If you’re building your home tool kit or replacing/upgrading your power tools over time, there is one absolute go-to tool that should be in any toolbox. The cordless drill. As DIY project tools go, it’s right up there with a screwdriver as a most-used item and for a power tool, it has to be number 1. But, as you head down to your local home improvement store to pick one up, you’re going to run into a few options. So, let’s look over some of the key options when it comes to cordless drills to help you make the best decision for your needs.
Cordless vs. Corded
So, we’re not even really considering this to be a choice anymore. It wasn’t all that many years ago, that corded drills were still fairly common, but as battery technology improved, there came a point where, for most people, there was simply no real advantage to having a corded drill. Traditionalists may have hung on for a fit (and some still do), arguing about power and torque or wondering what you do when your battery runs out. But, those discussions are fairly resolved at this point. The typical homeowner, DIYer, and even professional contractor is likely to have adopted the cordless drill as their go-to option. And with good reason! No one wants to be connected to a wall outlet when they are using a drill for a project - big or small. It’s simply inconvenient. So, we’ll just assume you won’t even be putting consideration into this as an option. You’re getting a cordless drill.
Picking a Platform
One consideration when picking which cordless drill to purchase should come down to the brand and their platform of battery-powered tools. If you already have tools from a particular manufacturer, it may make sense to simply stick with that option when buying your new drill. Typically, this means that batteries can be swapped between tools. That’s a great advantage for you and can be a real-time and money saver.
But, if this is your first power tool or you are interested in upgrading or branching out from your other tools, then consider how your new drill will fit into your long-term tool buying process. It may be as simple as buying from a brand that does offer a wide variety of power tools with common batteries, so you can fill your tool cabinet or garage with matching equipment. You also might just want to get the absolute best cordless drill, regardless of brand, and worry about the rest later. There’s no right or wrong answer, but it’s a good thing to consider before making your purchase.
Voltage - 12 vs 18
So, let’s talk voltage. For the most part, you will see options in either 12- or 18-volt. What’s the difference? Basically, it comes down to how powerful you need your drill to be. If you’re just using it to assemble furniture you bought from Ikea, a 12-volt will likely give you all you need. But, if you’re tackling larger home improvement projects (with longer usage or heavier duty work) an 18-volt is probably going to serve you better.
As you might expect, you’ll probably pay a bit more for the 18-volt options. It isn’t always a big difference, though. So, if you’re picking between two similarly priced options in 12- and 18-volt, you might go with the 18-volt, simply because it will give you more flexibility for projects down the road, even if your immediate needs are relatively simple.
Brushed vs Brushless Motor
Here’s another important distinction for cordless drills. You’ll see two types of motors - brushed and brushless. What’s the difference? Brushed motors are the more traditional option. They have carbon brushes inside the motor that maintains contact with the part of the motor that spins. The downside is that this creates a lot of friction inside the motor. That friction generates heat and eventually, the parts wear out.
Brushless motors rely on magnets and have no friction-causing parts. This creates much greater efficiency, drives better performance, and tends to lead to longer-lasting tools. But, of course, brushless motors are a bit more expensive. So, this is a definite consideration.
Types of Drills
There are actually a bunch of different types of drills, with various purposes. However, we’re going to focus on just the few that you are likely to run into at the home improvement store when you’re standing in front of the cordless drill section.
Drill Driver - this is your most standard type of drill. It is used to drill a hole in wood, plastic, or metal and typically also works well for using drill bits to drive screws.
Hammer Drills - similar to a drill driver, but it adds a hammer mechanism that vibrates the drill bit back and forth a bit to chip away at hard surfaces (like concrete). These can also be good universal drills as many offer the option to turn on/off the hammer function.
Impact Driver - purists would say this isn’t actually a drill. But, it can handle a large number of bits or chucks and as the drill turns the hammer violently strikes giving this much more force than a hammer drill.
