Sep 22, 2009 12:00 AM

Review: Roundup: Mini Drills

Name: Mini Drills
Item: Mini Drills

Mini Drills for the Big Boys #item_stats {display: none;}#item_specs {display: none;} Once strictly kitchen-drawer dwellers, mini drills are swapping their quick-release bits for big-boy chucks and moving to the job site. Roundup: Mini Drills Learn How We Rate Wired Handles like a big drill, only it’s smaller and lighter. Second-best torque of the group at […]

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WIRED

Handles like a big drill, only it's smaller and lighter. Second-best torque of the group at 220 inch-pounds. Drilled 15-inch-wide holes per charge, which means you'll get a frakload of smaller ones. Many other Bosch tools and accessories run on the same lithium-ion battery.

TIRED

Long body complicates drilling in tight spaces. $140, Bosch.com

Mini Drills for the Big Boys

item_stats {display: none;}#item_specs {display: none;}

Once strictly kitchen-drawer dwellers, mini drills are swapping their quick-release bits for big-boy chucks and moving to the job site.

Roundup: Mini Drills

Learn How We Rate ##### Wired

A wood-devouring 240 inch-pounds of torque rivals entry-level full-size drills. Simple speed selector engages with the solid click of a handgun. Comes with a sweet LED flashlight.

Tired

Roundup:

How We Rate

1/10A complete failure in every way
2/10Sad, really
3/10Serious flaws; proceed with caution
4/10Downsides outweigh upsides
5/10Recommended with reservations
6/10Solid with some issues
7/10Very good, but not quite great
8/10Excellent, with room to kvetch
9/10Nearly flawless
10/10Metaphysical perfection

1. Bosch PS30-2A

Tight construction and a comfy grip engender confidence and make the PS30 seem even more powerful than its specs suggest. When we attacked a 2x4 with a huge 1-inch spade bit ¿ no easy feat, even for a full-size driver ¿ it was torquey and sure-footed, plowing right through the wood without slowing. It's tough, too, working just as well after 10 5-foot drops onto a concrete shop floor.

2. Ridgid R92008

A wide, squat chuck keeps this mini drill stubby ¿ noticeably shorter than other subcompacts ¿ so it's easy to maneuver between studs or under a sink, even with a large bit attached. Our work-gloved hands fit comfortably around the chuck, too. At 2.5 pounds, the R92008 is slightly heavier than the competition, but you won't mind unless you're mailing it first-class.

3. Craftsman Nextec

The steep angle between grip and body makes the Nextec awkward to control ¿ our wrists were sore after just a few holes. When fitted with a large bit, it wobbled and flexed. Worse yet, its two-speed switch didn't always engage fully: The drill would start making grinding noises, forcing us to halt work to troubleshoot.

WIRED The cheapest driver in this group. Plenty of run time: We got 21 inch-wide holes on a single charge.

TIRED Bogs down when drilling on the high-speed setting. Poor ergonomics. Speed switch is difficult to flip with gloved hands. Chuck feels loose and shoddily made.

$90, Craftsman.com

4. Hitachi DS10DFL

The same narrow grip and svelte body that made the Hitachi so comfortable in the hand for an impromptu game of shop-cops and robbers tripped it up in heavy-duty use. As soon as we put bit to wood, the green machine twisted and flopped like a hooked fish. It also flunked our spade-bit test: We couldn't chew a morsel of lumber on the high-speed setting. Even on low, we had to restart to complete 15 inch-wide holes.

WIRED Nicely balanced for driving small screws.

TIRED We couldn't hold it steady, which meant we couldn't drill with accuracy or confidence. Not enough power to drive large bits at full speed.

$100, Hitachi.com