The Edit — Home & Garden
Cordless Drills 2026: DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee and More
5 cordless drills for a first toolbox or a Black Friday gift: a DeWalt kit with 100 bits, a brushless Makita, a drill-and-driver combo, a budget Black+Decker and a Milwaukee for cold garages.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
The 5 drills here are ranked by how Amazon shoppers rate them and compared on what each maker states about torque, chuck and what comes in the box, as How we choose describes. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Best for A first toolbox
Watch for Not for masonry
Best for Long jobs, more torque
Watch for No bits included
Best for Screws, decks, furniture
Watch for More than light jobs need
Best for Light jobs on a budget
Watch for Not for brick
Best for A cold garage
Watch for 1 battery only
20V and 18V drills are the same class of tool
The number on the box is the first thing that misleads a drill buyer. Black+Decker says it plainly on its own listing: a 20V MAX battery measures 20 volts with no load, and its nominal voltage is 18 volts. DeWalt also sells 20V MAX, while Makita and Milwaukee label the same class 18V. Compare torque, chuck size and the kit instead.
The DeWalt DCD771C2 kit is the drill to give someone with no tools
A first drill is only useful with bits, and most kits ship with 1 or none. This kit pairs the DeWalt DCD771C2 with a 100-piece set of drill and driver bits, including DeWalt’s Impact Ready and Pilot Point lines. The drill has a 1/2-inch ratcheting chuck and 2 speeds, 0-450 and 0-1,500 rpm. DeWalt rates its motor at 300 UWO, “unit watts out”, its own measure of power at the chuck, so it does not compare directly with other makers’ torque figures.
DEWALT 20V MAX Drill/Driver Kit with 100-Piece Bit Set (DCD771C2)
DeWalt's compact DCD771C2 drill with a 100-piece drill and driver bit set in the box.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Chuck | 1/2 in, ratcheting |
|---|---|
| Speeds | 0-450 and 0-1,500 rpm |
| In the box | Drill, battery, charger, 100 bits |
A compact drill with 100 bits, for the toolbox that starts from nothing.
Buy it if
- A first toolbox that has no bits yet
Don't buy it if
- Heavy masonry or big-hole work
The Makita XFD131 is the one for long jobs
A brushless motor is the upgrade worth paying for once a drill does more than hang shelves. The Makita XFD131 has one, rated at 440 in-lbs of maximum torque, with 2 speeds of 0-500 and 0-1,900 rpm. Makita says the electronically controlled motor gives up to 50% more run time per charge, and the kit carries a 3.0Ah battery. There are no bits in the box, so budget for a set.
Makita XFD131 18V LXT Brushless 1/2 in Driver-Drill Kit (3.0Ah)
A brushless 18V drill with 440 in-lbs of torque and a 3.0Ah battery in the kit.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Max torque | 440 in-lbs |
|---|---|
| Speeds | 0-500 and 0-1,900 rpm |
| Motor | Brushless |
A brushless 18V drill, for decking, shelving and a weekend of fixings.
Buy it if
- Long sessions: decking, shelving, a whole room of fixings
Don't buy it if
- A buyer who wants bits in the box
The DeWalt DCK240C2 combo adds an impact driver for screws
Long screws are where a drill on its own starts to struggle, and an impact driver is the tool built for them. The DeWalt DCK240C2 pairs a 300 UWO drill with an impact driver rated at up to 1,400 in-lbs. The driver takes 1/4-inch hex bits one-handed, both tools carry LED lights that stay on for 20 seconds, and the kit has 2 batteries, a charger and a bag. The drill against impact driver guide explains which jobs need which.
DEWALT 20V MAX Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit (DCK240C2)
A drill and a 1,400 in-lbs impact driver with 2 batteries, a charger and a bag.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Impact driver | Up to 1,400 in-lbs |
|---|---|
| Driver chuck | 1/4 in hex |
| Batteries | 2 |
A drill and an impact driver on 2 batteries, for decks, furniture and long screws.
Buy it if
- Assembling furniture, decks and anything with long screws
Don't buy it if
- Someone who only hangs the odd picture
The Black+Decker BCD702C1 is enough for shelves and flat-pack
Most homes drill a few holes a year, and a budget drill does that work. The Black+Decker BCD702C1 has an 11-position clutch, which slips before a screw strips, an LED light and a bit holder on the body. The kit holds the drill, 1 battery, a charger and a double-ended bit. Brick and concrete are beyond it; that is hammer-drill work.
BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX Cordless Drill Kit (BCD702C1)
A light-duty 20V drill with an 11-position clutch, a battery, a charger and 1 bit.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Clutch | 11 positions |
|---|---|
| Voltage | 20V max, 18V nominal |
| In the box | Drill, battery, charger, 1 bit |
A light 20V drill, for shelves, curtain rails and flat-pack furniture.
Buy it if
- Shelves, curtain rails and flat-pack furniture
Don't buy it if
- Drilling into brick or concrete
The Milwaukee M18 2606-21CT keeps working in a cold garage
Lithium batteries lose power in the cold, and an unheated garage in January is where many drills get used. Milwaukee says the M18 2606-21CT works down to 0°F and has overload protection. It rates the drill at 500 in-lbs, the highest torque on this page, with 0-400 and 0-1,800 rpm, a 1/2-inch chuck and a fuel gauge. The kit has 1 battery and a hard case.
Milwaukee M18 1/2 in Compact Drill Driver Kit (2606-21CT)
A 500 in-lbs 18V drill that Milwaukee rates to work down to 0°F, with a hard case.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Max torque | 500 in-lbs |
|---|---|
| Speeds | 0-400 and 0-1,800 rpm |
| Works to | 0°F, per Milwaukee |
A 500 in-lbs drill rated to 0°F, for the workshop nobody heats.
Buy it if
- Winter work in an unheated garage or shed
Don't buy it if
- A buyer who wants a spare battery: the kit has 1
| Drill | Max torque, as stated | Chuck | Batteries in kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeWalt DCD771C2 kit | 300 UWO (DeWalt’s measure) | 1/2 in | 1, plus 100 bits |
| Makita XFD131 | 440 in-lbs | 1/2 in | 1 (3.0Ah) |
| DeWalt DCK240C2 combo | 300 UWO drill, 1,400 in-lbs driver | 1/2 in, 1/4 in hex | 2 |
| Black+Decker BCD702C1 | Not stated | Not on the listing | 1 |
| Milwaukee M18 2606-21CT | 500 in-lbs | 1/2 in | 1 |
What did not make the list: corded drills and no-name 21V kits
A corded drill never runs flat, but a cable to the far end of a garden fence is a nuisance a cordless drill avoids. The 21V kits listed with 200 or more pieces look generous, but their listings count hand tools such as screwdrivers and pliers in that number, so it says little about the drill. For a pocket tool to keep beside the drill, multitools has its own guide, and the drill kits suit a gift for dad who is building a toolbox.
Prices, savings and deal badges are Amazon's own, read from Amazon within the last hour. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Best first drill
DEWALT 20V MAX Drill/Driver Kit with 100-Piece Bit Set (DCD771C2)