Popular Woodworking 2008-04 № 168, страница 81
A few drills feature "battery charge" gauges located near or on the batteries. The Milwaukee and Skil gauges are found on the drill body, front and center. The Skil gauge illuminates as the trigger is engaged while Milwaukee provides a push button for the information. Ryobi's indicator is located on the battery and unless you're familiar with the color code, the battery has to be removed to read the remaining charge. These gauges may be useful for some, but we feel they are more show than substance. In addition, LEDs are popular again. The lighting of work areas is a nice touch if you're deep in a cabinet or cupboard. The Milwaukee, Makita, Ridgid and Skil each have lights. Surprisingly, Skil's LED, mounted in the base just on top of the battery, illuminated the work area better than those lights of the other manufacturers mounted just above the triggers. On the down side, we weren't impressed with the belt hooks on two of the drills. That may be a welcomed feature on aj obsite, but in the shop a drill is seldom hung at our sides. The Hitachi drill has a rotating-adjustable hook with the connection molded into the drill base. While the hook itself can be removed, the base is forever in place. The hook on the Milwaukee drill is detached by simply pulling a screw. Fit and Feel Power alone is not the determining factor when purchasing a drill. If that were the case, you Ridgid Ryobi Skil The Ridgid R86006 drill is our choice for Best Value due primarily to Ridgid's "Lifetime Service Agreement" that accompanies the drill (along with most of the company's other power tools). You must be a registered owner to take advantage. Simply register online or use the included paperwork and you're good. That means free replacement batteries - and that translates into savings in the future. The warranty alone was not the only reason this drill earned our award. The testing numbers placed the Ridgid squarely in the average category, with 21 holes drilled and more than 100 lag screws driven. While that's not the top performer, it is more than most normal use requires. We found the balance, fit and feel of the drill very comfortable and would not hesitate to grab it for day-long use in our shop. in fact, Managing Editor Megan Fitzpatrick chose this drill for work around her home. What a workhorse during the testing phase. This drill drove a whopping 183 lag screws and finished 37 holes with a 1" spade bit. However, if you're going to compare the test data alone, remember the Ryobi P813 drill comes standard with one 2.4 amp/hour battery. it's the same battery that powers the flashlight that is part of the kit; the drill is not sold separately. But the total cost for the kit is very reasonable when matched up to the other drills. Hey, a bonus flashlight - you make the call. The Ryobi drill is also the heaviest in the test group at 4.76 pounds and some of that weight can be attributed to the larger battery. Nevertheless, if you plan to use this drill for an extended period of time in the workshop, realize the additional weight could be a detriment to your wrist. The charger for this drill works with any of the Ryobi One + 18v Lithium-ion or Nickel-cadmium batteries. Congratulations to Skil for adding so many features such as the battery charge and lighted rotation direction indicators. The LED did a great job of lighting the work surface. This 3/8" chuck (other drills have a 1/2" chuck) had the only jaws that hold drill bits in sizes below 1/16". So, if you work with those smaller-diameter bits, the Skil 2815-02 is worth another look. Torque was an issue. The torque needed to seat the lag screws was insufficient with this drill and that's something we would avoid - unless your aim was household use or those small bits. in addition, the battery was cumbersome and difficult to attach to the charger and the drill. Add in the prolonged recharging time of three to four hours, and it's easy to guess where this drill finished - at the bottom of the list. Ridgid R86006 800-474-3443 • ridgid.com Ryobi P813 800-525-2579 • ryobitools.com/lithium Skil 2815-02 877-754-5999 • skiltools.com popularwoodworking.com ■ 71 CIRCLE #100 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD. |
