How to choose a cordless drill: The Definitive Guide

Tips for Choosing a Cordless Drill

What must be considered if you want to purchase your initial drill / driver or switch to a higher performance version? No matter how hard you try, either learning the fundamentals of easy servicing or considering a second implement, a great drill/driver is a must. Plus, when the model is wireless, you can drill holes and drive screws with the same machine – instead of struggling to reach an electrical socket close to the factory to run the drill. Well, the great thing is that you can buy dozens of different types of these drills. The negative side is you don’t always know what drills to choose.

There are many different types of power drills – power drill or combination, corded or cordless, second handle, or no second handle – so it can be confusing to know which one is best for you. There are a few well-known brands like Makita, DeWalt, and Bosch, but there are also many smaller names. Retailers include Argos, B&Q, and Screwfix as well as online outlets.

Below you will find advice on how to choose the best cordless drill for your needs.

Here are the 5 best cordless drill brands:

1. Black and Decker
2. Milwaukee
3. DeWalt
4. Makita
5. Bosch

Black and Decker are one of the biggest names in tools. Black and Decker manufacture full lines of power tools, gardening equipment, small appliances, and more.

The most popular Black and Decker drill:

Black and Decker 12V MAX Cordless Drill, Black and Decker 20V MAX Cordless Drill.

Milwaukee is known for its signature red tools. They offer well over 50 cordless drills including hammer drills, driver, and magnetic drills. One of their most popular drills is the M18 Fuel Hammer Drill, it’s actually the most powerful 18-volt cordless drill on the market today.

The most popular Milwaukee drill:

Milwaukee M12 12V 3/8-Inch Drill Driver, Milwaukee 2415-20 M12 12V, Milwaukee 2606-20 M18. DeWalt also offers quite a few drill sets for its three-speed drills. These kits contain extra batteries, a charger, and drill bits.

The most popular DeWalt drill:

DEWALT DC825KA 18-Volt Compact Impact Driver, DEWALT DCD701B Xtreme 12V, DEWALT DCD701F2 Xtreme 12V Cordless Drill,  DEWALT 20V MAX XR Impact Driver Kit.

Makita is very popular among construction professionals. These durable drills can work in all weather conditions. Lightweight but with 12V of power, the drill is versatile enough for both the job site and simple home repairs.

The most popular Makita drill:

Makita XDT13Z 18V LXT, Makita DT03Z 12V max CXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Impact Driver.

The grip on a Bosch drill is comfortable and secure. You can use the drill for significant periods of time without feeling the strain on your wrist and arm.

The most popular Bosch drill:

Bosch PS32-02 Cordless Drill, Bosch Bare-Tool PS130BN 12 Volt, Bosch HDS181AB Bare-Tool 18V, Bosch Electric Screwdriver 3.6V.

Features that are important

Here are five features of cordless drills that you should be aware of.

• • Power

In the case of wireless drills, performance is expressed in battery power. More voltage equals higher torques to break the resistance. In the past ten years, the top-end voltage has risen to 18 V from 9.6 V, however, a wide variety of cordless drills are available in 6, 7.2, 9.6, 12, 14.4 and 18 V versions. The current higher-voltage drills have sufficient capacity to drill big holes in frame woods and flooring. This is amazing muscle strength. However, the compromise for power comes down to size and weight. A standard 9.6 V drill will weight 3 1/2 lbs., whereas an 18 V version can weight up to 10 lbs.

• • Handles

Prior to the introduction of cordless drills, many drills featured pistol handles, in which the grip is located behind the engine just as a pistol would. However, the majority of modern cordless drills are fitted with a T-handle: The basis of the grip is broadened to avoid the hand slipping off and to hold a battery. Since the battery is positioned centrally below the weight and mass of the engine, a T-grip offers a more balanced overall performance, especially on larger drills. In addition, T-handle drills frequently allow access to narrow places as the hand in the center of the drill is no longer an obstacle. However, if you are drilling large holes and driving big screws, you can use a pistol grip further up – nearly right behind the drill – to apply pressure so that you can exert greater strength on the job.

• • Size of the chuck

The majority of cordless drills are supplied with a 1⁄2 6-inch or 3⁄8 inch chuck. The size will give you two key facts about a cordless drill. One is that it offers an upper limit on the size of the drill shaft that the drill can accommodate. Larger drills frequently have broader shafts, so a high-performance power drill bit that you would use to blend mortar or cement grout will not fit in a drill using a smaller chuck. And secondly, the size of the drill chuck is strongly related to the performance and abilities of the drill – more efficient drills generally have bigger chucks and conversely.

• • Charger and charge status display

Early Li-ion batteries often had to be charged and used under precise conditions to ensure peak performance. However, the latest generation of batteries and chargers prevents overcharging and mitigates the need to fully discharge the batteries between charges to ensure the longest possible life. New chargers also have an indicator light that clearly shows how close the battery is to a full charge. Some brands also have indicator lights on the batteries themselves.

• • Trigger/speed control

It had to be user-friendly and allow easy adjustment from low speed to maximum speed. Proper adjustment at low speeds is particularly essential if an attempt is made to start a screw or drill on a surface that does not provide proper grip or rubbing, for example, ceramic tiles and steel.

A variety of gears are available to assist you in obtaining the best performance for various jobs. Low speeds are for slowly, powerful drilling, for example with a large diameter drill bit, when drilling through steel or when driving screws. High speed is for quick drilling, e.g. with a small diameter drill bit.

How to choose a cordless screwdriver

Screwdrivers belong to the most frequently applied household tools and are also extremely essential. Whether it’s fastening big appliances or doing some small do-it-yourself work, battery-powered screwdrivers perform fine anywhere. Besides making a lot of tough jobs simple, they have also helped reduce the amount of time and effort that would otherwise be wasted.

The reason why battery-powered screwdrivers are more common than corded models is that the cordless screwdriver is easy to handle can be taken wherever you go and are secure in operation. Be sure to view demonstration clips and review articles about cordless screwdrivers before you buy them. Besides that we have listed the advantages of the battery-powered screwdriver here:

• Portability – The cordless screwdriver is battery powered and wireless. Generally, they are very light and can, therefore, be carried everywhere with you. They turn out to become your perfect companion for traveling.
• Versatility – battery-powered screwdrivers are simple to use, in contrast to wired screwdrivers they can be carried from one location to another with ease, so that access to this area is not restricted.
• Secure handling – Wired screwdrivers can have a potential risk of electrical shock, unlike battery-powered screwdrivers.
• Power – Various cordless screwdrivers operate at varying power levels, so make sure you select the one that best suits your needs. You will have to check the torque, speed, and power that the cordless screwdriver is working with.
• Speed – A further key consideration to take into account before purchasing a cordless screwdriver is the speed at which it operates. The speed may vary from 300 rpm to 800 rpm. The higher speed is intended for drilling holes, whereas the slower speed is intended for inserting the screw into panels, wood, etc.
• Battery – As the cordless screwdriver is fully charged with batteries, the longer the service time of the battery, the longer the service life of the battery, the greater the performance of the screwdriver. Besides this, take into account the time required for the screwdriver’s battery to recharge. Normally it takes from 15 minutes to 3 hours.

Electric screwdriver vs. drill

The difference between a screwdriver and a drill

Although screwdrivers and drills are both power tools of similar appearance, which appear to perform the same functions, in reality, they are very different in the specific purposes for which they are used.

Although both have a handle with a shank that turns automatically with little to no effort from the user, they do have some basic differences, which are listed below.

Screwdriver:

• Slower speeds for precise driving of screws
• Adjustable clutch to indicate the correct torque
• One-hand operation
• Tips fit into screw heads

Screwdrivers generally work at much lower speeds, which results in additional accuracy, as they are used to drive screws into surfaces. If a screwdriver had too high a speed, it may have been able to drive the screw in at an angle or at an angle.

In addition to slower speeds, the screwdrivers have an adjustable clutch that indicates the correct torque of the tool.

More specifically, when the user operates a screwdriver and the screw is inserted as deeply as possible into the surface, the handle makes a small click that stops the function temporarily.

This indicates that the screwdriver has completed its functions and tells the user that he no longer needs to operate the tool for that particular task.

Together with the smooth running characteristics of a screwdriver and the variable speed clutch, this makes it quite simple to handle. The user only has to operate with one hand to use a screwdriver, as the instrument performs the majority of the job for the operator.

In addition, tightening a bolt on a surface does not require much effort from the operator right at the outset.

To enable the right screws to be fitted and fastened effectively in the workpiece, screwdrivers feature interchangeable tips that can be placed onto the end of the shaft.

Drill:

• Faster speeds when drilling out materials
• For the machining of materials (metal, wood, plastic)
• Lack of speed control
• Two-hand operation with force
• Creates holes
• Can also drive screws

Drills, on the other hand, are much faster and more powerful than the traditional screwdriver. This is due to the fact that drills are generally used to cut materials such as metal, wood, and plastic.

In other words, a drill is used to create a hole or opening in a surface, rather than driving another object into it.

Drill bits have a very low-speed control because they really don’t need a very calculated torque to break through hard materials.

With two hands and some extra force from the user, a drill can create a new hole in almost any surface. Unlike a screwdriver alone, a drill bit is capable of both creating holes and filling them with screws.

Cordless screwdriver and drill – similarities:

• Electric tools
• Both are used to drive screws
• Absence of a power cord

Both cordless screwdrivers and drills are classified as power tools that perform tasks for the user with little to no effort. Apart from the fact that drills are used to make holes, both tools can insert screws.

And finally, and more obviously, both cordless screwdrivers and drills work without an annoying power cord.

Impact Driver vs Cordless Drill Driver

Differences between an impact driver and drill/driver

There are many significant differences between impact wrenches and cordless screwdrivers. We hope that at the conclusion of this chapter you will be able to see why these two tools complement each other and why a lot of experts prefer to have both in their tool sheds.

Application

The primary significant difference lies in the wide variety of tasks for which every instrument is suitable. When it comes to versatility, the cordless drill gains tremendously. Like we have mentioned before, a cordless drill may be used to make holes in various types of material and for driving screws with precise control of tightening torque. Also, you can fit buffing discs and little assembled abrasive discs to do different tasks.

These features turn the cordless drill/driver bit into an outstanding multi-purpose electric machine tool for do-it-yourselfers, woodworking, metalworking, craftsmen’s jobs, etc.

An impact drill is primarily intended for loosening or driving screws and fixings. You may also drill holes using an impact drill/driver, but you will require drills with a hex shank. In contrast to normal drills, drills with hex shank do not come in every size. Usually, you have no need to use an impact drill to make holes in a smooth material when a rechargeable drill will do the same work so far better.

Conclusion: Cordless drills vs. impact screwdriver

Cordless drill

• An outstanding, multi-purpose power tool.
• This tool is suitable for drilling, screw driving, buffing with rotary grinders, and brushes.
• The friction clutch ensures precise adjustment of torque.
• The drill/driver maintains a steady torque and smooth turning.
• The keyless chuck can accommodate a wide range of drills, driving bits, and other rotating bits.
• Perfect for carpentry, DIY, furniture assembly, etc. when you have to drill holes and drive screws with a feature feel.
• Comparatively low-cost electric power tool.
• Suggested electric tools for all common jobs.

Impact driver

• The special electric machine that provides outstanding rotary power (torque).
• The fast change hexagon drive takes only hex shank bits.
• A perfect tool for driving long and thick screws in thick and hard materials such as solid wood.
• The inner hammer mechanism provides impacts in the rotational direction and the spring exerts hammer blows in the axial direction.
• The extra torque and the axial shocks make sure that the screws do not crack.