Cordless Drills

Note:  If you're on a tight budget, consider a corded (plug-in) drill.  You can get a high quality corded drill for less money.  It will be lighter and have more torque (power).  And, <drumroll> the battery will never need charging just at the critical moment.  If you don't use a drill regularly the battery is likely to need charging when you go to use it. Cordless drills are convenient but, they're more expensive and heavier with less power. 

Another problem with cordless drills is the batteries usually only last 2-4 years, even if you don't use them.  Rechargeable batteries go bad just sitting on your shelf.  Replacement batteries are amazingly expensive.  I see cordless drills including a charger and two batteries on sale for only slightly more than the cost of two batteries.  So, you probably want to think of a cordless drill as disposable, and expect to replace it every 3-4 years.

Normally you should expect to pay $60-$100 for a good corded drill.  A couple of years ago Makita's model 6408K at $70 was rated high, and (surprisingly) Sears' model 10105 at $40 got a good rating.

This article is sorely out of date.  Read it for any general information it may have,
 but I feel sure the models listed are no longer available and even if they were, the
new drills with NiMH and lithium batteries are almost surely better.

They've come out with lithium batteries for cordlesses.  I'd guess these deliver more power with less weight,
but that's just guessing.

Revised November 2005


Tip: My experiences with Black & Decker power tools have been bad generally and their drill ratings regularly bear this out.  The same company owns both DeWalt and Black & Decker but, the quality of the two brands is very different.
Exact models are important.  The same brand may have both
good and bad models in the same voltage range.

That nationally famous consumer products rating magazine has rated cordless drills again.

If you want a drill that can handle larger jobs as well as routine ones, your best bet for the money is probably the 14.4 volt Bosch 32614-2G at $155 & 4.3 pounds  Second choice would be the 18 volt Ryobi P810 at $100 & 5.3#, but the Bosch is lighter and handles better.  If you have big projects in mind and want the top power with greater run time per charge and are willing to pay the price and weight penalty for it you probably want the top rated 18 volt Hitachi DS18DMR at $260 & 6# or possibly the Panasonic EY6432GQKW with a little less power.

The worst in each category are:

  • 18 v -- Craftsman & Black-Decker.  In previous ratings it was Grizzly & Chicago Electric
  • 14 v -- Skill.  Black & Decker wasn't rated.  Last time Black & Decker and Grizzly were the worst.
  • 12 v -- Black & Decker and Skill 2467-02 & 2468-02
  •   9 v -- Skill & Ryobi.  Black & Decker wasn't rated.  Last time Black & Decker and Ryobi worst.

That famous rating magazine now says drills lower than 14 volts aren't worth buying.  They now call the 14 and 18 volt drills "light."  We used to agree when they thought drills weighing 4-5# and more were heavy for all around use.  My test is to hold the drill as though you're using it just above eye level and see how long you can hold it there.  (Be sure it's with the battery -- display models often aren't.)  5+ pounds may not seem like much until you try this.  It's true when you look at price vs performance the recommended (but heavier) 18 volters give you the most grrrrr for your money.  But, the whole point of cordless drills is convenience.  Adding 2 pounds to a 3+ pound drill is a lot.  If it becomes so heavy it's awkward or tiring to use is it still convenient?  Unfortunately, either the good names aren't building 12 volters anymore or they aren't being rated. 

About the best compromise for general purpose use is the Hitachi DS12DVF3 at $80 and 3.5#.   It's a lower weight drill with good torque for it's weight.  My choice last time was the 12 volt Makita 6227DWE at $130 & 3.4, but I'm sure this model has been discontinued.  This Makita had low weight, good power and good balance.  Maybe you can find a used one on Amazon or EBay.  I've seen refurbished ones there recently for about $60 (Be sure battery charger and batteries are included.).  Hitachi claims more power for their unit, but claims can't always be relied on.  The rating outfit used to make their own measurements, but apparently they've stopped doing that. 

You want a dual speed drill -- one for drilling and one for driving screws -- and, most (all?) cheap drills lack dual speed . In my opinion, the higher speeds, suitable for drilling, are too fast for convenient screw driving.  You'll probably find one of the primary uses for your cordless drill is driving screws -- they're often called drill-drivers.  I've never seen a single-speed cordless drill geared slow for screw driving, but if there's a cheap one I'd probably give it a try -- the drilling may be slow, but it will work.  Driving screws at high speeds is a problem.

 

Just My Opinion

Unless you're going to be doing major, heavy duty projects, or for some reason you don't expect to use your drill for routine jobs around the house, I say get a lighter drill. 

I think a good combination for the weekend putterer is to get a light drill like the Hitachi (or the Makita I mentioned if you can find it) for routine stuff, and apply any money saved toward a good corded drill for meatier jobs. 

The ladies may want to consider this too. Please don't get on me for being a chauvinist -- finding my heavier drill harder to wield these days, this old man got a lighter drill, and I use it almost exclusively. I have to get out my corded drill now-and-then, but I had to do that about as often with my heavier cordless.

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