A good, reliable drill that doesn't weigh too much, packs enough grunt and battery power for demanding applications and doesn't cost the earth! Do they exist? Today we will find out as we take a look at Ryobi's CID1802V 18v Industrial Cordless Hammer Drill/Driver...

Features
This particular model is part of Ryobi Australia/New Zealand's new Professional Series of Tools. Aimed at the Industrial/Pro user market, this line offers greater performance, quality and durability over and above their budget line of tools. The aim of Ryobi's Pro Series is to provide similar, or in some cases, better quality tools than those marketed at the higher end of the chain, some costing up to 3 times the price!

As with most Ryobi products these days, the CID1802V ships in a molded carry case. Great to keep the dust out of the tools and to keep everything bundled together. Inside the case we find:

• 1 x CID1802V 18v Drill

• 2 x 1.9AH, 1 hour charge rechargeable batteries

• 1 x battery charger

• Assorted User Manuals

The CID1802V itself sports a number of features and specifications:

• 18v DC power

• No Load Speed: 0-400 / 0-1300 RPM

• Chuck: 13mm (keyless with lock)

• 24 clutch settings

• 2 speed settings

Comfort In Use
The CID1802V weighs in at 2.5kg (5.5lbs) so it is not the lightest drill in the world, and a little heavier than some 18v cordless drills, but probably not the heaviest I have ever picked up. User fatigue is always a possibility with the bigger drills, particularly if undertaking a lot of overhead work requiring constant lifting of the drill. This is somewhat unavoidable, however, the balance of the Ryobi drill seems to reduce any excessive strain on the wrist over time.

The battery and handle are close to center-mounted to give the drill good balance in the hand, although we did find it has a tendency to slightly tip forward when held horizontal - not at all uncommon with almost all cordless drills however. Rubber grips are found on the back side of the handle, on the trigger and on the back end of the motor housing. The handle and trigger grips provide additional comfort, and resist slipping in moist conditions. The motor housing rubber cover is presumably to provide some protection in case the drill is dropped or knocked about. We haven't yet dropped it here around the shop, but it has had a few knocks and a bit of rough handling already without any negative results.

The keyless chuck is one very nice feature of this model. You can tighten/release drill bits with one hand, rather than two thanks to the spindle 'locking' when the drill is not in motion. Plenty of strength can be applied to lock the bit and we haven't yet experienced a slipped bit during testing and use of the drill.

Battery Quality & Charger
One of the biggest factors in user impressions of a cordless drill in my opinion is battery life. I've owned several cheaper drills over the years and the drill itself would probably go on for a long time if the batteries had not died first. The cost to replace these cheaper batteries is about the same as a new drill itself, so it's not worth investing in them.

The Ryobi CID1802V uses quality Panasonic cells in its battery packs. You get two batteries with this package, which is always good to see, especially knowing the quality of the cells used. Simply put, the batteries last a long time, very much in line with what you would expect to find in a professional cordless drill package. We worked the drill pretty hard in numerous tests and applications and were quite surprised at how much these batteries could constantly deliver, and this was only after 1 or 2 charges. Batteries sometimes take a few full cycles to reach maximum capacity. In fact, we have only had to charge the batteries up 3 times so far, and the drill has done a lot of work in that time, so big points can be awarded for including quality cells with this drill.

The charger included takes about 3-4 hours for a full charge, and features red, orange and green indicator lights to alert the user to the various phases of the charging cycle. Basically, once the light turns green, you have a full charge and are ready to go again. Red/orange lights can also describe charging, or a problem with the battery, depending on their configuration.

Drilling & Driving
A couple of settings on the CID1802V allow plenty of versatility across a wide array of applications. Firstly, there is a 2 speed gearbox. Speed Setting 1 is used for general screw driving actions, or where a low-speed, lower torque setting is required. Speed Setting 2 is essentially used for drilling as it offers a higher max speed (1300RPM) and offers plenty of torque and power to tackle demanding jobs. The switch setting is located on top of the drill for easy access.

You probably won't find a drill out there today that does not have a reverse function and, of course, the Ryobi model is no different. It is of the push type variety located just above the trigger allowing one hand changing of that particular setting. Reverse function is very handy for removing screws, or trying to clear out material from a drilled hole. The middle setting locks the trigger to keep the little ones (or the inexperienced) from causing damage to themselves.

Lastly, we have the 24 setting clutch selection. Like most other drills, this variable is changed by rotating an outer ring just behind the chuck. You can vary the clutch setting to eliminate excessive torque when driving screws, or to provide more torque during specific drilling operations. The CID1802V also features a hammer drill option, especially useful for masonry and hard material drilling requirements. This is activated by rotating the clutch setting ring past the 24 setting to the hammer action indicator.

Application and Testing - Results
We have had a good period of time to test out the CID1802V drill in the workshop and around the house. Cordless drills are one of the most frequently used power tools in the home. Since I have recently purchased a home that requires quite a lot of renovation, it provided the perfect testing ground for this product.

We drilled wood, masonry/brick, plasterboard, metal, you name it. We hung a whole house full of curtain rails, used it endlessly in pocket hole drilling (a demanding task for a cordless drill), drilled into brick to hang hooks, wooden shutter blinds, assembled children's play tables for Christmas, dropped the drill more than a few times (luckily onto either grass or carpet - we don't want to destroy the thing!) and it always came back with a vengence ready for more drilling and driving tasks. It had enough power to run a
1 1/4" forstner into hardwood and up to a 2" forstner in pine. The hammer action worked sufficiently when drilling into brick, and there were again no problems with power, unless you try drilling with an overly large bit, but in that case, the corded drill would be your better option. In doweling operations, we had positive results. Driving screws gave no problem. Check out Wayne Davy's review of the similar model CDL1802V on this website for a screw driving test summary.

One feature that the CID1802V does not have is an inbuilt level gauge for drilling pilot holes or for similar uses. We came across a number of applications where this feature would have been quite useful onboard.

Manual
The user manual is of good quality. Certainly much better than the ordinary photocopied manuals you get with some workshop machinery. Images are all clear, instructions are concise and to the point and basic drill operations and safety issues are discussed adequately.

Conclusion
A good buy, or a good one to skip? Well, I think you can sum up the performance of any tool by asking yourself one question, "Would I buy this exact same tool again in the future?". My answer to this question is YES. The price is half of some other brand name tools, and performance matches many other top level industrial drills I have used in the past. The CID1802V is certainly a good investment given its quality batteries, solid construction and value for money. You can certainly see the difference in this Professional Series tool from Ryobi, over their handyman range, however, since it does cost more, you would expect it also. I'd have no hesitation recommending this drill, and have done so already to several woodworking friends who have also enjoyed the quality and performance that this model offers.

Thanks goes to Andrew Miller from Ryobi Australia for
his assistance with this review.