Milwaukee Takes the Top Spot Among the Best Cordless Drills. Here's Why. (2025)

No workshop is complete without a good cordless drill. This essential power tool is your workhorse, responsible for drilling holes and driving in fasteners—tasks that almost every home repair or woodworking project requires.

Today's cordless drills are more powerful than ever, with premium models producing torque surpassing 2,000 inch-pounds and speeds of more than 2,000 RPM. That’s enough to bore large holes through wood, metal, and even concrete.

Along with power, there are other factors to consider when shopping for a cordless drill, including size, weight, and features. In an effort to identify the top drills for a range of applications, I put six models from some of the most reputable tool brands out there, including Milwaukee and DeWalt, to the test by drilling through lumber and masonry.

Below are my reviews of each model, including my pick for the best cordless drill worth investing in.

The Best Cordless Drills

• Best Overall: Milwaukee 2904-20 Hammer Drill
• Best Budget: Skil 20V Drill Driver Kit
• Best Heavy Duty: DeWalt 20V MAX XR Hammer Drill (DCD1007)
• Best Power: FLEX 24V Brushless Cordless Hammer Drill
• Best for Beginners: Ryobi 18V One+ Compact Cordless Hammer Drill

What to Consider

How We Selected

I began by researching models I thought would suit all types of users. After selecting six models that all came in under $300, I ran each through a series of tests.

I began with two drill tests, using each model to bore ten holes through a 2x4—five one-inch holes with a spade bit and five 1/2-inch holes with a twist bit. I considered the speed at which the drills completed these holes, as well as how smoothly the drill operated and how cleanly it was able to drill the hole.

I then tested the drills with fasteners by using each model to drive three-inch wood screws into stacked 2x4s. Finally, I took the hammer drills in the group outdoors and proceeded to drill holes into a slab of concrete.

Along with performance, I also assessed each drill’s weight and size to determine ease of use.

Milwaukee packs tremendous performance into a surprisingly compact tool with this 1/2-inch hammer drill. It pumps out a whopping 1,400 inch-pounds of torque and can reach a lightning quick top speed of 2,100 RPM. Though not quite the fastest on our list, the drill blazed through my 1/2-inch drill bit and one-inch spade bit tests. It posted similarly impressive performance, drilling 1/4-inch holes into concrete. Milwaukee’s hammer drill also has three speed settings (most only have two), which allowed me to dial back all that speed and power to drive screws.

What’s so impressive about this drill is that it packs all that power into such a small package. It’s just under seven inches from tip to tail and weighs a relatively light 3.3 pounds. Plus, it comes equipped with an autostop feature that shuts off the motor to prevent over-rotation should the drill bit become bound up.

This Milwaukee drill may not be the fastest or most powerful tool on the list, but when you factor in its weight, size, and features, it’s the best all-around one.

The Skil PWRCore drill produces a surprising amount of power for its size and at a fraction of the price of the premium cordless drills on our list. It took an impressive three seconds to drill a 1/2-inch hole into a 2x4. Its ability to drill holes with a one-inch spade bit was mixed, however. During testing, the bit became hopelessly bound in the wood every couple of holes. When used as a driver, it had no problems driving in three-inch screws.

This drill weighs just 2.23 pounds, not including the battery. Couple that with a narrow profile, and the Skil was one of the easiest 20-volt drills to use. While it doesn’t offer the bells and whistles you’ll find on premium drills, it does give you two speed settings and an LED worklight. And while a premium cordless drill kit can run you upwards of $300, the SKIL 20-volt drill kit is just $80. That low price, coupled with its solid performance, makes it a great value pick.

The flagship drill of DeWalt’s line of cordless drills is impressive in its raw power and versatility. We bore a 1/2-inch hole through a 2x4 with a standard bit in about half a second and a one-inch hole with a paddle bit in three seconds flat. Both times were the fastest I recorded for all of the drills I tested. I was also impressed by all the options for controlling that power. With three speed options, I was able to dial its speed way back. That, coupled with the ability to drop the torque, allowed me to drive in screws without stripping the screw head.

Among other features I appreciated about the DeWalt XR drill included an anti-rotation safety feature that shuts off the motor if it senses too much rotational motion, saving your wrist, and a built-in worklight you can aim.

The XR isn’t particularly light at 4.1 pounds (not including a battery), but it is relatively short with a head length of 7.6 inches, which means it can fit into tighter spots than many other cordless drills. The DeWalt XR cordless drill is one of the most expensive drills on our list but worth the investment for if you’re someone capable of taking on projects normally dedicated to pros.

Flex’s cordless tools are known for their impressive power output, and this cordless drill is no exception. With its 1,400 inch-pounds of torque and max 2,500 RPM speed, it blazed through my tests, drilling five holes with a 1/2-inch twist bit and five one-inch holes with a spade bit each in under three seconds, and it did so incredibly smoothly.

Interested to see just how much it could handle, I took it to a block of cement and drilled holes with a 3/8-inch bit. Where most cordless drills would fail at this point, the Flex just kept on chugging, burrowing through the cement with no hesitation.

With its 24-volt motor and battery, the Flex weighs just under four pounds bare and nearly six pounds with the included 5Ah battery, making it one of the heavier models I tested. And while its head is a relatively short 7.1 inches, it has a larger profile, so it doesn’t navigate into tight spaces as easily as you might want it to.

What you get instead of a light profile is a bevy of cool features. Along with a turbo button that allows you to boost torque to reach its max output, there’s also a rotation protection that protects your wrist and arm by stopping the drill if it over-rotates. The Flex cordless drill is a pro level power tool that comes at a pro level price. But, if you’re looking for power, then look no further.

Ryobi’s cordless hammer drill packs enough punch to handle most odd jobs around the house, along with a few bigger projects, at a price point that’s far below the cost of the premium cordless drills on this list.

It puts out 750 inch-pounds of torque and 2,100 RPM, which is on the high end for a cordless drill kit that costs under $100. How did this power bare out in testing? Results were mixed. I was able to bore five one-inch holes with a spade bit at a pace of five seconds per hole. I also had no problem driving a three-inch wood screw into two stacked 2x4s, and I drilled a hole with a 1/2-inch twist bit after dropping the speed and switching to hammer drill mode. I was able to bore into concrete with a 3/8-inch bit, but anything larger than that was pushing it.

With a slim profile, bare weight of 2.3 pounds, and short, 6.75-inch head, this drill was noticeably easier to wield than some of the heavier and bulkier drills on the list. The Ryobi compact hammer drill may lack the muscle of other models, but it’ll help you complete more than enough projects around the house to make it worth its cost.

Makita’s flagship hammer drill packs quite a punch in a compact size, producing 1,250 inch-pounds of torque with a max speed of 2,100 RPM. Not surprisingly, it had no problem handling both of my drill bit tests. It easily drove a one-inch spade bit and 1/2-inch drill bit through a 2x4. I also found success using its hammer drill function to bore 5/8-inch holes into concrete.

The Makita hammer drill also serves as a very capable driver. Once I dialed back the speed and torque to prevent it from stripping screw heads, I consistently drove three-inch wood screws into my stacked 2x4s. Even with all that power, the drill manages to stay compact with a head length of seven inches, though it’s one of the heaviest drills I tested with a bare weight of 5.5 pounds.