PRODUCT REVIEW


Challenge 14.4 Impact Drill from Argos Features: Case: Supplied in a card box Chuck: Keyless chuck (2-handed) 10mm Torque settings: 18, Screwdriving and hammer Speeds: Variable 2 speeds+forward/reverse Battery Pack: One 1.3 Ah L Ion Light: LED Charger: 3 to 5 hours Battery: 3 light charge indicator above trigger Soft grip handle Comes with double ended screwdriver bit


Specs: Torque 15Nm Steel 6mm Wood 15mm Masonry 8mm Weight 1.190kgs Cost £30.00


There was enough torque to make my wrists take note after 50 or so holes.


The Challenge faced a challenge when drilling 6mm holes in wood in ‘top gear’. Up to around 4 or 5mm diameter holes were possible in this gear, but anything bigger necessitated the change to the lower and slower gear and that produced a creditable 106 holes on a full charge. The motor became quite hot but never seemed like quitting.


There was enough torque to make my wrists take note after 50 or so holes. It too managed to drill 32mm holes with a spade bit – perhaps a bit slower than the others, but without obvious signs of strain. Driving


screws up to 70mm long was achievable but after that a bit of coaxing was needed. Although the capacity in steel was stated as 6mm in the specs, I ran out of patience before the hole was completed.


As the only drill in the test with an impact mode I did try drilling a 6mm hole in a standard house brick, and it did do the job – so if you were putting up curtain poles in brick, the job wouldn’t take forever. A different story in concrete though, where the bit made very little impression after several minutes of trying.


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