11 Top Cordless Drills, According To Consumer Reports

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There are several reasons why it may be worth splurging on a quality cordless drill. For users who put their tools to work several times a week, investing wisely can be the difference between a long life of use and a premature return to the hardware store. Now, we'll admit that finding top-rated drills that are actually worth buying is easier said than done. There's so much choice on the market nowadays that narrowing the list could honestly take you hours. Even then, you run the risk of falling prey to the old adage that "when you buy cheap, you buy twice." That's where Consumer Reports comes in handy. Its goal is to highlight products that are actually worth buying, and while most of its findings are for paid members only, its annual fee is widely deemed to be worth it.

In this guide, we're focusing on Consumer Reports' top 11 cordless drills. Included are some big-box names that you might expect. But there are others that you may be surprised to see. Each has its own highlights, and Consumer Reports helpfully categorizes the tools into light-duty, general use, and heavy-duty, so we'll be diving into those, too. We'll cover more about our own methodology later, but so that you know what to expect, we've also compared CR's findings with reviews from buyers across the wider web.

DeWalt is up there with the power tool industry's biggest names. And while there are certain DeWalt tools that users suggest are best avoided, that list is reassuringly slim. In the case of DeWalt's 12V Max ¼-inch Screwdriver Kit, Consumer Reports suggests that it handles most home projects. It does this with an above-average speed (1,050 rpm), plus a compact build size, which CR says is useful in tight spaces. It's the top-scoring drill in CR's "Light Duty" category, meaning it's ideal for occasional home use. CR suggests that it may need charging partway through larger projects, although fast charging times help somewhat. It also comes with a spare battery, along with a charger, plus DeWalt's three-year warranty — standard with all DeWalt tools in this guide.

Across retailers including DeWalt, Acme Tools and ToolUp, where it retails for around $130, reviews align with CR's findings. All give the tool at least four stars, with multiple users having echoed CR's sentiment about its suitability for small and occasional jobs. There are even a few professionals among the reviewers, including an electrician who bought it to assist with smaller jobs. "This drill is absolutely perfect," they said. "Love this drill. I use it more than any other tool I own."

If you've ever wondered whether Harbor Freight's cordless drills are worth buying, this one's for you. Generally speaking, drills from Hercules, one of the chain's proprietary brands, are ranked favorably by users. Its 20V Brushless Cordless ½-inch Drill-Driver Kit is a good example. It's listed as "General Use" by Consumer Reports, meaning it's suitable for most home users. Per CR, it delivers excellent power and speed. The supplied battery is also noted for its runtime, although you may tire if you use it to the battery's full extent, since CR also recognizes its above-average weight (4.5 pounds).

You can buy the tool as a set, including the 20V battery and required charger. Alternatively, if you already have other Hercules tools and batteries, you can pick up the tool only for $69.99. If you haven't and you're just beginning to build your DIY tool collection, then Hercules may be a good brand to start with. All products across its 12 separate tool categories run from the same battery, and all brushless tools come with a five-year tool warranty. Many are strongly rated, too. This particular drill scores 4.7 out of 5, with 83% having awarded it top marks. Feedback seems to reflect CR's findings, with customers citing the tool's powerful performance. Some even compare it to big-box names, like DeWalt. As for how it compares to other popular cordless brands, it stacks up well. "Bought this drill to replace a worn out Ryobi," said one user, who used it to drill a six-inch-diameter hole in the side of their house. "This drill is a beast!"

Milwaukee is another powerhouse in the world of cordless tools. It made Consumer Reports' shortlist with its M12 Fuel ½-inch Drill Driver Kit, a "General Use" drill supplied with two batteries, a charger, a bag, plus a five-year warranty. It garners praise for respectable speed and long battery runtimes, as well as fast recharges. For longer jobs, CR cites its lighter-than-average weight (around 2.5 pounds assembled), which should prevent you from tiring too quickly. The only real downside, per CR, is that the drill is somewhat noisy.

The drill is widely available, and the brand's online "Where to Buy" function makes it easy to score the cheapest deals on Milwaukee tools like this one. While you're at it, it's always worth reading the reviews. In this case, they're largely positive. Between the brand's own website, Walmart, and Acme Tools, its lowest overall score is 4.7. At Milwaukee, reviews ring true with CR's findings, with users praising the tool's power and lightweight build. Several also said that it enabled them to leave their heavier-duty M18-range drills in the toolbox. At Acme Tools, the drill scores an overall 4.9. As one user put it, "Excellent for small to medium jobs both in the house and in the shop. Very happy with it."

Skil's 12V, ½-inch Cordless Electric Drill Driver is favored by CR for offering punchy power in a lightweight package — just 0.1 pounds more than the Milwaukee M12. It falls slightly short of other tools in CR's "General Use" category in terms of runtime, although it makes up for it by recharging quickly. Its compact size is also handy in small spaces. Unfortunately, stock seems limited at most retailers we checked.

We did manage to find it in stock over at Walmart, where it currently comes as a set with a battery, charger, and a limited three-year warranty. There, ratings from 267 users have led to an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5, which is pretty solid. As for why, the reasons tend to marry with Consumer Reports' findings. Weight and ease of use have proven useful for several users, as has its ability to work well with ½-inch accessories, despite its smaller size. But price is also a key factor, and that's important. The cheapest "General Use" drill kit in this guide so far (from Hercules) costs $97, compared with the $69.99 price tag of this option from Skil. If you're not tied to a particular brand, and you just need a decent, well-rated drill at a price that doesn't scare you, there's little reason not to pocket the $27 difference.

Another entry from DeWalt, this time in Consumer Reports' "General Use" drill category, is its Xtreme 12V Max Brushless Cordless Drill Driver. A lightweight build (1.6 pounds assembled) earns it points, and overall, Consumer Reports labels its performance as "solid." In fact, it does well on most counts, ticking boxes for speed, handling, charge time, power rating, and noise level. Just know that the drill's ⅜-inch chuck might prove somewhat limiting, depending on your needs.

If a larger ¼- or ½-inch chuck is a deal breaker, then you may be better off with one of the aforementioned General Use tools from DeWalt, Skil, Milwaukee, or Hercules. But if not, you can take encouragement from the reviews of this tool. Over on DeWalt's site, it scores 4.5 overall. It also scores 4.7 at Lowe's and Acme Tools, both of which offer the set (including four attachment heads, a battery, charger, and a bag) for the lowest price we found: $199. Buyers appreciate the versatility offered by the variety of heads, as well as its ability to perform in tight spaces. And while there are concerns about potential plans to discontinue the 12V range, it's hard to find any official word on this. Certainly, 12V batteries remain widely available. These include the brand's latest 12V XR battery range, which is compatible with all DeWalt 12V tools.

Weighing around 2 pounds and a little over 6 inches tall, Makita's 12V Max CXT ⅜-inch Drill Driver is praised by Consumer Reports as a small yet surprisingly mighty drill. Despite its stature, it sits comfortably in the "General Use" category, although there are two points to bear in mind. Like the majority of others in the category, it runs on a 12-volt battery, yet its runtime, per CR, is a little on the short side. This is offset somewhat by the inclusion of a fast charger with the set, which can get you back to work in 60 minutes. It also has a spare battery, so, as long as you keep one topped up, serious interruptions shouldn't be a problem. The second consideration is that, like DeWalt's Xtreme drill-driver, it's slightly limited by a ⅜-inch chuck.

At Home Depot and on Amazon, you can snag this Makita drill for $199. This buys the tool and batteries, as well as a hard case and a limited three-year tool and battery warranty — standard with any Makita lithium-ion tool. Reviews are generally favorable, with Home Depot showing a 4.9-star overall rating, and Amazon a 4.6. Reasons vary, although most mirror Consumer Reports' findings. Its small size and light weight make it easy to carry and use for various buyers, while the spare battery proves useful on longer projects. There are also those who claim this tool is just another example of Makita's standout quality. As one user said, "This is a great light duty drill, usable for any small job or project. I've been buying Makita tools for years and they've been consistently good. You can't beat this company for price/performance value."

If you're trying to decide whether it's worth adding DeWalt tools to your collection, then there are several black and yellow drills that Consumer Reports says are worth buying. It rates DeWalt's 12V Max Xtreme Cordless Brushless ⅜-inch Drill Driver Kit highly on several points. These include an above-average speed for a "General Use" drill, as well as decent power and good handling. Battery charge time is another point in its favor, while a spare included battery helps keep downtime to a minimum. Per CR, the drill also lands on the quiet side compared to others on its shortlist.

The tool is well rated across all stores that we checked, including Lowe's, Walmart, and Acme Tools. It's cheapest at Lowe's ($79 — more than $38 cheaper than Walmart and $90 less than Acme Tools), but scores well on all sites. At Lowe's, for instance, it scores 4.6 stars with more than 450 reviews. That dips slightly on DeWalt's website, with more than 60 reviews yielding an overall 4.4. Still, that's pretty strong. Some users have cited issues with the supplied battery's runtime, which might explain why that's absent from Consumer Reports' positive findings. Overall, though, users agree that it's lightweight, compact, and powerful — some comparing its power to DeWalt's 20-volt tools. It's also durable, says one user, who said, "No clue how many times it has been dropped or knocked over ... it doesn't miss a beat!"

According to Consumer Reports, DeWalt's 20V XR Lithium-Ion Cordless Brushless ½-inch Drill Driver Kit is an excellent all-rounder. The organization labels it as one of the best-performing drills across all cordless drill categories (including Light Duty, General Use, and Heavy Duty). It's technically categorized as "Heavy Duty" and earns top marks for power rating, speed, and runtime. It owes these largely to its 20-volt battery system — a substantial upgrade compared to the 12-volt tools that make up the majority of the General Use drills. It is on the heavier side, although CR says that it remains balanced and handles well.

We found the kit (which includes the drill, two batteries, a charger, and a kit bag) available on several major retailers. It usually retails for around $269, although that's currently reduced to $227.99 on Amazon. Wherever you buy it from, you should find that customer ratings remain high. Lowe's shows a 4.9-star overall customer rating, as does DeWalt's own website. It achieves 4.8 stars on Amazon and a full 5 out of 5 at Home Depot. Customers love that it includes a spare battery (and that it works with other DeWalt 20V batteries), which helps to keep downtime to a minimum. And despite CR's remarks on weight, some suggest that, as an upgrade, it's much lighter than their older drills. As one user said, "It feels like it's built sturdy, it's not that heavy but it definitely feels like it has some mass."

Throwing its hat into the "Heavy Duty" ring of drills, Makita's 40V Max XGT Compact Brushless Cordless ½-inch Drill Driver Kit scores well on several counts. Consumer Reports lists above-average power and good speeds in drilling and driving. It's heavy for a cordless tool (4.85 pounds, assembled), largely due to the hefty 40-volt battery. On the plus side, that same battery is also compatible with several Makita lawn tools — handy if you already have a 40V mower or trimmer in the garage. However, it's far from the cheapest in CR's shortlist, and is certainly the most scarce in terms of availability.

We found it listed on ToolUp for $439 — discounted from $748. However, as we write this article, ToolUp has just two in stock. At most retailers, it's either listed as "no longer available" or available for shipping directly from Makita, meaning you'd need to contact the retailer to confirm availability before buying. Then again, if you only need it for home use, such as mending fences or building a new raised bed, you may not actually need such a heavy-duty drill. Instead, it may be worth investing in one of the other, cheaper, more widely available tools listed in this guide.

Flex's 24-volt ½-inch 2-speed Drill-Driver with Turbo Mode scores consistently well in Consumer Reports' shortlist of cordless drills. It's one of several highly-rated Flex power tools to make your next DIY project a breeze, with a 5Ah battery that CR praises for its long runtimes. It loses a few points for its weight (5.1 pounds), which is heavier than a number of its Heavy Duty competitors, including Makita's 40-volt drill. But CR says it makes up for this by "acing" in tests for speed, power, and charge time. It also features four speed settings, compared to the usual two found on other, similar drills.

It comes with a spare battery, charger, and a hard case, as well as a five-year warranty. As for price, you can expect to pay just under $230. But you can do so with some degree of confidence. At Acme Tools, it scores a solid 4.7 stars, with users on Amazon awarding it an overall 4.5. Some love the drill's feel and power, and others appreciate the long runtimes that scored well with Consumer Reports. Buyers don't seem to mind the weight, either. "It's heavy, but worth it," said one user, who added, "Great control, great power."

If you regularly shop at Lowe's, you've probably spotted a few choice pieces from Kobalt — one of Lowe's proprietary in-store brands. One such tool is the XTR 24-volt ½-inch Keyless Brushless Cordless Drill, priced at $189. It falls into Consumer Reports' "Heavy Duty" category and earns a place in its list of best buys by delivering well in most test areas. Per CR, it aced tests for power and speed. It also delivered solid runtimes. One downside is that it takes around 85 minutes to recharge the battery, which is longer than others in this guide. It also comes with only one battery in the kit (along with a charger), so you'd need to buy a spare to keep things moving smoothly.

This doesn't seem to trouble most buyers. Some have listed problems with tool failure, including two for whom the chuck stripped, although concerns about such problems can be assuaged by the tool's five-year warranty. For the most part, reviews have praised its performance, particularly for general household maintenance. As one user put it, "This drill is a performer. I've drilled wood, steel, and my Jeep frame for rock sliders, dropped it, and it just keeps going."

Only drills featured among Consumer Reports' best cordless drills for 2026 were included in this guide. We covered the points that earned each drill's inclusion in Consumer Reports' guide, before scouring the wider web for feedback from everyday buyers of each tool. To find this information, we checked retail sites, including Amazon, Home Depot, Walmart, ToolUp, Lowe's, and Acme Tools, as well as the manufacturers' official websites. We also used these sources to identify price trends, including any special offers or uniquely low prices that could help you save money.