.

The drilling tool is a variable speed, 1000 to 2500rpm.

The driving tool features variable-speed, forward-reversing, adjustable keyless clutch, adjustable clutch and fitted with a quick-change bit holder, for rapid tool bit changes.

[KregBrady]

Ken, what drill do you use?

[Rick]

I agree with Ken that no one drill will be perfect.  First of all, most of today's corded drills are specialties, like a drywall screwgun or a right angle hole hawg.  The real nice drills are cordless, because that's what everyone wants.  Most corded drills today are for heavy duty or high torque applications.  The only advantage of having a corded drill for Kreg-ing is to automatically turn the vacuum on and off.

I use a Makita 18V cordless on high speed for drilling with a dust vac attachment on the kreg base.  Then I use a small 12V bosch cordless driver with adjustable clutch, so I don't strip the wood.

[Ken Darga]

I use a variety, and select the tools for the task at hand---from light-duty to heavy-duty tasks.

Driving small #4 screws to 1/2'' lags.

Sometimes I only use one or two, and at other times I have a battery of tools set-up---

drill, drive, hammer, chisel, for performing a variety of tasks.

For high-speed drilling, the 2500rpm tool is a Craftsman, HD Industrial model---'early 70's vintage---NLA.

It is all metal construction---

all bearings and steel gearing---

3/8'' keyed chuck---

Continuous Torque output, thru-out the speed ranges.

Driving tools, I have several models, for various applications, for light to heavy-duty uses.

Various Milw models---cordless screws drivers for small and light-duty

M12's---  3/8'' drill-driver, 3/8 hammer drill driver, angle drill- driver, impact driver

Ryobi---3/8 & 1/2'' drill-drivers, impact driver

Bosch drill-driver-hammer

Milw HD drill-drivers

Makita drill-driver.

The drill-drivers are variable speed, keyless chuck and feature adjustable clutch.

A hi-speed drill can also to used for other tasks, such as grinding, sanding, polishing, and a variety of finishing operations.   

Very handy tool to have in ones shop.

A variable speed model is more useful, so that a required  RPM can be selected for the specific operation.

KregBrady said:

Ken, what drill do you use?

[Ken Darga]

When drilling & with VAC hook-up, I connect them to a ''foot controlled'' switch.

A suitable alternate is to have a ''switch & receptacle'' in a utility electrical control box, fitted with a suitable power cord.

The ON-OFF switch controls the power to the receptacle, with the drill and vac plugged into the recep.

The control box can be affixed to the work table,

and located in an readily accessible location, for 

ready access to the ON-OFF switch.

This feature can be also added to a table saw, router table, and the like, when a VAC is needed.

[Ken Darga]

For a corded VSR drill, available on todays market, my top choices are:

a) Milw 0240-20: 0-2800RPM, and

b) Bosch 1006VSR: 0-2600RPM, 

[Russ Haynes]

I second the Bosch 1006.  I use it for drilling applications that would kill a cordless.  It's got great torque and it's a Bosch, which makes it nearly bomb-proof.  If I'm doing a lot of pockets in hardwood, it's my go-to, although I think looking for more power in a drill with all but the hardest of hardwoods is an indication that perhaps your bits need sharpening.  For regular work, I've found that the lithium-ion batteries in my 20V DeWalt and my Craftsman 19.2V cordless drills are more than up to almost any task when the bit is properly sharpened.