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A Cordless drill An essential tool for any DIYer, it’s important to choose a good one. Invest in poor choices, and it won’t be long before you find yourself spending again. The latest cordless drill to cross my path is the Einhell TP-CD 18/50, an everyday drill aimed at DIYers.
This is the first time I’ve encountered an Einhell drill, so I was excited to see what it had to offer. As a package, it makes all the right noises, and it comes at a very attractive price point.
Will it finally be time to say goodbye to my faithful old Black & Decker cordless drill and let the Einhale take its place? Time to find out.
Buy the Einhell TP-CD 18/50 Drill today
Einhell
Einhell Cordless Drill Driver
The Einhell TP-CD 18-50 Cordless Drill comes with a case, charger and two batteries that are pre-charged meaning you’re ready for action straight away.
Specs and Features
- Motor Type: Brushless motor
- Torque: 50 nm
- Gears: 2
- Battery Type: Lithium ion
- Battery Voltage: 18 V
- Weight: 2.35 kg
- Chuck Capacity: 2mm-13mm
- Features: LED Work Light, Torque Adjustment Collar, Battery Level Indicator, 1 x Hard Carry Case, 1 x Drill Body, 1x Battery Charger, 2 x 2.0Ah Batteries, 1 x Belt Clip, Instruction Manual
First impression
Who doesn’t love a power tool that comes with its own hard case? Any kind of case is a winner, as it helps protect the power tool, but the Einhell Hard Case gives the impression of being a long-term friend of the Einhell drill.
It is a solid plastic case with a shiny red lid with the brand name. At least it will be easy to find. Inside, it is lined with egg box foam padding (one side) and flat foam padding on the other. This ensures that the drill, battery and charger are not thrown around and damaged while walking.
The drill body feels sturdy and well built, and sits nicely in the hand, with the rubberized grip providing a secure feel. The LED light appears immediately when the trigger brings the drill to life (my battery was charged and ready to go). Can I turn this off? Not sure (yet), but it would be nice if I could turn it off when not needed as it would help save battery life.
setting
As you might expect, there isn’t a lot of work involved in setting up a cordless drill. Slide in the battery and you’re ready to go. The battery was already charged, so it can be used straight out of the box which is a nice touch.
You need to familiarize yourself with the torque selector and selector switch. A selector switch lets you choose between driving, drilling and impact drilling (hammer function).
You will need to combine this with the most suitable torque setting to ensure you get the best from the Einhell TP-CD 18/50. To add a little more to the mix, there are two gears that help you fine-tune the performance. There’s a lot going on, so if you’re an inexperienced DIYer, you should read the instruction manual thoroughly before starting.
performance
The fun part of any review is using the product itself, and a new cordless drill is always going to see plenty of action. To start, I thought I’d ease myself into using the Einhell TP-CD 18/50 with some simple wood screwing tasks. There are no drill bits or bit holders included, so I used what I already had. The 13mm chuck is easy to use, but slightly different from other drills I’ve used. But he did what he needed to do, without any problems.
I started with 100mm screws Screwing the fence panels into the wooden posts. With the screw in the selector position and the torque setting set to 11, off I went. This worked as expected, but on tougher sections, I had to turn the torque up to maximum levels to complete.
I struggled with one screw in particular, so I switched to my old cordless drill to see how it compared. The Einhell TP-CD 18/50 was definitely doing better, probably thanks to its extra torque (50 Nm compared to 40 Nm).
Like all good drills, the drill stops when it reaches its operating torque level. This ensures that you have more control over the drill and don’t go too deep with the screw, which can split the wood. So start low and turn up the torque until you get the level you want.
Tackling heavy duty DIY drilling tasks
Switching the selector to drill or hammer mode eliminates the need to select a torque setting, with the Einhell TP-CD 18/50 automatically switching to maximum output. Perfect for the next set of DIY tasks I have in mind.
was ahead Drilling in external brickworkAnd using my spade drill bit to make a recess in the fence post, ready for the concrete screws. The Einhell TP-CD 18/50 zips through the wood with no problem.
Switching to my DeWALT masonry drill bits, putting it in second gear, the Einhell TP-CD 18/50 powered through the brickwork with relative ease. At one point, the drill bit got stuck, but I just re-tightened the chuck and continued.
The next step was indoors Put up some heavy-duty shelf brackets. Drilling into my inner walls was hard work in the past. But the Einhell TP-CD 18/50 provided me with all the power I needed to drill deep enough to insert roll plugs and screws.
I also managed to perform all the functions mentioned without having to swap on the battery. So, I decided to continue with other DIY tasks to get a better idea of battery life. Overall, I have to say that I have been very pleased with the performance of the Einhell TP-CD 18/50 so far.
Buy these tools to use with a cordless drill
Einhell
Einhell L-case bit and drill set
A comprehensive set of drill bits that includes HSS metal drill bits with 135° split-point tips, wood drill bits with center points and stone drill bits with carbide plates.
DeWalt
Dewalt Black Oxide Drill Bit Set
This set offers 13 black oxide drill bits with 135-degree split-point tips designed to reduce walking when drilling into wood, metal or plastic. Stored in a tough, easy-to-carry plastic case.
Blake + Decker
Black+Decker Screwdriver Bit Set
Ideal for everyday use, this screwdriver set contains a range of essential bits. Includes a magnetic drive guide that fits into the drill chuck, allowing you to use any bit in the set.
Battery life
Battery life is key for any cordless tool, and the 18V 2.0Ah batteries supplied with the Einhell TP-CD 18/50 did not disappoint. The charger has a set of easy-to-understand icons that indicate what stage charging is at. Red and green LEDs make sure you don’t get confused.
Charging time using the supplied charger was very quick, taking just 40 minutes to be fully charged and ready to go. This would be ideal if you only had one battery, but with two batteries on offer, I always have a fully charged battery to swap out for another when needed.
You might think that faster charging times mean shorter working times, but that’s not the case with the Einhell TP-CD 18/50. A fully charged battery lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. In real terms, that meant I tackled a whole host of DIY jobs over the weekend and didn’t need to change batteries. And when I did, I had a fully charged battery ready to replace.
All three LED lights on the battery can be activated with a quick press of a button to show the remaining power. Confusingly, the lights were red rather than green, but I can live with that.
final judgment
If you’re looking for an everyday drill that can handle any DIY task you can throw at it, then the Einhell TP-CD 18/50 Cordless Brushless Combi Drill is definitely one you need to add to your list. It offers plenty of torque (50Nm) for a standard cordless drill, which sits at the upper end of what you’d normally get at this level.
For under £100, you get a solid drill, two batteries, a charger and a hard case, which, in my opinion, makes it good value for money. You don’t get any drill or screwdriver bits with it, which would be nice, but a charger and two batteries are more than that. On the plus side, you can choose the bits you need instead of getting a bunch you’ll never use.
Throw in a quick charge time and decent runtime, and there’s little I don’t like about the Einhell TP-CD 18/50. How long it will remain as my number one drill, only time will tell.
