Reviewing the Best Cordless Drills

Strengths:
The DeWalt Cordless Drill is our personal favorite. It leads the pack in maximum torque with an impressive 530 in-lbs in total force. Also, this drill is built to last. Ours continues to produce great results despite having been dropped multiple times over the years. Lastly, the ergonomics & handling of this electric drill won’t disappoint. Thus, prolonged usage won’t result in the same level of fatigue as other options.

Weaknesses:
The runtime for this model is definitely not a strong suit for the DeWalt cordless drill. However, there is solution for that if you’re willing to spend a bit more. DeWalt offers multiple upgrades for battery capacity with the top option lasting 9 hours on a cordless drill. From our perspective, this is only necessary if you don’t have the ability to charge your spare battery while on the job.

Strengths:
There’s a reason we feel that Makita’s cordless drill offers the best value. It matches DeWalt’s maximum torque with 530 in-lbs in output while offering double the runtime on a single charge. Plus, Makita’s batteries include built-in technology that protects them from overheating, overloading, & over-discharging. Thus, users that neglect to recharge their batteries religiously may benefit from this feature.

Weaknesses:
As for the power drill itself, we have zero complaints for Makita. But when comparing the whole package to other options, there is one thing that bugs us. In most of their cordless drill sets, Makita only supplies one battery per tool. Consequently, you’ll need to purchase a second one separately if you want to swap batteries while one is charging.

Strengths:
Milwaukee’s power drill is a valiant attempt at producing the best electric drill on the market. Maximum torque is a hefty 500 in-lbs and estimated runtime is 3 hours on a single charge. Similar to Makita’s, Milwaukee’s batteries offer protection from overheating & overloading to improve longevity. All said & done, the quality & capabilities of this cordless drill are top shelf.

Weaknesses:
At regular price, this power drill is too expensive in our opinion. For a significant up-charge, you get LESS torque than Makita & DeWalt. Plus, there aren’t any notable differences between Milwaukee’s offering & other top brands. With that being said, anyone who is already operating with Milwaukee’s M18 battery ecosystem should probably stick to this drill.

Strengths:
Looks are deceiving (in a good way) when it comes to Ryobi. Despite the older looking design, this battery-powered drill isn’t missing any new technology. At almost half the price of Milwaukee’s, the Ryobi drill produces the same amount of torque with 500 in-lbs. And while the runtime is only 1.5 hours, Ryobi provides a second battery for quick swapping between charges. This is a solid option for cost-mind DIYers that need all the bells & whistles.

Weaknesses:
When DeWalt’s power drill is on sale, Ryobi’s offering becomes a harder sell. Both options are comparable in features, but DeWalt wins on power & quality. That’s not to say that Ryobi’s cordless drill will disappoint. We just think that there are better options when prices is taken out of the equation.

Strengths:
The Bosch cordless drill is a solid option. Max torque is just shy of the 500 mark at 480 in-lbs. And battery life is similar to other cordless drill sets that operate on the battery swap-out system. Furthermore, Bosch’s batteries feature CoolPack technology to prevent that battery from overheating.

Weaknesses:
Bosch doesn’t have any comparative advantages in our opinion. There are better cordless drills for around the same price, if not cheaper. For us to consider Bosch over Makita or Ryobi, the price would have to be really sweet to justify the power loss.

Strengths:
For any DIYer whose working on a tight budget, the Skil cordless drill is the one for you. As the only model that costs well under $100, it puts out 350 in-lbs in torque and has 2 hours of runtime. We also think this power drill is a great option for the casual DIYer. That is, the Skil cordless drill has the ability to conquer most home maintenance tasks where drilling is needed.

Weaknesses:
Seasoned DIYers & home improvement junkies should stay away from this option. The lack of power will interfere with certain tasks and slow down your projects. Plus, anyone that wants a second battery should opt for Ryobi instead as the total costs will end up the same. If in doubt, we recommend you opt for the other option has this model has too many limitations.