ally

Was yours a Brazilian one ? I got one recently from Hughie Willett , made in Brazil .

Yes the drills seem cheap compared to batteries . I noticed a helluva difference going from my old 14v 1.3ah ni-cad drill to 18v 4ah li-ion .

Would you not consider just getting new batteries then , Steve (assuming they would fit) ? Or is the drill showing its age a bit ? .

Coach Screws A2 Stainless Steel x 100mm Pack of 10 | A2 Coach Screws | Screwfix.com That's the sort of coach screw I've been using .

Sounds like a good job for an impact driver . I bought one recently and have been very impressed with it. Putting 100mm coach screws into sleepers , I used to chap them half in with a club hammer then tighten them with a ratchet wrench . Now just drive them straight in with a 17mm impact socket - effortless ! . I bought a 1/2" to hex socket adaptor with it , so can take screwdriver bits etc , as it's the impact wrench model rather than impact driver .

Absolutely right .

The newer Metabo ones do that too not sure about older models , yet some people don't like it as a feature . Probably the guys that have to replace their kit every year cos it's knackered .

I remember looking at Hitachi drills maybe 15-20yrs ago at a dealers , they were great quality but much dearer than Bosch or Makita . Now I think they are cheaper if anything . They have either gone downmarket or are a real bargain .

I lit ours today Jon, everyone was cold so thought why not ? . Don't think its ever been lit in july before .

I am doing this now with Metabo stuff as they are coming out with brushless motors and new battery technology . The 4ah batteries that were state of the art a couple of years back are now within my reach and they and the old brushed motor tools are more than good enough for me . Metabo have a policy of backwards and forwards compatibility with their 18v range so should be future proof in that way . With a few batteries gathered up from clearance offers , the bare tools can be had for around £100 for drills , grinders , etc. . This is my plan anyway .

The Metabo one can run off an 18v battery , then charges that battery when plugged into the mains , but maybe they all do that dunno . I'm after the Metabo because I run a few of their cordless tools so makes sense that way . Metabo RC14.4-18 Cordless AM/FM Jobsite Radio Charger (Body Only)

bloody hell , few quids worth there !

Some great suggestions there , much appreciated . Cheers

I was surprised to learn that Stanley , Facom and Britool are all owned by the same company , but who makes the tools and where they are all made is impossible to say I reckon . I would imagine they mainly come from China .

Hi John , that's good to know . They have a sale on just now , think I'll try a set off them . Cheers