Mag drill talk with Fein: Part Two

Nathan Ford, Area Sales Manager for Fein Power Tools in the UK, previously talked about considerations when purchasing a mag drill and the applications some can now achieve. He now covers Fein’s own mag drill range, some of which are new to the UK market.

In terms of drilling materials a little away from the usual, the correct accessory is vital. The perfect cutter selection can prove the difference between hours of frustration and expense, or getting a job done well.

High Speed Steel, Tungsten Carbide, Titanium coated and High cobalt are some of the different cutter types available, which will all perform differently on different materials; advice should be taken on which cutter would suit your application best and pairing it with the correct machine.

Fein’s website features the ‘core drill finder’ function, which offers this advice – https://fein.com/en_uk/drilling/metal-core-drilling/core-drill-finder-t642962/

This provides information on the carbide (Ultra), coated HSS (Dura) and HSS (Nova) cutters, with various helpful information on the cutter sets available in the market.

Once the correct drill and accessories are chosen for the application, it is worth looking over any additional features which may set one machine apart from another.

Capacity – As well as being used on site, many of the larger capacity machines can replace the need for a conventional pillar type in the workshop. They make it easier to take the drill to the work piece, as opposed to trying to move large pieces of steel up onto the drill bed. Larger machines are available with Morse taper fittings which allow for a wider range of accessories to be used.

Ease of use – Ease of access to the controls can often be overlooked. The controls could be easy to access when the machine is operated in one direction but when turned around they may be impossible to reach. Advice is to find a machine which has controls that can be reached regardless of the orientation of the machine.

Slide adjusters – Over time the slide on your machine could wear due to it being metal upon metal; a good quality machine should have adjustments on the slides so you can remove any play and tighten your guide. Any play in the guide will lead to movement and chattering in the cutter, which may break cutters and lead to an oval hole being drilled.

As evidenced, there are a range of decisions to make before choosing the correct machine; capacity, depth of cut, applications, accessories, safety features, ease of use.

A demonstration of the product can be requested before purchasing, either via the machine manufacturer or your local supplier, to guarantee it is suited to your application.

Fein’s extensive range of mag drills includes the brand new cordless (AKBU 35) and compact (KBC 35) mag drills.

If an economical mag drill or basic functionality is what you are after, Fein is re-launching the KBE family of mag drills in the next couple of months.

To find out more about Fein mag drills, visit https://fein.com/en_uk/drilling/metal-core-drilling/