Unlike most power tools, picking a Drilling device may not always be easy for everybody. However, anyone seeking to purchase the best of any power tool must do a thorough homework about the tool. Spending cash on a drill is quite a huge decision. And I’m sure you DON’T want to buy a drill that would immediately fail you over the next few years.
During our checks for the best cordless drill set, we brought together quite a larger number of drills and we also consulted some reliable statistics. We came up with 7 battery powered drills that totally satisfied our high sense of perfection.
Below are our results… (For a complete guide to find the best for your purpose, see our guide here)
20V MAX XR Li-Ion Premium 3-Speed Drill/Driver Kit See price
Quick Overview
If you are concerned about power, efficiency and durabilty, then this is definitely your tool. There are just a lot to be loved on this drill. Let’s start with the power.
If you have owned a couple of drills, you probably must have experienced that annoying resistance that comes up when drilling on concrete walls or hard metals. That is not the case in this drill. During my checks, I noticed this drill has been specifically built to handle the toughest tasks and light tasks as well. Long inches screws were driven really fast and easy deep into a very hard concrete wall using this drill. Everything that was thrown at it during the few weeks of use literally got screwed! This guy packs a punch.
The setting is amazing. You can set it for soft task like screwing tiny plastic switch onto the wall etc. Setting “1” gives you a high torque but low speed. With this, as soon as a screw sits properly, the drill stops. Amazing isn’t it. This is not a drill that lets you strip your screw. Never.
For compact drilling, you have settings 2 & 3. Setting “2” gives you medium torque and speed. While setting “3” gives you a low torque but high speed. Add the other 21 settings used for lighter tasks, and you have found a reason to ditch your old drills.
A complete kit comes with 1(one) DCD980 drill/driver, 1(one) One-hour charger, 2(two) 20V MAX XR premium lithium-ion batteries, 1(one) 360 degree side handle, 1(one) Kit box
PROS- (DEWALT DCD980M2)
1. A single charge lasts a whole day with fairly continuous work. 2. Unlike other drills where you may never tighten the chuck well enough, this drill is different. Tighten the metal chuck till you hear the click sound. That chuck will never come off till you loosen it yourself. Great! 3. I learned from a reliable colleague that the one he bought laid untouched for 18 months and was able to hold it’s charge through out the 18 months!
CONS- (DeWalt)
1. I have got to be honest. This drill has got some weight! So may not be ideal for a lady. It weighs 10.6 lbs. 2. I may not boldly classify this drill as a cheap drill.
NO PROBLEM: 1. The techinical features of this drill that make is ideal for professional use are made of metal, hence they have all contributed to its weight. The drill is just this weighty because of it’s quality. 2. Nothing good comes easy. The effiency and statisfaction derived from this drill make it worth it price
Dewalt (Model No: DCD771C2)
20V Li-Ion MAX Compact Drill and Driver (Full Kit) SEE PRICE
Quick Overview
The DeWalt (Model No: DCD771C2) 20Volts MAX Li-Ion Cordless drill is a powerful Lithium Ion, 3.6-pound heavy drill. Quite light, right? You would find it interesting that the manufacturer designed this drill to be small so it can fit into tight areas.
Its high-performance motor delivers up to 300 unit watts power ability for completing a wide range of applications. It has a High-speed motor that delivers two different speeds of 0-450 & 0-1,500 rpm respectively, for a broad range of fastening and drilling operations, and a single sleeve ratcheting chuck that provides tight bit gripping strength. DeWalt also fitted this drill with an Ergonomic handle which delivers grip comfort and flexible control. more on features…
PROS- (DeWalt)
This drill is not only efficient, it is affordable too. Purchasing one is a very good move. One replacement battery for any drill costs about $90, more or less, that makes the two 1.5Ah batteries that this drill comes with more expensive than the whole kit. For just a little over $90 or less, you get two batteries, a fast charger, a soft case and of course, the drill. You can verify the drill price here
Honestly, if you have other DEWALT 20V tools, these batteries are enough reason to still pick this one and add to your collections.
CONS- (DeWalt)
During our checks, we found a couple of things you may feel concerned about. 1. We found that the chuck loosens at times during operation, allowing the bit in the drill to fall off. 2. The charger does not indicate when the battery is fully charged.
NO PROBLEM:
1. From a further check, we found that this happens when an operator fails to tighten the chuck firmly, as a result, the frequent quick stops during an operation cause the chuck to turn a little each time until it becomes free enough to loose off and then the bit falls. When you tighten the chuck very firmly (as you are supposed to!) this limitation is reduced.
2. In as much as one of our expert review criteria is benched on all drills having a battery gauge indicator, a drill without this feature is not so bad as to make you change your mind. If you have found other features in the drill satisfying, then you may go ahead with this drill. However, drills with battery indicators are better, though it’s just as having $101 is better than having $100. (No much difference in efficiency)
This Drill also holds the GOLDEN SHIELD in our Best Cordless Drill set Review.
Makita (Model No: XPH012)
18VOLTS LXT Li-Ion 1/2-Inch Cordless Hammer Drill-Driver Full Kit SEE PRICE
Quick Overview
The Makita (Model No: XPH012) 18V LXT is a Professional quality powerful Driving and Drilling machine. Makita has intentionally built this drill to last. It features a Lithium-Ion battery that powers its motor and weighs just 4.0 lbs, with Compact and ergonomic design at only 8″ long. Makita’s 4-pole motor (engine) delivers a torque of up to 480 lbs and has a 2-speed (different speed) trigger design.
The Makita 18V delivers versatility and performance at job sites. This is because an operator can run this drill as a driver-drill or a hammer-drill, giving the operator the privilege to carry just one tool on the job instead of two, replacing the standard driver-drill. more on features…
PROS- (Makita)
Don’t let the single battery bother you. For Makita cordless drills, the charger is better than having a second battery because the charger is a tool itself. It lets you know how healthy your battery is. It also has a built-in fan that keeps the battery cool while it’s charging. The power is amazing and it has a cool humming sound when it drills.
Also, this drill’s battery stops dead when operation depletes it and doesn’t die off slowly. This is important to bear in mind because you might panic thinking that the motor has burned out which is not the case.
CONS- (Makita)
1. From our multiple checks, we didn’t find any significant issue on this drill, except for a Customers’ Review Report we analysed and found a customer who complained that the ‘Makita XPH012’ she bought failed in a short while and she had to go for the warrantied replacement which was honored and after 10 days she got a brand new drill.
NO PROBLEM: 1. I wouldn’t consider this a problem to watch out for. Makita is reputed for high quality and anything could have made the lady not satisfied with the 1st drill. Well, she got a replacement almost immediately so this drill is still worth spending money on.
The Drill also holds the SILVER SHIELD in our Best Cordless Drill set Review.
Milwaukee (Model No: 2691-22)
18-Volt Impact Driver and compact Drill Combo Kit SEE PRICE
Quick Overview
The Milwaukee 18v drill/driver is a Lightweight and durable Compact drill/driver that delivers 400 inch-pounds of torque. It weighs 4.0 pounds and measures 7 inches long. Its 1/4 inch hex compact impact with 4-pole frameless motor delivers 1400 inch-pounds of torque. It has other amazing features like the built-in LED lights, battery gauges, and variable-speed triggers.
Did I mention that it features the modern Lithium-ion battery that powers its motor? These batteries are the current big thing in electric-power as they are built to recharge fast and hold charges for a long time. This drill is available in a 5-year warranty package like every other Milwaukee power tool.
A complete set of this model comes with an 18v compact drill/driver, 1/4-inch hex impact driver, 2 compact batteries, 1 charger, one belt clip, and a soft carrying case. more on features…
PROS- (Milwaukee)
After your first work with Milwaukee 18v drill/driver, you will discover that the weight, size, grip and trigger control are all Ideal. You may easily feel it is the best cordless drill /driver in the world because there is no limit to the satisfaction derived from this tool.
If you are concerned about power, precision and good performance in an ultra-efficient package, you can’t afford to buy anything but the heavy duty Milwaukee 2691-22 18v Impact driver and Compact drill Combo Kit.
From our checks, the Milwaukee 2691-22 18v proved to be a must-have tool for every competent professional. It also maintains the 3rd position in our Best Cordless Drill set Review.
CONS- (Milwaukee)
1. From our checks, we found that the gear selector on top of this tool is somewhat hard to operate. You need to push a little harder to get it to move. 2. Writing IMHO, Milwaukee generally does not have a good customer service. They also hardly back up their warranty.
NO PROBLEM:
1. This would be updated when the brand fixes this. (As at December 2017, this hasn’t been fixed) 2. This would be updated when the brand addresses this.(As at December 2017, this hasn’t been addressed)
The Rockwell (Model No: RK2852K2) Lith-ion 20v Brushless Driver/Drill is a strong and an extremely lightweight compact cordless drill, designed to reduce fatigue and allow access in closed spaces. It gives you all the power you need for drilling and driving and adds this power to battery strength using the brushless engine.
These Brushless motors boost run time by up to 50% per charge, which is better than the performance of a standard brushed motor. They also help in the reduction of heat, friction and general inconsistency in drills allowing full power to be applied to your operation. more on features…
This drill is good because it is strong and one can easily love the meter for battery power. The batteries also charge fast and last a very long time. The chuck is also easy to operate, likewise the torque settings. So if you are looking for a great tool for job-sites or the weekend DIY projects, this is definitely another product that you can purchase and hold on to for a very long time. This drill stacks up favorably against most competitions and has also won the 4th position in our Best Cordless Drill set Review.
CONS- (Rockwell)
1. Just like Milwaukee, we also found that the gear selector on top of this Rockwell tool is hard to operate too. You have to push a little harder to get this one to move too.
NO PROBLEM:
1. This would be updated when the brand fixes this. (As at December 2017, this hasn’t been fixed)
Hitachi (Model No: DS18DSAL)
Lithium-Ion Cordless 18-Volt Compact Driver Drill SEE PRICE
Quick Overview
The Hitachi DS18DSAL Driver Drill is a tough heavy-duty drill that features a standalone flashlight, 2 rechargeable batteries, and a carrying case. The manufacturer built this tool with an industrial grade 2-piece motor, that makes it able to run any task efficiently.
The drill measures only 7.7″ in length, weighs 3.5 pounds, and produces over 450 in-lbs of torque, as a result, handles the toughest jobs flawlessly and is the easiest and most stress-free drill to use. It features a Single sleeve ratcheting 1/2″ keyless chuck (metal made) for a user-friendly operation, maximum bit grip and convenient swap-outs. (This makes it accept a wide range of bits that the operator can change quickly and easily).
You would also find a convenient metal belt hook to keep the tool close.more on features…
PROS- (Hitachi)
The keyless metal ratcheting chuck provides a great assistance that helps hold the bit in place. This bit remains secure even while on a very rigorous task.
When you couple in the convenience of a metal belt/waist hook, an astonishingly less weight, a lithium ion battery technology, and add the vitality of the externally accessible carbon brush that enables quick and easy maintenance, you would get a portable, powerful, durable, and reliable wireless drill that can’t fail.
This tool has also won itself the 5th position in our Best Cordless Drill set Review.
CONS- (Hitachi)
1. From our checks, we found that the light feature of this drill is not bright. Even after the lens were taken off to confirm if it was the lens blocking the light ray. It was confirmed that the light is just not bright. 2. We also found that the chuck wobbled a little bit even before being operated.
NO PROBLEM: 1. If you basically need a drill you can use much into the night, then I would advise you pick Makita XPH012 or DeWALT DCD771C2. 2. This seemed more like a handling defect than a factory fault to me. I guess it was dropped.
Black & Decker (Model No: LDX120C)
20-Volt Li-Ion MAX Cordless Drill/Driver SEE PRICE
Quick Overview
The B&D (Model No: LDX120C) 20-volt MAX: lithium-ion drill/driver is a high-performance transmission drill that delivers 0-650 RPM and a torque of 115 in.lbs. It is a light-weight, easy-to-use drill, weighing just 3.5 pounds and has a 3/8″ sized chuck.
Having an anti-slip soft grip, the LDX120C 20-volt provides comfort for the user and is really comfortable to work with. It comes with a LED work light that illuminates the surface for easier drilling in dark places and is really ideal for over head tasks. more on features…
PROS- (Black & Decker)
This drill has an 11-position clutch setting. This provides precise control for drilling into all material like concrete, wood, metal, plastic and all screw-driving tasks. It also ensures less user fatigue and allows operators to drill/screw in little spaces/ work areas. For its 3/8″ sized chuck and anti-slip soft grip, you would agree that the manufacturer designed this drill for perfection.
The B&D LDX120C is also backed by a 2-year warranty. It has also won itself the 6th position in our Best Cordless Drill set Review.
CONS- (Black & Decker)
1. From our checks, we found that this drill may not be your perfect definition of “power”. It couldn’t screw 1 5/8 inch drywall screw perfectly into a hardwood.
NO PROBLEM: 1. It is a good drill with quite a satisfying performance. But definitely not for very tough/high-end tasks. If you intend to purchase a drill that would be used for tough tasks, then what you need is Makita XPH012 or DeWalt DCD771C2
Bosch (Model No: HDS182-02)
18-volt Brushless 1/2-Inch Compact Tough Hammer Drill/Driver SEE PRICE
Quick Overview
The BOSCH 18V EC Brushless Compact drill is a tough drill weighing 8 pounds. It measures 3.4 inches x 13.1 inches x 11 inches. The drill is a very durable and long-lasting power tool that can drill through wood or metal. It also has the ability to switch to hammer mode to drill in masonry/ concrete with ease.
During my check, I noticed this Bosch 18V 1/2-Inch Hammer Drill/Driver can easily be loved for its ease of use and control. This ease of control would let you finish all sorts of home repairs or highly demanding jobs flawlessly. The drill/driver generates up to 442 inch-pounds of torque to power through the toughest materials. more on features…
PROS- (Bosch)
It is an ideal tool for tough job sites because the manufacturer made it with a Dura shield exterior. These Dura-shield-exteriors protects the inner workings from damage due to drops and impacts. Do you have a task that would require piercing through tough Concrete walls or floors or roof? Then you will be needing the right tool for the job. This tool is very durable, powerful and reliable. For these qualities, it also has won itself the 7th position in our Best Cordless Drill Review.
CONS- (Bosch)
1. After a long check, we didn’t find any significant issue with this drill. However, for a few times, the battery in the drill had to be removed and placed back to get the drill to come on.
NO PROBLEM: 1. While this problem might be a turn off for some people, the drill is still worth spending money on. The operational functions are very great and they also satisfied our expert taste.
These are high-tech battery drills, everybody uses in varieties of projects and applications. Ranging from metal works to wood works, and from professional constructions to petty do-it-yourself projects. ‘Wireless’ drills are also very common at homes as well as workplaces. They serve a great deal in putting worn-out hangers or cupboards in place. Or making new home furniture. Or boring holes in your office concrete walls for some classified reasons. This is basically why there is a very high demand for this machine. It serves a broad range of purposes. Engineers also use specially designed drills for medical surgeries, space missions, marine projects and many other applications.
Let’s start off by saying that the first ‘pistol-grip’ electric drill, which is now substituted by the ultra-tech wireless drill, was created and patented by Black & Decker in Maryland, USA, back in 1917. That’s a long time ago, yeah? Cool.
These battery powered drills happen to be the best selling power tools in the market today. They have become the must-have tool found in the toolbox of every good technician. All big professional contractors, carpenters, plumbers, sculptors, and electricians want to own a good battery powered drill. Even you and I often need to fix things around the homes every now and then. Everybody just needs to own the best cordless drill set available. One may ask, “How does this tool even work that it is so competent in its duty?” A million dollar question if you ask me.
Firstly, to understand a ‘wireless drill’, you are to bear in mind that every wireless drill has a rechargeable battery. This battery powers the motor when you pull the speed control trigger.
The battery’s electrical energy converts into mechanical energy bringing about the rotation power the motor requires to turn the chuck. (This power is a combination of torque and speed and is transferred to the chuck via the gearbox).
The motor reacting to the power already transferred to it brings about the chuck rotation. This allows the drill driver to drill holes and drive screws, with the required drill bit or screwdriver bit. This is quite different from how an Impact Driver works.
Now, different drill manufacturers use different types and settings of gearboxes. Some use a single speed gearbox, which causes some cordless drills to run at one defined speed. While some companies use a dual speed or multiple-speed gearbox, which enables the drill operator to switch between speeds. So, depending on the brand of your drill, the gearbox may present the possibility to select different gears. Thus, enabling different speed ranges. This is a major factor to consider when picking the best cordless drill set.
Note: Some of the best ‘wireless drills’ feature an Impact drill mechanism and compact drill mechanism built into one tool. For such tools, the impact drilling itself wouldn’t come on until the operator generates the torque required for impact drilling. The operator would achieve this if he continues powering the drill, and the torque level gets above what the rotational power of a drill can generate. And when the operator activates this, the impacting gears automatically begin working, delivering an extra force that will have him quickly and easily completing tasks that would have been major headaches.A hammer the manufacturer attached to the motor rapidly and continuously pounds into an anvil, which the manufacturer has also attached to the bit. These quick, powerful strikes, or impacts, supply the extra torque, thus the name impact drilling.
Keep in mind that this hammer system doesn’t make these drills hammer drills nor Impact drivers, these are totally different tools. The bits of hammer drills actually move in and out, while the bits of these compact wireless drills are static. The technical work happens inside the tool, giving you the ability to carry out all sort of task flawlessly.
BATTERY ISSUES As an experienced power tools analyst, I’ll humbly tell you this. The greatest problem with some battery-powered drills is battery’s in-efficiency. You purchase what is, to you, the best cordless drill set in the world. After a few months of bragging to friends on how efficient your new toy is. You start experiencing the quick-battery-run-down especially when you have not used it for a while. One major way to avoid this problem is steering clear from bad drill manufacturers. This way, you are sure to purchase a good drill and use your drill for a long time.
This Best Cordless Drills review is intended to keep you from purchasing a drill like this. We have considered this factor to a great extent before picking out best drills.
ANNOYING WEIGHT Some manufacturers have so old-fashionably designed some drills, you would get operation fatigue trying to drill into a tiny space. They have built these drills to be too heavy. This is one major problem females experience on some drills. Kate’s first drill weighed a huge 17lbs, this must have given her a guy’s arm after about 8months of use. With that kind of high-weight drill, one’s DIY passion would easily be knocked off. I guess a couple of us have a problem with this weight factor too.
It would help to note that all our picks of the best cordless drills weigh between 3.5lbs – 8lbs. Over time, we have gotten enough proof to conclude that light power tools are more likely to give the most satisfaction. Couple this fact with our general experience in power tools, I can tell you this, “any drill weighing above 9 lbs is a big fail, or let’s say 10 lbs. If it happens to be above 10 lbs… please pass.”
HAZARDOUS KICKBACKS Also, some bad cordless drills kickback often. This is common, especially when drilling large holes or driving large screws into strong materials. In such cases, some bad drills’ motor encounters resistance that makes it harder to turn its chuck. If resistance gets too high, the motor will find it hard to turn the screw or drill bit. As a result, the mechanical power that should transfer to the bit from the motor would transfer to the body. This, instead of turning a bit, would start turning the drill in the user’s hands. This is termed ‘kickback’. Kickbacks can cause a serious accident by straining the user’s wrist as he tries to hold the tool steady.
Well, these major problems are not your problems. Because your guy BCDP came up with a more useful method of helping you find the best cordless drills.