Best Drills Overall

Compact Makita lithium drill capably handles most tasks

There's a lot of competition among subcompact 10.8-volt to 12-volt cordless tools. Their light weight and compact size make them ideal choices for homeowners, especially since their Li-ion batteries hold their charge well between uses. They're always ready for weekend projects. The first subcompact tools to hit the marketplace were drivers with limited drilling speed, but newer two-speed drill/drivers are now available. Two models get the best reviews.

The 10.8-volt Makita DF030DW (*Est. $150) is the only two-speed subcompact drill/driver that uses a hex bit-holder for faster switching between bits. Unless you have a substantial number of drill bits that only fit a standard chuck, experts say this drill/driver type is ideal because of its efficiency. Despite its high maximum speed of 1,300 rpm, the Makita DF030DW is a little slower at drilling than the competing Bosch PS30-2A, discussed below. However, comparison tests at the Journal of Light Construction find the Makita a more capable driver overall. Popular Woodworking also recommended the Makita drill/driver as one of the best tools of 2008.

Bosch, meanwhile, makes the 12-volt Bosch PS30-2A (*Est. $135). It has a 3/8-inch single-sleeve chuck, so it accepts even very small drill bits. It weighs just 2.4 pounds and includes a 30-minute charger along with two batteries. Two speeds make it better for drilling that most subcompact drivers. Owners posting user reviews at Amazon.com give the Bosch PS30-2A drill/driver mostly positive ratings.

The compact Bosch drill/driver is also the favorite chucked model in Tools of the Trade's subcompact drill and driver comparison tests, where it earns praise for excellent power and comfort. In another highly credible battery of tests at the Journal of Light Construction, however, the Bosch PS30-2A ranks lower on both counts. For one thing, you need to grip it too far down on the handle, which throws off its balance. Also, tests demonstrate the Bosch compact lithium drill/driver doesn't perform well at temperatures well below freezing.

Testers at Tools of the Trade judge the Bosch and Makita compact drill/drivers to be roughly equal in capability, but find the Makita's LED light more effective. Reviewers especially like the way the LED stays illuminated for 10 seconds after you stop drilling or driving, allowing you to check your work. The Makita DF030DW lithium drill carries a three-year warranty, compared to the one-year warranty Bosch offers.

Reviews for these two models eclipse others. However, the 12-volt Hitachi DS10DFL (*Est. $110) deserves mention since all of Hitachi's Li-ion tools now carry an outstanding 10-year warranty (two years on the batteries). The two-speed drill weighs 2.2 pounds and has a 3/8-inch chuck.

Full-size 18-volt drills tackle larger homeowner projects

Though subcompact drills and drivers can handle most homeowner tasks, building a deck or storage shed will be easier with a more powerful drill/driver. The sweet spot for full-size cordless drills -- not too expensive or heavy, not too flimsy or wimpy -- seems to be right in the $200 range with batteries ranging from 15.6 to 18 volts. The half-inch chucks in these drills take a wider range of large bits, but still close down for smaller ones.

Three cordless drills in this price and size range earn the most recommendations in reviews. For several years, the 15.6-volt Panasonic EY6432GQKW (*Est. $200) has held a strong lead, but two newer Li-ion cordless drill/drivers also earn top ranking now.

The 18-volt Makita BDF452HW (*Est. $200), which uses lithium batteries, is named an Editor's Choice at Popular Woodworking; testers say it's comfortable, with excellent balance. The batteries are easy to change and the Makita drill has an effective built-in LED light. The Makita batteries run about half as long as the comparable Panasonic drill's batteries, but they recharge in a third of the time -- 15 minutes versus 50 minutes for the Panasonic drill. The Makita BDF452HW drill weighs about a pound less than the Panasonic EY6432GQKW as well -- 3.5 pounds compared with 4.8 -- and it carries a three-year warranty (three times as long).

On the downside, about 10 percent of the nearly 170 owner-written reviews of the Makita BDF452HW at Amazon.com also report serious issues. Excessive chuck runout (which causes drill bits to wobble and drill inaccurately) appears to be a quality control issue that's apparent right after purchase with some of the Makita drills. Some owners report short battery life after a while, and leaving the batteries in their charger after they've charged seems to shorten their lifespan.

The competing Ridgid R86006 (*Est. $200) drill/driver carries a lifetime warranty on the batteries as well as the tool itself. Ridgid's lifetime warranty does cover batteries under normal usage, but there are loopholes: proof of purchase and registration within 90 days of purchase is required. We saw quite a few online complaints about slow warranty fulfillment but we also found praise for Ridgid's customer service. Like the Makita BDF452HW, the Ridgid R86006 uses 1.5-amp-hour (Ah) Li-ion power, but the heftier Ridgid drill weighs in at 4.25 pounds. Its 30-minute charger takes twice as long as the Makita's, too. The Ridgid drill's major advantage is its lifetime guarantee.

The lighter Makita drill looks like the best bet in this class, but if the longest battery runtime is your priority (and you don't care if they take a long time to recharge), consider the Panasonic.

Budget nickel-cadmium cordless drills use old battery tech, offer good value

As noted earlier, the current trend is toward Li-ion cordless drills in the subcompact size (10.8-volt to 12-volt). There are still some well-reviewed budget models that use nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries. Ni-Cd batteries include cadmium, harmful to human health and the environment, so experts urge that used batteries be delivered to the proper disposal centers. Ni-Cd batteries don't hold their charge between uses as well as lithium batteries, and require careful breaking in and maintenance -- very important for owner satisfaction. However, some owners prefer Ni-Cd batteries since they're familiar and work reliably, even in cold weather.

The inexpensive 12-volt Hitachi DS12DVF3 (*Est. $75) doesn't have a built-in LED light, but it comes in a kit with a cordless work light, and includes a built-in holder for one bit. A May 2009 article in Wood Magazine recommends the Hitachi DS12DVF3 drill as the best value, and it's also one of the top-rated cordless drills by users at Amazon.com. It's fairly light at 3.3 pounds, and owners say it's fine for medium-level tasks. Its charger isn't "smart" (meaning it doesn't shut off automatically when a full charge is reached), and owners note that if you just leave the battery on the charger, it will be ruined. The Hitachi drill isn't as fast as some more expensive competitors, but it carries a five-year warranty.