Whether you’re always searching for your next DIY project or you only fix things when they’re broken, a cordless drill can come in handy. It’s an essential tool for any home improvement project and should be a part of everyone’s tool kit. If you’ve got some projects to take care of around the house, you’ll want to use the best cordless drill possible. A metal housing on the front of the unit provides added durability, making it suitable for a pro job site. Most DeWalt drills come equipped with LED work lights that illuminate the work area when the drill trigger is pressed.
Since it’s a hammer drill, this is also my pick for the best DeWalt hammer drill overall. Some people (especially professional contractors) keep more than one battery on hand to ensure there’s enough power to complete a job. Most DIY homeowners can probably get by if they simply recharge the battery when it’s low. Cordless drills can be more convenient and practical than their corded counterparts. First, you don’t have to worry about finding an electrical outlet nearby.
It’s also in the top tier of performance against other professional-grade drills. Battery life indicators can help out when you find yourself in places where switching out batteries isn’t convenient, say, on a ladder, roof or any other less accessible location. One push of the button and you get an estimate of battery power remaining — usually in 25% increments. Bauer, Ridgid, Milwaukee and Craftsman 18-volt drills all have this feature.
It’s especially noticeable when you’re using a FlexVolt battery, and you need to use that pack to open the highest performance available. It’s also on the expensive side of DeWalt’s lineup, though the pricing is in line with what we expect from top models from other Pro brands. We’ve tested dozens of drills in our search for the best cordless drill.
DeWalt’s cordless drills come as bare tools or in full kits with batteries, chargers, and hard plastic carrying cases. Since DeWalt’s batteries are interchangeable among most DeWalt power tools, bare tools are a more affordable option for those who already own other DeWalt cordless tools. A ½-inch drill also tends to have lower max speeds than smaller ⅜-inch drills that can rotate their smaller chucks faster. The hammer drill’s built-in LED work light makes ongoing projects even easier, as it’s 20% brighter than previous models and will stay on for 20 minutes at a time.
These typically activate once you pull the trigger and go off either when you release the trigger or with a small delay. The placement of the LED is either at the base of the tool near the battery, or above the trigger on the main barrel of the tool. In 18-volt drills, Bauer, Ryobi and Bosch all have the lower-placed LED, and Ridgid is the only model without any LED. Running the low-torque tests takes longer than the high-torque tests, so there’s more time to get the feel of the tools themselves. Generally speaking, the drills all feel like you’d expect, but there were a couple of features that stood out. This may actually be a benefit for some people, but for me, it was a little off-putting.
The hammer function can also be turned off in order to be used like a drill driver for projects requiring less power. These bits work great in your drill and are impact-rated to handle the hard-hitting action of an impact driver. Better yet, dewalt drill that 1/4-inch hex shank on the bits also fits into many multi-bit screwdrivers and cordless screwdrivers. DeWalt is expanding its Max Fit system into impact-rated driver bits, but at the moment, we’re sticking with the FlexTorque ones.