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[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

What are the advantages ( if any) of an 18V....20V....or 21V cordless drill over the elderly 12V Makita I currently use?

[dave the builder]

If you're "drilling" then use a 240 volt one

If you're "screwing" then you won't be worried about D I Y 

[redelitev6]

 use an 18v Makita , good all rounder , give the screwfix site a look

[Nick W]

What are the advantages ( if any) of an 18V....20V....or 21V cordless drill over the elderly 12V Makita I currently use?

18 and 20v are the same, just the bigger number is for Americans


The advantage over what you have is more power and better battery life in a smaller, lighter tool. They might have a brushless motor to increase those advantages.


And your elderly Makita probably has Nicad batteries instead of the more suitable Lithium ones.

[Viral_Jim]

use an 18v Makita , good all rounder , give the screwfix site a look

All my 18v stuff is Makita and it's been excellent, the vast majority of what they sell is also brushless.

I've had one failure - cordless 18v circular saw packed up after being used on about 50 oak sleepers. The warranty meant makita picked it up, repaired it in about 3 working days and shipped it back all FOC.

The other stuff has been great and I use it way more than most DIYers. 

[Lizzie Zoom]

If you're "drilling" then use a 240 volt one

If you're "screwing" then you won't be worried about D I Y 

Indeed, and a must if drilling into concrete with a suitable bit, with hammer ability.  With really tough, reinforced concrete, a Kango drill is the baby to use as I have found out in my ‘concrete everywhere’ flat!

[TheBoy]

use an 18v Makita , good all rounder , give the screwfix site a look

Be aware of the Shitfix ones, they tend to be a lower cost, lower quality version of the ones other outlets sell.  Whether or not that's an issue depends on what you plan to use it for

[Marks DTM Calib]

I moved over to Dewat after the Makitas (mainly due to having a couple of batteries 'lying around'), had no issues and drills anything i need it to.

Just be aware that most of these brands have the cheaper entry level/DIY versions, and the better pro ones for a few quid more.

[Andy B]

we've a load of 18v Milwaukee battery stuff at work. I've been pretty impressed with them all.

But I've not been paying 

[Sir Tigger KC]

My Makita cost bout £100 in a sale at B&Q and I've never been that impressed with it. 

The batteries were shagged after a couple of years and then the gearbox packed up just after the warranty expired.

I emailed them and they said Send it in.  They sent it back with a new gearbox, but said there was nothing wrong with the batteries.

So not bad really, and I replaced the batteries with cheapo's from Ebay which have lasted longer than the originals... 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

If you're "drilling" then use a 240 volt one

If you're "screwing" then you won't be worried about D I Y 

Indeed, and a must if drilling into concrete with a suitable bit, with hammer ability.  With really tough, reinforced concrete, a Kango drill is the baby to use as I have found out in my ‘concrete everywhere’ flat!

Your neighbours must love you.

Hammer drill in a flat will shake their fillings loose.

[Doctor Gollum]

If you're "drilling" then use a 240 volt one

If you're "screwing" then you won't be worried about D I Y 

Indeed, and a must if drilling into concrete with a suitable bit, with hammer ability.  With really tough, reinforced concrete, a Kango drill is the baby to use as I have found out in my ‘concrete everywhere’ flat!

Your neighbours must love you.

Hammer drill in a flat will shake their fillings loose.

Not to mention the fact that the concrete is what holds the building up

[Lizzie Zoom]

If you're "drilling" then use a 240 volt one

If you're "screwing" then you won't be worried about D I Y 

Indeed, and a must if drilling into concrete with a suitable bit, with hammer ability.  With really tough, reinforced concrete, a Kango drill is the baby to use as I have found out in my ‘concrete everywhere’ flat!

Your neighbours must love you.

Hammer drill in a flat will shake their fillings loose.

The neighbours are as bad as me

I have two below me and above who are renovating their flats, so drilling sounds are very common

[Lizzie Zoom]

If you're "drilling" then use a 240 volt one

If you're "screwing" then you won't be worried about D I Y 

Indeed, and a must if drilling into concrete with a suitable bit, with hammer ability.  With really tough, reinforced concrete, a Kango drill is the baby to use as I have found out in my ‘concrete everywhere’ flat!

Your neighbours must love you.

Hammer drill in a flat will shake their fillings loose.

Not to mention the fact that the concrete is what holds the building up

When I am putting up batons for new curtain tracks, or extending my ring mains for new sockets, I have no choice. As for the concrete ceilings that are faced with plaster, extending any lighting is a real pain.

Thank goodness though I have now completed all my renovations before I am past it!

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

If you're "drilling" then use a 240 volt one

If you're "screwing" then you won't be worried about D I Y 

Indeed, and a must if drilling into concrete with a suitable bit, with hammer ability.  With really tough, reinforced concrete, a Kango drill is the baby to use as I have found out in my ‘concrete everywhere’ flat!

Your neighbours must love you.

Hammer drill in a flat will shake their fillings loose.

Not to mention the fact that the concrete is what holds the building up

When I am putting up batons for new curtain tracks, or extending my ring mains for new sockets, I have no choice. As for the concrete ceilings that are faced with plaster, extending any lighting is a real pain.

Thank goodness though I have now completed all my renovations before I am past it!

You need a man about the house, Lizzie.

Skruntie has always had a yen for you and I believe he is still a bachelor.

Wedding bells?

[Lizzie Zoom]

If you're "drilling" then use a 240 volt one

If you're "screwing" then you won't be worried about D I Y 

Indeed, and a must if drilling into concrete with a suitable bit, with hammer ability.  With really tough, reinforced concrete, a Kango drill is the baby to use as I have found out in my ‘concrete everywhere’ flat!

Your neighbours must love you.

Hammer drill in a flat will shake their fillings loose.

Not to mention the fact that the concrete is what holds the building up

When I am putting up batons for new curtain tracks, or extending my ring mains for new sockets, I have no choice. As for the concrete ceilings that are faced with plaster, extending any lighting is a real pain.

Thank goodness though I have now completed all my renovations before I am past it!

You need a man about the house, Lizzie.

Skruntie has always had a yen for you and I believe he is still a bachelor.

Wedding bells?

That’s very true.  I have no one else to blame when things go wrong but myself, and as for maintaining the car………!!

I should be a lady living in luxury, pampered endlessly, and never having to go under the bonnet or the whole car ever again  

[TheBoy]

I use the older DeWalt (NiCd 18v) ones, namely because following the garage incident, it was all my little bro could find on his skip diving adventures

No issues with it, although I've had to replace the batts.  My batts I'm currently using are 2013 and 2014 and 2019.  Got a couple of drills, impact wrench, impact driver, right angled drill, torch and so on. 

[Andy B]

..... namely because following the garage incident, ....

You kept that quiet 

[TheBoy]

..... namely because following the garage incident, ....

You kept that quiet 

We now call it an incident, and speak no more of it.  Mrs TB is still a bit sensitive over it...   ...and it was 9yrs ago