Cordless Drills Reviews
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Updated October 2007
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Fast Answers - Best Cordless Drills
| Top Rated |
What the Research Says |
• 19.2-volt Sears Craftsman 11542
(*est. $120)
>> Where to buy
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Budget cordless drill. For everyday around-the-house jobs, reviews say the Craftsman 11542 is an excellent value. This variable-speed cordless drill has two built-in bubble levels and 420 inch-pounds of torque. The 24-position clutch helps prevent over-driving screws. Other features include a 1/2-inch keyless chuck and a spindle lock. It comes in a kit that includes a case, a light, two bits and two NiCd batteries with a charger. The Craftsman drill weighs about 6 pounds. Cordless drills with NiMH and lithium-ion batteries weigh less, but they’re more expensive. (check price at Sears)
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• 18-volt Makita BDF452HW
(*est. $200)
>> Where to buy
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Best cordless drill/driver overall. Cordless tools that use lithium-ion batteries weigh much less and have much longer run time, but they are more expensive. The lithium-ion Makita cordless drill weighs just 3.5 pounds, so it’s less fatiguing to use than cheaper drills that use different battery types. Performance is very good in tests, and owner satisfaction for this drill is exceptional. The Makita drill comes with a three-year warranty on the drill, one year on the batteries.
(compare prices)
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• 10.8-volt Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver
(*est. $120)
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Best cordless screwdriver. 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 as its main drawback.
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• 3.6-volt Skil iXO2
(*est. $40)
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Budget cordless screwdriver. 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 3 hours or more to charge, but then holds its charge for up to 18 months between uses.
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• 12-volt Panasonic EY7202GQW
(*est. $290)
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Best cordless impact driver. For greater ease when driving lots of screws, reviews recommend cordless impact drivers, which save wear and tear on hand and wrist. While reviews say most pro-level cordless impact drivers work well, they praise this innovative Panasonic impact driver because it adds a clutch to keep it from stripping screw heads. It weighs less than 4 pounds, uses NiMH batteries for long runtime, and carries a one-year warranty.
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Comparison Chart
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Full Story
What the experts say, our analysis, and more...
Updated October 2007
New lithium-ion
batteries are coming into their own, with most major brands now making lithium-ion
powered cordless drills and drivers. Their light weight, long life and long
shelf life (holding their charge for months between uses) compared to traditional
NiCd batteries make them ideal for homeowners and weekend do-it-yourselfers.
We found the most complete review of lithium-ion cordless drills, cordless
screwdrivers and cordless impact drivers at Tools of the Trade Online.
Recent
reviews at Popular Mechanics, Practical Woodworking and Wired Magazine test
cordless screwdrivers -- a growing market segment that helps balance the earlier
trend toward bigger, heavier 18-volt cordless drills. Consumer Reports tests
39 cordless drill/drivers, but includes only two lithium-ion powered models.
We found other useful comparison tests in woodworking publications. Popular
Woodworking stays especially current, testing and rating new cordless drills
with a consistent procedure.
There's
a certain irony in the cordless tool market now. In some ways, lithium-ion
batteries are ideal for people who use a cordless drill only occasionally,
because they hold their charge so well between uses. They're also the most
environmentally-friendly option and last longer than other types. However,
they raise the price of cordless drills so much that they may seem like overkill
for anyone who doesn't use a cordless drill often.
Manufacturers
are helping to resolve the price issue by finding ways to manufacture lithium-ion
power tools at lower prices. Makita's approach is to make the battery smaller.
This decreases the runtime per charge, but for most homeowner projects, that
doesn't matter much. The compact
18-volt Makita LXT BDF452HW
(*est. $200)
weighs only 3.5 pounds. Even lighter, but with less power, is a reviewer favorite
-- the
10.8-volt lithium-ion Bosch PS-20-2 Litheon Pocket Driver
(*est. $120)
.
Experts say this 1.6-pound cordless drill can drive most screws without the
need to drill a pilot hole. Reviews
show that neither price nor voltage distinguishes the best performers; it
really takes objective comparison tests and expert assessments of balance
and ease of use. For example, despite their lifetime guarantee, Ridgid cordless
drills rank in the middle of the pack. Among budget cordless drills, Ryobi
and Craftsman outperform Black & Decker, Firestorm and Skil. Reviews recommend
avoiding the
Mansfield Dual Drill
(*est. $120)
that’s promoted on TV infomercials,
altogether. For its price, reports say that you could get a cordless drill
that performs much better.
... Continued
Consensus Report
| # of Picks |
Cordless drills, hammer drills, drill/drivers |
Details from Amazon.com |
| 3 |
18-volt Makita BHP451 (hammerdrill) (*est. $300)
|
details
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| 2 |
15.6-volt Panasonic EY6432GQKW (*est. $200)
|
details
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| 2 |
18-volt DeWalt DC759KA (*est. $210)
|
details
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| 2 |
14.4-volt Ryobi SA14402KF (*est. $80) |
- |
| 2 |
18-volt Bosch 33618-2G (*est. $240)
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details
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| 2 |
12-volt Festool C12 (*est. $395)
|
- |
| 2 |
12-volt Barbara K Power-Lite Cordless Drill (*est. $40)
|
details
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| 2 |
18-volt DeWalt DC925KA (hammerdrill) (*est. $300)
|
details
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| 2 |
18-volt Milwaukee 0624-24 (hammerdrill) (*est. $250) |
- |
| 2 |
18-volt Makita BDF452HW (*est. $200)
|
details
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| 2 |
19.2-volt Craftsman 11542 (*est. $120) |
- |
| 2 |
DeWalt DC925KA (hammerdrill) (*est. $300)
|
details
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| 2 |
19-volt Craftsman 11541 (now 11561) (*est. $100) |
- |
| 1 each |
14.4-volt:
DeWalt DC930KA
,
Festool TDK 15.6 CE
,
Hitachi DS14DMR
,
Hitachi DS14DVF3
,
Milwaukee 0616-20
,
Panasonic EY7440LN2S
,
Bosch 32614-2G
,
DeWalt DW728KA
18-volt:
Bosch CPK60-18 (6-piece combo kit)
,
DeWalt DC2PAKSA (combo kit)
,
DeWalt DW959K-2
,
DeWalt DC988SA (combo kit)
,
DeWalt DC4CPKA (combo kit)
,
Milwaukee hammerdrill combo
, Ridgid R86006, Ridgid R922 (combo kit), Ryobi P810 (now P811 combo kit),
Skil 2887-05
,
Panasonic EY6450GQKW
,
Hitachi DS18DMR
,
Hitachi DV18DL
19.2-volt:
Porter-Cable 9984
,
28-volt Milwaukee V28 0724-24
,
36-volt Bosch 18636
|
| # of Picks |
Cordless screwdrivers and impact drivers |
Details from Amazon.com |
| 8 |
10.8-volt Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver (*est. $120)
|
details
|
| 4 |
12-volt Panasonic EY7202GQW (impact driver) (*est. $290)
|
details
|
| 3 |
3.6-volt Hitachi DB3DL (*est. $80)
|
details
|
| 3 |
3.6-volt Skil iXO (now iXO2) (*est. $40)
|
- |
| 2 |
9.5-volt Ridgid R810301 (*est. $90) |
- |
| 2 |
3.6-volt Black & Decker LI3000 SmartDriver (*est. $40)
|
details
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| 2 |
Makita BTD140 LXT (impact driver) (*est. $290)
|
details
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| 1 each |
Under 12 volts:
10.8-volt Bosch PS10-2 I-Driver
,
Ridgid R82233 (impact driver)
,
Hitachi WH12DM2 (now Hitachi WH12DMR) (impact driver)
,
Makita 6980FDWDE (impact driver)
,
Bosch Impactor PS40-2A (impact driver)
,
Metabo PowerMaxx Plus Drill
12-volt:
Hitachi WH12DM2
,
Makita 6916DWDE
,
Panasonic EY6506NQKW
,
Makita 6980FDWDE
14.4-volt:
Hitachi WH14DMR
,
Makita 6935FDWDE
,
Milwaukee 9081-22
,
DeWalt DW054K-2 (impact driver)
,
Craftsman 11546 (impact driver)
18-volt or more: Craftsman 11483,
Hitachi WH18DL
,
Milwaukee V28 0779-20 (impact driver)
,
Panasonic EY7540
, Ridgid R922 (combo kit),
Ryobi P230 (impact driver)
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Among standard cordless drills, we found good reviews for a variety of models,
but the Panasonic EY6432GQKW is the best value. Craftsman and Ryobi get high
marks as budget choices. For driving small screws, reviewers like the new Bosch
PS20-2 Pocket Driver. For large fasteners, the Ryobi P230C impact driver is
a budget choice. The digital clutch on the Panasonic EY7202GQW impact driver
makes it easiest to use, but the Makita lithium-ion powered BTD140 LXT impact
driver is a strong contender, especially when bought in a kit with the drill.
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