Hand Drills

The choice of corded or cordless for hand-held drills is easy: get both. We recommend spending your money and time shopping on the cordless drill and then go cheap, if you need to, on the corded tool. Cheap might mean getting a good one on sale or even getting a venerable used tool. One of our uncles gave us a 1/2" corded hammer drill over fifteen years ago and it's gotten hard, if infrequent use, ever since.

The reason you'll want both tools is simple. Most of the time you'll use the cordless drill, but occasionally you'll need to cut through two inch thick Trex decking with a 4" hole saw. That kind of task will burn your cordless drill up. You'll also really need to drill a small hole the day you forget to charge your batteries.

Three drill is even better than two (and so on). Ideally, you'll have an 18V cordless, a 1/2" corded hammer drill with lots of power, and a light 12V right-angle cordless to get into those small spaces. It's wonderful to put a small bit in your 12V cordless to drill pilot holes and then drive the screws with the 18V cordless without changing bits.

The bottom line is that you'll want a drill that is suited for the task. You don't want to use a 1 3/4" heavy-duty hammer drill to make a quarter inch hole in something. At the same time, try making that Trex hole with a 6V cordless. Think about the tasks you want the drill to perform and buy accordingly.
 

Weight and Size

Here are some rules of thumb for hand-held drills. The more power the drill offers, the heavier it will be in your hand; this is generally true for battery operated tools, however the LiIon powered drills buck the trend packing more voltage into the same weight package. The higher the voltage of the cordless drill, the more power. Also, the larger the chuck, the more power the drill is likely to have. But like all generalizations, there are exceptions. For example, there are lots of cheap 18V drills that don't really have much power (or don't have it for long). We've thrown away a number of them that were more frustrating than useful regardless of the super-low price.

Weight is a significant factor is you are going to hold the tool in your hand and use it over and over. Repetitive motion injuries like tennis elbow are the consequence of holding a heavy drill and driving screws all day. On the other hand, driving screws with an underpowered tool is just as bad.

The size and shape of the tool helps determine how comfortable the tool feels when you hold it. It can also be a factor when you are trying to drill in tight spaces. More compact tools are generally easier to maneuver.
 

Power = Torque

Torque is the vector product of the radius vector from the axis of rotation to the point of application of the force and the force vector, but knowing that probably won't help you buy a drill. Basically, torque is power in a circle. The more of it you have, the better. Look at torque ratings.

If torque ratings are not available, look at the amperage rating for the tool if it's corded. The more amps it uses, the more torque the tool is likely to offer. For cordless tools, the voltage is a good indicator of power as long as you are dealing with a quality brand. If you get it for $20 at the drugstore, don't expect to use it for long.
 

Chuck Size and Type

The venerable Jacobs chuck is pretty much gone from cordless tools. This is the standard drill chuck you still find on drill presses and large hand-drills. Your father's old drill probably has a chuck-key attached to the end of the cord with a piece of wire. Keyless chucks are the only way to go for most tasks, but they don't have the gripping power of a Jacobs chuck. It's nice to have a large drill with a keyed chuck around when you have that high-torque job with a slippery bit.

While Jacobs chucks are pretty basic on hand-drills, take a close look and read the reviews when purchasing a drill with a keyless-chuck. Some of them can be tightened and loosened with one hand and others take two. In addition to ease of use, some keyless chucks simply hold better than others.

The chuck size determines how large the bit's shank can be. Smaller drills tend to accommodated 3/8" shanks and larger drills 1/2" shanks. Shank sizes above 1/2" are offered in large specialty drills. There are a few 1/4" chuck drills, but we're not sure why. There's nothing wrong with a small cordless 3/8" drill. You probably won't be using bits with large shanks in the tool. The time to think about shank size is when you get to larger tools. There's a point where two tools will have the same general specifications, but one will offer a larger chuck. Unless the price differs a great deal, the larger chuck is the way to go.
 

Speed Control and Clutches

Any drill worth its salt offers VSR (variable speed reversing). This allows you to back bits or screws out of holes (reverse) and to control the rotational speed of the bit. You'll want one with smooth action so that a light touch will start the bit going.

Good cordless drills also have a high/low (or high/medium/low) speed feature. This is different than the speed selection on the trigger. It is more like the gears in a car; the lower speed option offers more torque for driving screws or other tasks where speed is undesirable and power is essential.

A good clutch allows you to avoid stripping a screw or worse, breaking off the head. You select a clutch setting so that it starts to slip (and the bit stops rotating) when the screw is set. It probably doesn't matter whether there's a dozen clutch settings or a hundred, as long as the clutch works. It's essential for cordless drills and a nice option for a corded tool.
 

Bells and Whistles

There are other bells and whistles for drills that range from useful to mildly silly. In general, you're more likely to find these features on less expensive tools than the more expensive tools. The best tools spend their manufacturing dollars on better gear boxes and not on stud finders and belt clips.

Some of the more useful features are storage for bits on the tool so you aren't searching for that Phillips head driver when you need to drive a screw or a level at the top of the tool that helps make your holes plumb (provided your work piece is level). Side handles become important when the drill has lots of power and you're using a large bit or hole saw.
 

Drills Analysis

Average Grade Average Price products A- $49.30 4 2-5v Cordless This category has its purposes for very light use, but don't expect to use your six-inch hole saw. ...  To read the overview and reviews of products in this analysis, click here.

Average Grade Average Price products A- $70.43 28 6-10v Cordless This is a good place to look for that drill to use when you don't need a lot of power and don't ...  To read reviews of products in this analysis and the overview (including our pick), click here. Click here for more details on why we prefer the DeWalt DC926LA for the 6-10v Cordless Drills analysis.

Average Grade Average Price products B $139.01 134 12-16v Cordless You are starting to see a more serious amount of power in this analysis. You could argue that 14.4V...  To read the overview and reviews of products in this analysis, click here.

Average Grade Average Price products B $137.09 94 18-19v Cordless This analysis represents what we feel is the sweet spot for power and price for cordless drills. ...  To read reviews of products in this analysis and the full overview, click here.

Average Grade Average Price products B $221.71 13 20-36v Cordless For that job that requires lots of torque, but a cord is not an option, this analysis contains the ...  Click here to read the overview and product reviews in this analysis.

Average Grade Average Price products A- $203.65 21 Cordless Angle We believe that most of the drills in this analysis are purchased in the middle of projects. These ...  To read the overview and reviews of products in this analysis, click here.

Average Grade Average Price products A- $231.60 44 Cordless Hammer The hammer feature is important if you are planning to drill holes in masonry. This analysis ...  Click here to read the overview and reviews of products in this analysis.

Average Grade Average Price products A $183.28 27 Cordless Impact Drivers Impact drivers deliver a high spead stream of strong rotory hammer impulses to the driver bit. ...  To read the full overview and product reviews in this analysis, click here.

Average Grade Average Price products B $66.67 59 Small Chuck Corded This is the drill your father and grandfather had. They are useful and fairly inexpensive, but have...  Click here to read the entire overview and reviews of products in this analysis.

Average Grade Average Price products B $144.47 108 Large Chuck Corded We recommend a good 1/2" chuck drill as a compliment to your cordless tool (or tools). When your ...  Click here to read the entire overview and product reviews in this analysis.

Average Grade Average Price products B- $131.75 47 Corded Hammer The hammer feature is important if you are planning to drill holes in masonry. This analysis ...  To read the overview and reviews of products in this analysis, click here.

Average Grade Average Price products B $213.98 18 Corded Angle Like cordless angle drills, a lot of these tools are purchased in the middle of projects when you ...  To read reviews of products in this analysis and the full overview, click here.

Average Grade Average Price products --- $103.52 65 Air Drills Air tools are very light in the hand (provided the air hose is not too constricting) because they ...  Click here to read the overview and product reviews in this analysis.

Average Grade Average Price products D $99.38 20 Angle Air Right-angled drills allow you to drive that screw or drill that hole that a standard grip tool can'...  To read the overview and reviews of products in this analysis, click here.

Average Grade Average Price products A- $727.67 6 Specialty Drills The drills in this analysis look a little like the fish you see in very deep water with their eyes ...  Click here to read the overview and reviews of products in this analysis.

Average Grade Average Price products A- $71.24 4 Bit Sharpeners   To read the full overview and product reviews in this analysis, click here.