Tired of borrowing a drill from your neighbor or struggling with manual screwdrivers? Ready to take your home improvements to the next level?
It’s time to buy a cordless drill.
To help you pick the absolute best cordless drill for your do-it-yourself goals, we’ve spent considerable time to compare and contrast these drills. Let’s take a moment to look over their most important similarities and differences.
Good: This drill driver is extremely powerful, well-built, and created to perform its tasks with grace and efficiency. With a maximum torque of 530 in-lbs and transmissions of 0-500 and 0-2000 RPM it will even handle the toughest jobs with ease.
Not so good: Although it’s easy to adjust the speed, some people might find the power of this drill to be inconvenient for light-duty jobs.
Bottom Line: If quality and longevity are important to you and you are serious about your craft, this set is destined to impress. It’s not the cheapest option, but it comes complete with a lithium-ion battery, charger, and a sturdy plastic tool case.
Good: This basic cordless drill comes with a 20-volt battery and packs plenty of power for the more serious do-it-yourselfer. A 1/2 inch chuck will fit all the bits you need.
Not so good: It can’t handle heavy-duty jobs such as drilling into concrete without a hassle and potentially overheating the motor.
Bottom Line: Despite not having any real distinguishing features, this is a best-selling drill with many wonderful customer reviews. It seems DeWalt has found the sweet spot between price, quality, and performance.
Good: This affordable drill performs very well for around-the-house jobs, has a LED work light, a comfortable grip, and is lightweight so you won’t get tired as you use it.
Not so good: Not intended for heavy-duty work. The risk of a burned motor is higher when compared to the more expensive drills on this page.
Bottom Line: If you only do occasional DIYing at home for shorter periods of time, this drill will do just fine. More than that actually, it’s very impressive for the price and much better than the other budget drills we looked at.
Good: This set of 2 drivers – a drill driver and an impact driver – give you the best of both cordless worlds. From simple tasks to challenging materials, you will be covered. They both have battery indicator lights and come with their own batteries.
Not so good: There’s a lot more power and usefulness here than most regular do-it-yourselfers will need, and the non-brushless motor will require a level of experience in terms of maintenance.
Bottom Line: A great choice for serious craftsmen and craftswomen who need to tackle a variety of jobs from basic to heavy-duty and who need the tools to keep up with the demand.
Good: Built strong with a durable brushless motor, wonderful grip, and 820 UWO of power, this hammer drill also features 3 different speed settings and 11 clutch settings, lending you optimal control of every task.
Not so good: Unfortunately, this is just a bare tool, which means that it does not come with a battery or a battery charger.
Bottom Line: If you already have a 20-volt battery from a previous drill or don’t mind purchasing one separately, we are confident you will be happy with this cordless hammer drill. It’s just as good at hammering as many corded drills (if not better).
Good: This cordless drill is small and easy to handle, yet still has all the power and versatility to take on difficult and delicately difficult jobs.
Not so good: This compact drill does not come with a battery or any other accessories, driving up the price significantly if you don’t have a spare battery from another tool.
Bottom Line: If you need strength and power in a compact body, this Milwaukee drill is your best bet. However, if you don’t have a battery yet, the Makita XFD12R is probably the better choice (and comparably small).
Good: Built with your physical needs in mind, this drill features an ergonomic handle with a ribbed finger grip, is a shockingly low 2.5 pounds in total weight, has a built-in LED-light, brushless motor, and comes with 2 rechargeable batteries.
Not so good: Not suited for drilling in tough materials like concrete, and some users report that the chuck gets loose too easily after extended use.
Bottom Line: This is a great choice for the typical do-it-yourselfer who wants to complete at-home tasks with ease and without an uncomfortable, weighty tool in hand.
Good: This drill is very cheap, but BLACK+DECKER didn’t sacrifice much on quality. On top of that, it includes an interchangeable 20V lithium-ion battery with charger and 30 helpful drilling and screwdriving bits so you can get started without any further investments.
Not so good: Understandably, this drill isn’t up to par with the best drills in terms of strength and durability.
Bottom Line: As long as you don’t plan to use it for difficult tasks, this cordless drill is the perfect option for those with smaller pockets who still need a whole set of tools for home use.
Good: This quality-built hammer drill has much more drilling power than any of the regular drill drivers listed on this page and has Makita’s extreme protection technology for increased durability.
Not so good: With only 480 in-lbs of maximum torque this isn’t the most powerful hammer drill on the market.
Bottom Line: If you want a really tough cordless hammer drill, go for the DEWALT DCD996B. For a versatile and more moderately priced drill that can do all the necessary jobs around the home including hammering, go for this one.
Good: This drill has 21 total clutch settings that allow you to adjust its torque and comes with two 18-volt batteries, a charger, and a convenient LED light to illuminate the working area.
Not so good: Lacks the high speeds and high torque required for more difficult jobs and does not have a long-lasting brushless motor.
Bottom Line: This cordless drill is not as strong as some of the others on our list, but the price, brand reputation, and double battery/charger pack make it a very interesting option to consider.