The best cordless drills for your home projects of 2024

There are so many projects around the house that are begging for the use of a cordless drill or driver. From screwing in lamp fixtures to assembling DIY furniture quickly, these handy tools are usable by anyone, are relatively safe, and tend to be a must have in the tool-user’s toolbox. The problem is that there are a ton of good ones out there. While this is a good problem to have, it won’t help you decide on what to pick.

While we’ll get into the nitty-gritty of how to pick a cordless drill further below, there are some things you need to know right away. Getting a good cordless drill, in and of itself, is no longer good enough. We live in a post-Apple world. If you have an iPhone, when you pick out the best smartwatch for you, you’re probably going to want to go with the Apple product. Like it or hate it, cordless drills are now the same way in that they are the iPhone of the battery-powered tool world. Once you’ve bought one product from a brand, it behooves you to continue buying more from that brand due to battery sharing.

As a result, for each drill examined below, we’re exploring what makes it the best drill and will highlight the details of its functionality. However, we’ll also be exploring what other tools use the same battery in the brand. If you can get all of the essential tools you need around the house, all sharing the same battery, that’s a big win for you and your wallet.

The best cordless drills of 2024

• Buy the for the overall best cordless drill from one of the best battery-powered tool lines.
• Buy the for a tool that gets power without the cord.
• Buy the for a super affordable brushless drill driver kit that excels at driving in screws.
• Buy the for a highly-rated, low-cost kit.
• Buy the for a premium brushless experience.
• Buy the for the most complete drill/driver set you can buy without breaking the bank.
• Buy the for a truly versatile machine with a sweet brushless motor.

DeWalt 20V DCD771C2

Best for most

The DeWalt 20V Drill / Driver spins at 1,500RPM at max speed, with a lower setting for more precision tasks that tops off at 450RPM. Its 300W of power and 16-setting clutch are enough to make it usable against both wood and stone, but not so intensely power-hogging that it drains the battery down quickly. In fact, we’re seeing reports of the 1.3Ah battery handling all-day power sessions on a single battery charge, so it will be more than adequate to get you through your afternoon house and home project. It’s handle is built with a tough exterior, using gentle curves that will be suitable for most hands.

This is one of the highest-rated, most purchased drills of the past many years. Despite the wide popularity of purchasing this drill, it is somewhat hard to find a clear “con” with the DeWalt 20V. Most just aren’t having trouble with it, but we suspect a few of you that are used to 20+ torque settings on your clutch might be somewhat disappointed with the 16 that are here. Why aren’t most others finding trouble? The consistent quality of the drill is a first clue. Additionally, to the North of your trigger finger, you’ll find an LED guide light, helping you line up shots. At just around three-and-a-half pounds, the DeWalt isn’t too heavy, but you might need a supporting finger from your offhand to line up everything accurately. Plus, should the drill ever malfunction, it has a three year warranty from DeWalt.

That battery that keeps the drill working all day is the DeWalt 20V Max, a battery that is at the top of the best tools and accessories that DeWalt has to offer. For example, you can get the or the to round out your tool collection, and won’t have to worry about sourcing a battery for them. Then, you can turn around and clean up just about any mess you made with you project using the in the same line. When you do decide to collect more batteries — such as the that powers more DeWalt tools — you might even consider getting a to get music on any job site.

Milwaukee M18 Drill Driver 2606-22CT

Best for power

Milwaukee’s M18 drill driver can spin up to 1,800 RPM (though also has a “slower” mode that tops out at 450) and has the ability to drive powerfully into the object of your choice. Interior motor systems are designed around consistent motor integrity, with the REDLINK Intelligence system keeping internal temperatures at bay. This keeps the motor lasting for a long time in the face of difficult jobs. Meanwhile, the exterior housing is made with a tough metal. With a two-inch width and under three pounds in weight (excluding the battery), you’re likely to want to jam the Milwaukee powerfully into a tight space or two in your time. That tough exterior will make sure it gets out alright. And if it doesn’t, the drill comes with a five year warranty.

The drill has a ribbed and angled handle that will provide extra friction to reduce your chances of slippage. Again, this can help out in tight spaces where you need to take advantage of the drill’s narrow width. You’ll also appreciate its LED lights, which will guide you to where you need to go without draining too much battery.

The Milwaukee M18 drill driver will open you up to Milwaukee’s popular M18 line, based on its 18V M18 battery, which now has over 250 tools. This kit provides two such 1.5Ah M18 batteries, which will work with all Milwaukee M18 tools, including those in the M18 fuel line like this incredibly popular . If you later buy a more powerful M18 battery, it will work with the drill as well. As a bonus, the included charger is also capable of charging M18 batteries and the equally popular M12 batteries. Other tools that are both popular and exemplify the versatility of the M18 are the and , both of which are sold without batteries.

Bosch GSR18V Drill Driver Kit

Best drill driver kit for accurate driving

If you’re looking for a drill/driver that will let you reach out with a steady arm, consider the 18V from Bosch. The naked tool is under three pounds and the body features a soft grip handle, so you can hold onto the drill tightly, extend your arm, and have a steady way to aim at the intended area for the hole or screw to be driven in. In other words, there’s considerably less need to grip close to your body or use two hands for these tricky situations. The 20 clutch settings will further let you pick your torque for the situation that presents itself. The Bosch drills in two modes, one going up to 450RPM and the other popping up to 1,700RPM.

One nicety of the Bosch 18V drill is the location of its LED light, again perfect for those out of the way situations. Most of these are on the upper half of the drill, near the bit. For the Bosch 18V, you’ll instead find the lighting gracing the top of the base, below where the fingers sit. While this might initially seem troublesome — “Won’t my drill-holding fingers get in the way of the light?” — in practice, it makes screw driving considerably easier. With the head-on approach, light gets blocked by the head of the screw or even your fingers that are steadying it before it enters the wood. By using the lower LED light guide offered by the Bosch’s 18V, we are able to clearly see both relevant areas in the driving process; the screw head and the marker for where it should be driven in to. While this location isn’t totally unique to the Bosch, it does confirm its role as a high-accuracy machine.

This kit comes with two 1.5Ah 18V batteries, perfect for using this tool for hours and hours or using with another tool in the Bosch 18V line in parallel. The wider Bosch 18V line will cover all of your bases and, in fact, has all of the usual suspects, from 18V band saws to 18V sanders. Customers particularly like this which, as per usual, does not come with a battery or charger. It’s telling how great this drill is, when our main complaint is the other tools that compliment its battery, which isn’t even that bad.

Craftsman V20 Cordless Drill/Driver Kit

Best value cordless drill driver

The Craftsman V20 drill driver is a two-speed drill, with the lower speed max of 350RPM and a higher speed max of 1,500RPM. It also has 23 clutch settings for extended torque control. The LED light on this drill is located just above the trigger.

We really like the pricing on this drill, which retails sub $80 MSRP. Considering it includes the 1.3Ah 20V battery and charger needed to use it, this pricing is quite phenomenal. You’ll also find that the drill has a certain level of heft and durability to it that doesn’t come along with skimping on the price. Yet, at the same time, this heft also translates to weight, with the drill totaling over four pounds. You’ll likely need your second hand for backing up your drilling, not holding a board or steadying your position on the ladder when using this drill.

If you read through the rest of this article in earnest, you’ll notice a pattern. A company’s cordless drill, which nearly always comes with a battery and charger, is the lead-in to locking you into the rest of the system. That’s certainly the case with affordable tools like this Craftsman V20, which includes a charger and a 20V MAX battery. Fortunately, its not a malicious trick, getting you locked into Craftsman tools, only to sell you overly expensive products. Other V20 tools, typically sold tool only, are very affordable, with popular options including their , , , and .

Ryobi One+ HP 18V Brushless Drill / Driver Kit

Best for a premium brushless experience

If you’re looking for a high-powered brushless (many swear by this motor type and its lengthy lifespan) drill and driver that doesn’t pack in too much weight, this premium kit from Ryobi should do the trick. The kit includes the drill, two powerful 2.0Ah batteries, a charger, and a tool bag to carry everything in. With the faster of the two speed settings of the Ryobi maxing out at 2,100RPM, you’ll find that everything you do with the tiny, easily controllable drill. The slower speed is a bit faster than most drills as well, at 500RPM, and the clutch has 24 positions for fine-tuned control.

The Ryobi is somewhat small in comparison to many leading drills, though is still powerful. You’ll likely be able to support the whole thing with a single hand, and at its widest the Ryobi is still under three inches wide. If lighting is particularly important to your work, you’ll like the wide, up-facing LED that shines up from the base of the drill.

Speaking of great lighting, the pair of 2.0Ah batteries that come with this set have a series of lights along the front-facing side to indicate how charged they are. At 2.0Ah, they’re on the more powerful end of batteries that come with kits similar to this. That means if you do want to expand your tool usage with one of the 300+ Ryobi 18V ONE+ series tools, you’ll be able to get extended life out of them as well, even if they’re of a kind that requires more power than the drill. Some of the most popular and high-rated of these tools, all of which come without a battery or charger, at the moment are this , this , and this .

Workpro 20V 102-Piece Drill Driver Kit

Most complete kit

The Workpro 20V drill in and of itself is great drill that holds itself steady. Topping out at 1,750RPM in its higher speed setting, the Workpro is capable of handling the difficulties that come with the need for more power around the house. It’s “22 + 2” torque selector includes special iconography and indicators for heavy drilling and drilling into masonry and concrete, with the manufacturer specifically citing the capabilities of the Workpro 20V to bore through brick, cement wall, and concrete with a high-frequency vertical impact. We really like how the accompanying LED, placed on the bottom of the drill and pointing up (to allow you to clearly see line the drill up with your mark) raises out of the top of the bottom of the drill. With a raised hood overtop, the LED light isn’t going to get covered by dust and the myriad of other goops and substances common in work environments.

In most cases, we consider getting a drill, batteries, charger, and even a carriage bag to be getting the complete kit. Workpro offers something even more expansive with this 102-pience kit that comes with compatible tools, bits, drivers, and more to ensure that you’ll get everything you’ll need to use a drill / driver from the beginning. In this way, you’ll eliminate the extra searching, embarrassing questions, and surprise costs of having to collect the extras as you go. We all have to start somewhere, after all, and starting with an affordable price is a great way to begin. You might, however, find it all to be a bit too much with things like a level, small hex wrench, and three meter tape measure also being included. Luckily, there is a hard-covered toolbox to accompany the kit and organize your bits and drives.

Workpro, in many ways, seems to be the exception that proves the rule when it comes to batteries being used as a gateway to the system. Most of their tool sets are quite complete. For example, is the most complete one that we’ve seen — with a battery, charger, dust collector, and tool bag all included — at a price that rivals that of “tool only” deals. If the pricing weren’t so competitive with tool-only products, we might consider this to be a negative for the product line (due to battery redundancy) but as it stands, it is only a positive.

Worx Nitro 20V WX130L

Most versatile

The Worx Nitro 20V Cordless Drill Driver Kit provides another option for an affordable drill that is small and easy to manipulate, has great power behind it, and uses an incredible brushless motor. It’s maximum speed goes up to 2,100RPM, with refined torque control in an ’18 +1′ configuration. That’s slightly less than others but hardly noticeable in the grand scheme of things. The front of the grip is dimpled, a design that will help your fingers get hold even on hot days where things tend to get a bit sweaty. At the top of the bottom, an LED light will help you seen underneath your bit and screw so you can line things up perfectly before you begin to drill and drive into something permanent.

As a result of all of these factors, you’ll find the Worx Nitro 20V has incredibly high versatility. You can drill into dense wood for guide holes then come back and drive one two-by-four into another, holding everything steady with another hand. In darker, tight spaces, you should still be able to extend your arm and use the LED light for appropriate guidance.

Even more flexibility comes from the two Worx Powershare 20V 2.0Ah batteries included in the kit. Here, “Powershare” is in reference to the ability of these batteries to be used in parallel with other products in the Worx collection. 40V tool? No problem, just use both 20V Powershare batteries to add up to 40V. With Worx, you can power this cordless drill, a , and an all with the same set of batteries. At the end of the day, it is innovations like this that will make the Worx your friend.

How we chose these cordless drills

Naturally, the preceding cordless drills are chosen as the best cordless drills due to their quality for drilling, the motors used inside, drill bit compatibility, and any special features within. What general features matter for a cordless drill, though? Beyond things that need to be tackled on a drill-by-drill basis, we found the following worthy of looking at for each drill.

The battery and the brand ecosystem

It might come across as cynical, but in so many ways the battery is the product. The drill just happens to work with it. Unless you’re a drill-only household, the battery that comes with the system will be used for other tools. As a result, you’re going to want to have a battery that you’re satisfied with as well as a brand ecosystem you’re happy with and understand. The following characteristics of the battery are critical to understand, both for your own interest as well as to understand why we find the battery to be so critical a component of the cordless drill.

Assessing a battery

For cordless drills, you’re typically going to find an 18V or 20V battery (from the brand) to power your tool. Note that many brands also use a 40V battery across their tool arsenal. Only the specified battery type for your cordless drill will work with it. As a result, looking carefully at the battery type required and matching it to what you own or wish to own is one of the first steps for evaluating the battery of your cordless drill.

Next, take a peek at the Ah of the battery. This stat stands for ‘Ampere hours’. As with many things in life, the more the better. A cordless drill using a battery with a higher Ah will, all other things being equal, be able to be used longer on a single charge than one running off of a battery with lower Ah. Drill power efficiency and age of the battery will affect the length of time a cordless drill can be used with a single battery charge. Some brands will have multiple batteries that can be used with your drill. More powerful ones will let you use your drill for longer without charging at the expense of more bulk.

You’ll also want to see how well the battery performs in general. If you see customer reports of a battery that dies after a year, it’s not only a bad battery for you, but it is also accompanied by a bad cordless drill for you.

Assessing a brand

Now that you have a cordless drill, battery, and charger, you’re going to want to look to reuse the battery and charger whenever possible. What other tools are you likely to use? If you’re interested in the Ryobi cordless drill, will you also be satisfied with the Ryobi orbital sander? Does Ryobi have an orbital sander? and one that uses an 18V battery at that. If you’re planning ahead, think of the other tools that you’ll need before you make your initial purchase.

Brand combos vs tool only in cordless drills

For many cordless drills, the best — and possibly only — deals come as a compact set; drill, battery, and charger. At the same time, most other products in the company lineup are very likely to come tool-only. This is by design. Everyone seems to need a drill. Far less need an orbital sander. If you can get the customer to get your drill (and the accompanying battery) you can get them to buy your other, task-specific tools later.

For many companies, the cordless drill is a gateway offering to get customers involved in the brand. As a result, great drill, battery, and charger combo deals exist.

As a result, you can get fantastic deals on cordless drill and batteries. In the article above, we’ve looked for the best possibilities available. Be sure to check out our updated tool deals for more possibilities.

Drill size and weight

To evaluate the drill itself, start with the size. If you’re looking to get into small nooks and crannies, you’ll want a smaller drill. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a drill or driver to punch through tough wood, make larger holes, or punch through with larger screws, a drill with some heft behind it and enough space to use two hands on the drill itself will be useful. In other words, scale the size of the drill to the size of the projects you intend to use it on.

For weight, try to stick to drills around the two to three pounds range if you are working in enclosed areas and want to use one hand. Any heavier than this, and the drill will become difficult to aim correctly with just a single hand. For open-faced drilling and driving screw into exterior surfaces, a heavier drill can be used and will likely give you more driving power into what you want to go into.

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