I'm new to woodworking but have some experience with home improvement. I want to buy a drill and tend to lean toward the 1/2" drill but have also considered the 3/8".

If I have grand plans for woodworking, including my own shop, and home improvement, including building additions, should I just **** it up and get the 1/2"?

Also, would an 18v be worth the extra cash instead of a 14v? The torque is greater and the life of the battery. Does this warrant the additional money to buy the higher voltage?

Thanks!

Hi Skozub,
You can't go wrong with a 1/2" drill since the chuck will accept larger bits.However,for woodworking a 3/8"should do since wood spade bits will fit.
I am not a fan of cordless drills so I can't help you out there.Good Luck and have fun with whatever you purchase.

Hi Matches,

Thanks for the info...can you expalin why you do not like cordless drills? Just the fact that they don't have the same power supply?

THANKS!

I ran the gamut of cordless drills over the years. I went from the beginning, low power, to the end, 24 volt. One of the best I've found for the price is the Black & Decker Firestorm. It is a 3/8" 18 Volt drill for around $130.00. I've had this one for 8 months now and it is one strong drill. Bosch makes a 24 volt 1/2" drill that is the cremedelacreme of the species. I also bought one of those for alot more cash, but it was worth it. The bottom line is, if you want it to last, go for the gusto.
Len

[This message has been edited by Iceman (edited February 03, 2002).]

Hi again scozub,
At work and at home I've only had one job to do where an outlet was not close by.I have a nice cordless at work but the replacement battery is $40.00.I've experienced a dead battery that someone forgot to recharge,a loss of power in the middle of projects,and a defective charger.I know trades people who couldn't work without them,but I'll take ac anytime.

You should have one of each - AC and cordless, and a spare battery for the cordless. Some come with a spare when you purchase originally.
When you're doing a lot of screws and pilot holes, having 2 drills will save a lot of time and trouble - one for the pilot holes one for the screws.
I had a charger go bad once too. The wire broke off at the base where I couldn't solder it back. Since then, I tape the first few inches of the wire to the base so it doesn't flex. If it breaks further out, no problem - I can fix that.