Which 18v drill

This is the second most expensive of the volt drills on the list, but if you need to get into a tight spot, this is the drill for you.

With overall midlevel performance, a keyless chuck for easy drill bit changes, and the cheapest price tag on the list, this cheap cordless drill is a solid pick. I measure down to the 64th of an inch for clearance in tight spots.

This category was almost too close to call. The Ryobi's performance, drilling power and specs were nearly identical to the Bosch. So it boiled down to how each drill felt during the performance tests. This Ryobi felt like it could be the most powerful drill on the entire list, while the Bosch just felt weak and had trouble breaking through the two-by-fours during the high torque bore test. Although the Bosch scored second overall in the low torque test and third in high torque, Ryobi took first in low torque.

Combined with the overall feel of the two drills puts the Ryobi drill kit as the value pick. Tacklife is a relatively new tool brand that you'll find on Amazon's tool-related search results. For the volt brushed variable speed trigger cordless drills, Tacklife offered near-optimal performance at only 0. Its body size is one of the bulkier options, but it does have a battery life LED indicator, variable speed, and is priced near the bottom of the pack to be named best value.

Includes one 2-aH battery and the hard plastic carrying case contains extra bits and accessory goodies. All of the drills I tested are brushed models that use a or volt battery. You can find different bundles online and in your local big-box retailer, some with extra batteries, some with only one battery and some that are even packaged with other power tools or bare tools only.

To keep the pricing comparison as level as possible, each of these includes the drill, a charger, one or two batteries and, in most cases, some kind of accessory to carry everything around. Along with the six drills above, here is a list of the other ten drills I tested, along with some context about why they didn't get the nod as best in class. Other than general use and impressions, I have three main ways of testing drills. There is a clearance test, where I determine the tightest space the drill can get into and still drive or drill at a perfect degree angle perpendicular to the drilling surface.

For the high-torque test, I use a brand new 1-inch wood spade bit for each drill. I use the bit to drill a series of holes into standard yellow pine construction grade lumber. After, I divide the number of holes drilled by the battery capacity which gives a "holes per amp hour" data point for comparison.

I like this particular metric method because it negates the ability of a drill to win just by having a larger battery. On this test, the numbers for the volt drills are pretty low -- so if you're looking to bore a lot of holes, it's probably best to stick with the volt drills.

For the most part, all of the volt drills felt strong starting this test off with a brand-new battery, and although it did score second-to-last here, the Ryobi felt the strongest out of the gate.

There's also the breakthrough feel -- how well the spade bits are able to exit the opposite side of the lumber without snagging and seizing. Here, it was Milwaukee that really showed off. Not only did Milwaukee absolutely trounce the competition, but the spade bit moved from one side of the lumber to the other with almost no snags.

On the opposite end of the scale, both Bosch and Ridgid seemed to have trouble exiting the boards almost every single time. In the low-torque tests I took some screws -- a ton of screws -- and drove them into standard four-by-four construction lumber.

Drive in as many as possible until the drill can no longer completely seat a screw; i. I use the same previously described method here, dividing by amp hour to get our final metric. Running the low-torque tests takes longer than the high-torque tests, so there's more time to get the feel of the tools themselves. Generally speaking, the drills all feel like you'd expect, but there were a couple of features that stood out. On the volt DeWalt, the hand grip feels small.

This may actually be a benefit for some people, but for me, it was a little off-putting. I was also not a fan of the trigger on the volt Ridgid. It felt like I had to pull the trigger farther back to reach max power than on other drills. This, over time, leads to a little extra hand cramping. Not ideal if you're planning on using it for hours at a time. Some jobs may actually demand a standard electric drill, which can take larger bits and will have more power to get them through, say, a double-layer brick wall.

Most cordless drills come with a double-headed screwdriver bit, and a few models come in a kit with a selection of bits thrown in. However, the quality of these will vary, especially from cheaper manufacturers, and you may be better off splashing out on a separate pack of bits for wood, steel or masonry, or even individual bits.

Sometimes these can be expensive, but you'll be surprised how much easier a decent bit makes it to get a nice, clean hole in a wall. If you only want to buy one drill, this is the one that just about does it all.

Its two-speed gearbox, 20 torque settings and impact mode mean it's ready to take on anything from driving screws straight into softwood timber to putting rawlplug holes in brick, and the only area where it struggled in our tests was tough concrete — and even there it did the job eventually. Key specs — Weight: 1. Of course, there are areas where it falls down next to the pricier models.

Key specs — Weight: 1kg; Batteries: 1 x 18V Li-ion, mAh; Maximum speed: rpm; Torque settings: 16; Maximum torque: Not stated; Maximum drilling capacity wood, brick, steel : 20mm, 8mm, 8mm. The lightweight drill has 10 different torque settings, and a two-gear variable speed max 1, RPM , allowing you to prioritise control and precision or speed depending on the job.

This Bosch drill-driver keeps things lightweight and simple, with 15 torque settings, a streamlined design and a battery that fits inside the handle. Key specs — Weight: 1kg; Batteries: 1 x 12V Li-ion, 1. Busy with a major project? Key specs — Weight: 2kg; Batteries: 18V Li-ion, 2Ah not supplied ; Maximum speed: 2,rpm; Torque settings: 21; Maximum torque: 88Nm; Maximum drilling capacity wood, brick, steel : 76mm, 16mm, 13mm.

We love a power tool with a tough, macho name, and the Slammer lives up to its billing. You can also share your batteries with other tools in the Worx range. Buy now from Very. This handy kit from Makita doesn't come cheap, but it does come with both an impact driver and a combi drill, so you'll have the tool you need for every situation you're likely to come across. They're not the most powerful drills on the market, but they're more than you need for most household and DIY tasks, and great value for money.

Scroll down for details of some popular drills. Or, if you're ready to make your purchase now, the links below will take you to the drill sections of popular DIY retailer websites:. We don't currently test drills but Wickes, Homebase and Argos are some of the most searched-for retailers for drills at the time of writing.

We asked each retailer to tell us which are its most popular drills. Below is a selection of different types and styles from those picks. The Makita combi drill has three different settings: drill, hammer drill and screwdriver, which makes it great for people who want to use their drill for a variety of jobs.

It also comes with a battery, charger and a piece tool set built into a box you can carry around. It can work through wood of up to 25mm thickness, masonry of up to 13mm and steel of 10m. It also has a variable speed trigger which should you give you more control. It's corded, so you'll need to stay near the mains while you work. This Ryobi combi drill has a two-speed gearbox and can be used on lots of different surfaces.

It has an LED light which helps if you plan to work in areas with poor lighting. Other features include an integrated drill storage clip for drill bits and two batteries so you carry on working while the battery charges. Bear in mind this tool is designed for lighter DIY jobs, and doesn't have a hammer setting. Need other DIY tools? Discover the. We've chosen these retailers and drills based on popular UK search terms, availability and what the retailers told us were popular.

Prices correct as of 12 October and obtained from each manufacturer's own website where possible; otherwise, obtained from third-party retailers listed on Google Shopping. Our expert cordless drill buying guide reveals the different types of drills, typical prices and features, and our pick of popular drills on sale. Aaron West. In this article Video: how to buy the best cordless drill Types of drills How much should you spend on a drill?

Drill features and accessories Where to buy a drill Popular drills Video: how to use a drill Top tips: how to drill a hole View more links. Video: how to buy the best cordless drill.