Speed, power, endurance, precision … the best cordless drills share many traits with Olympic athletes. Subconsciously, this might have informed my method for testing these power tools: a gauntlet of DIY challenges, against the clock. We called this endeavour the “Drillympics”, made up of a series of workstations devised to thoroughly test each product’s key functions.
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It’s been claimed that sport reveals character, and the testing certainly taught me a lot about the drills. I found out which ones worked the quickest (congrats to our Drillympic champion, the Makita DHP490Z), as well as which provided the easiest drill bit changeover (handy for working on multifaceted projects) and whether the drills were capable of doing all the jobs they claimed to. I also learned, much to my alarm, that drilling into wood with the drill bit turning in the wrong direction is an efficient way to start a fire.
Photograph: Christian Hopewell/The Guardian
To be honest, I could have done with one. As you’ll see in Christian Hopewell’s excellent photography, I dressed in sportswear to mark the occasion. I ended up slightly regretting my commitment to the bit, as the weather turned out to be bracing. Next time, I might dress up as a Winter Drillympian.
Drill-seeker
The Makita DHP490Z, Draper D20 and Ryobi 18V One+ top the podiums. Photograph: Christian Hopewell/The Guardian
To test combi drills – versatile models that can drive screws and drill into brick, as well as drilling softer materials such as wood – I set up a series of workstations for screw driving, drilling wood and hammer-drilling into concrete. I would need to change the drill bit after every station, and I’d time each drill to see how quickly it completes these tasks.
A few of our drills were of the heftier, SDS+ variety, designed especially for drilling or breaking up hard materials using specialised drill bits. Using these heavyweights to turn a screw would be akin to entering Usain Bolt into the marathon, so I put them through their own tailored test: drilling repeatedly into breeze blocks, which were fresh from serving as a podium for the top-ranking combi drills.
The Drillympics was fun and useful in equal measure, but it couldn’t make up the entirety of my cordless drill testing. I also assessed the best models while doing real DIY tasks, which are in abundant supply at my mid-renovation home. Jobs such as drilling into brick and screwing skirting boards into place gave me a good feel for how each drill would really perform in the user’s hands – and how well their lithium-ion batteries would last and recharge.
A cordless drill is the power tool you’re likely to use more often than any other, for tasks ranging from assembling flatpack furniture and putting up shelves to drilling into walls and perhaps even mixing adhesives. It pays to choose a winner.
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Rinse and repeat: eco subscriptions, including for dishwasher tablets, are a great sustainable cleaning option. Photograph: Aire Images/Getty Images
When you’re trying to cut down on plastic waste, you quickly notice how much piles up from everyday cleaning products and toiletries. Refillable options are great, but can often be less convenient, especially if you don’t live close to a refill shop. So these 12 subscriptions will help you save the planet – all while making sure you don’t run out of the essentials, from shampoo and dishwasher tablets to, er, toilet-freshening drops (more essential for some than others, perhaps).
Monica Horridge
Deputy editor, the Filter
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