Wired vs. Cordless Power Drills

When you want to get down and dirty and use your hands to renovate or create something you often need a power drill to do it. Whether or not you choose a cordless power drill or not is a decision that shouldn't be taken lightly.

There are some benefits to a cordless drill. It is wonderful to not have to wrestle with the cord as you move from place to place. If you are doing renovations on a house for example, unplugging the drill all the time and finding a new place to plug it in can be a major hassle. On the other hand cordless power drills tend to be a lot heavier these days due to the fact that they have to have the battery pack attached. You didn't think all that power came out of thin air did you?

The more power you want your drill to have the bigger--and heavier-- the battery is going to be. And that is not the only downside to a cordless drill either. You also have to contend with battery life. it will need to be recharged constantly and it can take hours at a shot. That is a lot of downtime when you have a lot of work to get done. And even the best drills on the market usually need new batteries between two and four years. That can get pricey.

Corded power drills on the other hand are always ready to go, if there is a plug in then you can drill for days on end if you want to. These drills are generally more powerful than the average cordless as well. This is an important factor when it comes to the big jobs. The fact that corded ones are lighter is also a big consideration because your arm can get tired holding onto a drill all day long. Those battery packs are awfully heavy whereas the cord weighs next to nothing.

The last point I would like to touch on when comparing cordless and wired power drills is the price. Even though drills with a cord tend to be more powerful they are still cheaper on average. Wireless models are convenience and that is what you will have to pay for to get one.

Ultimately what you should do is take a look at the job at hand and determine which suits the job best. If there is a shortage of sockets then perhaps a cordless drill is best, or if you need a smaller drill to get into tight spaces then perhaps one without a big battery pack is the way to go. Think about it carefully before you make your purchase, that way you don't end up regretting your choice halfway through the job.