Here we check out the best right angle drills that are currently available on the UK market.
Who Would Need or Use A Right Angle Drill?
There is no complete answer to that, but anyone working on joists or floors should be first in the queue. Generally speaking anyone who has to drill in a very small or confined space, should get one of these tomorrow. Some car mechanics could also make good use of one of these. So the thing to keep in mind here, is that if you work in small spaces, then consider getting one of these.
Now some people will use a drill adaptor and they work fine, but sometimes you just can not be bothered with the hassle of setting that up. In this article we check out some of the best on the market. For those who are not sure if you need one or not, then have a look at the video below.
Important Features of a Right Angle Drill
These are similar to any drill mainly, but there are a few features that I think are more important than others. They are designed to get into smaller spaces as they have a short chuck and head.
Profile
This is the main difference. Is the profile low enough that you can actually get into the tightest of spaces. That should be your main consideration. Anything that is chunky will just be waste of time. These essentially need to be long (around 4") and narrow.
Power & Torque
The more power you have in any drill the better it will be and the longer it will last. You do not want to end up getting frustrated if there is not enough power to get the job done. For that you need a good battery, motor and a good design.
Grip
The grip is important in any drill, but on these type of drills it is vital. You want a solid rubber grip to avoid slipping and one that allows you to access the trigger with ease.
LED Light
If you are in a confined or small space, you will want some light and the more the better.
Top Rated Right Angle Drills
For me there is really only one very good choice for this type of drill. It is the Dewalt DCD740B. For around £200 this 20 Volt power house ticks all the boxes for me. This is a high quality product that buyers also really like a lot.
Over 100 buyers rate this product at 4.7 out of 5 stars. That should give you a very good idea of just how good this model really is.
This one is nice and compact with a 4" length. It operates off a battery and also has dual speeds which again I found very useful indeed. It weighs just a bit over 0.5 Kg so easy to manage.
It is powerful and very well made as you would expect from a Dewalt tool. This is what I would describe as a solid tool that will last for years.
Now I know that not everyone will actually need one of these in their tool kit. I have found it really handy though. I do also have to confess that I like buying power tools.
It has a good keyless chuck that will not slip.
Dewalt DCD740C1 Right Angle Drill Short Review
Another option from Dewalt is the one that is shown in the video above. This one is known as the Dewalt DCD740C1 but be aware that this one is a more expensive option.
It looks pretty similar to the model shown above. That is just the nature of the way right angle drills look. It is slightly heavier at around 0.9 Kg. It is also slightly more powerful in terms of actual torque.
However this one is around £300 so more expensive than the one shown just above. It gets the exact same rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. There is a difference of around £100 and that is because this model comes with the 20 volt cordless battery.
I have used the DCD740B quite a lot and there is no task it has failed on yet. Still there are enough buyers over at Amazon who really like this. It certainly is worth having a look at if you are considering making a purchase.
It is slightly longer at 4.6" and it comes with the battery. You also get a nice carrying case, belt hook and a fast charger.
If you don't want to buy an actual right angle drill, then an attachment could be a good option for you. Below I have included a few of the best that are currently available in the market place.
Should You Buy the Drill or An Attachment?
I almost do not want to answer this question. I have used an adaptor and I like them a lot if you get a good one. It will certainly save you the expense of buying a full blown right angle drill. The reason I don't want to answer this question is because I also don't want you to miss out on the opportunity of actually owning the drill itself.
There are some power tools that I love, and this is one of them. So if you are regularly working on areas of small and fiddly spaces, then just spend the money and you will not regret it.
If you only need to do this type of work from time to time, then the attachment is a lot cheaper and will do the job very nicely.
In essence this is a cheaper option and will still get the job done. They are also better for really small spaces as you will see in the video below.
Top Rated Right Angle Attachments
The Dewalt DEWDT71517T is the one that I went for when I decided initially to get an attachment rather than the drill itself. For around £20 this is a high quality tool at an affordable price. Have a look at the video below to see more about this option. It shows a couple of demos.
This one works with any drill or impact driver. It has a 1/4" shank to suit the impact driver. It does work on a drill as I have used it. It is ideal for working under floorboards, studs and cabinets. The magnet is very strong so no worries about bits falling out.
It is available over at Amazon for about £20 and over 600 people have left a review so clearly popular.
I hope you enjoyed this article and if you don't think one of these drills isn't for you then check out our full article on the best cordless drill for some more options. There are plenty of options to choose from here but I always try to stick to a well known brand like Milwaukee, Makita, Ryobi, Black and Decker, Dewalt or Bosch when I am buying a tool like this.