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OK, guys, I've done about all the drilling by hand that my hand will let me, and I need some advice.
Specifically, I need a recommendation for a cordless drill to put a 3/8" hole through a 1.25" block of 7075-T6 aluminum, or a 1/2" one through various plastics. (I know, conventional answer is "get a drill press," but that's not exactly an option while I'm holed up in an apartment as I work on moving things out of one house and into a storage locker or the other.) Something that can handle being run for a while at a time chewing on things, must have at least a 1/2" chuck. I know Black & Decker fails after trying to put two 1/2" holes in 1/8 cold-roll steel angle-iron, so they're out. Porter-Cable, DeWalt, Craftsman and Home Depot's Husky line are all Stanley products right alongside B&D and probably use the same parts and engineering. Matco and Snap-On are butthole-puckering out-of-budget... I'd like to spend less than $200 on this, below $150 better, below $100 preferred, but not knowing what the norms are for tool prices and quality, though I also know that Harbor Freight/Chicago Electric has a strong rep for rather underwhelming quality.
Anybody out there have any loves or hates from your experience that might help me find the right drill for my purposes?
Specifically, I need a recommendation for a cordless drill to put a 3/8" hole through a 1.25" block of 7075-T6 aluminum, or a 1/2" one through various plastics. (I know, conventional answer is "get a drill press," but that's not exactly an option while I'm holed up in an apartment as I work on moving things out of one house and into a storage locker or the other.) Something that can handle being run for a while at a time chewing on things, must have at least a 1/2" chuck. I know Black & Decker fails after trying to put two 1/2" holes in 1/8 cold-roll steel angle-iron, so they're out. Porter-Cable, DeWalt, Craftsman and Home Depot's Husky line are all Stanley products right alongside B&D and probably use the same parts and engineering. Matco and Snap-On are butthole-puckering out-of-budget... I'd like to spend less than $200 on this, below $150 better, below $100 preferred, but not knowing what the norms are for tool prices and quality, though I also know that Harbor Freight/Chicago Electric has a strong rep for rather underwhelming quality.
Anybody out there have any loves or hates from your experience that might help me find the right drill for my purposes?