Buying guide for best cordless drills
A drill is likely one of the first handheld power tools you'll purchase. It is essential for accomplishing numerous tasks that other power tools simply can't handle. Cordless drills rival the most powerful corded drills, yet they have the added benefit of being fully mobile, so you can take them anywhere you need to work.
The most important element is power. You need a brawny cordless drill with a long-lasting battery that doesn't take all day to charge. Purchasing a package that includes the drill, battery, and charger is often the wisest option. A backup battery is nice, as are an LED light, multiple speeds, and a variable clutch.
Why buy a cordless drill?
You might think the uses for a cordless drill are limited, but it’s actually a highly versatile tool for many situations. Here are just a few of the capabilities you’ll find in a cordless drill:
Driving screws
A good set of screw driving bits allows you to work with traditional Phillips head screws, slotted, or more specialty screws such as Pozidrivs or triple-squares.
Mixing paint
Yes, you can even find attachments to thoroughly mix paint (or, if your drill is powerful, cement!) to ensure your new living room walls look perfect.
Drilling holes
Cordless drills can turn drill bits as easily as screw driving bits.
Never wear baggy clothing when working with a power tool. Avoid dangling necklaces, bracelets, or anything else that could become tangled in your drill.
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Nuts and bolts
With a set of socket driving bits, you can work with all manner of fasteners.
Sanding and polishing
Many types of sanding attachments are available, making your cordless drill an excellent tool for smoothing furniture or even restoring car headlights.
Gardening
Believe it or not, you can actually till soil, dig holes, and pull weeds with a cordless drill.
Clean everything
There are plenty of brush and sponge attachments. Let your drill put the elbow grease into cleaning.
Some cordless drills come with interesting or helpful features and attachments. We take note of products that include an attachment to mix paint, a sanding/polishing attachment, or a set of socket driving bits.
We look for cordless drills with battery power between 12 and 18 volts, as this is sufficient for most household tasks. The more volts a drill has, the more powerful it is — and the more expensive.
We look at cordless drills with nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Many consumers prefer drills with Li-ion batteries because they last longer, have more power, and don’t contain cadmium, an environmentally harmful metal.
We find out how long the battery takes to charge for each drill on our consideration list. Li-ion batteries tend to charge the fastest, in an hour or less.
We scrutinize the speed offerings of cordless drills. Whereas most operate at low and high speeds, some offer variable speed so you can fine-tune your drilling.
The chuck is the part of the drill that holds the bit. We look for a chuck that is at least 1/2-inch to ensure it’s versatile enough for household jobs.
We appreciate cordless drills with variable clutch settings. This setting stops rotation of the drill bit once a certain resistance has been reached.
Bonus points go to quality cordless drills that come with two batteries. With an extra battery on hand, you always have a backup to minimize work interruptions.
Some of the cordless drills we evaluate come with a built-in LED light. This is a handy feature if you plan on drilling in a dark location (like a garage) or at night.
When researching cordless drills, we value sets that come with a carrying bag or belt hook, both of which make carrying and storing the drill easier.
Which cordless drill features are most important?
Battery power
Battery power is measured in volts. The more volts, the more powerful the drill, and the more torque it can muster. The majority of cordless drills are either 12-Volt or 18-Volt. The 12v models are sufficient for most household tasks, but if it’s within your budget, you can’t go wrong with the extra power offered by 18v.
LED light
A built-in LED light is very handy when you’re drilling in a dark or recessed location.
Two batteries
Many quality cordless drills come with two batteries, so one can charge while the other is in use.
Battery type
While you can still find drills powered by nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries, they’re not as common as lithium-ion (Li-Ion) models. In general, Li-Ion batteries provide longer run time, more power, and don’t contain cadmium, an environmentally harmful metal. Li-Ion batteries are also lighter than NiCd batteries. They do cost more, but we only recommend drills powered by Li-Ion batteries.
Charging time
Nothing is quite as frustrating as putting your project on hold because your cordless drill needs several hours to recharge. Luckily, chargers for Li-Ion batteries are generally fairly fast. You’ll be recharged and on your way in an hour or less, even if you didn’t invest in spare batteries.
"Let your drill do the work. Avoid pushing or applying too much pressure—this can burn out the drill’s motor, or cause it to slip as you work."
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Speed
Typically, cordless drills have low- and high-speed settings. Low speed provides more torque (twisting power) for driving screws, while high speed is used for drilling holes. Some models also have a variable speed lever so you can set a more specific speed.
Variable clutch
A cordless drill’s clutch stops rotation of the drill bit once a set resistance is reached. This prevents stripping or over-tightening a screw. Variable clutch settings let you tailor the resistance to your needs. Usually, low resistance is for small screws and high resistance for large screws.
Chuck size
The chuck is the part of the drill that holds the bit. Some less expensive models only have a 3/8-inch chuck, but most cordless drills have a 1/2-inch chuck, which is far more versatile.
Belt hook
Some cordless drill kits include a belt hook, which can be very handy when you’re working on a ladder or walking around a project site.
Did you know?
A variable clutch allows you to set the maximum resistance for the drill, preventing over-tightening of a screw.
STAFF
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Cordless drill prices
You can find plenty of basic cordless drills for $100 or less. These may or may not include a carrying case, but should have lithium-ion batteries. Features such as variable clutch and LED lights will vary from model to model in this price range. These drills are often a bit more compact and lightweight than other cordless drills, and are often advertised as sufficient for “light duty” jobs.
Cordless drills between $100 and $200 should come with more features and often, more power. They often include a second battery, so that you can charge one battery while using the other. Drill bit sets are usually part of the package for drills in this price range, too, and they’ll almost always come with a carrying case.
Tips for using your cordless drill
Drilling a hole to a specific depth? Wrap a bit of colorful tape around your drill bit at the desired depth. When the tape hits the hole, you’re there.
Not sure what size drill bit you need? It’s better to err on the side of too small than go too large. After all, you can always make the hole bigger, but it’s hard to make it smaller once you’ve over-drilled.
Always start drilling on a low speed and then increase as needed.
Typically, your drill will have a lever to set the direction forward (driving screws in) or reverse (unscrewing screws). If the lever is set in between the two directions, it’s locked. So if you can’t figure out why your drill won’t spin, check the direction lever.
Remember that the larger the drill bit, the more powerful the torque.
Hold your drill so the bit is at a right angle to the work surface. This will prevent the bit from skittering or breaking as you work.
Stay safe. Wear eye protection when you use any power tool. Dust from paint, wood, drywall, or masonry can all do serious damage to your eyes.
If you’re drilling a deep hole, periodically pull the bit out and dust or blow away the accumulated sawdust and grit.
Unless you’re drilling into a wall or similarly fixed object, make sure to clamp the item before starting to drill.
A good, basic set of drilling and driving bits should accomplish just about anything the average homeowner or casual DIYer needs to do. Common types of drill bits include:
General purpose
Phillips head for use with that type of screw
Metal or high-speed steel (HSS) for drilling into metal
Auger for deep holes
Spur point for wood
Tile or glass bits for working with those materials
Spade bit for large holes in wood
Hole saw for even larger holes in wood
Masonry bit for concrete, brick, or stone
Countersink: these cut a tiny bit of extra space for the screw’s head
Sanding bits: these are wrapped with sandpaper and are extremely useful for smoothing surfaces before painting, priming, etc.
