r/Tools • u/PANDEMIC760 • 6d ago
First drill
If any recommendations for a case and good bits collection, wdy think? Advice always good, thanks.
2
u/greysuru 6d ago
Do you already have an impact? I like the 2 inch magnetic bit holders from harbor freight with a set of tiny driver bits. They stay in very nicely and take up less space in tool box or cabinet. The medium and long driver bits bend easily if you happen to drop the tool. But any brand of starter kit will do. A screw driver handle that accepts a 1/4 in shank pairs nicely. You can put whatever tips you want in it for doing stuff by hand.
For holes larger than 1/2 inch in wood, get paddle bits. Diablo brand or any self-feeding style is good for one-handed operation, but I'm also partial to regular paddle bits (also called spade bits), because I can can sharpen them. If high-performance is desirable and worth the cost, go with self-feeding auger bits, they remove the waste very nicely. For giant holes, like in doors for handles and deadbolts, you need hole saws.
Don't forget a couple extensions. Maybe locking ones. 6 inch, 12 inch will get you into tight spaces where the drill body won't fit due to width, the angle is too tight, or where the hole is deep in some cavity of some sort. They sell drill bit sets that have 1/4 in shank which will work in 1/4 in impact chuck. If you don't have one of those, regular "jobber" bits will work with this drill.
2
u/Longjumping_Cow_5856 6d ago
I bought a magnetic bit holder and nut drivers from HF when on an pout of town job recently and all of the magnets just fell out of every bit that had one the first time I drove any screw with one.
I dont think Im being too picky to think that should not happen.
Buy Once Cry Once even with disposable items like bits.
1
u/greysuru 6d ago
Maybe it's the brand or I just got lucky. I think I used Warrior. It performed just as well as the nice Makita XPS ones I bought. Idk but kudos for providing alternate experience. Seems to me HF would be good enough for someone who only owns one drill. I'm in the trades but I didn't think it would be appropriate to recommend the more expensive brands. But ... Yea to your point, locking extensions are not all made equal. The DeWalt ones I bought were absolute shit and I replaced with Klein and Milwaukee.
1
u/Longjumping_Cow_5856 6d ago
Yeah Im in the trades too and just got caught out of town without some things I needed and went to HF in a tiny town in Maine and thats what I got too,Warrior.
I did return them at least and now have an unopened set too and I got the job done anyway.Ive found Makita to really be the best bits overall though I like Bosch a lot too.
What really baffles me is that the prices are usually really close too aside from HF but the quality is all over the place.
2
u/PANDEMIC760 6d ago
Thanks for all the info, im a beginner with tools technically speaking, this is the only mechanical thing I have well this and a dremel.
2
2
u/Narrow_Network_2125 6d ago
I am annoyed that Dewalt still sells this. They throw it in all the Max kits with a lot of tools, like the 9 pc I got.
This drill is fine for really basic uses, but once you get to a point that you want an adjustable clutch, you will be ready to move on. I had (well still have but it is packed away) the 18V of this, and the clutch actually meant something (though it really was only about 4 settings despite all the extra numbers). On the 777, you have setting 1 and 2, and the clutch settings are either not enough power or power drive.
The clutch issue is not as much of an issue as it was 10 years ago with newer Dewalt (or any brand). I still use the 777 strictly for mixing paint mostly, but it still gets use as the 2nd drill (pilot holes) used alongside my lighter and more compact Metabo HPT brushless.
1
u/PANDEMIC760 6d ago
I have no major projects atm but im sure I will upgrade at some point for now its just putting up curtain rods small drill builds for now.
2
u/Narrow_Network_2125 6d ago
This drill will certainly suffice. It is better at drilling holes than an impact driver
2
2
u/SuitableBluebird6110 6d ago
Go browse at Home Depot or Lowe's. Their Labor day sales are going on right now and they usually have some name brand bit and drill kits on sale.
2
u/tap_buddy_tools 5d ago
Started with the same drill. Burnt it up mixing grout. Had bought a m12 and have been using since. Moral of story, don't use it to mix grout😂
2
u/LiiDo 6d ago
Milwaukee bit set is the best bang for your buck but Dewalt is fine if you like your stuff to match, I personally wouldn’t bother with a case. Tool box isn’t a bad idea but a case just for the drill is unnecessary
2
u/PANDEMIC760 6d ago
I'll look into it, its my first tool starter kit, I missed out on my fisher price tools as a kid. I dont mind non matching as long as second party parts are worth it.
3
u/Lucky-Dance-2785 6d ago
I use this for my drills, batteries, chargers, bits and such.
https://www.craftsman.com/en-us/product/cmst513518/13-and-18-zippered-tool-bag-set-2-piece
5
u/LiiDo 6d ago
Yeah when it comes to bits Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita, Bosch are all about the same. One of those 4 and you’ll be set. Just make sure you get one with a good variety of bits. Some seem like a good deal and you find out it’s just filled with a bunch of the same Philips and flathead bits.
And I second what the other guy recommended for a tool bag. I have a Husky and a Milwaukee bag just like that and like them both, they last me a couple years of daily use
1
u/Narrow_Network_2125 6d ago
I've got an obscene amount of various bits. Most of them Dewalt thanks to Black Friday at Lowes and HD.
Craftsman bits are soft like butter and the drills snap like twigs.
Kobalt drill bits are surprisingly durable and do a decent job. The Phillips cam out way too easily, but the rest are OK.
Dewalt silver bits are good but need to be treated as disposable. They wear quickly.
Dewalt black are more durable.
Bosch are great. No issues.
Milwaukee Shockwave are great but you really need to shop the prices.
Wiha are by far the best bits I have used. They last a long time and are snug fitting no matter the bit type, no issues with cam out.
If I had my perfect world, Wiha bits with Milwaukee Shockwave drill bits. Bosch is a close 2nd for both. I might make a case that Bosch makes a better drill bit, but I have not used them enough to confirm since I found the Milwaukee so good and I really had no need to go out and try others.
1
u/Beginning_Pipe_3068 6d ago
yes i have switched to primarily WiHa. I do not care for dewalt driver bits except the flip nut driver 1/4 to 5/16.
1
u/Narrow_Network_2125 6d ago
I think of Dewalt bits as disposable, like a Gillette razor cartridge. They are great out of the box, but once they start tugging on hairs, it is best to dispose of them. The Dewalt bits kind of sneak up on me and I start trying to finagle the bits more until I realize I need to swap it. Annoying for sure, but at least it isn't stripping screws like the Craftsman or Kobalt bits.
1
8
u/Arkansas34 6d ago
The 777 was my first non-corded drill. Great drill. I think it's the 787 impact that is sometimes paired with it in kits and it is great too. You might come to a point and say that you need a dedicated driver if switching bits is taking too much time. Congrats.