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Best cordless drills and hammer drills, ranked on official maker specs
Cordless drill/drivers and hammer drills compared on official Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita product pages. We score official no-load speed, official tool weight, official platform voltage and whether the official page lists a brushless motor. Official maximum torque and official chuck size are shown as facts when the official page publishes them, and they are not scored, because some official pages omit a torque specification. When a model family has both a tool-only SKU and kits, this page prefers the official tool-only configuration. Missing official fields are shown as Not listed and score at the category minimum.
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Why it wins: Official 20 V, 2000 RPM, 3.2 lb. Official maker product page lists a no-load speed of 2000 RPM.. Official maker product page lists a brushless motor..
"Not listed" means the official manufacturer specification table we used does not publish that figure. Prices show "Check price" until a retailer feed provides a current price.
A cordless drill, impact driver or saw is a powered cutting or fastening tool. Wear eye protection, and hearing protection when the work is loud. Keep hands, hair and loose clothing away from chucks, bits and blades. Remove the battery pack before changing accessories, clearing a jam or making adjustments, and wait for the bit or blade to stop. Mind kickback, bind-up and recoil, especially in hammer, impact and sawing work, and use work-holding that keeps the material stable. Follow the maker's official operating, charging and storage guidance, including the official battery and charger pairing. Recycle lithium-ion batteries and worn packs through a certified battery or e-waste program. Official figures on this site are taken from the maker's product page for the configuration shown; confirm the current official specification and the kit contents with the maker and the retailer before you buy.
Buying guide: how to choose the right cordless drill
This table is for official cordless drills and hammer drills
Every product here is a cordless drill/driver or hammer drill with an official Milwaukee, DeWalt or Makita product page. Official impact drivers and official cordless saws are ranked in their own tables. Official rotary hammers, magnetic drills and drill bits are outside this comparison.
Official no-load speed is not a torque score
Official no-load speed is a free-speed figure on the official product page. Official maximum torque, when published, is listed as an extra fact and is not scored, so a tool whose official page omits torque is not buried on that field. Confirm the official chuck size and official torque with the maker if those figures decide the work.
What “Not listed” means
If official no-load speed or official tool weight is missing from the official product page, the field is Not listed and scores at the category minimum. We do not fill gaps from retailer listings.
Safety
A cordless drill, impact driver or saw is a powered cutting or fastening tool. Wear eye protection, and hearing protection when the work is loud. Keep hands, hair and loose clothing away from chucks, bits and blades. Remove the battery pack before changing accessories, clearing a jam or making adjustments, and wait for the bit or blade to stop. Mind kickback, bind-up and recoil, especially in hammer, impact and sawing work, and use work-holding that keeps the material stable. Follow the maker's official operating, charging and storage guidance, including the official battery and charger pairing. Recycle lithium-ion batteries and worn packs through a certified battery or e-waste program. Official figures on this site are taken from the maker's product page for the configuration shown; confirm the current official specification and the kit contents with the maker and the retailer before you buy.
How this ranking is calculated
Score = weighted average of normalised specs, out of 10. Full method
Official no-load speedThe official no-load speed published on the maker's product page, in RPM. When the official page lists a range, we use the highest official figure in that range. Official no-load speed is a free-speed figure, not a measured speed under load. Official values outside the reference range are clamped for scoring only; the official figure is still shown. Scale: 600 → 2000 RPM.
30%
Official tool weightThe official tool weight published on the maker's product page, in pounds. When the official page lists a weight excluding the battery, we use that official tool-only figure. Official values outside the reference range are clamped for scoring only; the official figure is still shown. Scale: 5.5 → 2 lb.
25%
Official voltageThe official battery-platform voltage published on the maker's product page (for example M12 / 12V max, M18 / 18V LXT, 20V MAX, 40V XGT or 60V MAX). A higher official platform voltage is not automatically the right tool for tight spaces. Official values outside the reference range are clamped for scoring only; the official figure is still shown. Scale: 12 → 20 V.
25%
Official brushless motorWhether the official product page lists a brushless motor (Yes) or a brushed motor / no official listing. An official brushless listing scores at the top of this criterion; Not listed scores at the category minimum. Scale: 0 → 1.
No. Rankings use only figures published on the official Milwaukee, DeWalt or Makita product page, each linked on the product card. We do not publish prices, customer ratings or hands-on performance test scores. Official no-load speed is a free-speed figure, not a speed we measured under load.
Does a higher score mean more torque or a better tool for every job?
No. We score official no-load speed (where published), official tool weight, official platform voltage and whether the official page lists a brushless motor. Official maximum torque is shown as a fact when the official page publishes it, but it is not scored, because some official pages do not list a torque specification. A higher official voltage or speed is not automatically the right tool for tight spaces or fine work. Confirm the official specification with the maker.
Is this the kit or the bare tool?
When the official catalog lists both a tool-only SKU and kit SKUs for the same official model family, we keep one page and prefer the official tool-only / bare-tool configuration. The official model number is the SKU on the official page we used. Confirm whether a battery and charger are included with the retailer listing.
Do commissions change the ranking?
No. Amazon may pay a commission if you buy through a Check price button, at no extra cost to you. Commissions never change the order, and no brand can pay for placement.
Top pick · 9.1/10DeWalt 20V MAX XR 1/2-in Brushless Cordless Drill/Driver (Tool Only) (DCD800B)