Best Cordless Drill Reviews - with Comparison of 2024's Top Rated Models

The Makita XFD12R performs all the basic around-the-house chores like driving screws, mixing paint, and drilling holes. It is built with a long-lasting brushless motor so you won’t have to worry about maintenance or replacing it anytime soon.

With about 530 in-lbs of maximum torque and 2,000 rpm of maximum speed, this is one of the strongest and fastest cordless drills on our page. The 2-speed transmission puts extra driving force and punches of energy behind the drilling process. This special ability helps the drill perform more difficult jobs like working with hardwoods and longer screws, or drilling holes into concrete.

The ability to select whichever option is best for the project at hand makes this an excellent choice for the serious do-it-yourselfer and the professional craftsman. It’s not the cheapest drill on this page, but in our opinion, it’s the most versatile one best.

Have a basic set of needs for completing tasks around your home? Don’t really have a need for an over-priced, over-powered drill driver, hammer drill, or impact driver? The DEWALT DCD771C2 has you covered.

As we compared all ten of these top-selling cordless drills we found this DEWALT to take a middle or average position on almost every single measurement. It has an average price of around $100, and like most others on this list, it has a 3-year manufacturer’s defect warranty to cover any problems related to faulty construction or parts.

Its two speeds, one with a maximum of 450 RPM and the other with a maximum of 1500 RPM, are also rather average. The lower speed option is great for those delicate tasks you need to take your time with, whereas the faster speed is great for plowing through a bunch of screws in a short amount of time.

A Best-Selling Cordless Drill

Let’s remember, though, that this is a best-selling drill for a reason: quality. DEWALT has been a trusted name in the world of power tools for a long time. This is because even their “cheapest” (or lowest-priced) models are built with quality and longevity in mind. Instead of making their lower-priced items with inferior quality, they choose not to include special extras.

The fact that this is a best-selling drill is a testament to its quality.

At only about $50, this BLACK + DECKER undercuts its competition by $25-$400, making it the most affordable drill on our entire list.

Let us begin by saying that consumers seem rather excited about it. Usually, we don’t bother to include cheap products that won’t stand the test of time, but it was hard to pass over this one once we saw the outstanding consumer reviews for it.

Based on those reviews we are able to report that this drill stands up well against most household uses – drilling holes, driving screws, etc. – even over long periods of time. Apparently this model vents better than a previous version of the same drill, which once had a problem with overheating.

The built-in LED work light that illuminates the surface is very helpful for seeing what you are doing in difficult and dark areas. This helpful feature is also included in a few of the other cordless drills on this list, but we didn’t expect it at this price level.

The handle of this cordless drill is rather comfortable and allows you to get a good, ergonomic grip. The drill is also lightweight enough to carry around for hours without much arm strain.

All in all, this is a very good low-budget drill. And, for those who are just starting with DIY and home maintenance, it’s also available with a large 68 piece home tool kit.

Have a difficult job you need to get done? Regularly drill into concrete or through metal and need a drill that will keep up with your high demands and the strain you put on it?

The PORTER-CABLE drill may not be the one you’re looking for, but its counterpart certainly is. When we talk about one being the best for tough jobs, we are talking about the impact driver.

The impact driver works with a maximum torque of 1450 in-lbs – a much higher torque than all the regular rechargeable drills on this list. What does that mean? That means power! It means incredible force behind every task so that you can easily drive the bit through even the toughest materials – from hardwood to concrete and even metal. It even holds your bits for you; just snap your most-used bit into the little spot on the top of the drill so they’re always there when you need them.

But The Drill is Great, Too

For your more delicate jobs or even just your basic jobs, you can make great use of the drill driver that also comes as part of this set. Despite how great the impact driver is, it has just a little too much power and force for most tasks. To reduce the risk of over-torquing or stripping screws, you will mostly use the regular drill driver.

With a Battery Gauge

If you’ve ever dealt with the frustration of being partway through a project when the battery dies, you know how important a battery gauge is. Small lights on the side of both power tools let you know how much life the battery has so that you are never stuck up a ladder with a plank of wood in hand and no juice in your battery. Just check the lights before you begin your job and decide if you need to switch out the battery. Thankfully, since this set comes with two batteries, that will be a very simple task.

If you have tough jobs you need to get done but aren’t quite a fan of impact drivers and just want to stick with the traditional hammer drill, this DEWALT is built to satisfy your needs. It is strong, powerful, and completely capable of tackling even the toughest construction-related tasks.

Its convenient belt clip helps you carry it around the job site with little to no struggle or interference at all. The ergonomic handle helps you get a great grip without hand cramping. Though it doesn’t come with a battery, we believe that this is a great drill. Besides, you can always use the battery from your regular drill driver or a previous hammer drill you may be replacing. Just make sure the battery matches the 20-volt requirement for powering this drill.

Powerful Drill Tool

The UWO rating for this hammer drill far exceeds the ratings of regular cordless drills we’ve featured here. Essentially, a UWO or Unit Watts Out rating is a measurement of the overall maximum speed and overall maximum torque as they combine to create power in the drilling process.

When compared to the UWO ratings of the DEWALT DCD777C2 (340 rating) and the Dewalt DCD771C2 (300 rating), this drill’s rating of 820 displays outstanding power.

Looking for something compact, but with a little extra punch? You will probably enjoy the power this Milwaukee drill houses inside its small red frame.

With 500 in-lbs of torque, this cordless drill ranks among the most powerful on our page. What does all this torque get you? It gets you a job well done. The extra turning power means that your bolts will be tighter, your holes will drill smoother, and you can even tackle odd jobs like mixing cement (with the proper attachment, of course).

A fairly high maximum RPM of 1800 means that you can breeze through those difficult jobs without wasting any time. Still, some jobs are delicate and you don’t want to go full force on them with your highest torque and your highest RPM. When you need to slow things down and make sure a job is done right, just switch into the lower gear for a max speed of 450 RPM.

What makes this drill stand out from the others on our list and out on the market today is its incredible ergonomic grip. The way that DEWALT formed this plastic handle makes it easy for just about anyone to hold, its gentle curves work with the natural grip of your hand to reduce fatigue over time.

At only 2.5lbs this is also the lightest drill we have chosen to include on this page, making it even better for those with gripping problems. Compared to holding a 4.7lb drill like the DEWALT DCD996B, this drill will feel as light as a feather.

Other Things You Wanna Know

The DEWALT DCD777C2 runs on a powerful 20-volt lithium-ion battery that holds a charge for an incredibly long time, it’s got the longest battery life of all cordless drills on this page. This means less switching between batteries and more work getting done.

When you do need to switch batteries, though, it will satisfy your needs because it comes with 2 separate batteries. Slap one on the compact charger while you work with the other, and switch between them as needed throughout the day. Never let a dead battery stand between you and a job well done.

The brushless motor is also something worth noting. A lack of brushes inside the motor means that the motor itself will never require maintenance, which is a good thing since most people don’t know how to do maintenance on any motor, much less a motor this small. It also means that the motor itself will last longer so that you can use this drill for years to come without having to fork out more money to replace it, the way you will with brushed motors.

Though this isn’t the cheapest drill on our page it is surprisingly close, especially considering all of the wonderful additional tools and accessories included. In fact, it’s hardly more expensive than our cheapest option, the BLACK + DECKER BDCDMT120C.

And yet, it comes with 30 accessories, so that you can start your home improvement jobs without spending more money on drill bits, screw driving bits, or nut drivers. The drill itself has received many excellent reviews as well, consumers expressed the utmost satisfaction with it.

Versatile and powerful enough to complete most jobs in and around the home, it was a no-brainer to select this as the “Best Starter Kit”.

First of all, it is a hammer drill, which means that it packs a lot of punch (or a lot of little punches) behind its drilling process. As you drill with it you will notice that it sort of vibrates or clunks. This is caused by the hammering motion inside; it literally hammers your bit as it turns. This gives more force than a typical drill, allowing you to work with more difficult and denser materials. It also helps complete regular jobs much more quickly than a typical drill.

All this power isn’t without its drawbacks, though. Some people may struggle with the hammering vibrations of this drill, especially if they intend to use it for long stretches of time. These people may be more interested in an impact drill such as the one which comes in the PORTER-CABLE PCCK604L2 set.

This hammer drill also runs the risk of putting more effort into a job than is necessary, and could actually do damage on delicate tasks such as driving a screw in drywall. For such tasks, we recommend any of the regular drill drivers listed on this page.

For actual hammer drilling, though, this cordless drill does surprisingly well. It’s not as powerful as a corded drill, but most jobs will be done just as good – they just might take a little longer.

Are you less of a handyman and more of a craftsman? Do you enjoy woodworking and creating works of art using a variety of tools? Is a drill with special attachments part of that process for you?

Though this particular drill does not come with those attachments, the truth is that very few do. What is important about this drill, though, and what makes it perfect for those tedious crafting tasks, is its very low RPM setting and a wide range of settings for the clutch.

The low speed of this drill reaches a maximum of only 450RPM. This means that you don’t have to worry about damaging softwoods with the excessive heat of a fast-moving tool, and that you can get more control over the work being done. Of course, when you want to use this drill for regular purposes you can just pop it into high speed and reach a maximum of 1700RPM.

A handy little LED light will illuminate your work, making it even easier to perform intricate woodworking tasks with this drill. The extra light will allow you to get a better view of what you are doing, which will reduce eye strain and lead to more precision handiwork.

A total of two rechargeable 18-volt batteries make it possible to work for hours and hours as you switch between them. One can always be charging so that you will never run out of drill power when you need it.