Best Cordless Power Drill For 2022

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Best Cordless Power Drills For 2022

Cordless drills are among the best-selling products here at ToolStore UK and our team gets asked a lot of questions about them by our customers. We thought that we’d answer some of those in this article and pick out some of the drills which, at the time of writing this in September 2022, represent some of the most powerful and popular tools on the market.

There are many different types of drills, but they can all be categorised into three primary types — traditional drills, impact drivers and hammer drills.

A question that comes up regularly is are cordless drills as good as corded drills?. In the majority of cases, the answer is yes. As battery technology has improved with regards to voltage and runtime so has the performance of cordless tools.The main exception would be Diamond core drills, which are designed for trade professionals regularly taking on extremely heavy duty tasks, such as drilling into masonry, marble or tile. For other categories of drill, the portability and convenience of cordless options makes them increasingly popular, to the point where corded tools are beginning to disappear from the market.

DeWalt has long been considered one of the best manufacturers of Cordless Drills. In fact, we’ve blogged about DeWalt’s Cordless Drill range before. However, both DeWalt and Makita have come up with game-changing new tools since that piece was written. DeWalt’s 54v FlexVolt range and the Makita 40v XGT collection of tools have unleashed even more power than 18v tools can offer and these new machines cover a wide spectrum of cordless power tools – not just drills.

What is the best Cordless Drill?

This is another common question that doesn’t have a simple answer. What’s ‘best’ for a DIY beginner who’ll use a combi drill around the house might not suit a construction worker using an SDS Max hammer drill to work through concrete, which is one of the reasons we’ve looked at different types of drill, including:

Cordless Combi Drills
Cordless Drill Drivers
Cordless Impact Drivers
Cordless SDS Plus Hammer Drills
Cordless SDS Max Hammer Drills
Body Only Cordless Tools: most cordless tools are supplied either with one or more batteries and a charger or as ‘Body Only’ units, which are just the tool. You don’t get a battery or charger with a ‘Body Only’ tool but sometimes a unit of this kind is sold in a carry case.

We’ll discuss what each type of drill can be used for and make suggestions for how different types of user might choose the right power drill for them.

Cordless Combi Drills

Combi Drills are the ‘all-rounders’ that almost everyone with a tool kit is familiar with. They get their name from the fact they offer both rotary and percussion modes, meaning they can take on a variety of tasks. Lots of people ask our team ‘what is the best cheap cordless drill?’ and while that is an almost impossible question to answer – ToolStore UK offers great value options from DeWalt, Bosch, Makita and Metabo for less than £150 including VAT – when we blogged about what a DIY beginner might need in their toolbox, we suggested the DeWalt DCD796P1 18v XR Brushless Combi Drill with a 5 ah battery.

The DCD796P1 is only 173 mm long but packs a lot of power into its compact body. It has a maximum torque of 70 Nm and can generate up to 2,000 rotations or 34,000 beats per minute, depending on whether you’re using it in rotary or hammer mode. It can work with a wide variety of drill bits of different sizes, thanks to the keyless chuck which has a maximum capacity of 13 mm.

The torque level tells you how much power the tool has, while the number of rotations tells you how many spins the drill bit can make in a minute. Beats per minute denotes how many impacts the drill will make in hammer mode. The higher these numbers are, the more powerful the tool is and how important these figures are to you depends on what you’re going to use your tool for. A trade professional will be aiming for high torque, rotation speed and impact rate as this will enable them to work more efficiently.

The variable speed operation of thie DeWalt DCD796P1 is controlled by a trigger switch and the brushless motor gives the tool increased efficiency while also making it easier to maintain.

Best of all, the DeWalt DCD796P1 is supplied with a high-capacity 5 ah battery, a charger and a carry case, making it easy to work with and store. It’s a quality tool at a great price.

The ToolStore UK range isn’t just made up of 18v tools. The Makita HP001GD202 40v Max XGT Brushless Combi Drill with 2x2.5ah Batteries represents the next generation of Cordless Combi Drills. It has an impressive capacity, given that it can drill through 76 mm of wood. The hammer mode works at up to 39,000 impacts per minute and it has an incredible maximum torque of 140 Nm, making this a hugely powerful tool designed for regular use, rather than occasional DIY projects.

The Makita HP001GD202 is a complete package for professional users as opposed to home use. In addition to Makita’s most powerful Combi Drill to date, customers choosing this product get two BL4025 40v 2.5ah Batteries, a DC40RA XGT Fast Charger, an ADP10 XGT to LXT Charger Adaptor and a Makpac Type 3 Carry Case. This tool is a great choice for professionals looking to upgrade their Combi Drill and arguably the most powerful Cordless Drill currently available but bear in mind that the new 40v batteries aren’t backwards compatible with 18v machines.

When to use a Combi Drill

Combi Drills are most useful for drilling into masonry and steel. Their hammering action, which punches the bit into the workpiece while it spins allows Combi Drills to take on these tough materials.

READ MORE: How To Use A Power Drill

Cordless Drill Drivers

Cordless Drill Drivers are versatile, multipurpose power tools that allow you to drill and drive screws while remaining mobile. Drill drivers are capable of very high speeds, making them suitable for the most challenging tasks in construction environments. A versatile chuck is capable of accepting almost any type or size of bit, and a range of performance settings puts you firmly in charge of the drilling process.

One great value Drill Driver from the ToolStore UK range is the DeWalt DCD710D2 12v Drill Driver with 2x2ah batteries and kitbox. The 15-position adjustable torque provides maximum control for screwdriving into a variety of materials. This tool would particularly suit a home user who doesn’t need the percussion mode offered by a Combi Drill. The Makita DDF453RFE 18v Drill Driver with 2x3ah Li-ion batteries offers more power and therefore can drill to a greater capacity than the DeWalt tool. The batteries and charger supplied with this tool can have your tool charged and working in as little as 22 minutes. The two-speed gearbox can help you generate up to 1,300 revolutions per minute. This is perfect for drilling into steel, as the high speed is required to penetrate through the material.

When to use a Drill Driver

Drill Drivers are well suited to boring holes, particularly into wood, drywall, and other softer materials. They’re also great for driving screws into these kinds of material and tightening or loosening bolts which don’t require extreme levels of torque.

Cordless Impact Drivers

Cordless Impact Drivers are designed to drive nails and other fasteners into workpieces. You won’t need an impact driver for simple DIY jobs. But if you’re working on large-scale construction projects, the right impact driver can save you time and a lot of effort. Perfect for building large wooden structures, a Cordless Impact Driver keeps you mobile and free from the tripping hazard a trailing wire can become.

The DeWalt DCF887M1 18v Brushless Impact Driver with 1x4ah Battery, TStak Carry Case and 16 piece PZ2 Set is brilliant value for money. It combines a powerful but compact tool – which delivers up to 205 Nm of torque – with everything else you need to use the tool effectively. A battery, charger, carry case and 16 individual bits are all included in the price, making this the perfect purchase if your tool kit looks a little threadbare.

A purchase which would require a bigger outlay, but delivers up to 3,600 impacts per minute, is the Makita DTD153RTJ 18v LXT Brushless Impact Driver with two 5 ah Batteries. Like the DeWalt DCF887, this tool is also supplied in a carry case and with a charger. However, the batteries will run for longer between charges and even with a battery fitted, the DTD153RTJ weighs just 1.6 kg, meaning that it can be handled comfortably even over longer periods.

When to use an Impact Driver

Because of their high torque levels, Impact Drivers are well suited for driving screws into wood or metal and can also be used for drywall if the torque can be adjusted to a lower setting. Impact Drivers are also really good at driving large diameter screws or tightening screws and / or bolts that should be very tight or have been stuck.

Cordless SDS Plus Hammer Drills

Cordless SDS Plus Hammer Drills deliver the extra force and torque needed to drill through heavy-duty materials. In an SDS drill you’ll find a special chuck with a hammer mechanism that acts like a piston, firing the SDS drill bit backwards and forwards. Along the shaft of the SDS drill bits there are indentations that fit between two ball bearings within the chuck allowing the hammer action to be delivered. This delivers a more powerful and precise force than a standard hammer drill, making them a great choice for fast and effective drilling into tough materials like masonry and steel.

The Bosch GBH18V-21 18v BL SDS+ Hammer with a 4ah battery is our lowest-priced SDS+ drill. It provides up to 5,100 beats per minute, each with two joules of energy behind it. This is a relatively light SDS Plus drill, weighing only 2.4 kg. This low weight gives the tool a power-to-weight ratio suitable for light chiselling. With a maximum drilling diameter in concrete of 21 mm, this machine will take on serious tasks.

Trade professionals who need even more power should consider the DeWalt DCH334X2 54v Flexvolt SDS Plus Hammer Drill with Quick Change Chuck and 2 x 9ah Batteries.

If you’ve read our DeWalt vs Makita Buyers’ Guide, you’ll be aware that both DeWalt and Makita are developing the next generation of power tools and moving beyond 18v batteries. The DCH3334X2 is a standard bearer for DeWalt’s game-changing new technology. As well as providing up to 4,880 beats per minute, each with a massive 3.5 joules of impact energy, thanks to the 9 ah batteries supplied it will also run all day. With a maximum drilling capacity of 30 mm, this is a best-in-class tool.

We’ve also looked at SDS Plus Hammer Drills in more detail. This guide from 2021 remains relevant, and will give you and overview of what to think about if you’re looking to buy one.

What is the difference between SDS & SDS Plus?

SDS (Slotted Drive System or Slotted Drive Shaft) refers to how the chucks in SDS drills produce the extra force to drill through heavier duty materials. The terms SDS and SDS Plus (SDS+) are often used interchangeably. SDS Plus is the most popular type of SDS drill, they will use drill bits from as small as 4.5mm up to a maximum of around 30mm. SDS Max drill bits start at around 12mm and can go up to around 45mm. SDS+ bits have two open and two closed grooves and are held in place by two locking ball bearings inside the machine. SDS Max drills are used for even heavier-duty work and their bits have three open grooves with a locking segment. For heavy-duty work like demolition, you’ll be better off with extra power and strength of SDS Max. For smaller projects, an SDS Plus will get the job done.

Cordless SDS Max Hammer Drills

Cordless SDS Max Hammer Drills are the most powerful drills available but that is reflected in their cost. Take the Makita HR006GD202 40v Max XGT Brushless SDS MAX Hammer with 2x2.5ah Batteries, for example. Every blow delivered by this new tool has a mighty 20 joules of impact energy and with 2,250 blows per minute, it’ll make short work of most jobs. The drilling capacity in concrete is an incredible 52 mm, making this a tool for professionals who take on the toughest materials all day, every day.

When to use a Hammer Drill

SDS Hammer Drills (whether Plus or Max) are typically used for drilling through hard materials. They are suitable for concrete, brickwork, block, steel and similar workpieces. They are ideal when a standard rotary drill or hammer drill can’t get the job done. Most SDS drills have a choice of modes. They can operate with the rotary and hammering action, or hammer only, or rotary only. Hammer only is generally used for demolition and breaking jobs. Rotary only is for drilling through softer materials like wood that do not need the SDS action.

Body Only Drills

If you already have a large collection of cordless power tools, you can potentially reduce costs and your environmental impact by choosing a ‘Body Only’ Drill. When you buy a Body Only Cordless Power Tool, you don’t get batteries, or a charger; instead, you would use a battery which was purchased alongside a tool you already own. Body Only tools can offer significant savings in upfront costs, provided that you already have compatible batteries you can use with your new machine. As a rule, batteries don’t work across different brands, so a DeWalt battery would be useless in a Makita tool. The exception is the brands in the Cordless Alliance System (CAS), such as Metabo. Batteries and chargers manufactured by CAS members are cross-compatible, meaning that a battery bought with a Metabo tool will work with a similar machine from Fischer, and vice versa.

ToolStore UK offers a huge range of Body Only Cordless Power Tools. To browse our Body Only Drills, choose the category most relevant to you from the list below.

Once you’ve chosen a drill, regardless of whether it is supplied with or without battery, check out our guide to maintaining a cordless drill.

ToolStore UK: we know the drill!

We’ve been providing hand tools and power tools to happy customers since 1963, so if you need any help choosing the right drill for you, just talk to one of our team! We’re a fourth-generation family-run firm and many of our colleagues have been with the business for decades, meaning that we have the knowledge to help you pick the right power tool.

There are lots of different ways to get in touch. You can send a message via our Contact Form, give us a call on 03330 043777, or even come and see us. We have a shop in Wigan, Lancashire, which is a short walk from both the town’s railway stations.

When you buy anything from ToolStore UK, you have the comfort of purchasing from one of the UK’s leading independent tool suppliers. Delivery is FAST and FREE to most UK postcodes when you spend over £30, we have flexible payment options and more than 7,700 5-star reviews across Trustpilot and Reviews.io. Whichever drill you choose, you can be certain that it will get the #JobDone.