Tools, Tradie Gear, Tradie Tough Tests

DEWALTDCD460N STUD AND JOIST DRILL

“What a beast! Wow.”

That was pretty much my thoughts when the DeWALT stud and joist drill came out of the box. I lifted it up and instantly felt like I was in a new Arnie movie chasing The Predator – minus all the muscles on me.

This drill is a true beast. A super-solid, well-built tool and guaranteed tough. The new DeWALT DCD460N was ready for action.

PERFORMER

The DCD460N uses the FLEXVOLT high-capacity battery packs to fuel its powerful brushless motor. The two-speed transmission offers a low speed of 0-300rpm, high speed of 0-1250rpm and has a heap of torque. The DeWALT also features an electronic anti-rotation system which helps maintain control during bit bind-up situations and really protects the user from some serious injuries. Best of all, this tool pretty seriously outperforms its competitor’s equivalent product.

TEST #1: SPEED AND POWER

The 65mm self-feed DeWALT blade was attached and ready, the timber set, and the beast was champing at the bit. The self-feed bits pulled the blade into the timber, and the DCD460N made it spin effortlessly. In high speed it seemed as if the hole was punched out of the 45mm pine in under two seconds.

We quickly punched out another 10 holes, one after the other, and there was soon a massive pile of shavings on the ground. Wow. This thing is so quick, powerful and smooth. It was absolutely effortless.

Even though it had the power of a wild beast, I felt in control with every hole, in both low and high speeds.

Another great feature of the blade is that it doesn’t end up with a circular section of timber stuck in the blade as happens with traditional hole saws. Instead, all that’s left is a pile of shavings on the floor. I’m sure everyone has wasted a heap of time trying to dislodge those circular lumps of timber from traditional hole saws.

TEST #2: USABILITY

I will admit it doesn’t seem as streamlined as others, but it’s a super-solid build and sports a pile more power, and is a lot quicker, than its competitor product.

The DCD460N has an all-metal transmission, metal chucks, and a solid housing to contain the extra revs – 300rpm more than the closest competitor. It’s actually lighter by 500g and really well balanced and easy to hold. The side and bail handles are very comfortable and give extremely good control over the tool, even with all of its high torque.

The anti rotation system also works a treat. I found the DCD460N very easy to use between ceiling joists and wall studs, which is where a lot of drilling occurs in rough ins.

Expect around 365 holes with a 22mm auger bit on a single DCB546 battery charge, and around 138 holes with a 65mm hole saw. That’s massive.

And you could probably punch them all out in no time at all.

THE VERDICT

This tool is awesome.

It’s perfect for plumbers’ and electricians’ rough ins, to punch out hole after hole for running cables and pipes. The speed and power of the DCD460N is so far unmatched in the cordless world. Both speed and run time are amazing – plenty of holes per charge and a tonne of work done in such a short time. Why wouldn’t you get one? You could save a lot of time over the year, and they do say time is money. It’s well worth the outlay for the tool. Well done, DeWALT. Epic.

Visit: www.DeWALT.com.au

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