The 9 best cordless drills for any DIY project

If there is one bit of kit every DIYer needs, it has to be the best cordless drill they can get their hands on (literally).

But choosing the right drill that will make all those DIY jobs and home improvement projects a little easier isn't always simple. You will want a drill that is reliable, long lasting and powerful enough to take on any DIY tasks you have in the pipeline.

Alongside extra features and battery life you will also need to consider your budget. If you are a serious DIYer and have just taken on a renovation project, you will need to look for a drill that has top build quality and durability, so expect to pay more than those after something pretty basic for the odd spot of home maintenance.

We have been spending time tracking down the best cordless drills across the whole market, ranging from budget-friendly models for beginners right through to powerful hammer and combi drills for the most committed of DIYers to help you make the right choice for your needs and your bank balance.

The Quick List

The best all-round cordless drill for serious DIYers

The Bosch Cordless Combi Drill EasyImpactcombi comes with everything that any DIYer needs to get straight on the job, including one lithium Ion battery, a charger and a hard case.

This is a well-priced drill that, despite being lightweight and fairly compact, is suitable for both novice DIYers as well as those who are more experienced. It handles a variety of materials with ease, and can be used for screwing, drilling in wood, metal and plastic as well as impact drilling in masonry.

It's high on build quality and performance and has a 2-speed gearbox and 20 torque levels. It even has a handy built-in LED light for when working in poorly lit areas of the home or garden. 

The best cordless hammer drill

The Makita DHP458Z hammer drill is a top end drill that can be used for DIY tasks at home or on a busy building site.

It has a two-speed metal gearbox and an impressive no load speed of 2000rpm, which allows for drilling into almost all materials. And the hammer feature, at 30,000 blows per minute, allows for drilling in masonry as well. 

Makita's XPT technology impressively helps to prevent dust and moisture ingress, while a single sleeveless chuck allows for easy bit installation and LED lights aid working in darker areas.

The battery isn't included, but the tool is compatible with the vast range of Makita LXT batteries from 1.5Ah to 6Ah, so you can save money if you already own a Makita tool. 

Read more in our in-depth Makita DHP458Z review

The best budget cordless drill

The Bosch PSB 1800 is one of the best, if not the best cordless drill you can buy, especially for the price. It's budget-friendly and a beginner's dream.

This combi drill offers ease of use (simply push the button and let the drill do the rest), and 20 pre-set programmes to help you perform an array of projects, such as assembling furniture or hanging pictures. 

There's an autolock keyless chuck to make it easy to change bits, as well as an integrated work light that comes on ready for you to line up your screw before you start drilling it in place. 

It also supports the same batteries as the rest of the Bosch range, although you'll need to buy the battery and the charger separately.

The best for battery run time

The DeWalt DCD796 is a compact 18V cordless, brushless drill/driver/hammer drill that will suit every task. 

It comes with a huge 5Ah battery that has a great run-time of around nine hours, depending on your task of choice (you can use a smaller battery to reduce the weight of the tool if necessary). The battery charges in 75 minutes and the battery technology optimises power to help you complete jobs quickly. 

The drill offers 13 torque settings and is suitable for drilling into steel, masonry and wood. It has an excellent quality, single-piece, all-metal chuck capable of supporting drill bits from 1.5mm to 13mm in size, and can drill up to 13mm in steel, 13mm in masonry, and 40mm in wood. It also has three modes of LED work light.

Similarly to the Makita DHP458Z, DeWalt 18V batteries are compatible with the whole DeWalt XR suite of tools, so if you already own something from the range, the bare version of this drill would be a cost-effective choice. 

Read more in our full DeWalt DCD796P1 review

The best for comfort and ease of use

This Bosch tool is another good pick for DIY beginners because its lightweight and compact design makes it really comfortable and easy to use for a range of DIY tasks. It's suitable for use with metal, wood and masonry (as long as you use the correct drill bits).

Supporting interchangeable chucks, it is supplied with a drill chuck capable of using drill bits from 1.5mm to 13mm in size, as well as screw holder with a magnetic cap, and a single 25mm PZ2 bit. 

There are also two other chucks available as accessories or in different kit combinations: an off-set angle adapter and an angle screw adapter.

There are different modes for screw driving, drilling and impact drilling, and it offers a maximum torque of 36 Nm (Newton metres). With a 2.5Ah capacity, the drill can be fully charged in 60 minutes. 

Part of the Bosch Home and Garden 18V System, this cordless drill is a great choice if you already own tools from the range — they can all be powered with the same battery and charger. 

Find out more in our Bosch AdvancedImpact18 review

A robust cordless combi drill

This sturdy cordless combi drill from DEWALT is a brilliant option for general duty DIY jobs. The battery offers a decent run-time of around ‎2 Amp Hours and, thanks to the fast charger that comes included, can be fully charged in just one hour. 

This DEWALT combi drill has two speed settings, variable speed and a reverse switch, giving you plenty of control options – plus it has drill driver and hammer settings making it suitable for a whole host of projects. In addition, it has a handy LED light feature.

The best cordless impact driver

The powerful motor of this cordless impact driver from budget-brand Ryobi delivers 220Nm of torque, making it a great solution for more demanding DIY tasks. 

The most powerful cordless drill on this list, it is brilliant for screwing tasks. It offers variable speed settings (including reverse and break modes) giving you complete control at all times, and its three integrated LED lights light up your work space and eliminate shadows at any angle.

It also has a magnetic on-board bit storage that can be really convenient if you are working at height or in a confined space, and easy bit changes are achieved thanks to its 6.35mm keyless hex drive.

Sold as the bare tool, it is part of Ryobi's ONE+ range, so again, if you already own other Ryobi tools and already have a 1.5Ah (or above) battery — this is a great buy. If you don't own other tools from the range, then starter kits including the tool, battery and charger are available.

A budget-friendly option that's easy to use

This affordable drill from Black+Decker can easily tackle flat pack furniture, be used to put up shelves or curtain poles or drill into wood and metal. 

It offers 10 different torque settings, with a variable speed function that will give you complete control at all times. 

It's lightweight and compact enough to be easily used anywhere around the home.

The best combination deal

Why buy one cordless drill when you can buy two? This two-drill set from Makita is great for completing multiple jobs, such as drilling into wood, plastic, metal and masonry. And they come together at a very affordable price. 

Both models feature an ergonomically designed rubberised soft grip for ease of use, and as part of the twin kit you also get 2x 1.5Ah lithium-ion batteries, a charger, a hard plastic carry case with accessory compartment lid, and 3 x 65mm PH2 impact gold drill bits to help with high-energy applications when using the impact driver.  

Combi drill

The combi drill features three drill functions (combi drill, rotary drill and hammer action) and boasts a two-speed gearbox to provide greater torque. It also features a single-sleeve keyless chuck for easy bit installation. 

Impact driver

The impact driver packs power with 140Nm of torque, has a variable speed controlled by the trigger for greater control, and comes with a LED job light with pre-glow function to help you work in dimly lit conditions. 

Both models also come with a one-year guarantee, but it's important to note that the 18V batteries supplied are not compatible with the Makita LXT range.

FAQs

What should I look for when buying a cordless drill?

To ensure you buy the best cordless drill for your budget and purpose, make sure you consider these specifications:

Torque

As a rough guide, 4-15Nm will be fine for small screw driving tasks like hanging up pictures; 15-30Nm will be suitable for drilling holes and driving in medium-size screws; and 30Nm and above is advised for tackling heavy duty jobs and materials. 

Voltage

Voltage works in a similar way. You'd only likely want anything below 18V for very light-duty screw driving tasks, whereas anything above is likely to meet most homeowners' needs.

Battery

Cordless drills don't all come as the same, so keep a look out for the following when it comes to the battery: 

Batteries are available with various capacities, allowing you to use lighter, lower capacity (Ah) batteries when keeping the weight of the tool down is important, or heavier, higher capacity batteries when you want to achieve the maximum run-time between charges. Two or more batteries are ideal, so you can have one in use and one on charge at all times. 

It can also be useful to compare cordless drills on their no load speed (the maximum speed it can reach when it's not drilling hols or driving screws) — as once in use, the speed will depend on how demanding the task is.

What does brushless mean on a drill?

The difference between a brushed motor and a brushless motor can set you back £40-50 - but it's worth paying the extra to get a brushless drill. 

Brushed motors sit in the drill and require small metal brushes to work with magnets to convert electricity into power. When they break, you have to replace them. 

Brushless drills meanwhile have an electronic circuit board and a sensor to do the same thing. Not only do you not have to worry about replacing them, but brushless drills are more energy-efficient because no energy is lost through friction from the brushes. 

What drill feature and accessories do you need?

If your deal of choice includes batteries and a charger then that's extremely handy. If however you are only looking to buy the bare model, then make sure you get two batteries and a charger: one battery so you can use your drill right away, and the other battery for charging while you're working. 

Another useful accessory is a drill holster, or a clip that you can place on your tool belt, which makes it really easy to slot your drill in and carry it around with you.  

How we're testing the best cordless drills

There's a lot to consider when buying one of the best cordless drills, and the Homebuilding & Renovating team is getting hands-on experience with the products in this buying guide to help you feel confident in choosing the right drill for you. 

In our ongoing independent reviews we are testing the ease of use and power to gauge each drill's efficacy, and assessing key factors including battery life, weight and value for money. We’re also reviewing everything in-between from additional features to which drills are most beneficial for you depending on your task of choice. 

Our team is passionate about DIY and home improvement (which probably won’t be a surprise) so we already have detailed knowledge about the brands that make these drills. Moreover, we have taken into account user reviews when compiling this buying guide, and gleaned key information from our sister sites such as Real Homes and Ideal Home to help you find the best cordless drill for your home.

Still intrigued by our testing process? Find out more about how we test on our page. Here are a few of our Homebuilding & Renovating tools testers:

David Hilton

David is a renewables and ventilation installer who is passionate about testing new tools. He has reviewed the the Makita DHP458Z 18V Cordless Hammer Drill and the DeWalt DCD796P1 Cordless Drill for Homebuilding & Renovating to assess their suitability for the toolboxes of self builders and renovators.

Garry Martin

Garry is an independent product tester and tools addict. For Homebuilding & Renovating, Garry has reviewed the Bosch AdvancedImpact 18 Cordless Drill, which he describes as "well-balanced, comfortable to use", and the Makita DHP482M1JW Cordless Drill which he called a "robust combi drill ... that is equally at home helping out with DIY as it is surviving the rigours of wet, dusty job sites."