11 best cordless drills and drivers for tackling DIY tasks in 2023

The balance of this 20v combi drill and driver is excellent, and it’s backed up by a well-thought-out design, which includes the feature that makes it really stand out – a rotating plate. This allows you to switch quickly between drilling and screw driving without the faff of changing drill bits.

The tool itself is nice and slim, so you can still get it into some awkward corners to work, while the digital display and keypad allow you to quickly select your clutch setting. We really liked the fact that the drill memorises the torque value you were working with before switching to the screw mode, so you can easily switch between work modes without skipping a beat.

It’s lightweight with a good work light, making this a good investment if you’ve got plenty of drilling and screwing to do around the home.

If you’re looking for a general purpose drill that will keep your household from falling down, then this is a solid buy, as it will cover any application that requires driving screws and drilling into wood.

The LED light illuminated the work area well and the tool was lightweight and well-balanced enough to enable working over extended periods. It never stalled or struggled, and it was also sturdy enough for jobs that required a little more aggression – for example when using the tool’s hammer drill function.

This 18v brushless drill is a good price and more than just a kitchen drawer drill. It’s equipped to handle all your occasional household jobs, from putting up hooks to taking the pain out of your latest flat-pack purchase.

There’s also plenty of torque available for more demanding projects, and we didn’t experience any kickback (where the drill rides up when the screw goes tight) when drilling into walls.

With two gear changes to choose from, the drill makes it easy to match the right speed to the material you’re working with too.

A powerful drill with a brushless motor that can switch effortlessly between lightweight tasks, like tightening up some hinges, to bigger projects, such as fixing guttering.

The handheld ergonomics are good, while the two-speed gearbox and 15 clutch settings mean that you have plenty of control at your fingertips, and can match the tool to the task at hand.

The LED spotlight was very effective and bathed each project in white light.

This 36v drill packs a huge amount of power into a chassis that’s manoeuvrable and nicely weighted. The highly efficient motor under the hood draws more juice when the drilling gets tough, so we never experienced any resistance, even when completing the toughest tasks. What’s more, every screw flew in flush with our working material.

When it comes to giving you more stability, the side handle is useful. We found that the vibrations were minimised by the bodywork and handles, so we had no problems with numbed fingers and aching wrists after prolonged use.

This is a real workhorse of a drill with 22 different torque settings that will even slice through steel with ease.

This drill performed well for all kinds of drilling applications but came into its own for overhead jobs, tight corners, and inside cupboards and drawers, with the LED making sure we had a well-lit working environment.

For a 12v tool, this cordless drill offers impressive power and never fails to get through knots of wood. What’s more, it was a godsend for assembling flat packs, and consistently delivered screws that were flush. In fact, it performed better than some 18V offerings at similar tasks. The combination of power and ease of use makes this an excellent choice for smaller internal jobs.

Another good all-rounder from Worx, fuelled by a 20v battery, this delivers an impressive amount of power for tougher jobs in wood and masonry.

There’s no brushless motor, which impacts the levels of torque that the tool can deliver, but it has good balance when in operation, and even with the battery on board, the drill weighs in at only 1.2kg. This means that it’s good for those jobs that take some time or require a degree of overhead work.

The LED light illuminated the work area well and the tool never stalled or struggled. It’s also sturdy enough for jobs that require a little more aggression – for example when using the tool’s hammer drill function.

This combi is now a regular in our listings, as it feels good in the hand, with a chuck that bites down well, even on thinner drill bits. The motor isn’t brushless but it can still handle a range of drilling duties around the home or in the workshop.

The 21 different torque settings make it useful for internal and external jobs, such as putting up shelves or curtain rails, or installing garden trellis and hanging baskets.

The LED is placed just above the battery at the base and is angled upwards, which casts a lot of light onto the job, making it great for working on cupboards or drawers.

Bundled into a hard-wearing case are these two powerful drills, which will have you covered whether you’re putting down decking or putting up a fence.

The kit features a high-powered 18v combi drill and a specialist impact driver, both of which are robust enough to stand up to drops and knocks while being light enough to use all day without feeling like your arm is about to drop off.

Both drills have LED lights, and the impressive torque output meant we never had to worry about any kind of kickback that would throw us off balance while working. This is a real plus if you’re up a ladder trying to screw something at arm’s length.

This is an excellent package that includes a battery, charger and a 101-piece kit, so you can keep everything together and will never have your DIY delayed by an awol accessory.

The brushless combi drill itself is ergonomic and comfortable, with good performance and power for a range of tasks around the house, from flat packing to shelf hanging.

The drill was also more than adequate when we needed it to up its game and be a bit more aggressive as we turned our hand to some decking repairs. Good LED positioning meant that we were never drilling in the dark too.

This is a very powerful drill with some serious torque at its disposal, so if you’ve got quite a challenging task ahead, there’s no danger of this tool letting you down in terms of power. The Milwaukee also does an excellent job of harnessing that power and directing it optimally at the task in a controlled manner.

Ergonomic and compact, this drill’s good for tight working conditions, while the two-speed gearbox meant that all the screws were consistently flush with the surface, and we never had to worry about good drilling progress or accuracy.