The Best Cordless Drill Reviews in 2018 – Drill Holes Anywhere You Want
Cordless power drills are some of the best tools for people who like to work around the house or do small projects like making shelves or cupboards. Still, they are also useful to professionals and can be utilized on some bigger projects like kitchen remodeling or building a shed.
They offer plenty of power combined with the maneuverability and portability that corded drills just don’t have, and they are just as versatile. If you want something that you can use on any project, anywhere, this is the tool to get.
In this article, we’ll go over just some of the benefits that owning the best cordless drill brings and show off some of the best products out there right now.
Why Buying a Cordless Drill?
One of the main reasons to buy a cordless drill, even if you already own a corded variant is the fact that it is more portable. With a cordless drill, you don’t have to worry about whether there is a power outlet with sufficient voltage around or if the cord is too long and won’t tangle. You can simply use it anywhere you please and have a completely free range of movement unhampered by a cord.
There are other upsides to them, however. They are usually smaller than regular, corded drills, meaning that you have even more maneuverability and can easily drill in tight spaces where you otherwise couldn’t. Their small size also allows for more finesse when drilling, enabling you to make smaller, precise movements and get exactly the result you wanted.
Of course, the downside to them is that they have a limited run time, but that can be solved by having an extra battery that you can use when the first one runs out and needs charging. That way you can always use one while the other charges up. Even so, considering what they’re used for, you probably won’t need more than the runtime of one battery to get the job done.
Overall, they are useful tools that will allow you to work anywhere you might want and offer a good alternative for when your corded drill just won’t fit the job.
Do Your Projects with the Best Cordless Drill
Of course, there are some rather shoddy and useless cordless drills out there. Due to being lighter tools for hobbyists a lot of manufacturers will try to sell poor products at a low price hoping to trick some people into wasting their money. The worst of all is that they succeed on a regular basis. However, if you’re well informed you should be able to avoid getting tricked like that. The purpose of this article is just that – to give you more information. To that end, we tested tons of different products, and we will present the three best ones here and review them. We also go over the most important aspects that you ought to consider when purchasing a cordless drill. There’s more than that, but let’s not waste any more time and get started.
Meet the Best Cordless Drills
The Good: This is a supremely lightweight, comfortable and powerful tool that comes with two batteries.
The Bad: The chuck is poor, and the drill bits keep falling off, while the light doesn’t cover the area it should.
The Bottom Line: Overall, this is a great drill and a great deal for the price. You should replace the chuck as soon as you get it though, but we still think it’s more than worth getting.
The Good: Comes at a low price with a lot of extras and has a great battery.
The Bad: The quality of the extras is dubious at best, and the drill itself is incredibly underpowered.
The Bottom Line: It’s quite a low-power drill when you come down to it, and that makes it difficult to recommend despite all the upsides it has.
The Good: Boasts a ton of power and has a good battery that can last for quite a while.
The Bad: The motor starts failing quickly, and it is heavy and uncomfortable to use.
The Bottom Line: If it had some flaws but such great power and battery life, we would readily recommend it, but the motor failing is a large issue that can’t be overlooked.
This is just info for you to get the gist of things – for further info, look down below.
All of the Factors Considered
Buying a cordless drill is significantly different than buying a corded one, as there are things you need to consider that you might not think of. Because of this, purchasing a good corded drill might prove to be a bit difficult for some, but fret not – we are here to help. Our experts have been working hard, testing dozens of different products and have made a list of the most important aspects you should consider when buying a cordless drill.
Power
When determining the power of a drill like this, there are various things you need to take into account.
First off, there is the relative power of the motor. In this case, it is most easily determined by the voltage. The higher the voltage of the battery, the stronger the motor is, broadly speaking. However, there is more to it.
Another thing you could look at to determine the power of a drill is the rotations per minute. The higher the RPM, the more power the motor outputs and the stronger the drill. Some might also have adjustable speeds for different tasks. If you’re getting an impact drill, you could also look at BPM (blows per minute) to see how much power it has. You could also check out how many pounds of torque it can deliver, the more, the better.
Unit watts out or UWO is also one of the more reliable stats to look at as it is a direct measurement of the power output of a drill. However, it’s not a stat that is commonly listed anywhere in the product info, so it’s difficult to compare different drills according to it.
You should consider all these different factors when picking a drill and deciding if it’s powerful enough for your needs.
Battery Life
The second most important aspect of a cordless drill is how long it can run before you need to recharge the battery. Unlike corded drills, these machines have an inherently limited work time, and that’s why they’re usually used for small projects in places where you have no access to a power outlet.
You usually want batteries that will last for at least an hour of use, but there are those that can last up to four or five hours, and you should aim for the highest possible time. You can get an idea of how long a battery will last by looking at its amp hours (Ah). The higher it is, the longer it lasts.
You should also look for batteries that charge quickly, preferably under an hour, reducing the downtime you have when the battery eventually runs out.
If you don’t want your work interrupted, you might want to buy an extra battery to use while the first one recharges and so on. That way you can work for a long time without stopping, except to exchange the battery. Some drills even come with two batteries out of the box, which is a great boon.
Durability
While cordless drills aren’t heavy duty tools and are usually used by hobbyists, they still go through a lot of abuse and can cost quite a lot. Because of this, you want to get a drill that is durable and will be able to handle a lot of wear and tear on a daily basis.
To that end, you should find a drill that is mostly made of metal parts and has as little plastic as possible. Rubber is fine, on the handle and in other parts, but you don’t want too much of that either. If the handle is completely made of plastic and rubber, for example, you might want to reconsider and get something else.
You should also check if everything is properly put together, pull and tug on different parts to see if they are loose or not. You should also check if all the drill heads that come with the drill are properly made, do they seem flimsy, do they fit well and so on. Check all of that before buying, or right after you buy so you can return it if necessary.
Comfort
If you want to a cordless drill, you usually need it for smaller tasks, but that still means you will have to hold it for an hour or more. If it’s not comfortable enough, you won’t be able to do the job properly and will have to make constant pauses.
Some of the most important things when it comes to how comfortable a drill is are the weight and how well that weigh is balanced. If a drill is too heavy, it will be difficult to work with it for longer periods due to your hands getting tired, especially if you’re drilling in an awkward spot. However, besides the raw weight of the unit, how that weight is distributed is also of importance. If a drill is poorly balanced, you might feel the weight more than you otherwise would have and it might get uncomfortable to hold much faster.
The size of the drill is also important, since larger drills and battery packs might bump against your body while working or might not be able to fit properly into some tight spaces and might be less maneuverable.
You should at least hold the drill in your hand for a while to see if it fits your needs, before buying it.
Extras
Drills usually come with a lot of extra stuff, and the more, the better. What you usually expect are a few drill heads, a case and a bag for carrying and a charger for the battery, which is all standard stuff.
Sometimes you might get other things included which are even more valuable. Extra batteries are some of the best extras you can get since an additional battery basically allows you to work non-stop since you can use one of them while the other charges.
Extra tools might also be part of the deal, and they can be greatly useful, but you should still watch out for deals that look too good to be true – they usually are. Some manufacturers will try to bundle in defective or poor-quality tools as “bonuses” with others to hike up the price a little bit and get rid of their useless wares.
Still, for the most part, getting a lot of extra stuff with your drill isn’t a bad thing.
After going over all the important aspects here’s how our top three products ranked in them.
In-Depth Reviews of 3 Cordless Drills
Key Features
Quite a Lot of Power for Its Size
This drill can run at 450 or 1500 RPM, it runs on a 20-volt battery and can deliver up to 300 UWO. For its size, it has more than ample power and can easily compete with larger products.
Not a Great Battery, but Comes with Two
These batteries last for a decent while, about an hour since they only have 1.3 Ah. However, this problem is greatly lessened by the fact that you get two and that they charge in under half an hour, so you can always have one of the filled up and ready.
Durable Construction
For the most part, this is quite a durable little thing, even though it has some plastic parts. There are issues with it, though, since the chuck is of low quality, leading to drill bits falling out at times, a real black mark on this product. The inbuilt light is of equally bad design.
Comfortable and Easily Maneuverable
With a weight of only 3.6 pounds this is one of the lightest cordless drills out there. It’s also well-balanced and when you combine that with its ergonomic handle you get a tool that is supremely comfortable to use.
Great Extras
You get a lot in this package, but the best of all is the extra battery that comes with the drill. This allows you to work constantly since you will always have a full battery to plug into the drill.
Customer Reviews
Overall, I’m quite satisfied with this incredible little drill.
Who Should Buy This Product
This is the ideal drill for people who want a small but powerful tool that they can fit anywhere. It’s light, small and has more than enough power. Also, if you want a cordless drill that doesn’t require you to stop working, this has you covered since it comes with two batteries and at a decent price.
What to Watch Out For
There are a couple of flaws with this drill, but the most prominent one is the fact that the chuck is of low quality and can’t tighten the drill bits properly, meaning that you will have some mishaps with drill bits falling off at inopportune times. This can be solved by replacing the chuck, but it’s still a serious issue.
The Conclusion
Overall, this is a small, lightweight cordless drill that is supremely strong for its size. While it’s battery doesn’t last for that long, it comes with two of them so you can always keep working. However, it has some issues, the most prominent one being that the drill bits keep falling off. Still, we think it’s a great deal for the price, and you shouldn’t miss it.
Key Features
Underpowered
This drill runs on a 20-volt battery, and it can reach 750 RPM at most. This is underwhelming, and you would expect more out of a drill of this size. It won’t do much work.
Great Battery Life, Long Charge Time
The batteries on this unit can last for quite a while – up to around 3 hours at most. That’s great, but it also charges for almost 4 hours, if not more. Still, you will probably get the job done in one run.
Decently Durable
It has a lot of plastic in its construction, though it still seems to be durable enough to last for a while. However, we don’t think it will last for years, based on our limited testing.
Super Light
This is a decently comfortable drill, though nothing special. It weighs around 3.4 pounds making it one of the lightest out there, but it is not well-balanced, so you might feel a bit more than you might think.
Lots of Extras, not All Great
This drill does come with a case, a bag, and a lot of drill and screw bits to boot. However, it seems that the screw bits don’t fit it and the case has cardboard compartments, while the bag can’t handle a lot of weight. It seems great on paper, but in practice, the extras do not hold up.
Customer Reviews
Who Should Buy This Product
If you want a lot of stuff for a low amount of money, here’s the best deal you can get. This drill is under 100 dollars in price but comes with a huge amount of extra accessories that might help you out during work. It also has a great battery that can last for hours on end.
What to Watch Out For
It’s one of the weakest drills we tested, and that’s saying a lot. It doesn’t have the power of a unit half its size, and if you want to use it for anything other than super-light work, you’re out of luck. Some of the extras it comes with are also shoddy and can’t even be used, so it’s as great of a deal as it seems at first glance.
The Conclusion
Overall, this is a drill that comes at a decent price and with a lot of extras to boot. It also has an amazing battery that can last for a long time. However, all of that is undermined by the fact that it just doesn’t have a lot of power and can’t be used for some tougher jobs. In the end, it is difficult to recommend unless you need something incredibly light-duty.
Key Features
More Power than You Know What to Do With
This unit can deliver 480 pounds of torque, and it can work at both 600 and 1900 RPM. As an impact drill, it can work at 9000 or 28,500 BPM. That’s just an amazing amount of force, and almost nothing else can keep up with it. Impressive, considering it uses an 18-volt battery.
Good Battery Life
The battery of this drill boasts 3Ah, and it can last for quite a while, but also recharges incredibly fast. It’s just a good battery overall. Getting a second one costs a lot, though, but you probably won’t need it.
Lacks Durability
Probably the worst part about this drill is the fact that it is rather flimsy. The casing and everything on the outside is good, but the motor seems to be failing after our initial testing. Other users have reported smoke, weird smells and even sparking. Not a good thing.
Not Comfortable to Use
This is a huge tool that’s almost eight inches long and weighs quite a lot. The claim is that it weighs only 3.9 pounds with the battery, but that is blatantly untrue, as it weighs almost five pounds. It’s also poorly balanced.
Almost no Extras
It doesn’t come with a lot of extras and the ones it has are dubious at best. The inbuilt lights are a mixed bag as they can be useful, but you also can’t turn them off if you don’t want them to shine so they can be a hindrance.
Customer Reviews
Who Should Buy This Product
If you want a portable, cordless drill with tons of power, this is your best bet. It has the power of a corded drill with more portability than one. It can also work for a long time due to the great battery it has. The price it comes at is quite decent as well, so you won’t spend a lot to get it.
What to Watch Out For
The first issue you will notice is the weight since this is quite a heavy drill and isn’t well-balanced. The other issue is a bit more insidious, and you might notice it only after a few weeks or months of work – it’s that the motor isn’t durable at all. It starts failing and becomes a safety hazard – it burns the casing; it sends sparks everywhere and so on. It’s a huge issue that might be a deal breaker for a lot of people.
The Conclusion
Overall, this is an incredibly powerful unit with a battery that lasts for an incredibly long time, and that would easily make it the top pick if it weren’t for one crippling flaw – the same motor that gives it its power. It is low-quality and a safety hazard after a while. It will fail sooner than later, and you should think twice before getting this drill because of that.
The Best Pick – Dewalt DCD771C2
It was hard to choose just one of these fine products since it was also hard to choose just these three for the article. You see, we tested dozens of different drills, and there were quite a few that made a great showing but were just shy of making it into the article. Still, when it came down to the wire, and we had to choose, our choice for the best cordless drill had to be the Dewalt DCD771C2.
There’s just no beating this thing – it’s incredibly light, comfortable and supremely powerful for its small size. It has some issues, but one of the biggest, the short battery life, is mitigated by the fact that it comes with two. It also doesn’t cost a lot, sealing the deal and easily making it our best pick for this roundup.
Video Review
The Conclusion
So, that’s the end, that’s our best pick – but don’t forget, you should make the choice of what to buy for yourself, so don’t just take our word as gospel. With this article, we intended to give you the knowledge and the tools to find the cordless drill that will fit you the best and avoid all the pitfalls in the way while doing that. We can only hope we succeeded in that mission and that you found this article interesting to read and most important of all, that you found it helpful. If that’s the case, share it around for the benefit of others and as thanks to us. We hope we’ll see you again, and have a good day.
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Homyden
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