Popular Woodworking 2003-02 № 132, страница 66

PROFESSIONAL MODELS

BOSCH This drill took top honors in the ergonomic category, with a compact, comfortable and well-balanced design. The single-sleeve chuck (originated on Bosch drills a few years ago) is a pleasure to use. The drill also performed competitively in the lag bolt test, but was a real disappointment in the spade bit test. The charger was simple and easy to understand, but we were disappointed that it wasn't a smart charger, requiring extra attention to battery maintenance. The Bosch also comes in at a tie with Milwaukee for the smallest amp/hour battery (1.4, perhaps explaining the spade bit performance) and again ties with the Milwaukee as the only two drills with a ³/b" chuck, limiting versatility. Some of the shortcomings of this drill are alleviated by the $130 price tag, making it a quality affordable option, but falling short of earning Best Value.

DEWALT • This drill made a great first impression with us. It feels solid in your hand, offers decent balance and when you pull the trigger you can feel the torque pull your wrist. But once we got into the testing, we started scratching our heads. This drill performed poorly in the spade bit test and barely made average in the lag bolt test. As the drill offers three speed ranges (a unique feature in this class) we re-ran the spade bit test in both the high-speed mode (as tested with the other drills) and the mid-range mode. The mid-range offered even lower performance. The charger was fairly simple, but it was easy to interpret.This is an adequate drill when used for sporadic, demanding tasks, but for our money, if you're looking for long duration performance, this one falls short.

FEIN • One of the more unique drills in the test, the Fein gives the user the option of having the battery positioned traditionally at the base of the handle, or mounted to the rear of the motor housing.This is pretty handy if you're using the drill to hang drywall on a ceiling! The performance of this model was pretty good, coming in third in the spade bit test, but lagging behind on the lag bolt test. The charger is difficult to understand, and the overall ergonomics were not particularly well rated. We found it rather awkward to remove and replace the battery. While the engineering put into this drill will guarantee its longevity for years to come, its performance and high price make it difficult to recommend it highly. It's our understanding that Fein has a new cordless drill ready to replace this model within the next year or so.

FESTOOL • Another high-priced but

unique drill is the Festool model. Offered in both the T-handle version as tested, or a C-handle model that is more compact, the Festool is nearly twice the price of most other competitors. It's also the tool with the most accessories. The replaceable chuck offers you the choice of a right-angle attachment and an offset attachment for working in corners. The drill came in a solid third in the lag bolt test and finished competitively in the spade bit test. Economically it has a good feel, good balance, and is comfortable and easy to use, with one of the easiest battery releases. Though the 20-minute charger is a strong selling point, we found the markings on the charger difficult to understand. While a competent and well-designed drill, its high price keeps us from strongly recommending this tool.

¹/4" x 1¹/2" LAG BOLT TEST

¹/2" SPADE BIT HOLES IN 1¹/2"-THICK POPLAR

66 Popular Woodworking February 2003