Best Cordless Drill Reviews
Cordless drills are the most popular drills on market. With different sizes and power capabilities, these drills offer alternatives for the homeowner and professional. Drills can drill holes on materials such as wood; metals etc and drive screws in to hold materials like furniture and wood together. Cordless drills are usually accompanied by various accessories ranging from LED light, storage area, carrying case, keyless chuck etc to help get the job done faster.
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Cordless Drill Features
Voltage - Cordless drills are measured in voltage. The voltage will determine the type of job a cordless drill can perform; when it’s lower, it can be used for simple tasks such as minor construction while higher voltage drills are suitable for heavier tasks. Drill voltage ranges from 6 to 18 volt with 18 volt cordless drills being the most powerful. If you only need a drill to hang pictures on the wall or use with any similar simple task, you can go with 6V or 9V drill. If you want intend to carry out larger projects, choose a drill between 10V and 18V as they are more powerful.
RPM (Rotations Per Minute) - This is the measurement for cordless drills speed. Cordless drills come in either one speed settings or multiple speed settings. Cordless drills with multiple speed settings are capable of handling multiple tasks and projects and are more powerful than those with one speed settings. You should consider getting a cordless drill with multiple settings if you intend using it for different projects and repairs.
Grip – This is an important feature on a cordless drill. A drill with a comfort grip will allow you to work long hours (on your projects) without interruption. Several manufacturers have created comfortable and ergonomic designed handles/grip for maximum comfort on the job.
Cordless Drill Types
Cordless Screwdrivers - this line of cordless drill is less powerful and has a limited function unlike other drill options. With power range from 2.4V to 10V, cordless screwdrivers are specifically made for the smaller projects. It primary function is to drive screws in lighter materials.
Cordless Drill Drivers - These drills are very powerful. They have the capability of handling heavy and varied projects. These drills enjoy widespread popularity because they offer more functionality and power than conventional cordless screwdriver. They usually feature an adjustable clutch for controlling spinning power and chuck for holding drill bits. The cordless drill drivers can be used to bore hole in metals, wood and furniture and can as well be used to drive screws. Range–9.6V to 18V
Impact Drivers – Impact drivers are similar to the cordless drill drivers in features. The only difference between the two is the power option. Cordless impact drivers offer more torque (power) than the standard cordless drill drivers. Impact drivers are not as effective as cordless drill driver in drilling holes but are more efficient in preventing bit slippage by automatically adjusting torque power. Range–14V to 20V
Hammer Drills – Without any doubt, these are the most powerful type of cordless drills on the market. They are suitable for drilling through hard surfaces and come with more rugged sizes than other standard cordless drills. Because of their ruggedness and strength, they are the heaviest of all cordless drills requiring more hand power to handle. Range—18V to 36V
Summary
Cordless drills offer ease of use, versatility and flexibility than traditional corded drills. Cordless drills serve as an essential tool for homeowners to handle simple do-it-yourself projects around the home as well as professionals who want a powerful and comfortable tool to carry out simple and heavy industrial projects.
Top-Rated Cordless Drills
Cordless drills have come to replace conventional corded drills and screw drivers because they offer better performance and are more powerful than their counterpart. However, there so many types and different models in the market that it is very important that you determine what you need in a cordless drill so that you can choose the one that’ s right for you.
We have done the research for you and distilled into the top five rated cordless drills for DIYers.
Makita LXT211
The Makita LXT211 18-volt Lithium-ion cordless drill kit is our best pick in the top five. It is very powerful and its hammer action is very good for cement and brick fastener. The battery that accompanies this tool is ideal for longer jobs as it last longer than competition.
This driver can boast of plenty torque power for all kinds of jobs, and with one charge, it can keep running all through a whole day. With the grip and rubberized ergonomics, you are assured of comfort and best performance.
DEWALT DCD780C2
The second on the list is the Dewalt DCD780C2 compact drill/driver kit. It is very light and easy to use. When you pick it up, you can see that it feels great to hold. Another nifty feature of this unit is the ease at which you can change bits. You can use the drill on a slow of high speed, forward or reverse flips with the usual switch.
Its lithium ion batteries can last for last for hours of heavy work. This drill also features an adjustable clutch to prevent overdriving of screws and the contoured grip makes it perfect for those with small hands. There is a clip to hold screw bits with removable feature and can be switched for left handed users.
Black & Decker LDX220SB
The design of the Black & Decker LDX220SB lithium drill/driver is aesthetically appealing with more rubber on the grip for maximum comfort during work hours. The LED light can be light up without the drill running. This tool is sturdy and has plenty of torque power for the basic needs of a home handy man and DIYer.
Bosch DDS181-02
This tool is for the around the house handyman who want to carry out small job around the house/garage and great for DIY experiments. It has a perfect balance and a compact size. It’s very good for those with smaller hands.
The LED light is bright and is not overshadowed during work. Lastly, it has a battery gauge for measuring battery level during projects.
Bosch DDS180-02
The Bosch DDS180 compact drill is a very powerful, durable, and lightweight for the everyday use for heavy and light woodworking and furniture fitting. This unit comes around with an ergonomics design that makes do-it-yourself jobs easy and comfortable for both professional ordinary homeowners. It has a built in electric cell and motor protector that shuts off the drill when the bits jam or overheat. This is another handy feature for powerful Bosch DDS180 18v compact drill.
Milwaukee 2601-22
Although the Milwaukee 2601 is relatively new, it can compete with the older models out there. It is lighter, smaller and more powerful than most of the older cordless drills out there. This is the kind of drill that contractors are usually looking for; rugged and ideal for industrial and commercial use. The LED light is very handy and comes with a belt hook to fasten it. All in all, this is a powerful tool that contractors and electricians will find useful in their workplace.
How We Rated
Before we arrived at the rating and assign position for each item, we took the following steps
• We listed 7 as our best pick and started a spreadsheet with the list of the seven items.
• For each product, we listed the number of reviews, average star ratings across several merchant sites, and their corresponding price.
• We took each product through a filter and selected a category for our list of item. In this case, the DIYers niche.
• We then compared each product according to price, positive and negative reviews, relevance to the niche and number of reviews.
• At the end, we were able to figure out the top 5 among the 7 cordless drills.
• This is basically how we arrived at our top 5 cordless drills for DIYers.
Summary
One of the most important factors to consider before buying a drill is adequate power. As there are different cordless drill models, so there are different power capabilities ranging from 7.2v to 18v. Most users prefer cordless drills with 18-volts power capability because they are more powerful.
Another factor to consider is battery power which can affect performance. There different battery models ranging from lithium ion batteries (which are the most popular), nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride. The best among the three types are the lithium ion batteries because they hold charge for a longer period of time than others.
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