We have been talking about a cordless drill fight for a while and it’s finally here. Yes the video is long, but well worth it. So what is the best cordless drill? Watch the fight and find out. Tool Destruction at it’s finest.
Best Cordless Drill – Friday Night Tool Fight
That was awesome awesome awesome guys!!!
Awesome job, guys.
Why no Hilti?
We left out a couple. Looking back we wish we had more drills, but we are limited in what we can get.
Great test! Were all three of the winners brushed?
I worked for Makita in Australia for 8 1/2 years, so I think I know a bit about power tools. I believe that the tests you did here were bloody good tests. I disagree with you saying the Bosch won the tests. The Panasonic won, it is a brilliant product, while their range is small it is a great range of quality tools. If I had the money, I would buy every tool that Panasonic make and dump the power tools that I have. I agree that the Bosch and Makita were good products. What really got me going is the result for the Milwaukee product. I firmly believe that the Milwaukee product is not as good as it is made out to be. They are living on their heritage and their innovation, but they are building lesser quality tools than they used to. The only tool we don’t get here is Australia is the Rigid, however that is made for them by TTI who own Ryobi and Milwaukee so the quality is OK, not great but OK. I am also amazed by the US loyalty to DeWalt, as we say here in Australia, it’s a Black & Decker with a College education. Again like Milwaukee, this brand is not as good as it used to be, it’s living on its heritage. Love your site, keep up the good work.
LOL, love the line about a B&D with a college degree. Thanks for the feedback.
Why did you guys choose the bottom of the barrel Milwaukee drill? Seems like you stacked the deck against them a little bit… where’s fuel!?
It’s a bit of side note, but you can get the Ridgid tools in Australia. However, they’re sold by TTI under the AEG brand name. I think that’s the case everywhere outside North America.
Note that this just for the power tools, which TTI makes for Ridgid under agreement. Ridgid sells their other tools (plumbing and HVAC etc.) here in their own right under the Ridgid name.
Patrick McIntosh, the reason for so much loyalty to Milwaukee is that they are simply the most powerful drills and impact wrenches on the market. In many other testings, the Milwaukee M18 Fuel line put holes and screws into wood and masonry much more efficiently than just about any other drill or impact driver. The Dewalt 20V XR line is probably the closest to Milwaukee in terms of performance. I’ve never understood the fascination with Makita tools as most of their competitors perform better. Including the Hitachi/Metabo (Hikoki) line and the Ridgids that are priced lower.
Awesome video guys,I really liked this one. Reaffirms my love for my Bosch stuff 😉
In my eyes DeWalt won 🙂
Epic tool fight guys! Was a pleasure to watch. Do you think the early (water) death of the Milwaukee could be related to it brushed technology, compared with the BL tech of most of the others?
I think that the Bosch’s ability to stand-up is made even more lofty given that it was a compact, and the 1-1/4″ spade bit test was a much bigger ask of the compact drills (Bosch and Milwaukee).
It could have caused it to fail first. I believe the Panasonic is also brushed. I did drop an old Craftsman 75th anniversary in a pool back in 2003, which was brushed and it still worked fine.
Thanks for the reply. Interesting finding then! I really like the M18 compact. In Australia it’s far cheaper than any of the other tools you tested. I can get it in a 2ah kit for AU$190. All others would be well over AU$300.
Of course the M18 FUEL Drill is more a competitor to the most of the field, which is more expensive. I wonder how it would have fared, we may never know.
Pretty good test, awesome to watch.
Makita
I rather lose the drill and not the battery the battery is the expensive part.
Guys this was great to watch & surprised that most all did okay. Well, the Toshiba pee’d on itself & tried to get back in your good gracious after a few days. It was rested after doing nothing. Glad you put it in its place. This was fun to watch. I disagree as well, just because a brand like Panasonic has a few power tools in its line, they are quality. Just because you have tons of crap to a line doesn’t mean it’s good. Give me quality & you have my business.
All in all a great test & my feeing were not hurt. I know the tools I have have lasted years after getting beat up time after time. I can’t wait to see more tools go thru the gauntlet of hell. This was truly fun to watch & I closed my eyes a few times. Laters TIA
Nice vid, guys, but keeping the drills pointed at the camera makes it kinda hard to keep which is which straight…
I have Dewalt DCD995, very good drill except the chuck loose the small drill bit some time. So much power, and very very realiable (work under very dust environment very often, dropped couple times already from a 3 meters scaffold tower still working but with lots marks and dents on the body). I think the water is the main cause the Dewalt goes down in the test.
One friend who is a electrician has the Bosch drill (In New Zealand, it is the GSB 18 V-EC), he told me the drill is fine but with less power compare with the Dewalt DCD995. But I have to agree it is realiable drill as well.
Never try the new makita XPH07Z (in New Zealand it is the DDF481z). Had a DHP459 which is a brushless drill as well, but the chuck is wobble badly.
Thanks for the great video.