Best Reviewed
Cordless Drills
- Best cordless drill for homeowners Milwaukee 2410-22 *Est. $130
- Budget cordless drill Hitachi DS12DVF3 *Est. $80
- Professional cordless drill Makita BDF452HW *Est. $185
- Best cordless impact driver Makita BTD144 *Est. $335
- Budget impact driver Makita TD090DW *Est. $120
- Budget cordless combo kit Craftsman 11445 *Est. $250
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- Nice blend of power, weight and price
- Comfortable to use
- 3.5-Ah batteries for long runtime
- Short warranty
- NiMH batteries, not lithium-ion
- Not meant for big construction jobs
- A few owners report durability problems
The 15.6-volt Panasonic EY6432GQKW has accumulated many top rankings over the years, but its nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries are falling out of favor compared with newer, lighter lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that hold their charge much longer between uses. Compared against most full-sized cordless drills that use nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) or NiMH batteries, however, the Panasonic maintains its lead as a well-tested favorite. The 3.5-amp-hour batteries provide long runtime between charges, so it's especially useful for construction tasks away from an outlet for plugging in a charger. The main drawback is Panasonic's short one-year warranty, an important consideration since about 10 percent of owner-written reviews report problems with the clutch, batteries or chuck. The Panasonic weighs 4.8 pounds -- not bad for its long run time, but heavier than the top-rated Li-ion Makita BDF452HW (*Est. $185), which carries a three-year warranty.
The most recent reviews of cordless drills focus on Li-ion models, but ConsumerReports.org discusses the 15.6-volt Panasonic cordless drill/driver in a blog entry in June 2009. The article is based on comparison tests done in 2007 and updated since; more detailed ratings and rankings of 55 drill/drivers are available to subscribers in the full report. ToolSnob.com provides a more detailed 2007 review of the Panasonic EY6432GQKW drill, which is especially useful because it's based on two years of heavy use that include several mishaps that would have broken most drills. This Panasonic cordless drill/driver is also covered in older comparison tests at Popular Woodworking, Wood Magazine and the annual Tool Guide published by Taunton Press, publishers of Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding. We also found over 200 owner-written reviews and ratings of this Panasonic cordless drill at Amazon.com.
Makita BDF452HW 18-Volt Compact Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Driver-Drill Kit
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| Panasonic EY6432GQKW 15.6-Volt 3.3Ah NiMH 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit | |
(218 reviews) |
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Our Sources
1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
Based on current prices and earlier objective tests, this ConsumerReports.org blog entry briefly discusses three cordless drills, including the Panasonic EY6432GQKW.
Review: Top Gear for Dad: Our Best-Performing Father's Day Gifts, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, June 18, 2009
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
This review compares the Panasonic EY6432GQKW with 54 other cordless drills, rating and ranking each model based on objective tests. Based at least partly on earlier tests published in December 2007, each drill gets separate ratings for speed, power, runtime, battery-charging time, noise and ease of handling.
Review: Cordless Drill Ratings, May 2010
3. Toolsnob.com
This ToolSnob.com review notes drawbacks as well as advantages of drills. The review of the Panasonic 15.6-volt NiMH cordless drill is based on a full two years of use, and the reviewer says it was dropped 30 feet, frozen, driven over and dropped into a lake -- but kept on working.
Review: Panasonic 15.6-Volt NiMH Cordless Drill -- Review, Editors of ToolSnob.com, March 2, 2007
4. Popular WoodworkingDetails/Subscribe
Tests at Popular Woodworking emphasize drilling, driving, heat buildup, battery life and ergonomics. Overall, corded drills are recommended over most cordless drills, but the top-rated Panasonic 15.6-volt NiMH cordless drill is the exception, recommended as "a no-brainer for best overall" In 2005.
Review: 14.4-Volt Drills, David Thiel and Robert W. Lang, Dec. 1, 2005
5. Wood MagazineDetails/Subscribe
This big roundup at Wood Magazine tests 20 cordless drills, mostly 14.4-volt (the editors' favorite size) but also including the Panasonic EY6432GQKW 15.6-volt cordless drill. All 20 drills are tested for torque, runtime, chuck grip or slippage and clutch consistency.
Review: Cordless Drills, Editors of Wood Magazine, April 2005
6. Taunton 2004 Tool GuideDetails/Subscribe
Ten cordless drill/drivers -- nine 18-volt models plus the Panasonic EY6432GQKW 15.6-volt -- are rated for power and endurance. The 4.5-pound Panasonic is both the editors' budget pick and the readers' choice in a survey of thousands of readers of Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding magazines.
Review: 18-Volt Cordless Drills: Power and Comfort, Rex Alexander, Jan. 2004
This 2007 survey of 3,428 builders and contractors ranks Panasonic toward the bottom among 15 brands that make cordless drills, with only Ryobi scoring lower.
Review: 2008 Builder Brand Study, Hanley Wood, 2008
8. Amazon.com
Over 200 owners review the 15.6-volt Panasonic EY6432GQKW at Amazon.com, where it's one of the top-rated cordless drills. Most owners give it rave reviews, but about 10 percent report problems with durability -- of the clutch or batteries -- and a few complain about the chuck or the drill's balance.
Review: Panasonic EY6432GQKW 15.6-Volt NiMH 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit, Contributors to Amazon.com
This is one of many Amazon.com affiliate sites that copies reviews from Amazon.com, but the reviews and ratings here lag a bit behind.
Review: Panasonic EY6432NQKW NiMH Cordless Drill/Driver Kit, Editors of and Contributors to ToolCritic.com
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