Cordless Drill Review

Most cordless drill and driver reviews favor subcompact and compact models

This report covers cordless drill/drivers that can switch between driving screws and drilling holes. If your needs amount to furniture assembly and hanging items on walls, you might be just fine with a cordless screwdriver (which can't drill holes). We cover cordless screwdrivers in a separate report.

We found the largest review of cordless drills and drivers at ConsumerReports.org, where 55 drills and 13 impact drivers are put through objective tests of speed, power, runtime and charging time. The ratings in this review don't distinguish among battery types, however, mixing older models tested several years ago with a few of the newer ones that use Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Cordless drills and drivers powered by Li-ion batteries are lighter and more compact than models that use older nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) or nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries.

Li-ion batteries also keep their charge much longer between uses, making them ideal for homeowner use where you might use a cordless drill one day, then not need it again for a couple of weeks. Tools run at full power, even as the battery discharges, and the top-rated Li-ion tools build in "fuel gauges" that warn when the battery will soon need to be recharged. Fast chargers take only 15 to 30 minutes, so even a very lightweight subcompact or compact drill can keep going all day with fresh batteries. Despite their higher price, expert reviewers say Li-ion cordless drills and drivers have such longer operating lives that they can be better investments in the long run.

The Li-ion cordless drills compared at ConsumerReports.org vary in voltage. Excellent comparison tests at Popular Mechanics and at Popular Woodworking cover 12-volt subcompact drill/drivers, the size they recommend for most users. We found objective comparison reviews of more powerful 18-volt compact Li-ion drills at Popular Woodworking, Fine Woodworking, as well as at two publications aimed at professional builders and remodelers: Fine Homebuilding and Tools of the Trade. The latter review also covers 12-volt subcompact models.

Reviews show that price, voltage and manufacturers' specifications really don't distinguish the best performers; rather, it takes objective comparison tests plus expert assessments of balance and ease of use. For example, despite their lifetime guarantee, reviewers say that Ridgid cordless drills and impact drivers aren't the best performers, and Bosch and Ridgid Li-ion tools fail some performance tests in very cold weather. Among budget cordless drills, Ryobi and Craftsman outperform Black & Decker and Skil.

Even expert comparison tests often cover too short a period of time to assess a tool's durability. Owner-written reviews sometimes report on a drill's performance over several years -- reinforcing or contradicting shorter-term tests. Brand surveys of quality and customer satisfaction -- such as the annual survey of cordless-drill buyers published by J.D. Power and Associates -- help fill in the picture. Milwaukee tops the latest survey as a brand, but several others share its five-star rating, and Hitachi and Craftsman are the top-ranked budget brands.