We purchased 33 cordless drills from a wide range of manufacturers and then had our team of testers at The Lab in Des Moines, Iowa, put the drills through their paces, evaluating them all on power and accuracy when driving screws or drilling holes of various sizes in concrete and wood. Our testers, who range in experience from occasional DIYers to professional woodworkers, also evaluated the drills on battery life, included accessories, ease of use, ergonomics, and overall value. The drill with the highest scores overall is the DEWALT Atomic MAX DCD708C2, which is a compact drill with a 20-volt battery, a 1/2-inch chuck, and enough power to muscle through wood and concrete without shirking. Here are the best cordless drills according to our testing. Aside from being powerful, the Atomic MAX is comfortable to hold, with features that are easy to use. The keyless chuck was easily opened and closed and had no issues gripping the various size bits that were tested. The drill felt perfectly balanced in the hand, and trigger engagement was effortless. The clutch performed perfectly to limit the amount of torque needed during testing. We also appreciated the built-in work light that helped us see in dim spaces. The one feature this drill doesn’t have is a fuel gauge to notify the user when the battery charge is getting low. However, the battery does have a long run time. In fact, we used the drill for 30 minutes straight without any loss of power. Overall, we found this drill performed better than expected, and it was a great value for the price. As our tester noted, “It’s very versatile and compact, yet has enough power to handle larger jobs. It’s a great choice for any DIY project around the home.” Price at time of publish: $99 The drill comes with a fast charger that can reach 25 percent power in just five minutes or full power in 45 minutes. It has a built-in LED work light and comes with a belt clip, but unlike more expensive models, it only includes one battery and does not include a carrying bag or case. Still, we found this drill performed well, even drilling through concrete without too much trouble. In our tests, the chuck held all bits securely and did well with all smaller bits, but it had some lag with bits larger than 1 inch. While this 12-volt drill is not ideal for larger jobs, it’s a very useful tool for the homeowner or renter who just needs a drill on occasion. Price at time of publish: $60 The drill has a built-in LED light and a comfortable, ergonomic grip. We also found that while the drill is heavier than 12-volt models, the extra heft contributes to the superior torque the tool delivers. It’s also fairly compact for an 18-volt model, measuring slightly less than 8 inches in length. The drill comes with two batteries, a charger, and a carrying bag. Overall, this is a great drill for larger tasks around the house, such as installing shelves, but it might be more than you need if you just want a drill for occasionally hanging pictures. Price at time of publish: $105 At 7 inches in length, this is a fairly compact drill, making it easier to work in tight areas. It includes an auxiliary side handle for better control when working at high speeds or high torque. We were impressed with the power and ease of use this drill provides. Even without a hammer drill option, it was able to drill five 3/8-inch holes in concrete in a little over 20 seconds. We did note that the forward/reverse bar is a little awkwardly placed, though. Still, this is a great drill for users who need a lot of power for large projects, and want a professional-level tool for serious drilling and driving. It’s overkill for small projects around the house, however. The drill comes with two batteries, a charger, an auxiliary handle, and a carry bag. Price at time of publish: $325 There are features galore on this compact Bosch drill, including a 21-stage clutch, variable speed trigger, 3/8-inch chuck, soft-grip handle, integrated LED work light, and a side-mounted battery gauge that helps users figure out how much longer they can work before it’s time for a recharge. The drill kit includes two batteries and a soft-sided carrying case. The Bosch battery has an exceptional run time, often outperforming even much larger 18-volt drills. This is an excellent tool for general household and garage/workshop use and is capable of drilling holes and driving screws with few limitations. It delivers a bigger performance than its compact size might lead you to believe. Price at time of publish: $108 The Xtreme is just under 6 inches in length, making it ideal for working in tight spots or where precision really counts. It’s well-balanced and has a comfortable grip, a feature we appreciated during testing. There’s also an integrated LED work light, a belt clip to keep the tool close at hand, and a fuel gauge to let you know how much battery charge remains. The kit includes the drill, two batteries, a charger, and a nice bag to carry it all in. For a 12-volt drill, this tool has lots of power for the size and can run a 3/4-inch spade bit clear through a 2x4 without stalling. For an around-the-house drill, this is perfect for most tasks. Price at time of publish: $135 At only 5.9 inches in length, this is a compact drill that easily works in tight spaces. It has a LED worklight, a metal belt clip, and a fuel gauge that lets you know how much battery charge remains. This drill also has a remarkably long battery life. The kit includes the drill, a charger, a carry bag, and two batteries. One big advantage to this kit over some competitors is that you get one each 2.0 amp-hour and 4.0-amp-hour battery packs, the latter providing double the run time of the smaller one. This is a professional-level tool that’s built well and performs well. It might be overkill for a typical household drill, but has plenty of muscle for any big jobs that might arise. Price at time of publish: $169 The drill runs off a 12-volt battery and has 15 clutch settings and two speed settings with a maximum of 1,500 rpm. In our tests, we found that this drill has great performance and could drill holes of any size with no problem until we tried the larger spade bits. Still, it was easy to drive screws, and the clutch enabled us to dial in the correct amount of torque needed for the task. Bits remained secure in the chuck without wobbling, and the drill was very comfortable to grip. While it might not be the most powerful drill available, this is a great choice if you tend to work in tight spots, such as underneath cabinets, behind fixtures, or above your head. You’d have a hard time finding the various attachments separately. The kit also includes one battery, charger, and bag. Price at time of publish: $189 This sturdy drill has a heavy-duty brushless motor and XR Li-Ion batteries designed to provide longer life and run time than other drills. It has a three-mode LED work light with a spotlight function for working in dark areas. Its weight helps keep it steady in your hands, even when working with high torque. It was no problem to drill 1 1/2-inch holes through 2x material, and it drilled 3/8-inch holes in concrete without slowing down. At the end of our testing session, the 5 AH battery was still fully charged. This is a professional model built for heavy-duty jobs. If you have a big DIY project, such as remodeling the kitchen, this would be the perfect drill to do a wide variety of drilling and driving work. But for small jobs and just around the house, it’s probably more drill than you need. The drill comes with two batteries, a charger, an auxiliary side handle, and a carry case. Price at time of publish: $299 Despite its power, this is a fairly compact drill, measuring just a bit under 7 inches in length. That lets you work even in tight quarters. Plus, it has a variety of safety features important on the job site, including autostop control should the drill bit become caught. It has a LED work light and includes two batteries, charger, auxiliary side handle, and case. We appreciated the drill’s ergonomic grip, good balance, and easy-to-use controls, but did notice that it’s a fairly heavy drill. If you are serious DIY’er or in the construction business, then this would be a excellent choice. It’s a professional-level tool with a correspondingly premium price. Price at time of publish: $299 The brushless motor and powerful battery are designed for professional use, so you can be sure this drill will last you for years. We also appreciated the drill’s three-position, three-mode LED work light. Overall, we found all of the controls to be easy to use and very responsive, making this drill a pleasure to use. It comes with two batteries, a charger, a belt hook, and a carrying bag. This is a premium drill with outstanding performance and power. It’s ideal for serious DIY’ers, woodworkers, or people working in the trades. Price at time of publish: $267 The brushless motor of the drill is designed to prevent overload while providing long battery life and superior power. At a little under 7 inches, it’s reasonably compact in size, and it includes an auxiliary side handle for better control when precision counts. A built-in LED work light helps brighten dark work spaces. During testing, we found the drill very easy to use, other than a stiff speed-selector switch and appreciated the easy-to-read battery life gauge. The drill includes two batteries, a charger, an auxiliary side handle, and a sturdy carrying case. For someone who wants professional quality with batteries that last, this is a great choice. It’s a pro-level tool built for serious use, and at a premium price. Price at time of publish: $339 Our testers started by evaluating the overall weight, feel, and ergonomics of the drills before moving on to specific tests designed to measure the tools’ abilities at driving screws of various sizes into wood and concrete, as well as drilling both small and large holes into wood. Each drill was challenged with a variety of scenarios to evaluate the tool’s torque. Torque is a measurement of the force with which the drill bit spins, and so the more torque, the more powerful the drill. Testers evaluated torque by using different bits to drill various sizes of pilot holes in wood, and then drove lag screws into the holes. They then backed all of the screws out. This was repeated on both high and low drill speeds. The testers then challenged the tools’ abilities to drill holes in wood by using five different types of bits to drill holes on both low and high speeds. The testers noted the drill’s performance for each hole, including how easy it was to change the bits, adjust the settings, drill precisely, and pull the tool’s trigger. Up next was a test of the drill’s ability to drive through concrete. For this test, a 3/8-inch masonry bit was installed. The drill was set to high speed and highest torque setting. Hammer drills were set into hammer mode. The testers then drilled holes into edging blocks, noting the effectiveness of the drill as well as its overall performance. The final test of performance was drill driving ability. Various bits, speed settings, and clutch settings were used to drive screws of different sizes into wood. Every drill was evaluated for its performance in carrying out these tasks, with testers observing how effectively and easily the drill drove the screws. Once performance testing was completed, the testers evaluated the drill batteries for run life, ease of installation and removal, any special features on the chargers, and overall battery performance. They then loaded the drill and its components into the carrying bag, if one was included, and observed how well everything fit, as well as the overall weight of the loaded bag. Finally, they took all of these results in mind and rated each drill on its overall value.
What to Look for in a Cordless Drill
Battery Type
Most cordless drills today use lithium-ion cells that are lighter than older nickel cadmium batteries and hold a charge longer, cutting down on annoying pauses to recharge your drill. Most higher-end drills include two batteries, so one can be charging while the other is in use.
Battery Voltage
The heaviest-duty cordless drills today have either 18-volt or 20-volt batteries, which provide enough oomph to drill through even the hardest materials. Our top pick, the DEWALT Atomic MAX DCD708C2, has a 20-volt battery for the utmost in power. However, that extra power means extra weight, which can be tough on your hands, wrists, and arms. If you’re only planning on using your drill for simple tasks, such as screwing furniture together or hanging pictures, 12 volts or less are sufficient, and the drill will weigh less. Michael DiMartino, Senior Vice President of Installations at Power Home Remodeling, recommends, “For most DIYers doing light tasks, I recommend going with lighter-duty drills—around 12 volts because the batteries are much smaller and lighter, making them perfect for weekend projects. Plus, with the added cordless feature, tackling projects becomes even more efficient. However, if the drill is needed for heavy-duty projects, such as driving large screws or making holes in concrete, then an 18-volt or even 20-volt tool is up to the challenge."
Chuck Size
The drill’s chuck is the three-pronged clamp at the front of the drill that holds the bits in place. As a general rule, the more powerful the drill, the larger the chuck. You’ll typically find that the heaviest-duty drills have a 1/2-inch chuck, which is large enough to accept the big bits used for drilling into metal or stone. For most DIYers, however, a drill with a 3/8-inch chuck is sufficient. The Bosch PS31-2A is one such drill, with enough power and versatility for most DIY projects. A 3/8-inch chuck is large enough to hold good sized bits, but not so large that the drill is unwieldy. Drills intended for only lightweight jobs often have 1/4-inch chucks. Most cordless drills today have keyless chucks, meaning you can change bits without needing a “key” or extra tool; just a twist of your hand will release or tighten the bit.
Clutch
The drill’s clutch sets the amount of torque, which is a measure of the power with which the bit spins. Lower-end or lightweight cordless drills often have just one or two clutch settings, but higher-end or powerful drills typically have 14 to 20 settings, letting you fine-tune the amount of torque while you work. The very powerful Makita LXT XFD14T has an impressive 21 clutch settings, making it an ideal tool for drilling into various hard materials such as stone or metal or into wood and other softer materials.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article is edited and updated by Michelle Ullman, the tool expert for The Spruce. She has extensive experience not only in writing about all things related to the home, but also in carrying out various DIY projects, including landscaping, painting, flooring, wallpapering, furniture makeovers, and simple repairs. Cordless drills, on the other hand, have numerous uses, depending on the bit that’s attached. You can use your drill to drive or loosen screws, and also use it to drill holes, break up grout, stir paint, and grind or sand surfaces. For this roundup, she received extensive input from The Spruce’s team of product testers, who carried out multiple tests of each drill’s performance at various tasks, including drilling into wood and concrete. She also received advice and suggestions from Michael DiMartino, Senior Vice President of Installations at Power Home Remodeling.
What Is Spruce Approved?
Here at The Spruce, we want to ensure that we fully stand behind every product we recommend and that when we say something is the best, we mean it. You might have noticed The Spruce Approved badge next to the products on this list. Every product with this badge has been rigorously tested in person and carefully selected by our expert team of lab testers and editors. In most cases, we buy all of these products ourselves, though occasionally, we get samples provided to us directly by companies. No matter how we procure products, they all go through the same tests and must meet the same strict criteria to make the best-of cut. We also pride ourselves on transparency and will always let you know if we received a product for free.
