In last year’s Spring 2013 Best Cordless Drills roundup, Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel drill driver was our top recommendation. Ridgid’s 18V X4 drill was runner up, Craftsman’s XCP received special mention, and Milwaukee’s M12 lineup was recommended in the 12V Li-ion category.
The question is still the same: I’m looking for a new cordless drill, what do you recommend?, but our answer is now a little different.
Check out the most recent edition of our Best Cordless Drills!
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A lot has happened in the ~14 months since last year’s recommendations. Most notably, there are now many more brushless drills out on the market. For this 2014 edition of our cordless drill recommendations, there are a few new categories to help you determine which is the best cordless drill for your needs and budget.
As with last year’s recommendations, these are based on what I feel are the best picks out of all the cordless drills and drivers I have tested and used. Consider it a list of which cordless drills I would buy today if I needed a new drill.
Since drill drivers and hammer drills often share much of the same parts and features, many of these drill/driver recommendations could apply to hammer drills as well.
Do you agree with these recommendation? Disagree? Please let us know in a comment!
Best 18V: Milwaukee FUEL
The Milwaukee M18 FUEL brushless drill kit, 2603-22CT, is still our top cordless drill pick. It’s built with a powerful and efficient brushless motor that delivers high torque and long runtime. Even though the M18 FUEL cordless drill is built for power, it is still compact and relatively light, making it more comfortable to use than other heavy duty drills.
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If you want maximum power and runtime, pair the brushless drill/driver with Milwaukee’s M18 XC extended capacity battery pack. But if you ask me, the M18 FUEL drill is plenty powerful when equipped with their smaller and lighter compact Li-ion battery pack.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Editor’s Choice 18V: Bosch
Bosch’s 18V DDS181 cordless drill has become my favorite drill to use, possibly because it’s one I personally own. It’s not the most powerful drill on the market, but it delivers solid performance and is very comfortable
The new Bosch DDS182, which was introduced as part of Bosch’s brushless cordless drills and drivers launch, delivers longer runtime and is surprisingly compact, but I still find myself favoring the brushed motor DDS181.
Because the DDS181 drill/driver is not the latest and greatest brushless model, its price has come down quite a bit in recent months, making it a good contender as a top lower-budget recommendation as well.
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Best Budget 18V: Hitachi
Hitachi’s DS18DSAL 18V drill/driver kit might look a little unconventional, but it’s a tried-and-true design that’s powerful, user-friendly, and very affordable. It might not be the latest and greatest cordless drill, but it delivers good performance at a fantastic price.
Hitachi released a new budget model for 2014, DS18DGL, which has cleaner lines and a quieter color scheme. You can save a few bucks by going with this kit instead of DS18DSAL, but there are a couple of tradeoffs, such as lower torque and lower capacity Li-ion battery packs.
Buy Now(DS18DSAL via Amazon)
Buy Now(DS18DGL via Lowes)
Runner-Up Budget 18V: Ryobi ONE+
Ryobi’s One+ line of 18V NiCD and now Li-ion tools are prosumer models that DIYers and some professional users are quite fond of. Their mid-range and higher-tier cordless drills are quite capable and are very affordably priced.
Whole Ryobi One+ drills are not exceptionally impressive, but they do allow for easier entry into the One+ lineup, which contains some very practical and innovative offerings.
If you’re looking for just a budget drill, you could do better, such as with the Hitachi drills mentioned above, and even the Bosch. But if you’re looking to slowly grow your power tool kit, Ryobi’s One+ drill/driver (Li-ion version) provides an excellent gateway.
Buy Now(via HomeDepot)
Special Mention 18V: Dewalt Premium 3-Speed
Very similar to Dewalt’s brushless premium hammer drill, the DCD990 drill/driver is a relatively new heavy-duty 3-speed drill. Although I have never been very fond of Dewalt’s 20V Max 3-speed drills, due to their large sizes and heavy weights, their bulk is not for naught. This drill packs in a lot of punch and is more compact than previous generations, which is makes it a great upgrade for fans of Dewalt’s 3-speed Li-ion and XRP NiCd cordless drills.
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Best 12V: Milwaukee FUEL
Milwaukee’s M12 tool platform has become our favorite 12V-class compact cordless tool power lineup, so it should be no surprise that their M12 FUEL drill driver is our top 12V pick.
The Milwaukee M12 FUEL drill driver is the most powerful 12V-class drill we’ve seen, and it can even deliver greater torque than a lot of entry-level 18V-class drills currently on the market. A brushless motor means you can expect great runtime, and Milwaukee redesigned the grip and housing for better balance and comfort.
The 2403-22 kit comes with both compact 2.0Ah and extended capacity 4.0Ah battery packs.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Runner Up 12V: Bosch Brushless
Bosch’s PS32 brushless drill/driver also launched with the brand’s initial wave of brushless drills and drivers, and is proof that brushless doesn’t have to mean expensive.
The new cordless drill is compact, light, reasonably powerful for its size, and it sports a new chuck with auto-locking feature. The PS32-02 kit comes with (2) 2.0Ah Li-ion batteries that, when combined with the brushless motor’s higher power efficiency, means phenomenal runtime.
If you’re looking for the latest and greatest 12V tool, and favor smaller size and weight over maximum torque, then Bosch’s PS32 is a great alternative to Milwaukee’s M12 FUEL drill/driver.
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Best Budget 12V: Bosch
When I reviewed the Bosch PS31 drill/driver nearly four years ago, I knew that better drills would follow, and they have. Even so, the PS31 remains one of my favorite compact drills to recommend. It’s inexpensive, especially when on sale, and well-featured for DIYers and professional users who have light to medium-duty usage demands.
The PS31 remains a great value, especially since you can now get it as part of a 2-battery and double L-Boxx kit (PS31-2AL1A) for about $130.
Buy Now(Bosch L-Boxx Bundle via Amazon)
Runner Up Budget 12V: Milwaukee
Milwaukee’s updated M12 brushed motor drill kit, 2407-22, dropped in price to $99 last November, and it seems to have stayed there since.
Bosch’s basic PS31 kit (PS31-2A) sometimes drops from $129 to $99, but only during certain times of the year. If their special ~$130 L-Boxx bundle is priced higher than you were looking to spend, this Milwaukee M12 kit is your best option for just under $100.
There’s nothing particularly spectacular about this drill, but it’s capable, durable, reliable, and is engineered with similar ergonomics as Milwaukee’s premium FUEL models. It’s a solid model that’s nicely priced.
If I weren’t such a fan of Bosch’s L-Boxx toolboxes, this would probably be my top budget drill recommendation instead of the Bosch special bundle kit.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Zach
Very surprised to not see a mention of the DeWalt 12v stuff..
I prefer it for one simple reason.. the battery provides a method to stand the tool up.
Joshua Latham
Thats what I have and I have been very pleased with them. Also the grip is very comfortable compared to the large grips of the Milwaukee and Bosch.
Stuart
Bosch and Milwaukee both have flat-bottom 12V 4.0Ah batteries that allow their tools to stand up stably as well.
Dewalt’s 12V drill is okay, but a little short on power at times. Maximum runtime isn’t as good either. Milwaukee and Dewalt have 12V 2.0Ah and 4.0Ah batteries, Dewalt has 1.5Ah batteries.
I prefer Dewalt’s pistol grip, but it’s not strong enough a preference to outweigh what I like more about the other brands’ drills.
Jason
It also seems to me that Dewalt isn’t too interested in their 12v platform they are just adding 2.0 ah battery packs now, and its been quite awhile sense they have added or updated any of the tools. Milwaukee and Bosch are the ones that seem to be the big players of the 12v game. Makita hasn’t done much with their 12v lineup either.
Bikerdad
They may stand up, but you can’t just plunk them down. You have to PAY ATTENTION when setting them down if you want them to stand up. Once standing, they’re really easy to knock over, so, at least in my experience with the Bosch, for all practical purposes, they don’t stand up.
Maintenance Mike
Stay away from Milwaukee. I decided to buy the brand new Milwaukee brushless hammer-drill after my Dewalt max hammer drill burned up it’s brushes over three years of daily use. I used the Dewalt for tapping thousands of holes up to 3/8″-16 in steel. Anyway I used the Milwaukee for one day and the cheap-ass chuck was bent, or one of the jaws is shot. The rohm chuck on the Dewalt makes the tool, and I don’t care what Milwaukee claims, the Dewalt has more power and doesn’t just quit on you when things get tough and you need the extra half second of torque to break through. My solution is to buy a rohm chuck for this drill, because otherwise it’s pretty nice. The Dewalt does have three useful speeds, which the Milwaukee does not.
mike
Love my Bosch 12V stuff,its great for smaller projects when you dont want to lug a larger tool around like putting furniture together and such.
Roger J.
I think this just shows you need to try more drills before claiming a winner.
Stuart
There will always be more drills to test and evaluate.
fred
The best one can do is to provide a snapshot in time based on some sort of reasonably objective criteria – and then spell out the reasons for rating each tool versus another. There will always be differences of: opinion – personal preferences – types of use – budget – size of hands – past experience etc. And – as Stuart points out – there will always be other and newer tools to test.
So how is a person to decide? Some industrial distributers (ones like AW Meyers come to mind) and big box stores may have enough selection to allow the buyer to try one tool out versus another – so you can at least gauge its weight, grip and so on. Online its a bit more difficult – but Amazon’s liberal return policy helps – if you buy a highly rated tool and find it just doesn’t make it for you. In the end it probably comes down to a compromise anyway – and after all – we’re just buying a tool – not choosing a life-partner – even though it sometimes seems that way when you buy into a large number of tools with the same battery platform.
Blair
I totally agree, a co-worker recently was gifted the DeWALT drill, and impact driver system based on how it felt inn his hand, He had looked at the other offerings, but chose that one on how it felt. In the end it is what works for you. I have much larger hands than him, and I like how it fits also, however I haven’t tried the competitors yet.
Noah
Interest that no Makita made the list. Not that I have one to recommend, just find it interesting.
I find it hard to disagree with your choices, Stuart.
Stuart
I tried a few Makita drills, not this year but earlier, and while there was nothing wrong with them, there was not much to raise them above competing models.
Aellynh
I sold/donated most of my Makita stuff earlier this year and finally made the jump to another manufacturer. Went with Metabo since they were the first manufacturer pushing 5.0+ AH batteries. Looks like most manufacturers will be at or near 5.0 AH by this summer, although it makes me curious how long it will be before we start seeing 6, 7, or even more AH in your usual fatty style battery.
Maintenance Mike
Metabo makes awesome tools, and after being disappointed by Milwaukee once again, I think I’m going to have to buy from Germany again, but this time with my power tools. Fein also makes good cordless tools.
Chris Fyfe
I would tend to concurr . The remaining brushed M12’s are now very well priced .
Chris
chuchundra
I’m not much of a handyman compared to a lot of others here, but I do love my Ryobi One+. It’s more than enough for the light projects and home repairs that I need it for and the One+ line gives me a very large selection of similarly decent tools, allowing me to leverage my battery investment.
I even have a Ryobi One+ weed trimmer, which is just great for quick cleanups around the yard without having to lug out my big extension cord.
jason. w
I got my dad into the one+ line. He’s looking to get that trimmer as well. Partly for the fact that my mom can use electric rather then the 2-cycle he currently has, which she can’t get started.
Glenn
As stated in above comments, I have to agree that it is “horses for courses”.
Personally my go to drill is the Milwaukee M12 angle drill. I do air con installs and it suits my needs almost perfectly. Compact, enough grunt, quick recharge times and fits in spaces where a normal type drill won’t.
Have to agree with Stuart on his recommendation for the Ryobi as the best budget 18v drill. I have had two of these, (one the early blue version) and could not fault them other than their unnecessary over sized design.
Jason
I was pretty shocked when I saw my friends old blue Ryobi drill and how long it was. I hadn’t seen one in awhile, and like you mentioned it was a large drill. Ryobi has a recall on some of the Blue drills I believe, and some of the Lithium chemistry chargers.
Matthew Fant
M18 Fuel is a great line! The Cordless drill gets you in the door, and they have a very impressive catalog to keep you broke for awhile, lol. I picked the Dewalt 20v line, and it’s been hard watching them take a back seat to Milwaukee’s disruptive innovation for sure. That being said I prefer the Dewalt dcd995 or 985 to the equivalent Fuel, But that’s a personal preference, felt better in the hand, I like 3 speeds, and I like the dewalt brushless more. It seemed to have a faster motor response.
Ivor
I aggree to Mathew’s comment. Iv’e been a user of cordless drills for over 30 years and I own more than 15 cordless drills.The Dewalt dcd995 just seems the most appropiate drill when it’s my hand. Having said that, I just took myself to the next level and bought a Milwaukee 28v cordless drill – this obviously has more power than any of my previous drills – I tested it by trying to drive an 8″ screw (no pre-drilling) into my tree and the Dewalt 20v dcd995 got stuck half way- but the Milwaukee 28v just drove it in all the way effortlessly.
Maintenance Mike
I agree, and use a three year old Dewalt that I replaced mistakenly with a Milwaukee. Now I’ve replaced my brushes in the Dewalt and it’s still a better tool than the Milwaukee.
Mike
Metabo SB 18 LTX – Has not let me down….
matt
Just curious, why isn’t Rigid listed?
Stuart
It was a runner up in last year’s best cordless drill recommendations – https://toolguyd.com/best-cordless-drills-032013/.
For this year’s guide, there were too many models tied for the runner up position. I couldn’t settle on a 2nd best pick without following with 3rd, 4th, and 5th place models at the least, so I opted to not include any of them. There might be a mid-range roundup later on if there’s enough interest.
Chance
The Ridgid 18V X4 drill was runner up last year. Did it not make this years list due to the lack of updates to the model/line up? And have you heard anything on their next generation coming out yet?
Stuart
The Ridgid X4 is still a great model, but it’s a little dated. There are too many brushed motor drills that are as good or better. TTI has come out with a brushless hammer drill and impact driver in their AEG lineup overseas, but seems hesitant to bring them to the USA under Ridgid branding. Maybe Home Depot doesn’t want to carry these tools yet.
Jim Felt
Having never worn out or actually dropped any drill hard enough to stop it I’m always dismayed that I can’t get the latest and/or greatest power tool. Dang. I’d love to upgrade my 18v Dewalt drills and my oldest Makita nickle metal angle torque wrenches but like my 12v Bosch collection there’s no “need”…
And don’t get started on corded gear. Hole Hawgs anyone?
joe
I gave my brand new m18 fuel to my brother (well I used it for a couple of months at work but still looks new). I tried to like it but I couldn’t.
Maybe part of me being a perfectionists played a part in my decision.
The m18 fuel clutch is not sensitive like my dewalt’s. On the lowest clutch setting on m18 still has a lot of grip before it slips. To compare it to my dcd790, m18 1 is a 4 setting in my dewalt. I work on cabinets on occasion, and I use the clutch to put back all the cabinet screws back.
There are more quirks that I didn’t like about it, when I went back to my dewalt, I preferred it better all around drill.
I’m sure the m18 has it’s place, but for me, it did not cut it.
What bothered me a little was giving away a tool afterwards since I like tools. I would have preferred giving him B&D or one of those $99 ones or just a gift card…sings of a tool addict…lol
vk
To be honest I can’t remember the last time I have even touched my cordless drill since I purchased the Bosch PS41 impact driver. The few things I don’t have a hex bit for I end up using a corded drill. I love the size and the power and would probably end up with their 12v drill if I had to purchase again – even with the three 18v cordless drills I already own.
Sim
How did the Metabo BS 18 LTX BL Quick do in tests?
Craig
I’m looking to buy a drill right now and am grateful for all of the information you’ve given here. Based largely on your 2013 and2014 reviews I am thinking I’ll get either the Bosch DDS181 (109.00 at Amazon) or the Craftsman C# XPC you reviewed from last year. I am concerned however that the Craftsman isn’t mentioned anywhere on the 2014 list (even in the comments). They have a great sale price on a combo tool kit with that drill right now but I have read some negative reviews about the battery/charger as well as a slipping chuck. Any thoughts or help?….
Stuart
The Craftsman is still decent, but I greatly prefer Bosch. If you plan to expand your cordless tool kit with saws, drivers, and other tools for DIY projects, the Craftsman offers easier entry into a more economical cordless system. But between Bosch and Craftsman, if you’re just looking for a cordless drill and don’t care about anything else, Bosch would absolutely be my favored pick. The Craftsman is designed for DIY applications, the Bosch is designed for professional use. That’s not to say that the Craftsman cannot be used for pro work or the Bosch for DIY work, but the Bosch will probably hold up a lot better over time.
My Bosch DDS181 doesn’t work well for heavy duty high torque applications, but the Craftsman wouldn’t hold up any better.
Mark Bingham
You guys must not work in the field very much or even step foot on a large construction projects. If you did you would notice alot of Milwaukee’s drills broken in the gang box. Right above the trigger the Milwaukee will break in half very easily from a 6 foot ladder. They are simply crap tools…yes there is a lot of them for you to post about but more than half are simply useless.
As for the it is Bosh rare to see them and Hitachi are not priced reasonable and have very little features.
Spoken from the real professional, the Dewalt drill will last you twice the life of the Milwaukee and will punch the hole, run the lag, and seat the screw faster and with more precision.
Hand down Dewalt is the best product on the market today.
I don’t mention the ma-cheap-a, anyone who has worked with a dewalt will take one feel of it and know it’s not the real deal.
scott
I’ve burnt out 2 dewalt 20v xrp drills, I mean it probably was my own fault but none the less I have still burnt up 2 of them. I mean smoke billowing out the air vents
Patrick northrup
Do your research Milwaukee is the only company that dose not make a crap cheaper homeowner line of tools Dewalt dose. I am a trade electrician I have used them all and Milwaukee will out power and outlast on runtime the Dewalt line any day. As far as the drop comment I have dropped Milwaukee M18 from 2nd level scaffold to concrete and it is still running strong. Please do your homework before commenting and confusing people thanks and sorry if I sounded too cocky. P.s am a former navy seal so I do my homework lol
Tom Desfosses
I not only disagree one of my tool buddies and I both have new sets of the fuel line and the 20 v max tools. When it came to busting holes panel boards the Dewalt was the clear winner in both speed and run time using new pk cuter style bits from 2 1/2 inch down. As for the rest of the line up if you’re an electrician draining an impact gun before your next battery is charge…. Please send me your resume.
Patrick northrup
I dont believe that lie. But like i said i would wrather stick with a company that dose not put there name on a cheaper line of tools sold at home depot just for homeownersi did my research but not only that i took apart 3 different drills dewalt milwaukee and makita purchased at home depot and milwaukee had metal gears the others were plastic real professionals use milwaukee.. its ok dewalt kids dont cry…
thomas
Simple Solution put your money where your mouth is…I already did. Remember ignorance is bliss for house bashing residential rug rats.
Patrick northrup
That made no sense. Anyway, i understand it is anoying when you were so sure of something then someone comes along with solid evidece that you were wrong.
Like i said milwaukee is the only company that dose not make a cheaper homeowners line of tools for sale at home depot with plastic gears, but I know from disassembling myself that dewalt,ryobi,hitachi,porter cable, and makita all have plastic gears milwaukee dose not.
Oh and not sure bout rigid my research didnt include them.
Oh and also i am a commercial and residential electrician so my reserch is not just from dissasembly of tools but heavy use as well… ta. Ta buh bye and buy a milwaukee and use the dewalt as a paper weight or toilet paper ha…
John
As someone who has worked as a Union electrician for almost 20 yrs., I have used and abused drills made by most of the manufacturers. I strongly disagree with the previous review, calling Milwaukee junk and Dewalt the best.Dewalt has always seemed to be the most popular but that does not make them the best. Workers who use contractor provided tools don’t take care of them like they would if they purchased them, I have been guilty of it too. Using a drill holster can wear on you so taking the chance of having the drill fall when placed on the top of the ladder is not such a big deal when the cost does not come out of your pocket. In such a situation, maybe Dewalt may handle more drops but it lacks in every other aspect. My biggest beef against Dewalt was that I used to always lose holesaws and step bits when drilling through top plates of walls. I would feel the bit go through, followed by the sound of my bit hitting the floor inside the wall. This was less common at the time with Milwaukee because the chuck was built with a steel construction that held bits more secure. Additionally, I do a lot of residential construction and remodels on the side and purchase duplicates of tools so I don’t have to carry around all my tools when I have multiple jobs going. 10 years ago, I purchased an 18 volt Milwaukee drill and since then, 2 Dewalts that I got a good deal on. Although I take precaution to prevent dropping my drills, I beat on them in most other manners when it comes to using them to their limits. I will often use 18″ auger bits up to 1 1/8″ diameter and 5′ long flex bits through wood and holesaws up to 4″ in various other materials. The Dewalt’s have long been junked but the Milwaukee is still going strong, only having to replace batteries. Just recently I upgraded to M18 fuel rather than buy new ni- cad batteries, simply because of the new battery capacities and increased performance . It is overkill for the regular homeowner involved in a DIY project or hobby but top notch for anyone using it to make a living. For any professional, you already know what you like. For a homeowner, this is the Cadillac of drills but there are more affordable drills that would fit your needs but I would avoid the Craftman, Black and Decker or Skil. If you are getting a combo set, the Milwaukee sawzall is far superior than Dewalt’s version as well.
Maintenance Mike
I agree with your assessment about the chuck, and I also disagree. The Dewalt does loosen up on hole saws for whatever reason, but the chuck is far superior regardless. It is built far heavier, and has carbide jaws-Milwaukee uses a Chinese garbage chuck that bends easily-first day for me. If you drill and tap a lot of 8/32’s, that third speed is also a lifesaver, and the Dewalt also has a more sensitive clutch. I like the Milwaukee as a drill, and use the Dewalt for more. It takes more abuse and in my opinion it has more useful power.
Tom
I’m not a professional, but I do use a variety of tools on nearly a daily basis. As to cordless tools, over the years I’ve owned and used Dewalt, Craftsman, Bosch and now Ryobi in both the 12v and 18v variety. I bought the Ryobi set for my son as a starter pack thinking he’d stop borrowing my tools and I would cut down the amount of time I had to search for a misplaced tool. Over the last couple of years, I have found just the opposite has occurred. Because of the breadth of tools available and decent enough batteries, I have found myself reaching for the Ryobi’s and the others have largely been relegated to only occasional use. The tools themselves may not be the best tool in any category whether drill, driver, saw, impact wrench, multitool or whatever, but these things are the decathlon winner of tools. Each of the tools works well enough for most jobs and have held up for about two years of semi-regular use. Its probably worth noting that I’m also not particularly easy on tools.
As a side benefit, I’ll regularly throw these thing in the Jeep when we go wheelin off road for that instance of needing a power tool for a real-time repair to facilitate making it home. Again because of the variety of tools and their price point, you don’t fill the Jeep with tools and a variety of batteries, and if you wreck one (which I haven’t been able to do yet), it won’t hit your wallet too hard to replace the tool.
SteveW
Agree on the Ryobi 18 volt. Not the best, but always good enough, I just have to get the Lithium batteries and get rid of the NiCd. I have two regular drills, one right angle, two 1/4 impacts, which are great, even convinced a carpenter friend that they were worth having, he was sure a cordless drill was enough for driving, but after using mine he picked up a DeWalt for himself. Also am on my third recip saw in 10 years, not heavy duty, but I use it for all kinds of stuff and the slide bushings wear out, almost as expensive to repair as replace, so I replace them. I do wish they had a better radio, and I don’t use the flashlight, the Dustbuster style vac, or the odd looking sander. I do have the six bay dual chem charger, which is great.
Bryndin Phillips
I’m. A dewalt guy but don’t mind milwaukee but I was surprised to not see the dewalt up top. But I didn’t see anything about the grips by far if your using it every day day in and day out id take a dewalt over anything best grips and the batteries can be used on all tools. Unlike Makita garbage which doesn’t Suprise me not being mentioned.
SteveW
I’ve had a few cordless drills in the last 27 years, mostly consumer grade DIY stuff. The worst I ever had was Craftsman 18 volt drill/circ. saw set. The best was a Panasonic 9.6v with a 15 minute charger, lasted about six or seven years before the battery quit holding a charge but I still have it, not sure why. Currently have a bunch of Ryobi 18 volt tools, started when all they had was NiCd batteries, and were the only company with a roundup of tools using all the same battery. Still don’t have Lithium batteries yet, but even with them, these would be nowhere near pro grade tools. Strictly homeowner stuff as they were aimed at, but not too bad.
witchcraftz
Where is the cordless range from Ingersoll Rand in this list? These tools pack more power and longevity than any of the above mentioned. The IR are top notch quality.
Stuart
I’m testing an IR model for the 2015 revision.
IR’s cordless tools have done nothing but impress me.
The 2015 revision won’t be finished for some time, but there will have to be additional categories to accommodate all of the models I can heartily recommend.
Gavin
No Festool…?
kit kat
I am a lady looking for a drill reasonably priced yet strong enough to install blinds, closet shelving, every household repairs. Can someone give me their recommendations, as I can’t make heads or tails out of all of this. Thanks in advance!
Stuart
If you have small hands, Dewalt’s 12V drill/driver might be a good choice, as it has a slimmer handle. Otherwise, the 12V models mentioned above are compact and lightweight, and they have reasonably slender and easy-to-grip handles.
For the tasks you mentioned, one of the mentioned 12V drills should be perfect. An alternative is to wait until the winter holidays and snatch up a Ryobi 18V One+ drill kit for $75 to $100.
You might also benefit from seeing the homeowner drill recommendations discussed at https://toolguyd.com/best-12v-cordless-drill-screwdriver-combo-for-homeowner-woodworker/ .
Jerry
Kit kat, if all you want is a drill, I’d agree with Stuart on one of the 12 volt models. They are light, compact, and have adequate power for household use. However, if you think you may want more tools in the future, be sure to check out what else they have in the lineup. I’d say Ryobi has the widest selection of tools available that use the same battery, even yard and garden cordless tools. However, if you just want to drill holes and drive screws, any of the better 12 volt tools should work. They will be lighter and cheaper than comparable 18/20 volt tools, and are more than adequate for household use. In fact, some of the better ones rival the performance of 18 volt tools from a few years back.
One thing I strongly recommend would be lithium batteries. They are much lighter than nickel cadmium batteries, and will not lose charge nearly as fast sitting on a shelf. After a few months, nickel cadmium batteries will have lost a significant amount of charge, even without use.
DR Woodcutter
kit kat,
I would look at the DeWalt 20V compact drill/driver model DCD780C2. I have used it on my jobsites for almost two years now. It is lightweight, yet has plenty of power. The compact batteries have a decent run-time, while making the tool feel much more balanced. Also the smaller size makes it less awkward when working it tight spaces or up against a wall.
Hope this helps.
kit kat
Thanks guys. ..this was great help. I am going today to check the prices on your recommendations. Hopefully they have a sale or 2 going on Moving and need to get work done! Thanks again!
joe
You forgot the best brand, Hilti
chuck
they all have there ups and downs i think i have used all that have been mentioned ..except the festool tooooo much to invest for the way i treat tools lol…ryoby was my favorite for years owned almost all variations of each tool and the tools held up well… the batteries did not last and it seemed cheaper to buy new sets rather than batteries .. when i rethought things i ended up with milwaukee because of tool and battery warranty as well as versatility of all the tools using one of 2 different batteries 12V or 18v never had a need for 28v such as each that i own now and use almost daily pcv shear awesome lol hammer drill 12v and 18v copper tubing cutter ,band saw ,4 different saw zalls each has its place ,,several led lights 18v power nibblers awesome ,impact wrenches awesome never plug my compressor in anymore lol circular saw brushless awesome no more cords on the jobs and fast charging no OTHER brand has as many different tools that use the same batteries I have several others also its a no brainer MILWAUKEE .. check out thier website on facebook …..and see for yourself what tools your missing ..https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=146797228656
Gail Jackson
I want to get a drill for my sons girlfriend who is an architect and puts up many shelves. What would you recommend for her.
Stuart
Gail – I would point you towards the Dewalt DCD710 that I reviewed a couple of years ago. The 12V Milwaukee discussed above is also a good option.
I mention the Dewalt because it has a thinner grip which I’m thinking some women with smaller hands might prefer. However, plenty of women use the Bosch and Milwaukee models comfortable, and full-size drills as well.
Since you’re shopping for a gift, I would also recommend Ridgid’s new 12V drill and impact combo. It’s priced at $99 and comes with decent tools. Milwaukee’s drill and impact driver combo has been yo-yoing between $99, $129, and $169 pricing. If you could find it for $99, that would be the best deal.
Chris Fyfe
The selections seem reasonable to me .
The Premium brands like Festool , Hilti , and Metabo , aren’t seen too much In the average users tool lockup . If cash was no object , I might retool a bit in Hilti , and explore the wonder that is Festool . My older Hilti stuff has never skipped a beat .
I had a project recently where I had to run a bunch of 6″ plus mega screws , I bought an M18 Brushless impact for the job . I didn’t want to damage my older Hilti 14.4 .
Chris
Rami
You mention Ryobi but not Kobalt? I always feel that toolguyd.com reviews are hostile towards Lowe’s.
Stuart
What’s great about Kobalt’s drill? What’s better about Kobalt’s 18V/20V Max cordless lineup over Ryobi’s? That’s why the Ryobi is mentioned and not Kobalt’s.
I don’t think I’m hostile against Lowes at all.
Marco Franciosi
Bought a Makita BHP459 in Italy, brushless 18V + hammer function, suddenly found a strange vibration and noise coming from the hammer mechanism, seems like it doesn’t fully deactivate in drill/screwdriver modes, you feel it when the drilling pressure is not hard and is like working with a toy. The service changes the chuck and the entire gearbox, and the problem remains. Tried all the models (service is a shop too) that share the same plastic chuck and mechanism and all have the same problem, the hammer is always ‘almost’ enabled. This is really disappointing, 300 Euros and it works worst than the 15 yo Ni-CD model plus the guy from the Makita service said “i don’t know what to do”.
ajw1978
Just brought home the Milwaukee 12V kit with the extra, XC battery ($129 at HD … pretty sure it was the last one in town, too). Had originally ordered a new 18V Ridgid kit but realized there was no point in replacing my less-than-year old C3 kit, which included extra batteries and several other tools. Had planned to pick up the Ridgid 12V instead, then found the MKE kit and had a hard time saying no, even with the LSA. Have only played around with it so far, but I think I like my purchase. And I feel pretty bad-ass having some Milwaukee in my tool box … if only there were actually still MADE in Milwaukee.
Benny
Hi guys hope someone out there can give me some advice . i need 1- a cordless drill 2- has an on and off switch as in not controlled by finger trigger 3- has speed regulator low to high or low medium high . I shall be using the drill with a flexicable price doesn’t really matter quality does would hope there is a makita that fits the bill. Thank you in advance