Looking for easy to find recommendations on a corded drill to use on a grain mill. The last battery drill either did not turn the rollers of d shot the grains through without crushing. I can't seem to find many drills with variable speed. I read the recommendation from the electric Brewery website but that one priced at $400. I'd be happy up to $100 or so but I see some for $49. Hard to tell what to get.
Corded drill for grain mill
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imasickboy
Drinkasaurus extraordinarius
Many people love the low-rpm drill(s) from Harbor Freight.
I think this is the one that is most popular:
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-heavy-duty-spade-handle-drill-93632.html
I'm sure if you search HBT for that model number, you'll make some headway into finding everything you need to know.
I think this is the one that is most popular:
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-heavy-duty-spade-handle-drill-93632.html
I'm sure if you search HBT for that model number, you'll make some headway into finding everything you need to know.
FuzzeWuzze
I Love DIY
Yup the one he posted is what i have and it works great. The ability to lock the trigger at a specific speed is great. Set it and forget it, i just have it plugged into a power strip and turn the strip on when I want the mill to run.
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Thats the one I use. Cheap, powerful, reliable.
obie
Well-Known Member
I like the corded drill from Ridgid. Lifetime warranty also 
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-3-8-in-8-Amp-Corded-Drill-Driver-R70011/100546220
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-3-8-in-8-Amp-Corded-Drill-Driver-R70011/100546220
LandoLincoln
Well-Known Member
I use a Sears Craftsman 1/2" corded drill, variable speed with a 6 amp motor. You can get them for about $63 these days. It powers my Monster Mill 2 Pro at full speed. Things got a little dicey when I milled 100% wheat one day, but...it made it through. Don't ever mill 100% wheat if you can avoid it.
My cordless started smelling pretty much right away. I switched to my plug-in Hitachi variable speed which has a massive amount of torque and it complained too. I finally went to my 50 year old Craftsman with gear-reduction and 1/2" chuck and that did the trick. That's what I continue to use. So maybe garage sale? Ebay?
If you can swing $140, this one is a beast. It's variable speed and delivers a lot of torque. I've used mine with a 1" auger bit to drill through landscape timbers--no problem. I don't think you'll have trouble cranking grain with it.
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HausBrauerei_Harvey
Well-Known Member
Guess I should have read the manual. I've used this drill for 6 months now (love it) but didn't realize it has a speed set. How do I do this with the dial on the trigger?
FuzzeWuzze
I Love DIY
Hold the Trigger, and spin the dial until its at its slowest setting. If your hooked up to your mill this will likely cause the drill to stop spinning all together, then slowly turn up the speed knob until its spinning at a rate that crushes your grain as you want and then push the little yellow button on the handle thing in.
Ive found the button to be a bit of a PITA, i had problems getting it to actually set, if i remember correctly you have to fully pull the trigger to set it so dont spend a lot of time on the speed setting until you have it locked on...it may take a few attempts but eventually it should lock...what else can you expect from a HF Tool lol.
I ordered the Harbor Freight one linked to above and received their new substitute /replacement model that has bad reviews on their site (mostly complaining about the reverse direction with cement drilling and paint mixing) but I LOVE it! Working great for about a year or so now. Works so well. The trigger speed control works awesome, I can go very slow, medium, whatever. So for home brewing purposes if you order and get the one without the speed knob don't fret, it's still a great drill.
Rev.
Rev.
I use a $20 black and decker I got from Menards. Sometimes a bit touchy (when my dad is milling at least!), but usually I just turn it on and go about my business.
pretzelb
Well-Known Member
If you can swing $140, this one is a beast. It's variable speed and delivers a lot of torque. I've used mine with a 1" auger bit to drill through landscape timbers--no problem. I don't think you'll have trouble cranking grain with it.
Do you find having too much power causes the grain to fly through without crushing?
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solbes
Well-Known Member
$39 black and decker from menards (7 amp). Bought it only for that purpose and it works fine. Keyed check is the way to go to avoid slipping.
Totally agree. I think a keyed chuck is pretty important. I've had slippage frequently with hand tighten drills but never with a keyed chuck.
Rev.
pretzelb
Well-Known Member
With the two drills I used to have it wasn't slippage from drill to mill, but inability to fine tune the speed to go from stuck to spinning out of control. But I just have the Barely Crusher mill so maybe that is a factor.
LandoLincoln
Well-Known Member
How does that work, actually? How does the speed of the mill affect the gap setting?
This is the one I have - works like a charm! :http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-heavy-duty-variable-speed-reversible-hammer-drill-68169.html
I like the idea of locking the trigger and using a power strip to turn it on and off. I will give that a try on my next brewday.
I like the idea of locking the trigger and using a power strip to turn it on and off. I will give that a try on my next brewday.
7 Amp B&D corded, key chuck. Here's my super-ghetto motorized mill. Built it in 90 seconds with a couple of wood clamps and a piece of scrap pine Anyway, that drill has gone through a LOT of grain over the last 5 years.
Anyway, that drill has gone through a LOT of grain over the last 5 years.
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pretzelb
Well-Known Member
If the speed is too rapid the grain shoots through. Only one roller is attached to the crank so if that one spins really fast the other doesn't keep up. I assume even the best configured mills have some uncrushed grains every batch for this reason.
Might be my mill. Might be less of an issue with 3 rollers.
I have one fixed and one adjustable. I've got mine tightened down as far as she'll go, under 30 mil I think. Anyway, I run it wide open without any issue with efficiency. Crush looks good to me.
It doesn't work that way. The gap is set to whatever you have it at. So long as it's not so far open that grain just falls through, obviously it wouldn't be set that way or you'd hear the grain steadily falling to the bottom of the bucket, then the gap is set so that for the grain to pass though it must be crushed to enough extent to fit through the gap. A higher drill speed has been said to shred grains more and lead to a finer crush or more flour than using a slower speed, but a higher speed will not somehow allow grains to pass through uncrushed.
Rev.
pretzelb
Well-Known Member
Last time I tried it with 2 different drills the high speed caused it to shoot grains through faster than the other wheel could handle. Shrug.
There's a gap, if the second roller isn't turning the grain usually just doesn't pull. It could still shred grains it contacts due to friction, but the thicker grain still must be crushed to pass through the thinner gap. And if you have a problem with the second roller not keeping up you need to be sure it's aligned properly so it rolls completely smoothly and doesn't bind up anywhere in rotation. <shrug>
Rev.
Buy a router speed controller for $20 at HF. I like a drill that had the hand that screws into the from. I drilled a hole through the mill base and mounted the drill like a motor. It is an old, old BD 1/2" w/o variable speed. I bought the speed controller and dial in what I want. It has an off/on switch too.
You want a 1/2" corded low speed drill with gear reduction. I have the harbor freight D handle drill, and also an old 1/2" craftsman.
A name brand drill of this type, Milwaukee or dewalt sells for $2-300. Harbor freight 40 - 50.
A name brand drill of this type, Milwaukee or dewalt sells for $2-300. Harbor freight 40 - 50.
