Cordless Drills Reviews: Best Cordless Drills

Best cordless drill overall

*Est. $190 Compare Prices

This 15.6-volt Panasonic cordless drill/driver is recommended by more reviews than any other for its performance, comfort and overall value. The somewhat heavy 4.8-pound Panasonic EY6432GQKW outperforms even 18-volt… cordless drills, especially for runtime - doing the most work per battery charge.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: This review compares the 15.6-volt Panasonic EY6432GQKW cordless drill to about a dozen other cordless drills based on testing ...

Toolsnob.com: This blog review notes drawbacks as well as advantages of drills. The review of the 15.6-volt NiMH Panasonic cordless drill here ...

Popular Woodworking: This blog review notes drawbacks as well as advantages of drills. The review of the 15.6-volt NiMH Panasonic cordless drill here ...

Wood Magazine: This big roundup review tests 20 cordless drills, mostly 14.4-volt (the editors' favorite size) but also including the 15.6-volt ...

Taunton 2004 Tool Guide: Ten cordless drill/drivers - nine 18-volt models plus the 15.6-volt Panasonic -- are rated for power and endurance. The 4.5-pound ...

Amazon.com: Over 170 owners review the 15.6-volt Panasonic EY6432GQKW here, giving it an average rating of 4.5 stars (out of a possible ...

ToolCritic.com: Some 18 owners have reviewed the Panasonic EY6432 drill here, giving it the same average rating of 4.5 stars that it gets from ...

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Budget cordless drill.

Ryobi HJP001K

*Est. $80 Compare Prices

For everyday around-the-house jobs like drilling pilot holes, hanging pictures and assembling furniture, reviews say this light 2.3-pound Ryobi lithium-ion cordless drill is an excellent value. The 3/8-in. chuck is ample… for most household use. The 12-volt lithium-ion batteries keep their charge between uses much longer than other types, and run the drill at full power even as the charge fades. The kit includes a work light.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: This review compares the Ryobi HJP001K cordless drill with 13 other cordless drills, all but one of which are bigger, heavier ...

ConsumerGuide.com: Based on brief hands-on tests of several cordless drills, the 12-volt Ryobi HJP001K is named a "budget buy" here. The reviewer ...

HomeDepot.com: The half dozen owners reviewing the 12-volt Ryobi lithium-ion cordless drill here give it near-perfect ratings, praising the ...

The Power Tool Geek: This informal comparison review covers cordless drills with good ergonomics for those with smaller hands and less upper-body ...

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Professional cordless drill

Makita LXT BDF451

*Est. $280 Compare Prices

This lithium-powered Makita cordless drill is designed for big construction jobs. Accordingly, it's both heavy (4.6 pounds) and powerful (18 volts). Chuck size, runtime, weight and drilling power are comparable to that of… the Panasonic drill above, but the Makita cordless drill provides three speeds for extra control, plus more torque for driving screws. The 3-amp-hour lithium-ion batteries provide longer runtime than the budget Ryobi drill, and last through more charging cycles than the Panasonic's NiMH batteries.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: This review compares the Makita LXT BDF451 lithium-ion cordless drill with 13 other cordless drills, and despite the recent date ...

J.D. Power & Associates: This customer-satisfaction survey rates ten cordless drill brands based on six factors, with drill performance most important. ...

Tools of the Trade: This review doesn't rank or rate the lithium-ion cordless tools reviewed here, but the brief summaries of each model make it easy ...

The Power Tool Geek: This informal comparison review covers cordless drills with good ergonomics for those with smaller hands and less upper-body ...

Northerntool.com: This retailer site is a good place to see owners' ratings and reviews of pro-level cordless drills and impact drivers. At the ...

Amazon.com: At the time of this report, the nine owners reviewing the Makita LXT BDF451 here give it an average rating of 4.5 out of five ...

Tools of the Trade: This review tests and compares 15 half-inch cordless drill/drivers, mostly 18-volt models, including the Makita LXT BHP451 -- the ...

Journal of Light Construction: This review also covers the hammerdrill in the same Makita LXT pro series as the Makita BDF451 drill/driver, as part of a ...

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Best cordless screwdriver

Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver

*Est. $100 Compare Prices

For light screw-driving jobs like hanging shelves, building cabinets or assembling furniture, the Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver gets rave reviews for its comfort and ability to get into tight spaces. The 10.8-volt… lithium-ion battery brings the weight down to 1.6 pounds, and the batteries hold their charge well between uses. An LED light makes the Pocket Driver easy to use in a closet or cabinet. It's not intended for big jobs, but reviews indicate that the Bosch Pocket Driver is a great small tool, with price its only drawback.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Wood Magazine: Three different editors at Wood Magazine test lithium-powered palm-size cordless drivers by driving 2-inch drywall screws into a ...

GetWoodworking.com: This article compares eight cordless screwdrivers, testing them by driving 2-inch #10 screws into soft wood without pilot holes. ...

Fine Woodworking: This review compares two cordless screwdrivers, the 10.8-volt lithium-ion Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver and the 9.6-volt NiCad ...

ConsumerReports.org: The Bosch PS20-2 isn't tested in the most recent roundup review at Consumer Reports (that's available only by subscription), but ...

Tools of the Trade: This review says the Bosch Pocket Driver PS20-2 "sets the standard for mini drivers." The review praises the fit and controls, ...

American Woodworker: This article on lithium-ion tools recommends the Bosch Pocket Driver, mentioning testing but without documenting the procedures. ...

ToolMonger.com: This reviewer notes that the Pocket Driver weighs just 1.8 pounds, yet is designed to handle 80 percent of the tasks for which ...

New Woodworker.com: Woodworker Tom Hintz publishes detailed, well-illustrated single-product reviews of the tools he tests in his own workshop. This ...

The Power Tool Geek: This hands-on review praises the Bosch Pocket Driver for its ergonomics and size, noting that most cordless drills are overkill ...

Amazon.com: At the time of our report, 160 owners give the Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver near-perfect ratings in their reviews of it at ...

Northerntool.com: At the time of our report, all 28 owners reviewing the Bosch Pocket Driver at this retail site say they'd recommend it to a ...

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Budget cordless screwdriver

Skil iXO2

*Est. $50 Compare Prices

At 3.6 volts, the Skil iXO2 doesn't have much power, but as a cordless screwdriver that weighs only about 10 ounces, it's just right for simple jobs needing 2-inch screws or smaller. Reviewers say it's comfortable to use… and gets into small spaces. The lithium-ion battery takes three hours or more to charge, but then holds its charge for up to 18 months between uses.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Wood Magazine: Three different editors at Wood Magazine test lithium-powered palm-size cordless drivers -- including an earlier version of the ...

ConsumerReports.org: Consumer Reports tests three cordless screwdrivers, including an earlier version of the Skil iXO with the same 3.6-voltage power. ...

ToolMonger.com: This detailed, well-illustrated review of the Skil iXO2 is valuable because it compares this model with its predecessor, the Skil ...

Amazon.com: At the time of our report, 12 owners reviewing cordless screwdrivers here give the earlier Skil iXO a high average rating. One ...

Toolbarn.com: The sole owner-written review here gives the Skil iXO screwdriver high ratings for features and reliability, but the lowest ...

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Best cordless impact driver

Panasonic EY7540LN2L

*Est. $320 Compare Prices

For greater ease when driving lots of screws, reviews recommend cordless impact drivers, which save wear and tear on the hand and wrist – though they're very loud. This pro-level impact driver (powered by lithium-ion… atteries) gets top ranking in two recent comparison tests, earning praise for both performance and comfort. It's light at 3.2 pounds, compact (6.5 inches long) and has a brushless motor plus a sensitive variable-speed trigger for control.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Taunton's 2009 Tool Guide: This is the same review that appears in the July 2008 issue of Fine Homebuilding (published by Taunton Press), plus results of a ...

Fine Homebuilding: A professional designer/builder tests 12 cordless lithium-ion impact drivers on the job for several months. This review is ...

ConsumerReports.org: Consumer Reports compares the Panasonic EY7540LN2S with 17 other cordless impact drivers in this thorough review. All 18 impact ...

Journal of Light Construction: This review tests the Panasonic EY7540 cordless impact driver, driving 3/8-inch lag screws that are 6 inches long, finding that ...

Tools of the Trade: This review reports on tests of all the lithium-ion impact drivers available at the time of publication. The models aren't rated ...

Amazon.com: At the time of this report, only one owner reviews the 14.4-volt Panasonic impact driver here (giving it a perfect five-star ...

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