Cordless Drill Buying Guide – Will This Drill Work For Me?

A cordless drill is an indispensable member of any handyman’s toolset. Not only does this help save energy but also the time when it comes to drilling holes or basic fixes around the house. Don’t forget the best bit – no cords. You have portability and power all in one device. But there are so many drills on the market. Which one will work best for you?

These are the 3 cordless drill types

1. Multifunction – These drills can drill holes and fix screws without destroying the groove of the screw. If you get one of these, make sure it has the reverse feature too. You will be able to extract screws with minimum effort.
2. Variable speed – This feature of having different speeds is especially useful when using metal screws. Also, if you are using these devices to do some basic fixes you might not need the higher speeds as you would if you were tightening screws on larger home furniture.
3. Hammer – As the old saying goes, you don’t take a knife to a gunfight. Similarly, a lightweight drill is not too useful when it comes to getting through concrete. The powerful models can be used for this purpose. Do stay on a lookout for this feature if you need to do some heavy lifting with your drill.

Tip: It’s not too hard to find the best cordless drills.

There are two main things you should look for when buying a drill

Voltage – For cordless drills, the power output is measured in Volts. Drills with higher voltage give you more power. Plain and simple. For those who like to fix stuff around the house, a 12 V cordless drill will be enough. Most moderate fixes will be possible with the 18 V models. For some serious stuff, you need more power in the 24 V or 36 V range.

Tip: Have a look at the Panasonic cordless drill early on in your search.

Battery Life/Charger – With all this power, your batteries can get drained pretty quickly. You should be looking for models that have a secondary battery or a charger included. The better batteries will be Lithium-Ion rather than Nickel-Cadmium ones. The newer powerful chargers can get your battery back to full charge within 15-20 minutes. Even then, a spare battery and a powerful charger will save you a lot of headaches.

Tip: The Milwaukee cordless drill is a popular choice.