Popular Woodworking 2003-02 № 132, страница 63
After testing 16 professional-and consumer-model drills, we know that 12 volts is enough for woodworkers, and there are lots of quality tools to choose from. Cordless drills are pretty amazing. They're portable, pack lots of power and have features that most corded drills don't offer. They get less expensive every year, and the competition is so tight that there are lots of great products available. But they're not all created equal, and we tested a bunch of them so we can tell you which ones to buy. Putting Them to the Test When we test tools at Popular Woodworking, we like to say it's real-life testing. Monitors and fancy machinery can tell you many things, but what you really want to know is how much work you'll get out of the tool. For our test we completely discharged each battery, then recharged, then discharged the battery again. After one more complete charge we were ready to test. One note: A few of the manufacturers' instructions indicated that the drill might not reach maximum charge capacity until after five or six complete charges. Our testing parameters started all the drills at the same point, but some of the drills may perform slightly better after continued charging. For the first test we took a brand new 1/2" Speedbor spade bit (one for each drill) and started drilling holes completely through 11/2"-thick poplar boards. Because the amount of force and speed applied in a drilling process can alter the results in such a test, we had two editors (one male, one female) repeat the tests, then we averaged the completed holes on one battery charge. All drills were tested in the high-speed range setting (when available) and with clutches set to zero torque resistance (or screwing mode). For the second test, we sank 1/4n-diameter by 11/2"-long lag bolts into 11/2"-thick cabinet-grade plywood. This test was performed with the drills' speed setting on low, providing maximum torque, and again with the clutches set on zero torque resistance. Finally we took a look at the ergonomics of the drills. Each member of our staff evaluated the grip, balance, ease of use for the battery release, chuck, clutch and variable- by David Thiel Comments or questions? Contact David at 513-531-2690 ext. 1255 or david.thiel@fwpubs.com. popwood.com 63 |
