you have how many drills?

There are many questions in this world. I am not opposed to answering the tough ones. I tackle them head on. How many drills does one guy need? That is a tricky question. It is a question is like the question, “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.” A question such as this is not very quantifiable. The easy answer is 10-11. Er, uh, I mean 2…Please allow me to elucidate.

I was working the other day and I really needed a drill. I was taking a door off from a cabinet. While it can be done with wrist action and a hand held screw driver, is much easier to do with the proper power tool. I went out to my truck and to get one. I pondered for a moment. What is the right drill for the job? I went thru the mental list of the drills I had in my truck.

The first thought was the 18 volt cordless Porter Cable. It has a nifty little light that turns on when you pull the trigger. The Porter Cable drill would be fine, albeit a little heavier than the Hitachi 18 volt. However, I also have the corded Hitachi hammer drill. That might have been overkill. While the face frame may have been made form rock maple, it is not really stone. The hammer action is not going to help.

I reached for the Skill lithium-ion mini screw shooter great for tight spaces, such as a cabinet door. This little guy does not have much in the torque department, though. I settled on the Skill LI-ON. It did just fine. Fortunately, the screws on cabinet doors are small and the need for more power is not an issue. For other cabinetry doors, when you want a bit more torque, try the DeWalt 7.2 volt two-position driver drill.

However, there are other drills for other task. Suppose you want to blast a 4 ½ inch hole for a fart fan vent through a band joist. The cordless tools may get the job done but for this job you really NEED a Milwaukee ½” chuck right angle drill. Better hold on tight or you may lose your arm. Torque-o-rama, baby.

What if you are mixing mud to set tile? Reach for the Ryobi ½” multi speed drill. Mixing mud is not rocket science, but it is close to an art. Need to anchor a shelf bracket into a concrete or block wall and do not want to run a 100 foot 12 gauge power cord, use the DeWalt 18 volt hammer drill-driver. Nice.

If you have to run a bunch of Kreig jig holes to build that face frame for that beautiful armoire you are building in the Mancave for the little lady, a DeWalt ½” corded variable speed drill is the answer.

For a light weight dependable cordless that won’t break the bank consider the DeWalt 12 volt. If you are even more strapped for cash, the Ryobi 12 volt is a decent substitution. Any 12 volt driver drill is more than capable to handle most tasks, but if you have the cabbage and the ca-jones, step up to the 14.4 or 18 volt models. They do weigh more than a can of beer, so use caution before slinging one of these around. Work up to the weight, Skippy. Every guy needs at least two power driver/drills. There is no earthly reason, as cheap as they are, not to have a couple.

I know what you are saying…”You have how many drills?” Ten, however, as I was pondering the guns (driver/drills) in the armory, I realized I was missing the newest and greatest of all guns. Seems everyone is shooting those monster screws with an impact driver. Thankfully, Santa is coming around soon. I have not been terribly naughty. Well, except for the prolific perpetrations of f-bombs. And you really can’t blame me for that…it just rolls off my tongue….Maybe he will drop one of those bad dogs in my stocking. Yeah right…f- that…

Just another day in paradise