Do Harbor Freight Cordless Drills Outperform Home Depot? What To Know

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When putting together a set of tools every homeowner should have, a cordless power drill should be near the top of the list. Alongside the right bits, a this tool can help with not just drilling holes but also tasks like driving screws and stirring paint, saving you time on your DIY projects.

If you're looking for a new power drill, you have a few options. You might want to stick with one the best-ranked power tool brands like Makita, Milwaukee, or DeWalt, which offer you reliable performance and features. However, you'll spend more money to purchase these top-of-the-line tools compared to brands that focus more on value and less on features. These budget-priced tools are made for smaller projects and more occasional use.

Harbor Freight is a hardware retailer worth considering if you're looking for value-priced cordless drills. You can use coupons and instant savings to score deals at Harbor Freight, although this retailer also focuses on delivering tools potentially unfamiliar brand names at low prices. If you want to stick with more well-known brands of power drills, you may need to shop at Home Depot instead, which offers high-profile brands that typically carry a premium price point, though the retailer does have its own value power tool line under the Ryobi brand name. 

Determining whether the drills at Harbor Freight will outperform the options at Home Depot really depends on how you plan to use them and what kind of performance level you need; Home Depot is more ideally suited for anyone looking for premium brands made for professional-level use, while Harbor Freight offers more value brands for occasional-use DIYers.

The cheapest option at Harbor Freight is the Warrior 18V 3/8-Inch Cordless Drill for $30, which includes a battery and charger. It offers a maximum speed of 900 revolutions per minute (RPM) and a top torque of 199 in-lbs. Home Depot's cheapest product is the Ryobi 18V 3/8-Inch Cordless Drill ($50, also with battery and charger). However, its maximum speed of 600 RPM and highest available torque of 135 in-lbs both trail the Warrior model.

Both drills have built-in LED lights that help you work in dark and tight conditions. The Ryobi model ships with a slightly larger battery capacity at 1.5 Ah, compared to 1.3 Ah for the Warrior-branded drill. The Ryobi drill weighs a little more than the Warrior power tool (2.8 pounds to 2.68 pounds), but you might not notice the difference. Both drills feature a 3/8-inch keyless chuck and a variable speed trigger.

Drills that have higher torque ratings deliver more power for driving screws. Those with higher rotational speeds create a smoother drilling process. Based on its slightly lighter weight and greater torque and rotational speed, the cheapest Harbor Freight model looks like a better performer than Home Depot's cheapest drill. If you're worried about durability, though, the Warrior model only offers 90 days of protection, while the Ryobi product has a three-year warranty. Both products have excellent customer reviews with 96% of reviewers saying they'd recommend buying them.

Harbor Freight's Hercules 20V 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill ($98) is its most expensive option. Hercules is considered Harbor Freight's top-end power tool brand. One of Home Depot's priciest options is the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill ($319). Both units come with a charger and at least one spare battery. Milwaukee is one of the most trusted power tool brands for professionals and busy DIYers as it offers high levels of performance.

The Hercules power drill has a maximum rotational speed of 2,000 RPM and a top torque setting of 1,200 in-lbs. The Milwaukee drill offers slightly more power and speed with maximum settings of 2,100 RPM and 1,400 in-lbs of torque. The Milwaukee kit provides the ability to work for significantly longer periods of time between charges, as it includes not one but two5.0 Ah capacity batteries, while the single Hercules battery has a capacity of only 2.0 Ah. Both models have brushless motors, which allows for smaller and more lightweight designs. The Milwaukee drill is a bit heavier, weighing in at 4.82 pounds whereas the Hercules model is 3.26 pounds. 

If you're concerned about longevity, both the Milwaukee and Hercules products feature five-year limited manufacturer's warranties. On the Home Depot website, 89% of reviewers recommend the Milwaukee drill, while 95% of reviewers on the Harbor Freight website recommend the Hercules drill. Still, the Milwaukee drill's higher levels of speed and torque, while also ranking as one of the most well-known power tool brands, give it a slight performance edge. The inclusion of a second battery and a metal carrying case also help justify its much higher price.