A cordless drill has become an indispensable DIY tool for various handyman jobs around the house. Its erstwhile simple functions of drilling holes and driving screws have made it incredibly useful at jobs both big and small. Simple jobs like mounting shelves on the wall, putting a monitor arm on your desk, or adding mirrors in the bathroom can be done in a jiffy with a cordless drill in hand, while allowing you to save a whole lot of time on more complicated home repair jobs.
Not all cordless drills are alike. While basic ones will let you drill through all types of wood, plastic, and softer metals, you will probably need one with a hammer option if you want to put holes in concrete, bricks, and similar harder materials. Some drills can be easier to stabilize than others, while some might have more creative options in attachments. Some can have longer-lasting batteries, while others might offer a lot more drilling power. That’s why it’s important to have a good idea of the kind of jobs you plan to tackle with a cordless drill, as it will allow you to make a more informed decision when shopping for a particular brand and model.
These are the best cordless drills for your home DIY needs.
Ryobi 18V One+ HP Compact Brushless Drill Driver Kit (PSBDD01)
For an affordable price, Ryobi gets you a capable cordless drill with 400 inch-pounds of torque and a maximum speed of 1,700 RPM, giving you enough power to handle most DIY household jobs. Seriously, there’s enough power here to do most anything you can do with drills that cost twice as much, all while having very little vibrations while it goes about the task. Granted, it won’t drill through everything with ease, so there are times you will have to push and press a bit more than usual. Good news is, this thing will keep on going as long as you do, allowing you to drill through most anything with enough time and pressure. Features include two speed settings, two 1.5Ah batteries, and a 24-poisition clutch for precise control.
Bosch 18V Compact Drill Driver Kit (GSR18V-190B22)
This cordless drill comes with 480 inch-pounds of torque and a maximum speed of 1,700 RPM, with two speed settings allowing you to use the exact amount of power you need for each driving or drilling task. There are also 20 clutch settings for better precision, allowing to fine-tune the torque delivery, so it’s never too much that you end up damaging the screws. Suffice to say, it handles both drilling and driving tasks with relative ease. It’s not the most compact 18V drill we’ve used, but it’s not that big, either, so it’s still plenty easy to handle, while the built-in LED spotlight and the ergonomic grip makes it very convenient to use even in more awkward spots. This kit comes with two batteries, a charger, and a 34-piece drill/driver bit set.
Milwaukee 2801-22CT M18 Compact Brushless Drill Driver Kit
This cordless drill delivers 500 inch-pounds of torque and up to 1,800 RPM, making it an excellent power tool for general home use. If 1,800 RPM sounds too much, it also comes with a low power setting (500 RPM) that should be more suited for simpler household tasks. It’s pretty compact for the power it delivers, allowing for excellent control even when working in awkward conditions, such as drilling overhead and driving in tight spaces. This is a straight up drill and driver, by the way, with no hammer function, so it won’t be as easy to use for drilling on bricks and cement (it should still handle those, though). The set comes with a charger and two 2.0Ah batteries, but you can also go with a cheaper tool-only package if you already have other Milwaukee power tools in your toolbox.
Milwaukee M18 12V Hammer Drill Driver Kit 2904-22
Milwaukee calls this “the industry’s most powerful hammer drill.” While we don’t quite know how true that is, this is definitely a heavyweight in terms of power, packing a whopping 1,400 inch-pounds of torque, a maximum speed of 2100 RPM, and a hammer speed of 33,000 BPM. Yup… that’s a heck of a lot of power. It also boasts kickback control, so it’s a lot easier to stabilize, especially when using the 360-degree side handle, as well as an auto stop mode that can detect and prevent over-rotation when driving. Suffice to say, this thing breezes through most common drilling and driving tasks, even making quick work of boring holes in brick and cement. Features include two 5Ah batteries with charger, an all-metal ratcheting chuck with carbide teeth, and an impressive size of just 6.9 inches long.
DeWalt Flexvolt Advantage 20V Max Brushless Cordless Drill
Want a cordless drill with lots of power? Check. Long battery life? You can drill a couple hundred holes with this and still have plenty on the tank. Stable handling? If you use the removable 360-side handle, it gets really easy to keep in place. And yes, you’ll need that extra grip because this thing has serious torque, especially when used with the outfit’s Flexvolt batteries (instead of the 20V Max), which, they claim, gives it 42 percent more power. We love the trigger response, which adjusts the drilling speed to one of three settings depending on how hard you press, although you can also set the speed manually if you prefer that. Other niceties include a belt hook and a LED spotlight that will really come in handy when working in poorly-lit spaces.
Makita XFD14T 18V LXT Brushless Cordless Driver Drill Kit
Yes, it’s pricey, but Makita gives you serious bang for the buck with this cordless drill. How serious? Well, despite not being a hammer drill, this thing can bore holes into concrete at a relatively fast pace, faster than most non-hammer options we’ve tried. That performance isn’t a surprise, of course, as it comes with a whopping 1,250 inch-pounds of torque and a maximum speed of 2,100 RPM, so this is one heavy-duty drill. If you plan to take on much bigger tasks than routine home DIY, this is probably the one to invest in, although it’s an absolute overkill if you’re not.
The trigger is extremely responsive, allowing you to vary the power delivery on the fly, giving you absolute control no matter what kind of drilling or driving task you’re engaged in. Despite the power, it remains fairly compact at around seven inches long, allowing you to squeeze it even in tighter spaces while remaining very easy to handle. Features include a side handle to help tame all that power, a rubberized soft grip, dust- and water-resistant construction, and a built-in LED spotlight.