Right Angle Drills

Status
Not open for further replies.
tom baker

tom baker

First Chief Moderator & NEC Expert
Staff member
Location
Bremerton, Washington
Occupation
Master Electrician
In the free and excellent "Tools of the Trade", May/June issue, there is a good review of right angle drills www.toolsofthetrade.net
The Makita and Milwaukee were tops.
I like the tool articles as they are not glossy disguised sales ads.
Lots of other neat stuff, like the Festool Domino Joiner.
 
May/Jun does not appear to be online yet.

I prefer the Milwaukee right angle drills. The Hole-Hawg drill is too dangerous for me, although I own several. The trucks are outfitted with the regular D-Handle right angle drill. Perfect for an electrician, in my opinion.
 
If you're talking about this drill . . . :

11YQC7EZ52L._AA160_.jpg


. . . wait until you use it with this:

48-06-2860.jpg


It's a great combination. You can drill vertically and horizontally overhead from the floor, as well as down through bottom plates against outside walls without hitting the band joist.
 
Last edited:
I do have one of these, too:

1670-1.jpg


However, the Hole Hawg does not take the extension. The two types are for similar work; each has its advantage.
 
mdshunk said:
May/Jun does not appear to be online yet.

I prefer the Milwaukee right angle drills. The Hole-Hawg drill is too dangerous for me, although I own several. The trucks are outfitted with the regular D-Handle right angle drill. Perfect for an electrician, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Yeah Marc....My Hole Hawg has tried to break my wrist on more than one occasion but it just keeps on working and working and working.....Low speed seems to be the worst for operator casulties.
 
m73214 said:
Yeah Marc....My Hole Hawg has tried to break my wrist on more than one occasion but it just keeps on working and working and working.....Low speed seems to be the worst for operator casulties.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. I swear, if that drill gets caught and you were man enough to hold onto it, it's likely to spin the house on its foundation. I like them for the bigger Hole-Hawg bits when running pipe through wood framing, but for day-to-day use... not anymore. The regular D-Handle is plenty good, and about 100 bucks a truck cheaper.
 
mdshunk said:
Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. I swear, if that drill gets caught and you were man enough to hold onto it, it's likely to spin the house on its foundation. I like them for the bigger Hole-Hawg bits when running pipe through wood framing, but for day-to-day use... not anymore. The regular D-Handle is plenty good, and about 100 bucks a truck cheaper.
Click to expand...

About 17 years ago I had my first, and one of my last, encounters with a Hole-Hawg. The electrician I was working with told me to drill a hole through the wall for a new service (this was a house "restoration" for a congregation I belonged to at the time). It got caught and before I knew it, it was doing its best to get away from me. Fortunately, it was moving v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.

They are very nice tools -- if you're an orthopedic surgeon or a heck of a lot bigger than me.
 
Another place right-angle drills shine is for larger hole-saws, such as when cutting holes in drywall for recessed lights. The angle makes it much easier to maintain complete contact with the drywall and resist the hole-saw from walking and scarring the ceiling.
 
stickboy1375 said:
I'm sure your holes come out really nice...:roll:
(Picture of Dewalt Drill)
My tool of choice...
Click to expand...
I do like the clutch feature of the Dewalt, but I was so used to the Hole Hawg I couldn't get used to the Dewalt. There was something ergonomically different that I had a hard time getting used to.

I think it might have been that the Dewalt is not as tall, so when drilling over my head my arms got tired faster or something. I think I had to keep standing on my toes to get through the top of the wall.

I got clocked twice by the Hole Hawg in a row, but that was just my own stupidity and a dull self-feeding bit. In a precarious position on a ladder, I kept the drill right in line with the side of my head, and when it caught it punched me in the face. Twice. Then I realized I could set up my ladder differently to get the job done.
 
George, I'm so used to the dewalt drill my arms have adjusted, BUT... the first day I used it... OMG.... and as you posted, you never want to put your self in front of the direction the drill is going go if the bit grabs... especially on a ladder...
 
I use the Milwaukee right angle drill with the 36" extension exclusively. It works best with the nail-eater bits. You have to be careful though if you decide to use the larger self-feeding bits. There's no clutch on the drill and if it binds up you'll either snap off the bit at the shank or break your wrist.
 
goldstar said:
I use the Milwaukee right angle drill with the 36" extension exclusively. It works best with the nail-eater bits. You have to be careful though if you decide to use the larger self-feeding bits. There's no clutch on the drill and if it binds up you'll either snap off the bit at the shank or break your wrist.
Click to expand...

AHh...I had that happen once...snapped the screw off the end inside the chuck head. The older extention versions has pins and could be an easy fix on the job but the new ones have a screw in the end that IF it snaps you are up a creek if on the job...Been There.....Done That....

The other advantage of the extention is being able to lock the arms when drilling around the room ( unless you are a over and under guy.. ) as it helps align a perfect set of holes......all the same height...

And if you are an over and under guy.....it saves the BACK and legs from luggin the ladder around...:)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top