BEST DEWALT DRILL

After recently testing over 50 drills and hammer drills to find the best cordless drill among dozens of brands, DeWalt stood out in the pack. In fact, we found the best DeWalt drill for nearly every application. If you’re here, you obviously like the Yellow and Black brand—so we’ll break down our favorite models for any application.

Keep in mind—these careful picks come after hours and hours of torque testing, runtime testing, and practical real-world use. We know the best DeWalt drill may not be the same for everyone. Rather than recommend a single tool for everyone, we recommend several different models that provide the perfect blend of performance, features, ergonomics, and value for different types of users.

From DIYer to Pro, this list should help you decide and choose the right cordless DeWalt drill.

BEST DEWALT CORDLESS DRILL

DCD998 20V Max Power Detect

Having tested dozens of DeWalt drills, the absolute best DeWalt drill has to be the DeWalt DCD99820V Porer Detect hammer drill.  Measuring almost equally well is the DeWalt DCD999 60V Fletvolt  Advantage Hammer Drill. Our preference for the DCD998 comes from the fact that you don’t need to get into the bulk of FlexVolt batteries. If you want the absolute best performance, the 20V 8Ah pack takes care of you…and powers your existing 20V DeWalt rotary hammers, circular saws, and more. Don’t have an 8Ah pack? The 5Ah will do nicely and give you almost identical power—just not as much run-time.

 

Editor’s Note on “20V Max”: 18V is just the nominal voltage for 20V Max, so comparing 20V Max vs 18V tools means nothing. The voltage is exactly the same—only the marketing differs. Same cells. Same voltage.

When talking about raw power, the DeWalt DCD998 produces over 1000 inch-pounds of torque. It beat the DeWalt DCD997 hammer drill in our testing, securing its position at the top of the DeWalt food chain.

DeWalt Power Detect 20V best hammer drill

ALSO THE BEST DEWALT HAMMER DRILL

Since it includes the impact mechanism, the DCD998 also makes for the best DeWalt hammer drill we’ve tested to date. DeWalt completed our hammer drill test track in less than 2.5 minutes—beating the former DeWalt flagship. It’s not the fastest drill among all the brands, but it comes close enough. It certainly tops the lineup for the best DeWalt hammer drill.

The key feature for drilling speed has to do with the DeWalt DCD998 and its three-mode transmission. Using that, you can prioritize speed, power, or a solid mix of both. It’s that second gear that really lets it surpass many other tools that have to use their slowest gear.

DeWalt also managed to make this one of the lighter tools in our lineup of Super-Duty drills. In fact, it either won or held its own in nearly every category we tested. From the Pro who wants the most power to the DeWalt fan who needs a rugged serious DIY tool, the DCD998 should fit the bill.

BEST DEWALT 12V LITHIUM-ION DRILL

DeWalt DCC701 12V Drill

In the past, even the best DeWalt 12V lithium-ion drill the company had to offer left us feeling “meh”. Other manufacturers seemed to dramatically outpace their 12V line of cordless drills. Many of those newer models used brushless motors. Now, however, the newest DeWalt 12V lithium-ion brushless drills feature revamped brushless motors and put the company back in the game.

The DeWalt DCC701 12V drill measures a more compact 6″—far less than former brushed models. It even weighs less—just 2.4 pounds with the 12V 2.0 Ah battery installed. That drops 5 ounces off the former brushed model.

Best Lightweight Drill for a Woman - DeWalt 12V Brushless Drill 1-3/8" Spade Bit

Most importantly, however, the new DeWalt DCC701 12V drill gets through wood and steel faster than any previous DeWalt 12V lithium-ion drill. It specs out with a 32% increase in power and torque. In a head-to-head against the Milwaukee M12 fuel drill, the DeWalt drilled a bit more quickly and got through untreated 2x pine with a 1-3/8″ Bosch Daredevil spade bit.

It also doesn’t hurt that you can pick up this drill plus its matching 12V impact driver for $199 or less with a pair of 2.0 Ah batteries, charger, and tool bag.

BEST DEWALT DRILL FOR HOME USE

DeWalt DCD797 hammer drill

The best DeWalt drill for home use has to be their DCD797 hammer drill. This drill finished second place in our Compact Drill category. Overall, it had enough power, functionality, ergonomics, features, and value to put all but one competitor in the rearview mirror.

The DCD797 quickly asserted itself as the fastest drilling tool in the Compact class. Next, it had the highest efficiency where it maintained a high drilling speed even when under significant load. It also demonstrated the 2nd highest torque of the Compact drills we ran through our multi-phase tests.

Finally, the DCD797 includes Tool Connect for customizing the controls, running diagnostics, and tracking the drill when your neighbor borrows it!

best DeWalt drill for home use DCD797

With a 3/4″ auger bit, the DCD797 demonstrated a speedy 1,948 RPM. Incredibly, this number represents 98% of its no-load speed!

In Low, with a 1-1/4″ self-feed bit, we measured 512 RPM—97% of its no-load speed. No other drill touches DeWalt’s speed and efficiency while drilling and driving.

Drilling 3″ deep into concrete with a 1/4″ Bosch Multipurpose bit, the DeWalt DCD797 smoked every other hammer drill in the 18V Compact division. Averaging just 5.92 seconds, this hammer drill beat the next fastest drill by over a second per hole!

BEST DEWALT DRILL BITS

You can’t use a drill without drill bits. Making a recommendation on the best DeWalt drill bits depends a lot on your desired application. For example, do you want general-purpose bits or cobalt bits designed for use on hard metals? Because this guide assumes a general application across many areas of expertise we’ll cover a few of our favorites.

For the absolute best DeWalt drill bits, we recommend their Cobalt Drill Bit Set with Pilot Point. You can find these in a number of kits online. DeWalt Cobalt bits are designed for maximum speed and life. You want to keep these bits a good long time and even possibly sharpen them when they eventually get dull. They use a Pilot point and split tip design so they don’t “walk” or drift when you start drilling. Pull these bits out when you want to drill into hard metals.

best DeWalt drill bits - Cobalt

Our next recommendation comes to the general user—be it the Pro or serious DIYer. We recommend the DeWalt Titanium drill bit set as a great all-around drill bit set. You can pick up a 21-piece kit for less than $30. It comes in a nice case and we found it easy to remove and replace the bits. These bits also use a hex shank, so in a pinch, you can chuck them into your impact driver.

best DeWalt drill bits titanium kit

BEST DEWALT ROTARY HAMMER REVIEWED

DeWalt DCH263R2DH 20V SDS Plus Rotary Hammer

Making a recommendation on a related tool, the rotary hammer comes with more difficulty. A rotary hammer uses a different mechanism from a hammer drill to more quickly drill holes in concrete. DeWalt makes many different rotary hammers—across a wide range of sizes. We can only really suggest the best DeWalt rotary hammer reviewed by our team.

That would have to be the DeWalt 20V SDS Plus Rotary Hammer with Dust Extractor. For starters, this tool uses 20V Max batteries, so it works with all your other DeWalt tools. Secondly, it makes you OSHA Table 1 compliant with a replaceable HEPA filter.

The DeWalt DCH263R2DH has plenty of power with 3 joules of impact energy. We love the dust collector and how it fits right on the tool and provides an easy way to empty the contents. The integrated SHOCKS Active Vibration Control reduces the fatigue inherent in using a rotary hammer for longer periods of time.

Finally, this tool weighs less than 6 pounds without a battery. DeWalt makes other tools, but we feel this is the best DeWalt rotary hammer reviewed by us to date for general users. At $599 for the kit, you really can’t go wrong.

BEST PRICED DEWALT DRILL

Without a doubt, we’d call the DCD708C2 the best priced DeWalt drill. We’ve seen it as low as $99 for the kit with two batteries, charger, and tool bag. This compact cordless drill definitely rules the roost when it comes to value.

A top performer in the compact cordless drill class, the DeWalt Atomic 20V drill replaces the need for a 12V tool. In fact, the DCD708 drill fits the same compact profile. You get a smaller footprint with less weight while getting better performance than you find in DeWalt’s 12V drill.

Also, if you need to drill in concrete, DeWalt has a hammer drill version in the DCD709. Expect to pay a bit more for that function.

best price DeWalt Drill
HOW WE TESTED

Speed Testing Under Load

To see how fast each drill could work, we put them through a series of increasing loads. We measured the RPM at a specific point in each test to see how fast it could drill under each full load and see how much of its no-load speed is maintained.

The higher the RPMs a drill maintains, the faster the bit moves through the material. On the other hand, the closer a drill is to its no-load speed, the more efficiently it’s working and the lower the strain on the motor. A balance of both gives you optimal performance and motor life, and we use both to calculate our scores.

We use glued up multiple layers of OSB subfloor (oriented strand board) for testing. OSB provides greater consistency than 2X dimensional lumber. Each final rating is based on an average of at least 3 samples. Outliers are dismissed and replaced with additional samples.

For concrete testing, we used 4000 PSI concrete mix that has been fully cured for several months. Since drilling in concrete is a function of both RPM and hammering, we take the average time it takes to drill a 1/4″ concrete bit 3″ deep rather than just measuring RPMs.

Matching the Accessory to the Power Tool

Each class has a different amount of muscle. You shouldn’t expect a compact drill to do what a heavy-duty one can. Our 18V Heavy-Duty and Medium-Duty drills run a 1/2″ Milwaukee Shockwave Titanium twist bit, 1″ Bosch Daredevil high-speed auger bit, and a 2-9/16″ Milwaukee SwitchBlade self-feed bit.

With 18V Compact drills and DIY Prosumer drills, we drop to a 3/4″ Bosch Daredevil high-speed auger bit and a 1-1/2″ Milwaukee SwitchBlade self-feed bit.

All 12V drills test like the Compact drills above but without the self-feed bits.

Finally, DIY Homeowner drills tested with just a 1/2″ Milwaukee Shockwave Titanium twist bit to keep things simple.

For all hammer drills, we also added a timed test using a 1/4” Bosch Daredevil Multi-Purpose bit. That was the only test with the hammering mode engaged.

Measuring and Understanding Different Bits

One thing we realized quickly is that there is very little difference between the twist bit speeds and auger bits speeds for most of these classes—sometimes just a few RPM. For the 18V classes, we only used the auger bit speeds in our internal scoring.

Each bit is different, so the point that we take the measurement varies. Here’s how that breaks down:

  • Twist bits: RPM when the final 1/2″ of fluted bit enters the wood
  • Auger bits: RPM when the final 1/2″ of fluted bit enters the wood
  • Self-feed bits: RPM when the top of the cup is flush with the wood surface
  • Concrete bits: Total time it takes to drill 3″ deep in cured concrete

Special Thanks

Many thanks go out to Bosch and Milwaukee for providing the accessories used in this comprehensive review. There’s a reason we selected the accessories we did. We recommend you give them a shot on your next job.

MILWAUKEE SHOCKWAVE TITANIUM TWIST DRILL BITS

Milwaukee’s Shockwave Titanium drill bits last up to 3 times longer than comparable black oxide bits. Their 135º tips resist walking when you start to drill. The variable flute width ejects metal and wood shavings better. They even come with a 1/4″ hex shank so you can use them in your favorite Milwaukee drill or impact driver.

BOSCH DAREDEVIL HIGH-SPEED AUGER BITS

Bosch Daredevil High-Speed Auger Bits are ridiculously efficient and drill super-fast. In fact, they’re specifically engineered to use in high speed with your cordless drill. The magic is in the decreased pitch of the tips. They don’t bind up in the middle of drilling. Also, when you hit a nail, the reinforced tip lasts twice as long as other auger bits. The bottom line is that you get faster drilling and more holes per charge on your cordless drill.

MILWAUKEE SWITCHBLADE SELF-FEED BITS

Milwaukee SwitchBlade Self-Feed Bits drill up to 10x faster than standard hole saws. The self-feeding tip means you just need to control the drill instead of worrying about how much force to put on it. Best of all, you can replace the cutting edges when they dull instead of replacing the entire bit. That helps reduce your cost over the long haul.

BOSCH DAREDEVIL MULTIPURPOSE DRILL BITS

Bosch Daredevil MultiPurpose Bits use a tungsten carbide tip. This lets them drill through anything—wood, metal, PVC, concrete, stone, masonry, and more! Many multi-use bits seem to compromise. These bits, however, feel incredibly fast while drilling—especially in concrete. With 9x longer life in multi-material uses over other bits, you’ll want to keep a set in your toolbox to cover anything the job throws at you.

Torque Testing

We test soft torque by chucking each drill up to a rig that uses the front spring from a Ford Ranger to provide resistance. We let it drive as far as it will go on one trigger pull. Once the drill stops, we attach a Gearwrench 85079 digital torque wrench. We then back the socket off by 90º.

Next, we measure how much torque it takes to get the socket back to the position the drill stopped. By attaching a magnetic torpedo level to the torque wrench, we ensure that we move the socket exactly 90º backward and forward.

We attempted multiple ways of testing hard torque. Because of the nature of how cordless drills operate we could not achieve consistent and repeatable results on the torque testing rig we use for impact driver testing.

Weight

Using a digital scale, we weigh each drill as a bare tool and with the most appropriate battery that comes available in a kit. Heavy-Duty and Medium-Duty 18V drills (including hammer drills) use an advanced high-capacity battery for their full weight. Compact 18V, 12V, and DIY are weighed with a compact battery.

Footprint

Using a digital caliper, we measure the head length and tool height without a battery installed.

Grip

The comfort of each drill’s grip is subjective based on size and does not affect the score. We hold and use the tool with a bare hand to see if there are any uncomfortable seams or other oddities that might affect every user regardless of preferences.

Feature Set

In general, here are the features we look for on each drill:

  • Brushless or brushed motor
  • Number of standard modes
  • Smart controls
  • Smart tracking/inventory
  • Clutch design
  • Drill/driver/hammer drill selection design
  • LED light design
  • Chuck size/type
  • Belt hook
  • Unique features

Value

Value is more than just the price of the tool. We consider the whole picture of what you get for the price you pay. That includes the performance, feature set, ergonomics, warranty, bare tool price, and kit price.

WHY YOU CAN TRUST PRO TOOL REVIEWS

Ever check out a “review” site and you can’t tell if they actually tested the tools or if they’re just “recommending” the Amazon top sellers? That’s not us. We won’t recommend anything unless we’d actually use it ourselves, and we don’t really care who the primary retailer is. It’s all about giving you a legitimate recommendation and our honest opinion of each product.

We’ve been in business since 2008 covering tools, writing reviews, and reporting on industry news in the construction and lawn care industries. Our Pro reviewers work in the trades and have the skills and experience to know whether tools can perform well in the field.

Each year, we bring in and review more than 250 individual products. Our team will put our hands on hundreds of additional tools at media events and trade shows throughout the year.

Pro Tool Reviews consults with innovators in the technology and design of tools to gain a broader grasp of where these products fit and how they work.

We work with more than two dozen professional contractors around the United States who review products for us on real job sites. We consult with them extensively on testing methods, categories, and practical applications.

Our site will provide more than 500 pieces of new content this year absolutely free for our readers. That includes objective evaluations of individual tools and products.

The result is information you can trust because of the editorial, scientific, and real-world professional experience we collectively utilize each and every time we pick up and test a tool.

Dewalt 20V tools Battery Compatibility

DEWALT XR XTREME RUN TIME CORDLESS TOOLS

DCD795D2 XR hammer-drill

We got to check out DeWalt’s new XR series of drills and drivers at a recent media event. If you haven’t yet checked these out, you need to take a second look and observe the increased run-time of these new brushless tools. The XR line features the company’s update 2 .0Ah and 4.0 Ah 20V batteries as well as new brushless motors. Combined, the XR technology offers some really compact tools that are built to drill longer, drive in more screws, and run cooler than any of DeWalt’s cordless drill/drivers made to date. The differences—even compared to DeWalt’s previous line-up—are amazing. DeWalt has released Compact Hammer Drills and Drill/Drivers as well as Impact Drivers in both kit and tool-only configurations. In the Fall we should see even more XR series tools. It should be a good year to wear yellow and black to the job site.

What Are DEWALT XR Batteries?

DEWALT 20v MAX XR batteries are just like standard 20-volt batteries, but they last longer relative to their size. The XR stands for Extended Runtime, so you get extra life out of them before running out of juice.

WHAT IS DEWALT XR XTREME RUN TIME

  • Up to 57% more Runtime
    A brushless motor controls energy transfer efficiently within the tool. 20V MAX* XR brushless motor power tools give you more runtime. Get more done.
  • 33% More Capacity
    XR Lithium-Ion batteries with fuel gauge provide more capacity and more runtime in the same size.
  • Compact and Lightweight
    Compact and lightweight, DEWALT’s XR brushless drills and hammer drills gets the job done in tight areas.
  • Built-in LED Light
    XR Power tools contain an LED light with 20-second trigger release delay. This provides increased visibility in dark or confined space

Are there a difference between xr battery and the 20v max battery?

The XR labeling was originally used on the higher amp hour batteries. All of our DEWALT batteries are XR.
Thanks,
DEWALT Customer Care

DEWALT 20v MAX And FlexVolt – What’s The Difference?

DEWALT 6.0Ah 20V/60V FLEXVOLT Battery next to a DEWALT 20V XR Battery showing the larger size of the FLEXVOLT battery.

For those who haven’t been paying attention, DEWALT revolutionized cordless power tool in 2016 when they released the FlexVolt platform the first-ever multi-volt battery system. FlexVolt batteries pack 60 volts to power highly demanding tools including DEWALT’s Atomic compact cordless tools, outdoor power equipment, work lights for the job site saws, and nearly any tool in your truck and your trailers. As a bonus, FlexVolt batteries actually step down and run at 20 volts when attached to lower-power tools.

Besides the heavy-hitting FlexVolt, DEWALT is still running strong with their tried and true 20-volt MAX platform. This lithium-ion system of slider batteries is compact, rugged, and made for jobs needing moderate power.

What About DEWALT Battery Compatibility of a 20-Volt Battery In A 60-Volt Tool?

20v battery in a FlexVolt tool not fitting properly

It will not fit. There are plastic tabs on all 60 and 120-volt tools that physically prevent using 20-volt batteries. FlexVolt batteries have special ports that allow their use.

What Do FlexVolt Batteries Fit?

FlexVolt batteries are compatible with all DEWALT 60 and 20-volt DEWALT tools. A few exceptions exist that we’ll touch on below.

What Do DEWALT 20 Volt Batteries Fit?

Standard DEWALT 20 volt batteries are compatible with all 20-volt tools, as well as all 20-volt chargers. This means that once you join the DEWALT platform, you have access to over 100 products that all use the same battery technology.DEWALT 20v MAX batteries can’t be used in FlexVolt 60v and 120v MAX tools, however. The lower voltage doesn’t provide enough juice for the high-demand motors.

Do These Batteries Work In Brushless Tools?

Yes, DEWALT batteries will work in all DEWALT tools of the correct voltage whether the tool is brushed or brushless. Brushless refers to the construction of the motor. Brushless tools will use the batteries more efficiently and therefore last longer per charger, however, than brushed tools,.

What is the difference between MAX, XR, and ATOMIC?

DEWALT offers cordless tools of varying features.

 DEWALT 20V MAX is the next line after 18V, introducing lithium ion batteries.

  • standard size
  • brushed motor 

DEWALT 20V XR improved on the 20V MAX line by introducing brushless motors and high capacity lithium ion batteries. 

  •  enhanced components 
  •  compact
  •  brushless motors 

DEWALT 20V ATOMIC are designed to be compact and powerful for a wide range of applications. 

  • more compact size 
  • reduced weight
  • optimized for tight spaces, overhead work, and longer periods of use
  • brushless motor

Are There Exceptions To These DEWALT Battery Compatibility Rules?

Yes. While most DEWALT batteries fit on all tools they are marked as compatible with, there are a few that don’t. Due to their size, FlexVolt packs don’t fit all smaller tools and adapters. A few newer compact 20v MAX packs are slightly longer than others, and so also don’t fit all tools or chargers.

Shop DEWALT replacement batteries and chargers at Power Tool Connection.

DEWALT Battery Compatibility Chart

Infographic showing DEWALT battery compatibility

Are there a difference between xr battery and the 20v max battery?

The XR labeling was originally used on the higher amp hour batteries. All of our DEWALT batteries are XR.
Thanks,
DEWALT Customer Care

ABOUT ME

ABOUT ME

Hy my name is Chris. I like to work with my hands and it’s hard to find tools correct for the job.
I Kept on looking for the correct tools and it’s always hard to find them. So I ask around for recommendations for tools. I reserved so many recommendations from people with good brands of tools.

Thanks to the people how helped me to find the tools what I was looking for. I found out not one tool brand hand all the best tools. Every tool brand has a tool what can be better. I had a Craftsman toot what every one said to be a good tool but when I just is for the second time it Broke. No tool can hold up to every thing what you use it for. I got the same tool from Harbour freight and it lasted longer than Craftsman. What I try to say is every tool has a breaking point.

HEY YOU WANT TO HELP PEOPLE

I won’t to help hardworking people to get their tools what they need to get the hop done. The Right Tool for the Job: Always choose productivity tools that are suited to the task at hand. Don’t write appointments in your notebook when they should go directly on your calendar.

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