A cordless drill is an essential piece of DIY kit, so you need to ensure you choose a good one. Here you’ll find a smart selection to suit your budget and needs
Every DIYer should own a cordless drill; it's a versatile power tool that can tackle a wide range of home improvement tasks. Therefore, it makes sense to invest in a good quality product. However, there are numerous options to choose from. So you need to find one that strikes a balance between power and features and fits within your budget.
Think about what you'll use your cordless drill for and how often you'll plan to use it. This will make choosing the right one much easier. You don’t need to be splashing out on a high-end drill if you’re an occasional DIYer; there are plenty of perfectly capable models in the lower price range. But by the same token, if you’re a regular DIYer, you should think about investing in a power tool that will stand up to regular use.
Whatever type of drill you're looking for, this guide will help you find a cordless drill that meets your needs.
1. Bosch Home and Garden Cordless Combi Drill EasyImpact
This is the ideal cordless drill for all kinds of projects and can drill into wood just as easily as it can into masonry. It's lightweight, great value for money and has good battery life too.
The Makita DHP458Z hammer drill is a high-quality, versatile drill suitable for both home DIY tasks and demanding construction sites with its two-speed metal gearbox.
The Bosch PSB 1800 is a highly regarded cordless drill, often considered one of the best in its price range. With user-friendly operation, it's a versatile tool for various projects.
The DeWalt DCD796 includes a substantial 5Ah battery, providing approximately nine hours of runtime, and it can be swapped for a smaller battery for reduced tool weight.
The sturdy construction and impressive power of this drill more than make up for its higher price. Despite being a serious piece of kit, it is still easy to handle.
The Ryobi RID1801M features a robust motor that provides 220Nm of torque, ideal for tackling challenging DIY projects and stands out as the most powerful cordless drill in this selection.
8. BLACK+DECKER 18V Hammer Drill with Battery and Charger
This Black+Decker affordable drill is versatile and suitable for tasks like assembling furniture, mounting shelves or curtain poles, and drilling into wood and metal.
The Makita two-drill set is a cost-effective solution for a variety of tasks, including drilling into wood, plastic, metal, and masonry offering great value by providing both drills in one package.
The best all-round cordless drill for serious DIYers
(Image credit: Amazon)
1. Bosch Home and Garden Cordless Combi Drill EasyImpact
The best all-round cordless drill for DIYers
Our expert review:
Specifications
Torque settings: 40
Power source: Cordless
Weight: 1.4kg
Chuck capacity: 13mm
Drill capacity: Wood 30mm
Reasons to buy
+
Superb performance
+
Good value-for-money
+
Great battery life
Reasons to avoid
-
A little less powerful than some heavy-duty models
The Bosch Cordless Combi Drill EasyImpact combi 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 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.
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 comes with two batteries and a 50-piece accessory set including drill and screwdriver bits.
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.
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.
6. Einhell Power X-Change 40Nm Cordless Drill Driver
A robust cordless combi drill
Specifications
Voltage: 18V
Battery: 2.0Ah Lithium-Ion battery
Weight (with battery): 1.46 kg
Max rotational speed: 24000rpm
Reasons to buy
+
Rapid charger
+
Battery included
+
Sturdy case included
Reasons to avoid
-
A little more expensive than some
This Einhell cordless impact driver is fitted with a powerful two-speed transmission with a torque of 40 Nm, which makes powerful drilling and screwing work possible. An ideal choice for general DIY projects the drill comes with two 2.0Ah Power X-Change batteries. When one runs out you can quickly swap out for the other battery, meaning you have continuous use.
It has 21 torque settings, an integrated LED light and an impressive range of accessories including a fast charger, storage case and a 64-piece accessory set.
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.
8. BLACK+DECKER 18V Hammer Drill with Battery and Charger
A budget-friendly option that's easy to use
Specifications
Torque: 40Nm
Voltage: 18V
Battery: 1.5Ah Lithium-Ion
Weight (with battery): 1.2kg
No load speed: 0-360/1400rpm
Reasons to buy
+
Great price
+
Lightweight
+
Battery included
Reasons to avoid
-
Not as effective for drilling through masonry
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.
No load speed: Combi drill: 0-1,400rpm; Impact driver: 0-2,300
Reasons to buy
+
Great value
+
Easy to use
+
Gold drill bit helps with bigger jobs
Reasons to avoid
-
Batteries can't be used with Makita's LXT range
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.
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."
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Garry is an independent product tester, bringing decades of skill and experience in multiple trades to the art of authentic, real-world reviews. A technology geek, power tool addict, and soon-to-be Passivhaus self builder, he lives with his family in Worcestershire. He also has a passion for sustainability and plotfinding.
