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Amongst DIY fanatics, the electric drill is possibly their most prized possession. An electric drill is an excellent asset to any toolkit, whether you are making your own home improvements or working on a professional job. Most people choose to stick with a standard, straight drill, but a right angle drill attachment can be a great purchase to make a job easier, especially when you find yourself struggling to fit into a small gap.
Right angle drilling is ideal in these tricky situations where your traditional straight drill won’t make the cut. If this is the case, reading through this article should help to advise you on what right angle drill attachments are available from two of the best drill manufacturers on the market. Also, it will point out which features make the difference for helping you through your day at work.
Milwaukee Right Angle Drill Attachments
The first brand to take a look at is Milwaukee. Milwaukee is known for producing reliable, high-quality electric tools and when it comes to right angle drill attachments, this is no different. Firstly, Milwaukee has its Offset Adaptor (48-32-2100). This is a compact and lightweight drill attachment, with a weight of 0.43 pounds and a length of 5.4 inches. This will take up no room whatsoever in your toolkit.
One downside of having such a compact drill adaptor is that it can reportedly leave your hand in contact with the hex shaft while it is in action. Although, importantly, this is not found to be dangerous. The main drawback of this small tool is its low turn speed. This attachment will let your drill turn at a maximum of 400 rpm, which, while not too slow, is much slower than some of its competitors.
Also available is the Milwaukee Right Angle (49-22-8510). This is a much bigger tool, and you can really tell the difference when you put it in action. For those professionals who want a more powerful drill attachment, this is a clear option, as it is 6.2 inches in length and 0.9 pounds in weight this makes it much more heavy duty than its predecessor.
This may not be of great importance if you only make the occasional home improvements, but for a professional, this is a durable item that will last for years to come. Not only this, but the speed of the drill is improved drastically, operating at a maximum of 1750 rpm.
DeWALT Right Angle Drill Attachments
Another renowned manufacturer is DeWALT. DeWALT produces a range of DIY products, which are also known for their reliability. Their standard model right angle drill attachment is the DWARA50, which could be easily compared to the Milwaukee Offset Adaptor. This model is similarly light and portable. However, it also comes in at a longer 5.95 inches, giving you a bit more room while you drill. Arguably, this makes it better for getting in those hard to reach spaces.
While the extra length and plastic coating help make this drill attachment more comfortable in use, it may be less reliable in practice. The magnet holding the drill bit is reportedly weak, which is not ideal for regular use. However, it can perform at a much faster rate than the Milwaukee models, at 3000 rpm.
The DWARA100 model from DeWALT can be seen as another heavy-duty improvement of its predecessor, with a wider head and additional ring magnet for holding the drill bit. This solves the concern of the weaker magnet, but other than that, it is hard to see much difference between the two models, as they are a similar size with the same material and maximum speed.
What do I need?
Essentially, when it comes to a tool like a right angle drill attachment, it is important to know what you are looking for, as the options can vary based on how much you use them. The four products discussed in this article do not show any real flaws that would impact your project greatly. However, they do vary in potential durability.
If you are a professional, you might want to invest in a more industrial drill attachment, like the Milwaukee Right Angle. Something like this will come at an extra cost, but its higher speed will be more productive, and its metal casing is built to last. A tool like this can be trusted for years without any real need to improve on it, whereas the smaller drill bits with partially plastic material may not be so durable.
On the other hand, if you are only using it for occasional work around the house, a more compact tool like the DWARA50 or Milwaukee Offset Adaptor will probably do just fine, and save you some money. Also, it is important to remember that the products in this article are only four of the products available on the market, so there is a fair chance you can find another which is well suited to your needs.
