Find the best value in cordless drills

Choosing the best cordless drill for yourself or as a holiday gift isn't as tough as using one of these tools to build a deck. But if you’re unfamiliar with this type of equipment, finding just the right cordless drill could be a hassle, especially when stores are heavily promoting them as a holiday gift and pricing is volatile.

So we've created the Consumer Reports Value Index™ (below) to help you get the best general-purpose cordless drill for your money. (If tougher tasks are on tap, see our ratings, available to subscribers, of drills designed for heavy-duty work, including models from manufacturers below and DeWalt, Ridgid, and Skil, as well as Black & Decker, Bosch, and Milwaukee.)

This exclusive interactive below combines our ratings of 27 drills—focusing on speed, power, run and charging times, and handling—and the approximate retail price as of December 18, 2008, laying them over a chart with higher-, medium-, and lower-value zones. Products toward the upper-right side of the chart offer comparatively better values than at the bottom-left side. Note that prices here might differ from what you see in our Ratings and in stores.

To use the index, roll your cursor over a model name in the list at the right of the chart, which includes a selection of drills in order of value. Doing so will highlight that model in the chart, revealing its price, battery type, and a link to its model page. Or just mouse over any of the 27 points in the index to pop up the same information. You can use the chart to compare the relative value among two or more models, giving you the needed information to decide which one gives you the most bang for your buck.

The drill that tops ours performance ratings, the Panasonic EY6432GQKW, $185, isn't necessarily the highest-value drill. Lower-priced Ryobi, Craftsman, and Makita models performed well in our tests, so they merit a higher Value Index ranking.

The top values are the Craftsman 11588 and the Ryobi ONE+ P811 (shown above), each a CR Best Buy at $100. In our tests, the Craftsman edged out the Ryobi in speed, power and run time, but both are easy to handle, have short charging times, and come with two NiCd batteries. Smart alternatives to this Craftsman and Ryobi are the Hitachi DS12DVF3, $80, and Makita 6390DWPE, $140.

Lithium-ion, or Li-Ion, drills provide longer run time in a lighter package. The Ryobi P813, $180, was the only drill in our latest report that offered a battery with a built-in charging indicator. That's an important feature, as our tests revealed that several Li-Ion batteries couldn't be recharged after we discharged them fully and that letting a Li-Ion battery sit for longer than 6 months with a full charge can shorten its life.

The ultralightweight Ryobi HJP1001K, $80, makes a great stocking stuffer, but its Li-Ion power and run time are less than those of some other drills—don't expect to use it for a major project. The Makita BDF452HW, $200, and Hitachi DS18DFLPC, $150, are lightweight lithium tools, but their prices are not as svelte. The Ryobi ONE+ P811 comes with NiCds but can also take Li-Ion batteries in case you want the option to upgrade in the future.

Remember, the Value Index provides you with a relative price-and-performance comparison of these cordless drills. So learn more about each drill by reviewing the model pages and reading our buying advice, then use the index as a guide. If you find a cordless drill at a price different from what we show, you can use the chart to determine whether that model will fall into the medium- or higher-value zone. You'll be a more informed shopper when you hit your local home center.—Gian Trotta

Essential information: For more information on buying cordless drills, see our product page, and learn more about other tools and outdoor power equipment. We've also created a Value Index for digital cameras, flat-panel TVs, and GPS devices. Tell us what you think about this tool by posting a comment below.

Comments

[Metal Roof Installation]

Pretty indispensable thing for your home improvement and a nice christmas gift :)

[Dan Dobson]

As a veteran of 36 years of industrial maintenance, and a homeowner who "does it all" I've used and abused a lot of drills in my life- Both corded and cordless. (we call them drill
motors in the trades) One of the most important aspects of any drill motor is the ability of the chuck to hold a drill bit.
Keyless chucks are especially prone to slipping when the bit bites and hangs. I wish CR would include something about the quality of the chuck in any drill ratings. I've found that the power of a drill motor is often limited by the ability of the chuck to hold it's drill bit!

[mike harr]

If CU can't make the cordless drill results so I can tell
those results in less than 10 seconds (ALL OF THEM!) then
I don't want to have to struggle and Play with the charts
and text text.
So I left in 11 seconds with no results in my brain. :(