Cordless Drills: Reviews

Updated March 2012

In terms of convenience, a cordless drill is almost a must-have in any homeowner's tool kit, even if it's just a light duty model. And if your needs go beyond the occasional repair, higher voltage drills can tackle heavier-duty jobs. We discuss the best-reviewed cordless drills and the various factors you should consider when buying.

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Best cordless drill for homeowners

Milwaukee 2410-22

*Est. $150 Compare Prices

The current trend is toward subcompact lithium-ion (Li-ion) drill/drivers for most homeowner tasks, since heavier drills are overkill. This 12-volt Milwaukee drill weighs just 2.6 pounds and earns top scores in reviews… expandfor power, speed and convenience. The Li-ion batteries recharge in 30 minutes, hold their charge between uses, and will run through more recharging cycles than older battery types. Designed for driving screws, this variable-speed model has two speed ranges and can drill well on the fast one. A battery-life gauge (unusual on a subcompact drill) and LED work light add convenience. Milwaukee is the top brand in two surveys of owner satisfaction, and the five-year warranty is another plus. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Editors here test 67 cordless drills, including the Milwaukee 2410-22.

Popular Woodworking: The Milwaukee 2410-22 earns the Editor's Choice award, based on thorough objective tests of six 12-volt drill/drivers that use regular chucks.

PopularMechanics.com: Comparison tests of 12-volt drill/drivers name as "best overall" the Milwaukee 2410-22.

J.D. Power & Associates: Milwaukee cordless drills, as a brand, earn top ranking in the third annual survey of nearly 5,000 cordless drill users, comparing 12 cordless drill brands on six factors.

BuilderOnline.org: Milwaukee earns top ranking as a power tool brand, compared with 14 others that make cordless drills, in this 2007 survey of 3,428 builders and contractors.

ProToolReviews.com: Tests here give the Milwaukee 2410-22 the highest possible rating for performance, noting that it provides as much power as some 18-volt cordless drills but is much easier to use.

CopTool.com: This well-illustrated blog review (associated with a tool retailer) recommends the Milwaukee 2410-22 over the Bosch PS30-2A, praising the metal chuck on the Milwaukee and noting that it's an inch shorter than the Bosch, making it better for tight spaces.

Amazon.com: More than 80 owners review the Milwaukee 2410-22 drill/driver here, giving it overwhelmingly high ratings, praising its balance of power and weight plus the LED light and fuel gauge -- though a few quality-control complaints bring the average rating down below perfect.

Northern Tool and Equipment: The Milwaukee 2410-22 drill/driver earns near-perfect reviews from about two dozen owners reviewing it here, who represent a nice cross section of professional and homeowner users.

HomeDepot.com: The Milwaukee 2410-22 gets mostly positive reviews from the two dozen or so owners rating it here.

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Buy from Amazon for Too low to display
Amazon for $149.00	Northern Tool for $149.99	Toolup.com for $149.00

Budget cordless drill

Porter-Cable PCL120DDC-2

*Est. $90 Compare Prices

For substantially less money than the top-ranked Milwaukee 2410-22 (*Est. $150), experts say the Porter-Cable PCL120DDC-2 offers a good balance of power, battery life and quick recharging. The 12-volt Porter-Cable drill… expandcomes with two Li-ion batteries, just like pricier drills; they don't run quite as long as the premium drills' batteries in tests, but they're not too far behind. The Porter-Cable drill also includes a built-in LED task light, magnetic bit/screw holder and a three-year warranty. However, unlike the more pro-grade Milwaukee drill, you can't replace any of the Porter-Cable's internal parts. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: The Porter-Cable PCL120DDC-2 is one of 67 cordless drills tested here.

Tools of the Trade: In this comparison test of 10 subcompact drill/drivers, the budget-priced Porter-Cable PCL120DDC-2 does an impressive job, finishing just behind the pricier top-rated drills.

Fine Homebuilding: This test pits eight compact drills against each other on the job site and in the shop.

Journal of Light Construction: Most of the seven 12-volt cordless drills in this test cost over $100, but the under-$100 Porter-Cable PCL120DDC-2 doesn't fare too badly by comparison.

PopularMechanics.com: After Roy Berendsohn puts 13 subcompact cordless drills through driving, drilling and battery-draining tests, he picks the Porter-Cable PCL120DDC-2 as the best value.

This Old House magazine: Once again, the Porter-Cable PCL120DDC-2 performs best among 12-volt drills costing less than $100.

Amazon.com: About 10 owners review the Porter-Cable PCL120DDC-2 here, but the reviews are almost uniformly positive.

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Buy from Amazon for $82.86
Amazon for $82.86	Tyler Tool for $89.99	eBay for $75.00

Professional cordless drill

DeWalt DCD760KL

*Est. $220 Compare Prices

Reviews recommend this 18-volt compact Li-ion drill for large construction jobs. The half-inch chuck and extra power make it superior to a 12-volt drill/driver for big jobs, but it's still relatively light (4 pounds).… expandReviewers say the DeWalt DCD760KL packs plenty of speed and power, and it handles very comfortably. Its 30-minute charger means you can easily keep up with long work sessions, recharging one battery while using the other. DeWalt backs this cordless drill with a three-year warranty. For construction jobs with lots of fasteners, experts say you should also consider an impact driver like the Bosch 26618-01 (*Est. $315), which helps cut down on fatigue, but costs much more. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Experts here test 67 cordless drills, including the DeWalt DCD760KL. They rate each drill's speed, power and more before ranking the models from best to worst.

Fine Woodworking: The DeWalt DCD760KL is one of 10 18-volt drills tested here.

Amazon.com: Averaging 4.5 stars with more than 70 owner reviews posted, the DeWalt DCD760KL is one of the top-rated cordless drills at Amazon.com.

HomeDepot.com: Two dozen owners have reviewed the DeWalt DCD760KL here, and all say they'd recommend it.

Northern Tool and Equipment: Here's another retail website with about two dozen owner reviews for the DeWalt DCD760KL, giving it a 4.8-star average rating.

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Buy from Amazon for Too low to display
Toolup.com for $219.00	Use-Enco.co- m for $240.75	eBay for $263.98

Cordless impact driver

Milwaukee 2450-22

*Est. $140 Compare Prices

For bigger jobs that require driving lag bolts or other heavy-duty fasteners, an impact driver is less fatiguing to use for long periods. You can easily spend twice as much on a heavy-duty 18-volt pro-grade impact driver,… expandbut for homeowner use, reviewers say this 12-volt Li-ion cordless impact driver has enough power not only for most home handyman tasks, but also for light pro contractor and mechanic use. It comes with a strong LED task light, two Li-ion batteries, a 30-minute charger and a battery fuel gauge so you'll know when it's time to recharge. It's less powerful than the 18-volt Bosch 26618-01 (*Est. $315), and the Milwaukee has just one speed range, but reviews say the trigger provides good control. At just over 2 pounds, the Milwaukee impact driver also weighs about half as much as the Bosch. This tool carries a five-year warranty. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Tools of the Trade: Milwaukee's compact power tools are some of Michael Springer's favorites in this comparison test.

Amazon.com: Almost 40 owners have reviewed the Milwaukee 2450-22 impact driver here, with most giving it 4 or a perfect 5 stars.

HomeDepot.com: With just over 20 owner reviews posted, the Milwaukee 2450-22 impact driver averages 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Northern Tool and Equipment: At the time of this report, only seven owners have reviewed the Milwaukee 2450-22 here, but they all -- including professional contractors, mechanics and home handymen -- give it perfect 5-star ratings.

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Buy from Amazon for Too low to display
Amazon for $139.00	Tyler Tool for $139.00	Northern Tool for $149.99

Cordless combo kit

Porter-Cable PCL212IDC-2

*Est. $135 Compare Prices

Reviews call the Porter-Cable PCL212IDC-2 tool kit an incredible value: You get a 12-volt cordless drill and impact driver for about the same price as one tool alone. The kit includes all of the usual amenities, too --… expandtwo Li-ion batteries, a 30-minute smart charger and carrying case. The warranty covers the tools for three years. Reviewers say these lightweight (2.5 pounds each) tools pack surprising power, but if you need more, critics recommend the 18-volt Milwaukee 2691-22 (*Est. $300) drill/impact driver kit. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Taunton's 2012 Tool Guide: The publisher of Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding recommends the best tools in this 2012 guide.

Fine Homebuilding: This review goes into more detail than the parent-publication Taunton review above.

Amazon.com: This drill/impact driver kit maintains a 4.5-star rating with just shy of a dozen owner reviews posted.

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