Maintaining old power drill

[Ramona]

I have a Black & Decker drill made in 1985. It still works perfectly after drilling timber, concrete, steel etc. Im not a professional so its not used every day, but it is used quite a lot. It occurs to be that I have never maintained it really apart from an odd wipe down.
I dont expect it to last another 40 years, but what should I do to look after it? Not sure if should be oiled anywhere or not.
Thanks

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It occurs to be that I have never maintained it really apart from an odd wipe down.

The gearbox, in the 'nose' of the drill, might benefit from cleaning the old grease out, and adding some new. Also check the brushes for wear, and replace if necessary. Check the bearings, and fit new if necessary.

 

[Burnerman]

Blow out any air vents with compressed air.....keeps the internals cool.
John

 

[opps]

Unless you intend to stip it down, I would say run it until it stops working, the key exception being the brushes. They might well be trivial to replace, assuming that they are still available.

You had a good run with a tool that was DIY rated tool. If it dies, dig a hole in the garden and cover it up. Or throw it in the bin.

 

[ericmark]

I have a few Black & Decker drills, kept as they have loads of tools, drill stand, lathe, sander etc. However hardly ever used, main problem is the plasticiser leaching out of the supply cable, and the cable cracking, but so easy to see when that has happened and fit new cable. In the main battery powered drills have replaced the old B&D, my battery drill has exchangeable heads, so sander, saw, hammer drill, screwdriver etc, all with same power source.

So the B&D really has no advantage any more, but either dad bought it me, or it was my dads, so mainly kept for nostalgia, as with the old Wolf Cub drill. Not sure I want to use a drill with metal body which is so old.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I have a few Black & Decker drills, kept as they have loads of tools, drill stand, lathe, sander etc.

The attachments were never much good, and some of them were quite dangerous to use. I inherited a kit my father bought in the 50's, as well as buying my own B&D in the early 70's. I dumped the lot, many years ago.

I still keep a 110v hammer drill + transformer, a 240v modern B&D hammer drill, a large heavy mains sds, a lighter mains sds, pillar drill, and a battery sds, plus a battery drill. The latter two items, are the most used.

 

[ericmark]

I have my battery drills

and this means I have no real use for the old B&D or any other make or age of mains powered drills. As an electrician often there is no mains, as I have turned it off, but so much easier without a cord, I have always had a cordless drill,

but today so much easier to use.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I have always had a cordless drill,

but today so much easier to use.

My father's cordless, was a 'breast drill'. Similar idea to the above, but rather than the wooden handle, it had a cast alloy, flat plate, which you leaned on with your breast/chest.

I must admit, I was a late adopter of battery drills, I didn't really expect the batteries to last, as long as they did.

 

[ericmark]

Early days, batteries did not last long, before 2000 I was working replacing access system on BT buildings, and for the first time had to use battery drills, the batteries would take a couple of hours to charge, so the whole job hinged around the batteries, start drilling a hole for a cable in a wall, and when drill went flat, move to other work until recharged. I used my own battery drill as a screwdriver, we were on bonus, so waiting for a drill to charge cost us money.

Today batteries take around 100 minutes to charge, with a good charger, so if the battery will last 100 minutes, the two batteries means continuous work. I have four batteries for the garden tool, which uses two at a time, and a rapid charger which will charge two at a time, so no problem with drills which only use one battery.

However even in the days of the B&D mains drill, it would get rather hot, mainly the gearbox, so still had to give the drill a rest. I remember the first hammer drill, it worked so wall compared with non hammer, thought it was so fast, and then we got SDS, and the hammer drill with chuck seemed slow.

My only complaint with new battery drill is no rotary stop in SDS mode, so can't use chisels, but I should not use tools which vibrate anyway, so not really a problem.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Today batteries take around 100 minutes to charge, with a good charger, so if the battery will last 100 minutes, the two batteries means continuous work. I have four batteries for the garden tool, which uses two at a time, and a rapid charger which will charge two at a time, so no problem with drills which only use one battery.

I keep two batteries, for a basic drill and sds, I've just added a second new battery for my old Makita hammer drill.

However even in the days of the B&D mains drill, it would get rather hot, mainly the gearbox, so still had to give the drill a rest. I remember the first hammer drill, it worked so wall compared with non hammer, thought it was so fast, and then we got SDS, and the hammer drill with chuck seemed slow.

In my early days, it was all done with star-drills, and Rawl-drills, and very sore hands and arms. The first hammer drills were an absolute revelation, though in very limited supply, and not really that good in concrete. SDS came along, and solved all of that at a stroke - so good, I have choice of three.