Cordless Drills Reviews

Top Rated	What the Research Says
•  Panasonic EY6432GQKW 15.6-volt    (*est. $200) >> Where to buy	Best cordless drill overall. This 15.5-volt Panasonic cordless drill/driver is recommended by more reviews than any other for its performance, comfort and overall value. The 4.8-pound Panasonic EY6432GQKW outperforms both 14.4-volt and 18-volt cordless drills, especially for run time – doing the most work per battery charge. (compare prices)
•  Sears Craftsman 11542 19.2-volt    (*est. $120) >> Where to buy	Best value cordless drill. For everyday around-the-house jobs, reviews say the Craftsman 11542 is an excellent value. It weighs over a pound more than the Panasonic drill above, and its 19.2-volt NiCad batteries aren't as environmentally friendly as the NiMH batteries used by Panasonic. Still, reviewers like the 24-position clutch that helps prevent over-driving screws. It comes in a kit that includes a case, a light, two bits and two NiCad batteries with a charger. (check price at Sears) (compare prices)
•  Makita LXT BDF451 18-volt    (*est. $280) >> Where to buy	Professional cordless drill. Cordless tools that use lithium-ion batteries keep their charge much longer between uses and are lighter in weight. The downside is that they are more expensive. The lithium-powered pro-level Makita LXT is recommended in more reviews than any other. It provides more power than the Panasonic and Sears drills above, but still weighs just 4.8 pounds. Three speeds provide extra control. Performance is very good in tests, and owner satisfaction for this drill is exceptional. (compare prices)
•  Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver 10.8-volt    (*est. $100) >> Where to buy	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 only drawback. (compare prices)
•  Skil iXO2 3.6-volt    (*est. $40) >> Where to buy	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 three hours or more to charge, but then holds its charge for up to 18 months between uses. (compare prices)
•  Panasonic EY7540LN2L 14.4-volt    (*est. $300) >> Where to buy	Best cordless impact driver. For greater ease when driving lots of screws, reviews recommend cordless impact drivers, which weigh less than drills and save wear and tear on the hand and wrist – though they're very loud. This pro-level impact driver (powered by lithium-ion batteries) gets top ranking in two recent comparison tests, earning praise for both performance and comfort. It's compact (6.5 inches long) and has a brushless motor plus a sensitive variable-speed trigger for control. The 3.2-pound weight makes big fastening jobs much less tiring than using a cordless drill. (compare prices)
>>  Comparison Chart

We found the most comprehensive review of cordless drills and drivers at Consumer Reports, where nearly 70 models are put through objective tests of speed, power, run time and charging time. Ten of the tested cordless drills use lithium-ion batteries. Despite their higher price, expert reviews say lithium-ion cordless drills and drivers have such longer lives that they can be better investments in the long run. Lithium-ion cordless tools are also much better for the environment.

The lithium-ion cordless drills compared at Consumer Reports vary in voltage, while the more recent comparison tests at Popular Woodworking cover only powerful 18-volt cordless drills. Fine Homebuilding tests 12 lithium-ion cordless impact drivers in an even more recent review. A review at Tools of the Trade also tests lithium-ion cordless tools, including circular and reciprocating saws. A more recent review at the Journal of Light Construction compares eight cordless tool kits.  ... Continued

• Introduction
• Best cordless drills overall
• Cordless contractor drills
• Cordless screwdrivers
• Cordless impact drivers
• Important Features

Consensus Report

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Cordless drill/drivers	Details from Amazon.com
7	Makita LXT BDF451 lithium 18v (*est. $280)	details
6	Panasonic EY6432GQKW 15.6v NiMH (*est. $200)	details
3	Festool C12 3ah 12v NiMH (*est. $395)	-
3	Ridgid R86006 compact 18v lithium (*est. $190)	details
3	Makita LXTBDF452HW compact lithium (*est. $185)	details
3	Ryobi P813 ONE+ Lithium drill & light kit (*est. $180)	-
3	Craftsman 11542 19.2v drill & light kit (*est. $120)	-
2	Panasonic EY7440 14.4v lithium (*est. $360)	details
2	Milwaukee 0724-24 V28 lithium hammerdrill (*est. $360)	details
2	DeWalt DC2PAKSA drill & circular saw XRP kit (*est. $310)	details
2	Ryobi ONE+ Lithium P843 four-piece kit (*est. $300)	details
2	Makita LXT BHP451 lithium-ion hammerdrill (*est. $270)	details
2	DeWalt DC925KA 18v XRP hammerdrill (*est. $300)	details
2	Panasonic EY6450GQKW 18v NiMH (*est. $250)	details
2	Hitachi DV18DL 18v lithium (*est. $200)	details
1 each	36v: Bosch 18636 , DeWalt DC900KL 28v: Milwaukee V28 kits 18-19.2v: Bosch 35618 , Craftsman 11543 C3 hammer drill, Craftsman 11548 C3 RA drill, DeWalt DC920KA , DeWalt DW DC988IA XRP kit, Hitachi DS18DMR NiMH , Hitachi 1.5ah Lithium DS18DFL , Makita 18v NiCad, Makita LCT300W compact lithium , Milwaukee V18 0824-24 lithium , Milwaukee 0624-24 hammerdrill , Milwaukee 0622-24 , Milwaukee 18v NiCad kit, Ryobi P211 ONE+ NiCad, Ryobi ONE+ NiCad kit, Skil 2887-05 15.6v: Festool 15.6 CE , Panasonic EY6405QKW 2.2ah NiCad 14.4v:DeWalt DC903KA XRP drill, Hitachi Lithium DS14DFL , Hitachi DS14DVF3 , Makita 6337DWDE , Milwaukee 0615-24 , Panasonic EY7440LN2S lithium
# of Picks	Cordless screwdrivers and impact drivers	Details from Amazon.com
10	Bosch PS20-2 10.8v lithium	details
5	Skil iXO, now iXO2 3.6v lithium	details
3	Makita LXT BTD140 18v lithium	details
3	Panasonic EY7202GQW 12v NiMH	details
3	Panasonic EY7540 14.4v lithium	details
3	Bosch PS40-2 10.8v lithium	details
2	Hitachi DB3DL 3.6v lithium	details
2	Ryobi P230 18v NiCad (*est. $70)	details
1 each	18-19.2v: Craftsman 11483 C3 19.2v driver, DeWalt DW052K-2 , DeWalt DW056K-2 18v NiCad , DeWalt 18v DWDC825KA, Makita BTD142HW 18v lith , Makita 6980FDWDE 14.4v: Hitachi WH14DAF2 , Hitachi WH14DMB, Hitachi WH14DMR , Hitachi WH14DL , Milwaukee 9081-22 , 12v Panasonic EY6506NQKW 12v: Black & Decker XD1200K 5-position screwdriver , Hitachi WH12DMR , Makita 6980FDWDE , Milwaukee Subcompact Lithium 3.6-4.8v: Black & Decker 3.6v LI3000 , Bosch PS10-2 I-Driver , 4.8-volt Craftsman 11458 Impact Power Driver , 4.8v Metabo PowerMaxx , Ridgid R8103, Tool King 4.8v TK screwdriver kit

Among standard cordless drill/drivers, we found good reviews for a variety of models, but the Panasonic EY6432GQKW and the lithium-ion Makita BDF451 clearly take the lead. For driving small screws, reviewers like the new Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver, but the less expensive Skil iXO2 (also made by Bosch) is a close competitor. For fastening jobs, the most recent comparison tests rank the lithium-ion Panasonic EY7540 at the top. Craftsman and Ryobi get high marks as budget choices overall, and Ryobi earns extra points for making a wide variety of cordless tools that use the same batteries and charger. The new Ryobi lithium-ion batteries can be used with the older tools too.

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Cordless Drills Reviews