What is the best cordless drill I can buy today?
We went into great detail about the top 3 cordless drills on the market today. In this article, you will find we hand tested each drill, exposing it to real life situations both for at home use, and commercial use. We have happily displayed those results on the top 3. Everyone has opinions as to why they like something better compared to another brand. We wanted to bring tested, real live results for you. We give specifications of each drill, pointers about some of the features, and the results of our tests, so you can decide for yourself which is the best cordless drill.
RIDGID 18 volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Drill
This was the greatest cordless drill we were able to find as of today. With its slim profile design, it felt amazing in the hand. Here are some specifications about the RIDGID 18v cordless drill. This 2 speed cordless drill has the power to take on almost any task.
Heavy Duty Metal Gears
They designed it with all heavy duty metal gears, which extended its durability beyond what the “normal” standard is. Having the 18volt battery behind it, the drill was able to drive screws into metal, dense wood, and even allowed for a 1/4 inch drill bit to drive into concrete. Having the metal gears actually gives it more room to take on such tasks, because of the reduced risk of grinding or chewing up most composite gears.
1/2 Inch Single Sleeve Ratcheting Chuck
This cordless drill is also equipped with a ratcheting chuck, which will give you a higher advantage to hold drill bits of all kinds into place better. This will give you an advantage over other brands, because you wont cramp your hand trying to tighten down a manual style chuck with a thin metal key. Though amazing and simple, this feature was one of the top reasons we chose this cordless drill as our highest voted product.
Hex- Grip Micro Texture Comfort and Bit Clip
After many tests, the hex-grip is one of the signature features on all RIDGID’s products, along with a slender grip design, the tool feels amazing in my hand. I drove 108 drywall screws without even a cramp. I did not have to reposition my hand, or give it a “rest” because of the hex styling, the RIDGID cordless drill held on to me. Even when my hand started to get sweaty, the material did amazing at staying firm, and in place without a single slip.
Another feature you can see with your own eyes, is the bit clip. I have always had bits fall out, slip out, or disappear due to a poor designed bit clip. With RIDGID’s bit clip, you can hear the snap with your own ears, and we did a series of tests with dust, water, oils, lubricants being exposed. During our 4ft, 6ft, and 10ft drops, the bit still stayed into place. Giving us the assurance, no matter what job we tackle, our bits are safe and sound.
Amazing Warranty on Drill and Batteries
We all know that RIDGID tools are awesome, and down right life savers. But what we found to be the icing on the cake, was how amazing RIDGID’s Full Lifetime Warranty was.
All tools manufactured by RIDGIG are covered for the entire lifetime of the tool. Given the exceptional quality of these drills and tools in particular, it will be decades of assured functionality.
All you have to do is package the tool into a box, with either a typed or hand written explanation of what was wrong with the tool, and ship it to the RIDGID Tool Company that is located in Ohio (full address should be on warranty paper work sent with your tools) and they will either repair, or send you a refurbished or sometimes brand new drill or tool. The same goes for batteries. Granted, we all know that lithium batteries only last on average 8-10 years. That number is disputable given the storage and exposure conditions as well.
RIDGID will attempt to repair your tool or battery a total of three times, before you can be offered a full refund for your tool, or be given a brand new replacement. This goes to show you the confidence this company has when it comes to their quality and performance of their cordless drills and tools they produce.
DeWalt 20volt MAX XR Lithium-Ion Cordless Drill
Lightweight, Economic, and Best Design
With its almost 7 inch from front to back length, and only weighing about 3.5 pounds, this tool can fit almost anywhere. This tool is was made for tight, cornering spots, with a 3 stage LED lighting, provides you with 20x the brightness of comparing and previous models. The spot light feature has 20 minutes of shut off functions that will allow for extended time for doing tasks and jobs in dark areas. The metal 1/2 inch ratcheting chuck delivers strength for gripping, and tightening.
Bluetooth “Tool Connect” Bluetooth Functionality
DeWalt has taken an amazing tool and made it better. They have integrated a bluetooth functionality that connects to a mobile application for your android or Apple iPhone. When you use the tool connect features on your tools, batteries, and tags, you can keep track of where your tools are. If you own a big construction company, plumbing business, or something equivalent, you will be able to use this tracker to see which crew member used it last, how long it was used during the day as well. This insures you always have a track of where your tools are. As expensive the investment is on these power tools, you need to protect it. The tool connect bluetooth feature on all DeWalt Tools and batteries will allow you to do just that.
20 volt MAX XR Lithium-Ion Batteries
DeWalt is ahead of the competition when it comes to the power that drives their tools. Using brushless motors, and high voltage batteries, you can rely on the DeWalt 20v to last until the job is done. Brushless motors deliver up to 60% more run time compared to brushed motors. The 2 speed functions deliver a 550 rpm to 2000rpm speeds, which is about 30% faster compared to the other “top” brands you will find on the market.
Full Lifetime Warranty For Everything DeWalt
One of the things we found amazing about this company, is they will not and do not require you to have a proof of purchase. The reason this is great news, is because most handymen, construction companies, etc lose the receipt. I have been guilty of this many times, and it eventually came to a point where we had a dedicated folder in our filing cabinet for product warranty proof of purchase. I find a relief knowing, in the moment I desperately need my DeWalt drill, and it doesn’t work, I will have a replacement on the way. If you are wandering what you need to do when you need to replace your tool, battery, or DeWalt product, call DeWalt corporate offices at 1-800-4DEWALT, and they will ship you a replacement quickly.We have placed a link for you to try the DeWalt 20v Drill yourself if you would like to.
Makita 18 volt LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Drill
Compatibility 18 Volt Batteries For All Tools
One of the reasons why this tool made it to the top 3 . cordless drills, was because of the battery. Makita company from the beginning, knew how expensive their tools were, and the benefit they gave to your average homeowner, contractor, in general. Makita has designed over 150 power tools to work with the same 18volt Lithium Ion battery. Meaning, you could have a few batteries, that would work with a huge arsenal of power tools in your shop or garage. When designing the tools, Makita knew they needed to save weight anywhere possible, and this drill is no exception. Only 6 3/8 inches from front to back, and weighing a total of 2.8 lbs, you can see why we were so surprised seeing the performance with this tool. We were amazed that we could drive a total of 59 screws before we seen a significant drop in battery power as well.
Complementing Designs and Advancements
We can’t mention every single detail, however, we did want to let you know about some very innovative designs we found on the Makita 18volt cordless drill. The brushless motor can deliver 350 in/lbs of maximum torque. We could drill screws into wood, metal, concrete, and composites, all on one single charged battery. Because brushless motors are overall better, compared to a non brushless motor, the time it outlasted was about 48% longer when doing a side by side comparison test. The technology on this cordless drill is amazing, because it has features in the electronics that prevent it from over heating, overloading, as well as protection against different types of dust, liquids and water.
Performance You Can See But Hardly Hear
Compared to all the other types of drills we tested, it was amazing how the BL brushless motor was so quiet. We tested and did some research and found out, the brushless motor does not have bristles which cause 80% of the noise most drills are known to have. In addition, the air flow over the motor, allows it to cool faster, making it efficient for power and performance. The longer the tool can be used, the more quality work that can be done.
Limited Warranty On Products
The other brands we found have Full Lifetime Warranty’s, but Makita only provides at first, a 30 Day Return/Replacement Guarantee. Meaning within the first 30 days of purchase, if you are not satisfied, Makita will allow you to return it for a replacement or refund. However, this guarantee does not apply to Makita Accessories, blades, cutters of bits.
1 Year General Product Limited Warranty means the product under this category will be free of defects from workmanship and materials for one year from the original purchase date. Certain products referenced below have longer warranties. Should anything happen during this time, you will have to return the item back to Makita’s Factory or an authorized service center. They will perform an inspection to insure damage or defect was caused by workmanship or material. They will repair or replace (which ever they decide to do) for free.
3 Year Limited Warranty for Pneumatic Nailers, Lithium Ion Tools, Batteries, and Chargers.
If your Makita product falls under the category of “Lithium Ion Tool” or a battery, or charge for that type, you will receive a 3 year warranty, that has the exact same details of the 1 Year Warranty.
You can purchase the Makita 18v LXT on Amazon.com and try it for yourself.
Which cordless drill should I purchase?
After taking everything into consideration. The design of the cordless drills, the motors, the batteries, we have casted our votes (this is our opinions) to the RIDGID 18v. If my current drill was to die today, I would purchase this drill. I was amazed by the fact they utilized the hex-grips, and the torque and power these drills gave. During our tests, I was able to screw in 108 screws into dry wall, and perform the metal, wood, and concrete drill test. The distribution of power on this drill exceeded my expectations. With some drills, after using it for 30-45 minutes, you can hear the slowing down of the motor, the power starting to drain. Not with this drill. It stayed consistent the entire time. Charging the battery a full cycle took about 3 hours. However, if you have power tools, its highly recommended that you invest in extra batteries to rotate anyways.
I did want to do a worth mention here, because the DeWalt Bluetooth System is new, and so far they are the only company doing it. However, as time goes on, and this article ages, I am more than confident, other companies will catch on. Because its a brilliant system. If you own a contracting company, or have a crew sometimes the jobs performed require special tools. Most crew uses tools they already have, but specialty tools most of the time, is the responsibility of the contractor. IF you have a man or woman, on your crew and they are 50 miles away, with over $1500.00 of tools and equipment, its a relief knowing you can check on the status, work time, and location of that tool on your phone. This will also help drive and insure work ethic and quality.
We have placed links in this article to reliable, and affordable outlets for you to purchase your very own cordless drill. Which ever seems the best in your opinion, is the one I recommend you go with. Keep your eye on some of these companies, because of the heavy competition, you can always count on ToolCrunch to bring you the latest and greatest innovative technology in relation to anything power tools.