One of the most useful tools I own is a Makita angle drill. At first though you would think an angle drill would have somewhat limited uses. Most would think it only good for drilling holes in tight places and that is does do well. The true beauty of this tool comes when used as an angle die grinder of sorts. The fact that it has a drill type chuck allows you to use all sorts of attachments and bits in it.
For working around boats I have found that this tool is really useful when coupled with a small mushroom grinder. This little disc grinders that come in several sizes from 2” diameter to 4” diameter are great for the many small repairs done on boats. These little grinders coupled with the angle drill are perfect for small fiberglass repairs. You can get into tight places and because the drill is variable speed you can grind at a low speed. This keeps the dust down and limits the dust to the small area you are working in. This alone makes this a great tool to have. The little grinding discs are also very useful for wood working as they are easy to control and great for trimming parts to fit in those odd shaped places.
Other types of grinding bits can be fitted as well for those tuff trimming jobs. I have a set of rotary rasps that come in handy for all sorts of trimming and fitting. I have recently started using a small cut off wheel that was designed for drill use. This is a nice alternative to the little cut off wheels used for a Dremel tool yet remain small enough to fit into tight places often found on boats. These cut off wheels are perfect for cutting rigging wire as well. Of course this drill can also be used as a drill and because it has a nice recessed chuck and small head it can get in some pretty tight places.
One of the reasons this drill is so good with cutting and grinding over a standard drill is that you have better control of it. When using a standard drill the force of the disc or tool is pushing sideways while with an angle drill the force is pulling away from the operator. Also you have more of the tool to hang onto. The variable speed feature allows for even better control. The paddle trigger on the underside of the tool makes it easy to control but can cause problems as it is easy to accidentally turn on. The drill is reversing as well which can come in handy at times but I would not rate as a must have feature.
This is one tool I would replace instantly if it should be lost or stolen. Not worry about it breaking as I have had it more than 20 years now and it gives no signs of any problems. I have dropped it and abused it and it continues to work flawlessly. Combined with varied bits and discs this tool is used on almost every project I do even if I think it will not be needed. This is one tool that sis in the top of my tool box, now I’m off to read this article on bestroutertablepicks.com
Capt. Wayne
