Top 8 Best Cordless Drills of 2022 | Reviews & Comparison Chart

For simple repairing tasks at home, most people don’t call professionals. They are more likely to do it by themselves, and if you are one of them, you might be looking to make those tasks less energy-consuming then it is now.

The tool that makes life easier to some extent while dealing with the task of drilling, fastening, and hammering, is these capable cordless drills.

It is acknowledged that it is not as powerful as the conventional corded AC drills. But with Li-ion batteries and Brushless motors, you get enough power, extra running time, and portability to take care of any remote tasks, which may be indoor or outdoor.

While choosing the best portable drills for your needs, it might get overwhelming to choose from so many options available, and that’s why we present you with this collection of 8 best brushless cordless drills on the market right now, starting from beginner level to the pro level. It is also useful if you are an independent DIYer, a Homeowner or you want to take care of a few projects at the office by yourself.

This device is a must for professionals to have in their tool kits. It is compact, lightweight, so easy to carry anywhere you want and the batteries and the motor are powerful enough to take care of heavy tasks as well.

The Best Cordless Drill

1. DEWALT DCD991B 20V Brushless Cordless Drill

If you are an independent DIYer or a professional and looking to take care of general drilling tasks that may come up, then this cordless drill is for you, my friend!

You might have heard this brand name before. Dewalt is a well-respected name for the quality and sturdiness of their products, and their products are very well-built and come with awesome features.

One of their range of drills and drivers, this device is carved out of high-grade ABS plastic and is our choice of preference.

Whether you are doing a simple joint screwing in a household or need more power to do some heavy task like drilling in metal or making holes in the walls, this thing will be able to take care of every need of yours.

The brushless motor is able to provide you with high torque for drilling in hard surfaces and has 3-speed settings to adjust the speed according to the nature of the surface.

In terms of technical aspects, the brushless dc motor is more efficient than the general motor with brushes and it will deliver 57% more runtime than the brushed motor runs.

You can choose between 3-speed settings as it comes with 3-speed modes that provide no-load speed starting from o to 450,1300, and 2000 RPM, respectively.

If you are wondering if it is capable of taking on heavier applications, be assured it is. To do this, it comes with a 1/2 inch chuck size, which is constructed by ratcheting nitro-carburized metal chuck with carbide inserts for very strong bit gripping.

A 20-volt Li-ion battery is sufficient enough to supply the motor with the power to drive heavy bits into the target surface. Even with the included battery, it only weighs around 4 pounds, which is quite lovely for long usage hours.

2. Makita XFD12T 5.0-Ah Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Driver Kit

A well-recognized brand name, Makita is known for its contribution to its quality products in the power tool market. They bring you this heavy-duty cordless drill packed with an efficient motor and a great battery backup.
The motor here is equipped with a BL brushless dc motor, which is highly powerful and can deliver a torque of 530 lbs or 60 Nm.

To tackle a wide range of applications starting from drilling a small hole in a wall to create strong joints, it comes with a two-speed transmission mechanism that can supply up to 500 RPM and 2000 RPM of no-load speed. Also, it has 2 modes that can be altered by a mechanical switch.

If it is used for hammering, it can give the 0-7500 and 0-30000 blows per minute on those two-speed modes.

Longer use of this drill won’t give you a wrist strain because it weighs only 3.9 pounds with a battery. The battery is of 18 V Li-ion, which is sufficient enough to supply the speed and torque required for quite some time. It is the best cordless drill to use for making a hole in steel or wood with great ease, provided you hold the device with care

3. Ryobi P252 18V Lithium-Ion Battery Powered Brushless Drill

This is the best choice available right now with an 18 V battery backup in the market. This cordless drill has so many things to offer as we will discuss it further, but at the time being, know that it combines a great value with the strong performance to take care of any job at hand in less time possible.

The brushless motor has a high runtime, extra power, and it ensures the long life of the unit. This cordless drill will allow getting really specific about your driving choice of depth because it features a 23+1 position clutch.

It features a variable speed trigger in a two-speed gearbox for better control of torque or speed levels. The maximum speed that can be achieved is 0 to 1800 RPM, and the max torque it can exert is 460 in-lbs. That won’t be enough to drill in very hard surfaces.

These are ordinary features that every other cordless drill will have but what stands out is it’s dual function 1/2″ chuck.

Small features like a Magtray to store screws and bits, a pre-attached belt clip to hang it on a belt while doing some other work, and LED light for dark environments adds more value to its functionality.

Its efficiency rating falls below 70 %, but it is capable of doing more.

Ryobi’s tends to have heavy power tools in pro and DIY classes, but The Ryobi P252 breaks that stereotyped image with a 7.3″ head length and 7.5″ height.

The drill weighs 2.65 pounds without the battery. and with the 2.0 Ah battery included, it weighs about 3.01 pounds, which is actually very lightweight in my opinion.

4. SKIL DL529303 PWRCore 20V Brushless Cordless Drill Driver

If you are a DIYer of a new generation, then this Skil cordless drill is for you. That’s how they market their tools, “tools of the new generation.” And they are not wrong about that because this small thing is packed with so much power and performance that it leaves the competition behind effortlessly. It exceeds every expectation you have from it.

This cordless drill works on a 20-volt Li-ion battery pack and a brushless motor, which is supplied with this unit. Motor’s speed can be changed with two levels, high or low, using the switch on the top.
The chuck is keyless and allows easy changing of the bits, and the bits of 1/2-inch can also be fitted into the chuck. It comes with an LED light and a belt clip too.

All these things are nice, but the eye-catching feature is its PWRJump charger, which charges the 2.0 Ah battery from 0 to its quarter value in just 5 minutes. It feels so good when you have more work to do, and the battery goes empty. Take a 5-minutes break and then wrap things up.

One more cool thing about this battery is the PWRJump assist USB charging. Get a USB cable, attach it to the battery and a source; and you are good to go.

The motor provides a max torque of 450-inch per pound. This torque setting can be changed with 17+1 clutch adjustments. The efficiency of this cordless drill falls between 70 % to 75 %.

5. CRAFTSMAN CMCD710C2 V20 Cordless Drill-Driver Kit

Craftsman is a known name in the industry for its offering of tools at an affordable price range, and this driver kit is no exception.

To get a variety of things done with different torque requirements, it comes with a 23+1 setting adjustable clutch, which means there are 23 torque modes and a full-power “drilling” mode. The clutch is easy enough to turn without any effort, and the markings are clear and easy to read.

It uses a brushless DC motor for better run time, efficiency, power, and longer life of the tool. This motor generates 350 watts out to deal with heavy-duty applications.

The chuck size is 1/2-inch to fit the bits of more heavy-duty applications. A plastic sleeve takes care of a chuck, which creates no issues while operating and provides better retention.

There are two-speed settings for fastening/drilling applications; at a lower level motor will turn a maximum of 600 rpm of no-load speed, and on a higher level, it will run at 1900 RPM.

The weight of the drill is 2.57 lbs, without a battery attached. It will be a little heavier when the 1.5 Ah battery is attached. The battery is rated for 20 V and provides enough runtime and the charge time of this battery is 60 minutes.

It comes with a 3-year warranty and support from Craftsman services.

6. PORTER-CABLE  PCCK607LB 20V Cordless Drill Driver Kit

This drill is the entry-level premium cordless drill made for professional users.

The featured brushless motor gives 50% more runtime for getting the projects done in one go. It is possible to do many heavy-duty tasks with it as well because the built-in motor has 370 MWOs.

And the motor provides 1,800 RPM of no-load speed for faster drilling speeds and fastening uses.
There is a choice available for 2-speed settings, the low mode provides a no-load speed of 0-450 rpm, and the high speed is of no-load speed from 0-1,800 rpm.

The chuck size is 1/2″, which is good for improved bit retention. It is compact enough to get things done in tight spaces and weighs just 3.3 pounds, which is very light to handle.

It has a collar mode, which gives ease to change between drilling and fastening while maintaining a clutch setting.

The 20V lithium-ion battery used here provides ample power for drilling holes and driving screws fast and easily.

It has a capacity of 15 Ahs, and the battery capacity is less than the average. The drill works for 30 minutes, but it comes with 2 batteries, so no need to worry about running out of power.

This PORTER-CABLE cordless drill comes with a 3- years warranty for drill parts and 2- years warranty for batteries.

7. Milwaukee 2801-20 18-Volt Cordless Compact Drill

This new Milwaukee 2801-20 is redesigned and modified for more power, better torque, and speed than its predecessor. It became more lightweight and of smaller size. Having a smaller cordless drill with sufficient power is certainly a great advantage.

Technically this drill features a brushless DC motor. Brushless dc motors have an advantage over the brushed motor of longer life span, durability, better cooling, and better runtime. The motor is supplied with an 18 V Li-ion battery.

The motor is adjustable to two-speed values; the low level is between 0-500 rpm, and the high-level speed is between 0-1800 rpm, which will take care of all your needs for drilling.
Few little things add more functionality to it, it has an attached belt hang and a led light to work in the dark spaces.

The chuck size is 1/2”, so you can do heavy-duty work with this tool as well.

For different torque precision requirements, it features an 18 + 1 clutch setting. The motor is able to produce more than 50 lbs torque while drilling small screws in hardwood.

8. Bosch PS32-02 Brushless Cordless Drill Driver

This is an excellent cordless drill/driver crammed into a very small package. The first thing you will notice about this is the plastic of high-grade quality is used to build this tool. The handle is rubberized, which is why you will get a secured grip and a good feel.

If you want to drill holes in the basement and don’t need to do any heavy-duty work with it, then this is the best tool for you.

The 12-volt Li-ion battery, which drives the motor, is powerful enough to give you ample runtime. The featured motor is able to produce torque in the range of 265 in. lbs.

This unit is fitted with a brushless motor for better run time and long life expectancy.

The motor is controlled by an improved gearbox that gives you a two-speed selection first is from 0-400 no-load rpm and the other is 0-1300 no-load rpm.

It has a height of 7″ and a length of 6.5″ with a weight of 2 pounds, which is really light and small to handle.

The chuck capacity is 3/8″. And for precise torque adjustment, it features 20+1 clutch settings.

The extra features such as bit holder led light and belt clamp make overall handling easier of the tool.

Buyer’s Guide for the Best Cordless Drill

To help you make a clear and sound choice on which cordless drill to buy, you need to consider a few things before making any decision. For that, you should have a good idea about where you will use this drill and for what purpose.

These are the things to take into account while buying a drill.

Type of Motor:-

Cordless drills are available with two types of motors in them, the first one is a Brushed motor and the second one is a brushless motor. The difference between the two is the conversion of power, and only that mechanism changes different characteristic aspects about drills.

The brushed motor uses a traditional way of converting power through brushes. In contrast, the brushless motor has sophisticated circuitry in it, which can sense the friction and torque experienced by drill and adjusts draw of power accordingly.

If the torque is high, it will draw more power and vice versa.

The drills with brushless motors are more efficient, give better runtime, and have improved cooling, so the drill’s long service life is assured.

The more economical version of this is their brushed counterpart, which you should consider if you are going to use the drill for less intensive tasks.

RPM and Torque:-

The speed of the drill is described in RPM, which is rotation per minute.

Generally, all drills nowadays come with two-speed modes, low and high, which users can select by a switch located at the top. High speed is useful when you are drilling holes in some material, and the low-speed setting is enough when driving screws.

This selection of speed is vital because it gives you better control over the task. The general control of the speed is achieved by putting pressure on a trigger.

The selection of drill should be based on both the RPM and torque. Torque is a measure of the drill’s rotational force. More torque is necessary while driving screws/drilling holes on hard materials. All the cordless drills come with adjustable torque settings.

Clutch:-

The clutch is generally a safety feature that will disengage the motor once the selected torque is encountered by a chuck.

It is helpful, so you don’t snap a screw or overdrive it.

The adjustable clutch, in better drills, comes with 24 settings, which really helps you fine-tune your force while driving screws in different densities of materials. This number of clutch settings varies with different models.

Chuck:-

The chuck is a front part of the drill which holds the bits in their place.

In today’s drills, chucks are keyless, which means you can easily change the chuck without using the key. While in a keyed chuck, you will need a key to change the bit.

The maximum diameter of bit the drill can hold depends on its chuck size. 3/8 of an inch are the most common size in simple cordless models and can hold most cordless drills. For a heavy-duty application is 1/2 of an inch is required.

The good chuck is one that doesn’t wobble and holds the bit securely.

Weight:-

In recent years there is a high level of development in battery technology, which made the batteries more lightweight and able to store more charge in a compact design. We can say that today’s lightweight drills are the result of these lightweight batteries.

Cordless drills are used to weigh around 4 to 5 lbs, but nowadays, you can get a relatively good drill with a weight of about 3 or less than 3 pounds only.

When firmly holding a drill, if it doesn’t tilt or make you apply a force to keep it straight, then it is a well-balanced drill. The balance of a drill is also an important factor because it will give you strain if it’s not well balanced.

Battery:-

The high voltage batteries were used to be a thing of pros, but with recent development in battery technology, Li-ion batteries became available with high energy density and with smaller sizes.

The batteries for drills range from as small as 4 V to 36 V. Of course, the low-level voltage batteries are for light-duty application, and for high torque requirement, high voltage batteries are there.

As the voltage of the battery increases, increase the weight of the drill and the price. So selection should be based on your budget, time of continuous operation, and the power required to handle the task.

18 – 20V battery drills are the most popular category because they can handle almost all DIY projects and household work.

FAQs

Q. Which drill is better corded or cordless?

If you are looking for a drill to purchase, you may have come across two kinds of drills; one uses an electrical outlet as a power source, and the other uses a battery as its power source.

The biggest plus point of cordless drills is that they are very convenient and highly portable. Just charge the battery, and carry it pretty much everywhere. It is simple to use, easy to handle, and any rookie can use it without any learning curve.

The corded drills are heavy and bulkier, and the cord limits their portability and can limit you to work in tight areas.

While doing work that requires a lot of movement, these cordless drills are your friend to help you out.

The one drawback of a cordless drill is that it is battery operated. If you forget to charge the battery, then it may die in the middle of work. And you are left with just a power tool and few free hours until it charges again. While this problem isn’t there with corded drills, but the cord is the biggest roadblock for many users.

Some cordless drills with bigger motors are cumbersome to use after an hour or so, so there is that!

Q. Which voltage is better for DIY tasks?

Well, It depends on the kind of work you want your drill to do. For producing more torque, it needs higher voltages. The more you have to pay for higher voltages, and the more it will weigh.

Cordless drills are generally available in the range of 12 v to 36 volts.

For lighter tasks, the low voltage model is preferred, which will be of 12 V. To take care of some heavy-duty tasks, go for an 18- or 20-volt drill. 36 v drills can be used if you want to drill some large holes and need to drive large fasteners.

Q. Where to use cordless drills?

Cordless power drills are mainly used for two purposes. The first is to drill holes in walls or wood or some other hard materials.

The second is to drive screws and to tight the fasteners.

But the people use it for doing so many various tasks such as to mix paint or concrete, to sand the curved surfaces. Use it as a metal grinder and remove rust, and people went too far that they have used it for twisting the bundle of wires with these drills.

Q. Why should I buy a portable drill with a brushless motor?

While going through this article, you must have seen many advantages of portable drills, so let’s sum it up, that why you should go for it?

• They cut down the time of the task and make it much effortless.
• They are easy to carry around.
• They are compact.
• It works more accurately because it can sense the torque.
• Has a long life span.
• It is more efficient to work with.
• Weighs less than corded drills.

Q. What Does The “Ah” Mean in Cordless Batteries??

‘Ah’ in general indicates the capacity of the battery. If Ah is high, the battery has a more charge storing capacity than the less ‘Ah’ rating batteries.

High capacity batteries increase the weight of the drill. The choice should depend on how long you want your device to last before charging again. To make a sound choice, you need to take into consideration all related things and see if the battery choice balances all these things.

Q. What does the trigger speed means?

It is nothing but a choice to change speed according to the task at hand. This is possible using different gears.
While most of the drill comes with a speed setting, it is beneficial to choose one that comes with strong control.