A drill can be both brushed or brushless. Brushless drills are the new invention and are taking over the market day by day. They are not more than a decade old. When a person makes a buying decision she wonders whether to buy a brushed or brushless drill. Many of us do not know the advantages and disadvantages of these two different technologies. In this article, I am going to differentiate between brushed and brushless drills so that the users can make better decisions.
What is a brushed drill?
All the motors have a commutator and coil. All the motors need to pass electricity to the coils or the rotor. In a brushed drill, electricity is passed to the coil by the brush through the commutator. We know that motor is like the heart of a cordless drill. The drill which has a brushed motor is a brushed cordless drill.
What is a brushless drill?
The construction and function of a brushless motor are different from a brushed one. In a brushless motor, there are no brushes to pass the current to the rotor. In fact, there is no rotor in a brushless motor. The rotor is replaced by a magnet. The coils are fixed on the stator. Therefore, there is no need for brushes or commutators in a brushless motor.
Difference between brushed and brushless drill
Energy efficiency
The energy efficiency of the brushless drill is more than the brushed one. Because of the better efficiency of the brushless drill, it will go up to 50% longer in one cycle of a fully charged battery. The efficiency enhancement is due to the absence of the brushes. There is no friction between the brush and the commutator. Therefore the drill and the motor work effortlessly with limited or no spark.
Adjustable speed
A Brushless motor can adjust its speed according to the workload. When it requires more power and more torque, a brushless motor will automatically speed up to adopt the necessary power.
On the other hand, a brushed motor will continuously work at the same speed and supply the same amount of power and torque. It does not have the capacity for adaptability.
Performance
The brushless motor does not have the commutator and the brushes and thus no fiction. Therefore brushless drill gives better performance. It gives at least 30% more performance than brushed one.
Maintenance
Brushed drills need to be maintained frequently. Brushes need to be replaced after using around 50 hours. This kind of replacement is not necessary for the brushless ones.
Compactness
The Brushless drill is compact and light. Therefore it is more suitable for tighter spaces and easier to handle. On the other hand, due to the presence of the brushes, the brushed drills are comparatively bulkier and heavier.
Longevity
Brushless drill lives longer than brushed ones. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly there is no friction between the brush and the commutator in a brushless drill. Therefore there is no heat generation and thus the motor and the battery live longer. On the other hand, the brushless drill does not need to be cooled as the heat generation is negligible. Therefore there is no vent for heat release. For this reason, dirt cannot get into a brushless drill easily. It enhances the life of the machine.
Price
The price of a brushless drill is almost twice as much as a brushed one. But considering the advantages and benefits of a brushless drill, the price is justified. The longevity, performance, battery life, so on and so forth are better for a brushless drill. Therefore the extra penny you pay for it will pay off.
However, read our article to find the best drill within $50.
Brushless or brushed – which drill is better?
A brushless drill is undoubtedly the better choice. The battery life, performance, efficiency, longevity, comfort, compactness – all are better for the brushless one. Therefore although it is expensive, it will give better value for money in the long run.