Guild 1.5AH hammer drill review
Guild hammer drill
£50Pros
- Well balanced
- Lightweight
- Decent battery life
- Variety of torque settings
- Belt clip nice touch
Cons
- Not really for heavy duty jobs
The Guild hammer drill – powertools aren’t really a feature on GadgetyNews but, as my aging B&D drill can barely hang on to a charge these days, it seemed as good a time as any to test something that’s budget-friendly but capable.
The Guild hammer drill does not set itself up to be the most powerful out there, neither will it appear on most professional’s shopping lists but that’s not what I, or most of you out there, will need.
Back when I practically rebuilt a house, the tools I used were of at least mid-tier ranking as I knew that there was at least two years worth of cutting, drilling, sanding and screwing (stop that sniggering at the back!) ahead of us. These days, since moving to London, I have been in rented accommodation so the need for me to make repairs or make any significant changes to the fabric of my abode have severely decreased.
So, why the need for a drill? Well, I still have to face flat-pack furniture on a fairly regular basis and the garden attached to my rented house requires new trellising and other bits, such as storage, to be built. Besides, I am from a generation that was brought up to believe that we should always have a range of tools in a shed or, at least, under the sink.
Guild hammer drill design
The Guild lime green is very much in evidence but, once my eyes adjusted, I was very happy with how compact the drill is when compared to my early 90s Black and Decker.
The soft grip handle feels comfortable and the girth of it should prove to be ergonomic for most users.
Looking around the drill there are no fewer than 23 torque settings whilst, at the top, there are two gear settings.
On the side is the usual direction push switch.
Up front is a 10mm keyless chuck underneath which is a handy light for when drilling in those darker recesses of the home.
The rechargeable battery is really easy to remove and really balances the drill in the hand when attached.
The Guild hammer drill also features a rather handy belt clip which is almost priceless when working up a ladder.
With the battery attached, the drill weighs in at a very reasonable 1.7kg.
Guild hammer drill performance
The Guild hammer drill is definitely more lightweight and compact than what I am used to.
The rechargeable 1.5Ah lithium battery pack has kept the drill going for around 3 hours so far which is looking good to match the 3-5 hours charge time quoted by Guild.
There is a battery level indicator on the left-hand side of the drill just above the trigger which comes on when in use. This should stop you from getting caught out half-way through a job.
Thanks to the 23 torque settings and 30Nm of torque output, this hammer drill can easily drill and drive screws into masonry, wood and metal. Guild gives figures of 25mm of wood, and 10mm of both steel and masonry apiece. That should be plenty enough for chucking up a few shelves.
I’ve not yet found anything that has stopped it in its tracks during my flurry of light maintenance.
The drill is rated with a max speed of 400-1450rpm – depending on which setting you have it on
Guild hammer drill review conclusion
Yes, there are more expensive drills but the Guild hammer drill should feature in most people’s armory if they have moments of light DIY.
I am finding it hard to knock the Guild hammer drill, short of its almost toy tool appearance. It has everything that I was looking for – lightweight and a decent charge matched with comfortable use without breaking the bank.
All Guild power tools come with a free 2 year guarantee. So whether you are using a drill to put up a shelf or tackling some flat-pack furniture, it hopefully should do the job for quite a while.
Guild hammer drill price and availability
You can buy the Guild hammer drill now from Argos for £49.99.
