Consumer Reports

CR’s take: This DeWalt cordless drill offers a lot of power and speed for the money. It comes with two lithium-ion batteries and a charger, plus it includes a generous three-year warranty. It also has nice little extras, including an integrated LED work light and a belt hook. It’s lightweight, about 2.5 pounds, and is quieter than most cordless drills.

CR’s take: This 12-volt general-use DeWalt drill is light enough that you won’t tire when swapping out an overhead light fixture but forceful enough to bore holes into hardwood without bogging down. That’s what you get with a brushless motor. The DeWalt DCD701F2 ranks at the top for its power and speed scores, and its price earns it a CR Best Buy badge of honor.
What’s included: Two 2-amp-hour batteries, a belt hook, a built-in LED light, a soft-sided case, and a 3-year warranty.

CR’s take: This 12-volt general-use DeWalt drill is light enough that you won’t tire when swapping out an overhead light fixture but forceful enough to bore holes into hardwood without bogging down. That’s what you get with a brushless motor. The DeWalt DCD701F2 ranks at the top for its power and speed scores, and its price earns it a CR Best Buy badge of honor.What’s included: Two 2-amp-hour batteries, a belt hook, a built-in LED light, a soft-sided case, and a 3-year warranty.

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Nearly identical to the 20-volt DeWalt (with minor compromises), this model is recommended if you see it at a lower price, or if you already use Milwaukee’s cordless tools.

Also Great

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The small 20-volt DeWalt Atomic offers more power than the 12-volt, but not as much as the larger 20-volt. It’s a good choice for a DIYer to buy into DeWalt’s expansive 20-volt line.

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CR’s take: This unique drill falls in our light-duty category because of the limitations of its fixed ¼-inch chuck. But it blurs the lines because it’s powered by a 20-volt battery, which would otherwise place it in the heavy-duty class. It’s a one-off design with two chucks, allowing you to load two bits at once and easily switch from drilling to driving by rotating the wheel at the business end of the tool. The dual chuck might be more of a liability than an asset for some. The mechanism makes the tool a little unwieldy and difficult to maneuver in tight spaces—say, inside a sink cabinet—which might be why you’d want a light-duty drill in the first place.

The DeWalt 20-volt handles demanding work better than the smaller, 12-volt drills, yet it retains the great ergonomics and other features that set DeWalt’s 12-volt apart.

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TechGearLab

Claiming the top score out of the entire group, the Kobalt shows that voltage makes a difference when it comes to performance with these products. This cordless drill did exceptionally well across the bulk of our tests, handing in definitive results in our hardest tests, like drilling through a 5" solid-core door. In addition to excellent drilling performance, the tool is also great for driving fasteners, not struggling at all with larger lag bolts. On top of that, it has an excellent battery life, so it can keep on driving screws and drilling holes long after the other products have called it quits. 
This drill doesn't come cheap, though its price as a kit &#40;with the included battery, charger, and soft case&#41; is lower than several top-shelf drills we tested. We recommend regular users buy a second battery to avoid over an hour of recharge time if the battery dies mid-project. Still, the 2 Ah battery produced some of the most impressive scores of all models in our battery life tests, so you get a lot out of that single battery. This tool is our top recommendation for anyone who wants a powerful drill that can handle any DIY project you throw at it. 

Claiming one of the top performances out of the entire group, the Kobalt shows that voltage makes a difference when it comes to performance with these products. This cordless drill did exceptionally well across the bulk of our tests, handing in definitive results in our hardest tests, like boring through a 5" solid-core door. In addition to excellent drilling performance, the tool is also great for driving fasteners, not struggling at all with larger lag bolts. On top of that, it has an excellent battery life, so it can keep on driving screws and drilling holes long after the other products have called it quits. 
This model doesn't come cheap, though its price as a kit &#40;with the included battery, charger, and soft case&#41; is lower than several top-shelf drills we tested. We recommend regular users buy a second battery to avoid over an hour of recharge time if the battery dies mid-project. Still, the 2 Ah battery produced some of the most impressive scores of all models in our battery life tests, so you get a lot out of that single battery. This tool is our top recommendation for anyone who wants a powerful drill that can handle any DIY project you throw at it. 
Read more: Kobalt 24-volt Max 1/2-in Brushless Drill KDD 1424A-03 review

If you are shopping for a new drill on a limited budget and only looking to do light-duty DIY projects around your home, then we would recommend the Black+Decker 20V Max Drill/Driver LDX120C. This tool costs significantly less than the top models and has more than enough power for most tasks, all in a compact form that is easy to stash in a drawer. It's lightweight and easy to handle, making it the perfect option for beginners or entry-level DIYers, and it is very convenient and user-friendly. 
However, the LDX120C is severely deficient in drilling or driving power and pales compared to the top-tier products. We were thoroughly unimpressed with its performance when using larger hole saws or driving in big bolts. We aren't sure we would recommend using this drill for these types of tasks if you want to prolong its life. The battery delivered an uninspiring performance in our battery life tests, and we thought it seemed less durable than other drills overall. Although it's not the best for heavy-duty applications, it's our top recommendation if you want a bare-bones drill on a limited budget. 

If you are shopping for a new drill on a limited budget and only looking to do light-duty DIY projects around your home, then we would recommend the Black+Decker 20V Max Drill/Driver LDX120C. This tool costs significantly less than the top models and has more than enough power for most tasks, all in a compact form that is easy to stash in a drawer. It's lightweight and easy to handle, making it the perfect option for beginners or entry-level DIYers, and it is very convenient and user-friendly. 
However, the LDX120C is severely deficient in drilling or driving power and pales compared to the top-tier products. We were thoroughly unimpressed with its performance when using larger hole saws or driving in big bolts. We aren't sure we would recommend using this device for these types of tasks if you want to prolong its life. The battery delivered an uninspiring performance in our battery life tests, and we thought it seemed less durable than other drills overall. Although it's not the best for heavy-duty applications, it's our top recommendation if you want a bare-bones drill on a limited budget. 
Read more: Black+Decker 20V Max Drill/Driver LDX120C review

Cordless Drill Comparison