Dremel for a few button holes?

[solowCX]

I am in the midst of planning for a MAME cabinet, but due to space/noise concerns in my apartment I am not able to actually construct a cabinet myself and will likely be purchasing a kit from Mameroom instead.

However, there are a few things (namely button holes) I would like to add on the cabinet itself for power and other functions. I was wondering if a Dremel or other small handheld tool might be able to do this job, without the need for larger or more expensive equipment. It would likely only be 1 or 2 standard size button holes and nothing more. I know the Dremel is a fairly underpowered tool for a full cabinet construction, but I was hoping it might be good enough for just a few.

Would this work? Thanks.

[ChadTower]

Any decent drill will do button holes without a ton of problem if you use the right bit.

[shardian]

You can get a 1-1/8" drill bit for a few bucks. That is all you need to do the button holes.

[IA1NY]

It's also quieter than a Dremel.

[solowCX]

Can anyone recommend a good quality drill then? I would like a cordless one and from what I have read, since I won't be using it very often a lithium-ion type battery might be useful.

[ChadTower]

I would think you'd be willing to pay a little less for the battery since you're not going to use it often.  You can always recharge... but to have your battery run out in the middle of a job, when you use it a lot, is a PITA. 

[solowCX]

Yeah, I guess I am just a sucker for new technology and gadgets. Have been meaning to get a drill for awhile anyway for some other purposes, so I figure might as well go semi-all out now. Would still like to keep the price low though. I found this one on Amazon with fairly good reviews for $108, which is probably near the most I would be wanting to spend.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000HI101S/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

[ChadTower]

Don't spend $100 on a B+D drill.  If you can wait a bit, a much much better drill will go on sale someplace for less than that.

[sstorkel]

Here's what I'd suggest:

If you want a quality drill and don't want to spend a lot of money, buy a corded drill. You can get one for $60-80. It'll spin faster and have more torque than any cordless drill you can buy. And it will probably last forever. In addition, you might be able to afford one with a 1/2" chuck which is a requirement for some larger bits (hole saws, forstner, etc).

If you're going to buy a cordless drill, but one with a well-known name brand: Bosch, Makita, Milwaukee, DeWalt or something like that. Rigid, the Home Depot hose brand, seems to be getting better. And, last I checked, their warranty included lifetime replacement on batteries!

If you have to have a cheap cordless drill... I'd probably buy Ryobi before Skil or Black & Decker. Quality is probably about the same, but Ryobi will cost less. And returns are easy if you end up with one of the inevitable lemons.

Lithium Ion batteries are great! I love the fact that the battery will maintain it's charge for months just sitting on the shelf. That said, a NiCAD or NiMH battery with a 15-minute charger gives you almost the same effect and will cost $50-80 less.

Finally, consider how much power you really need. My most used drills are 12V. My most used driver is the little 10.8V Bosch PS20. Anything that needs more torque than these drills provide gets done by hand or with a cordless impact driver.

[fixedpigs]

one thing i really don't like about lithium-ion batteries is that they lose 20% of their total life each year...
that equates to a 50% reduction after three years...

next generation li-ions are improving this problem though...

i second sstorkel's recommendation of getting a corded drill...like this one...

[solowCX]

Thanks for the help guys. So besides the brands I should try to look for, are there any specific features I should try to get? Most of these drills I have looked at so far seem to be around 14-18 volts. I would guess the more volts the better for this type of thing.

Also, I searched around and was not able to find out if all of these drills feature things like variable speeds or reversing the spin. Are those standard features, or things I should even look for? I have heard that forstner bits are good for hole drilling, which sstorkel mentioned a 1/2" chuck is needed for. I have also read that holes can also be done with paddle bits. Do people generally prefer one over the other? Or what would be the best for this particular situation?

Thanks!

[sstorkel]

Thanks for the help guys. So besides the brands I should try to look for, are there any specific features I should try to get? Most of these drills I have looked at so far seem to be around 14-18 volts. I would guess the more volts the better for this type of thing.

Higher voltage means more torque... and increased weight. Lithium Ion batteries seem to be lighter that NiMH and NiCAD, though. As I mentioned previously, my most used cordless drills as 10.8V and 12V. I couldn't imagine using a drill larger than 14.4V for a woodworking project. If you're building a house, or a deck, or replacing your roof then a more powerful drill may be useful. For myself, I find that a light-weight 12V impact driver works better than an 18V wrist-breaker...

Also, I searched around and was not able to find out if all of these drills feature things like variable speeds or reversing the spin. Are those standard features, or things I should even look for? I have heard that forstner bits are good for hole drilling, which sstorkel mentioned a 1/2" chuck is needed for. I have also read that holes can also be done with paddle bits. Do people generally prefer one over the other? Or what would be the best for this particular situation?

Any drill you buy from a name-brand manufacturer will have a clutch, variable-speed trigger, and the ability to reverse. Cordless screwdrivers aren't guaranteed to have a clutch, which is one of the reasons they almost universally suck.

A 1/2" chuck is required for some larger bits... and most of the hole saws I own. A small-diameter Forstner bit or spade bit might work just fine in a 3/8" chuck. You'll have more flexibility with a 1/2" chuck... but you'll also pay more for it. I don't think that any of my cordless drills have a 1/2" chuck; I end up using my corded Milwaukee drill for anything that requires 1/2".

Forstner bits generally produce a smoother cut, but take longer to do so, than a spade/paddle bit. They also cost quite a bit more.

[IA1NY]

Any drill you buy from a name-brand manufacturer will have a clutch, variable-speed trigger, and the ability to reverse. Cordless screwdrivers aren't guaranteed to have a clutch, which is one of the reasons they almost universally suck.

Yeah, and they also tend to be underpowered too. 

A 1/2" chuck is required for some larger bits... and most of the hole saws I own. A small-diameter Forstner bit or spade bit might work just fine in a 3/8" chuck. You'll have more flexibility with a 1/2" chuck... but you'll also pay more for it. I don't think that any of my cordless drills have a 1/2" chuck; I end up using my corded Milwaukee drill for anything that requires 1/2".

My first drill that I got was a Milwaukee 1/2" corded.  I got it mainly for the versatility and strength.  I'm still using the heck out of it after 10 years.  It's been a great drill.  I agree that the 1/2" chuck is really the one to have if it's your only drill.  It's way more versatile than a 3/8" chuck.  Invariably, you'll wish you had the 1/2" if you don't get one.

I might be wrong about this, but the one thing I've noticed with cordless guns is that if you don't use it, you lose it.  Letting the battery sit can be pretty bad for it, and since most people aren't using it every day, or for that matter every week, replacing batteries can happen more often when it's sitting than with regular use.  It can also get pretty expensive to replace them often since batteries are costing over $50 a pop. 

For a first gun, I'd recommend a corded one.  My favorites are Milwaukee followed closely by Bosch.  If you find you need it, go cordless later.  A corded gun will ALWAYS have a longer run time than a cordless.

[sstorkel]

I might be wrong about this, but the one thing I've noticed with cordless guns is that if you don't use it, you lose it.  Letting the battery sit can be pretty bad for it, and since most people aren't using it every day, or for that matter every week, replacing batteries can happen more often when it's sitting than with regular use.  It can also get pretty expensive to replace them often since batteries are costing over $50 a pop.

I've noticed this more with my older drills that have NiCAD batteries. Not so much with NiMH or Lithium Ion batteries. Even with the NiCAD drills, I'm not sure they wouldn't come back if I let the batteries sit in the charger for a longer period of time...

[IA1NY]

I've noticed this more with my older drills that have NiCAD batteries. Not so much with NiMH or Lithium Ion batteries. Even with the NiCAD drills, I'm not sure they wouldn't come back if I let the batteries sit in the charger for a longer period of time...

You're right about the type.  I've got NiCad.  I'm not sure about the longer time in the charger, but I've heard cycling the battery a few times can help them.  A few of my batteries are beyond that though.  It hurts to replace the 18s at $80+ a pop.

I've heard Dewalt has a Li-Ion upgrade kit: 1 batttery and charger for $200.  Ouch

[solderguy1]

If you're only going to use it a few times, I'd say find a friend who has one, or get a cheapo corded drill at a flea market.
I had my wife get me a Makita as a birthday present, but after awhile I got annoyed that it wasn't in a case like my other power tools.  One of the OSHs in town sells cases from demo units for $5 or so.  Had to check back a few times, but finally scored one.

[solowCX]

So I've been looking around and finding it next to impossible to find a cordless drill (which I would like to have just for ease of use), that is in the 10-12 volt range, with a 1/2" chuck, preferably does not use NiCad batteries (since it might be sitting around for awhile), is a good brand and is affordable. A very long list of requirements  .

The closest I have found so far is this NiMH cordless Makita. It is probably more powerful than I need, but it includes a case, so that's a plus.

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-6337DWDE-14-4-Volt-2-Inch-Cordless/dp/B00009OYFB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1206835296&sr=1-1

Anyone have any opinions on this? Or maybe a better way to look? It seems drill reviews are pretty hard to find and the feature information Amazon has for you to use for "drilling down" to specific features you want is incomplete sometimes. Any good websites for something like this out there?

[sstorkel]

Remember: Lithium Ion is the only battery that will hold a charge while sitting on a shelf. I like NiMH because it doesn't seem to have as much of a "memory" as NiCad. But the batteries will still be dead if you leave the drill in a closet for a month. The batteries for my 12V drills charge quickly (~20 minutes).

Makita generally makes nice drills. I have a 12V Makita drill with the 2.6Ah NiMH batteries. It's a bit larger and heavier than my 12V Panasonic NiCad. The clutch and brake on the Panasonic are slightly better than the Makita, but the NiMH batteries of the Makita beat the lousy NiCad batteries in the Panasonic. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Makita drill, especially the one you've picked!