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I used the tools for all my DIY tasks at home and then took them to the workshop to get the verdict from my classmates
The products or services listed have been independently tested by our journalists. We earn a commission from the affiliate links in this article. Read more >
When buying a cordless drill, the question you need to answer is what does DIY mean to you? Is it hanging some picture frames and tightening the screws on your kitchen cabinets? Or is it single-handedly extending your kitchen? For me, as a DIY content creator, author of Your Not Forever Home and a construction student, the answer is somewhere in between.
Modern cordless drills powered by lithium-ion batteries can offer an impressive range of functions, from boring holes and screwdriving to hammer-drilling. Although they are lower-powered than a corded drill, they have superior convenience and portability, with no need for a plug socket during use.
Most users can find a suitable drill for under £200, while professionals sometimes pay far more for a specialised tool. For this guide, I tested eleven drills from leading brands include Makita, Bosch, DeWalt and Milwaukee. The top seven are featured below, including ideal options for home improvers and craft professionals alike.
All of the drills were tested at a workshop, where each one was handled and judged by a group of twelve construction students (both men and women, aged 20 to 60) to give a balanced assessment of their drilling and screwdriving performance. I also used the drills at home for tasks such as hanging wall shelves, uninstalling old screws and hanging cabinet doors.
I rated each drill on its ease of use, considering if it is easy to charge, how it feels in the hand, and if you can use it comfortably for extended periods. I also assessed the tools’ versatility across modes including drilling, screwdriving and hammer-drilling (as applicable). For battery runtime, I timed it by using the same drill bit and keeping each drill’s trigger pressed down with a cable tie, and I judged their speed and effectiveness when screwdriving or drilling through wood, metal and plastic.
Finally, price, quality and any standout individual features were taken into consideration. The scores from each of the criteria were then averaged to give us an overall score for each drill.
As a buyer, you first need to work out what you want from your drill (this will depend on which material and task you have planned) and how much it will be used.
There is no single drill that suits every task or material, which is why seasoned DIYers and tradespeople typically own multiple drills. A combi drill is a three-in-one power tool which operates as a drill-driver, impact driver and hammer drill. A drill-driver bores holes, while a screwdriver drives screws, bolts and fastenings into materials. A hammer drill is suitable for tough materials like concrete, brick and stone and works by combining rotational drilling with a rapid, pulsating action. If you’re looking to attack seriously heavy-duty masonry like brick walls, you’d be better off with an SDS drill designed for impact force and high performance.
Even within these types, there is great variety. Some models drill with superior speed or power, while others are delicate, working with high-precision. There are also meaningful differences in weight, battery power and hand feel – especially for a woman, as some drills are clearly made for a male hand. With my selections below, I’ve aimed to test a good spread of options that will suit a wide range of materials, projects and people.
Finally, there are a few need-to-know phrases. Here is a quick cheat sheet:
Best Buy Cordless Drill
This drill was by far the most popular among our panel of construction students. Not only is it light, at 1.1kg without the battery, it also feels very comfortable and ergonomic. It’s in a sub-compact size at 164mm, and this makes it ideal for work on cabinets, in tight corners and overhead. It also performed well in terms of boring and screwdriving speed.
The controls are simple to use with an easy-to-switch ring for selecting screw, drill and hammer settings. There’s a two-speed gearbox, and a second ring boasts 20 clutch settings spanning from 25Nm to 40Nm, offering a good selection of torque levels for delicate or strenuous screwdriving tasks.
Makita is known for durable tools, and this model is robustly made with an aluminium, diecast gear housing and all-metal gears, which also deliver efficient power transmission. Its Extreme Protection Technology stops dust and moisture from getting into the drill.
I’d use this drill for cabinetry and furniture building over more heavy-duty tasks. It didn’t have the best power when hammer-drilling into masonry to hang pictures, but the variable-speed trigger is responsive to pressure and offers a lot of control when you are screwdriving.
While the overall runtime of the 5.0Ah battery was more than sufficient, it did cut out every eight minutes during testing. This wasn’t a problem as it could be revived almost instantly, but it could be a minor frustration.
This model is fully compatible with all Makita 18V LXT batteries. I’d probably opt for a 3.0Ah battery for a good balance of weight, battery life and charging time.
Best Value Cordless Drill
Another extremely compact model at just 165mm, this drill has much to recommend it. About 25 per cent shorter and 20 per cent lighter than the average impact drill, it’s ideal for corners or tight spaces, and you’ll appreciate its lightness even within just a few minutes of use.
At 20V it has a little more poke than some of the other models, and its max torque goes up to a tangibly powerful 55Nm. It has a self-tightening, all-metal chuck, which will be longer-lasting and more secure than a plastic chuck owing to improved heat resistance and durability. The chuck is fluid and easy to tighten, which is an advantage over some of the larger models we tested.
The drill has a two-speed, metal gearbox, as well as a 20-position clutch on one ring and three settings for the screwing, boring and hammer functions on another. We tested with a 2.0Ah battery, but the drill is part of the Worx PowerShare system, meaning it is compatible with all Worx 20V, 40V, and 80V batteries, so you could always upgrade to 5.0Ah or above to reduce the frequency of recharging. The 2.0Ah battery began to flag after around half an hour, but it was straightforward to install and remove.
This model gets a resounding thumbs up for its weight/power ratio. It definitely straddles the DIY/professional divide, which will be handy if your home improvement demands increase.
Best Contractor-Grade Combi Drill
The carpentry class and tutors audibly inhaled when I opened the impressively professional Systainer case of the Festool CXS 18. This drill is doubtless a thing of beauty, with its signature C-shaped ergonomic design enabling your hand to be exactly in line with the drill bit. Everything has been optimised for precision, control and power transfer, and the drill’s extremely compact size (157mm) makes it ideal for awkward and tight positions.
What I loved most was that you could geek out and explore seemingly endless applications. Festool’s Centrotec system allows you to swap between drill chucks (50 per cent smaller and 80 per cent lighter than standard chucks) and specialised attachments in seconds. There’s also electronic speed control available which allows you to adjust the speed to suit your material, and the drill can be programmed to left-hander mode via an app, reversing the direction switch.
For all its advanced technology, this tool remains intuitive and extremely simple to use. Ideal for cabinet making, furniture assembly and electrical installations, it has a two-speed gearbox and 13 torque settings up to a respectable 40Nm. It performed well in drilling speed tests, so while it specialises as a light- to medium-duty screwdriver, it is versatile and would be appropriate for all but the most heavy-duty DIY.
This model has been specifically adapted for power efficiency, offering a run time of well over an hour for a 3.1Ah battery. Little wonder that wood rats speak of it in hushed tones. If you register your purchase within 30 days, Festool offers a comprehensive three-year warranty.
Best Budget Cordless Drill
This model ticks a lot of boxes, giving you great bang for your buck (or torque for your tenners). It features screwdriver, impact and hammer drill functions, a two-speed gearbox running at up to an impressive 50Nm torque, 22 clutch positions and a solid, dependable feel.
In testing, this drill compared favourably on speed with rivals that cost two or even three times the price. It handled well compared to other larger drills on test, with a soft grip handle and a well-balanced shape that ensured there was no tipping in either direction. For my hand, the grip is a little wide, but the forward/reverse slider at least is in the perfect position. While it is certainly not the heaviest of drills, it takes more effort to hold than a lightweight model would, especially when working overhead, at 1.8kg with just a 2.0Ah battery.
Titan is Screwfix’s own brand, known for being robust and no-fuss. There is an expectation, echoed amongst the college teaching staff, that at a certain point, a drill at this price point will burn out, especially as the gears are made from nylon rather than metal. I wouldn’t choose it for heavy-duty work, but it still represents a cost-effective option that’s well suited to DIY, with 40 minutes of uninterrupted runtime on a single charge.
Best Impact Drill
For German design and high performance that goes beyond simple DIY tasks, Einhell is a good bet. Delivering up to 120Nm of torque, this “prosumer” (in between professional and consumer) model offers extremely high power across all three functions: drill, hammer-drill and screwdriver.
While the drill mode performs well when drilling into wood or metal, the standout application here is hammer-drilling into brick, which this Einhell drill does as well as some better-known competitors at far higher prices. The manufacturer offers a 10-year warranty on its PUREPower motor upon registration of your purchase, proving the company backs the durability of its technology.
The “Power X-Change” power system which this drill uses means the battery works across 300 different tools. However, given the 60-minute charging time, you don’t get that much battery life – power waned before 30 minutes of use, during my testing. I also found the trigger to be quick, meaning you definitely need to exercise caution if you plan to use it for more delicate tasks.
With all that said, as an impact drill primarily designed for heavy-duty drilling and for driving long and large screws, this tool is a winner. It would be a great investment if you were building decking or wooden framing, or looking to drive fastenings into brick or concrete.
Best User-Friendly Cordless Drill
This model from Japanese brand Ryobi is a high-performance option offering a massive torque of 105Nm, which is way beyond what you’d typically need for light- or medium-duty DIY. With 24 clutches on a single ring (hammer and drilling functions plus 22 torque settings for screwdriving) and an all-metal ratcheting chuck for improved bit grip and durability, it feels impressively sturdy and well engineered.
At only 169mm, this drill is certainly compact for its power class. The two-speed gear box goes all the way up to 2,150rpm in second gear, while the hammer rate reaches 34,000bpm, which is over 45 per cent faster than previous Ryobi models. The issue here is that the lower end of the torque range is potentially overpowered with the first gear going from 0-700rpm, meaning you have to moderate your pressure on the trigger when you’re working with smaller screws or drill bits. But when I was drilling into brick, there was no doubt over the power in my hand – this drill is a beast and it didn’t struggle at all.
One downside for many users is that the indentation on the handle where your middle and ring fingers are supposed to sit is too wide for a female hand, making it uncomfortable to hold, especially given the drill’s weight.
Best User-Friendly Cordless Drill
This drill is presented as a solid all-rounder that bridges the gap between DIY and more professional use – not too expensive, not too heavy, and compact, but with an impressive level of torque for heavy-duty work. It has all the power required for truly versatile use and build quality that suggests long-term durability, with a two-speed, all-metal gearbox, 22 clutches and an all-metal chuck.
I found this to be one of the most comfortable drills to hold, and it was simple to load the drill bits. The battery charger is nice and slight for easy storage, though you pay for this in charge time, getting under 30 minutes of battery life from a charge-up that takes an hour (and that ratio would look even worse if you were tackling some heavy-duty drilling).
The torque is high, which means you have to proceed with caution during delicate tasks. A couple of my screws were rounded before I found the right clutch to manage the screwdriving. If you were looking exclusively to build furniture or cabinetry, it might be worth considering a model with lower torque. But overall, this is an impressive bit of kit for both the size and the price.
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