After testing 10 of the most popular 12 volt cordless drills on the market we found the one that had the perfect mix of power, battery capacity, size and price so you can find the best 12 volt cordless drill! Cordless drills are one of the most competitive tool segments so manufacturers have to continually improve their products to keep up. The past decade has seen big improvements in battery technology thanks to energy dense lithium ion batteries replacing heavy NiCad batteries. This has helped make drills smaller and run longer compared to just a few years ago. The best 12 volt drill is now better than ever!
Winner of the Best 12 Volt Drill…
Bosch PS31-2A Check Price on Amazon
The Bosch PS31-2A was the clear winner and holder of the official title “Best 12 Volt Drill”. It was overall the best drill, performing at or near the top in every area and at a reasonable price. The Bosch blew away the other drills in the number of holes it could drill at 174. The next closest was the Milwaukee at 103 and the Ridgid at 102. This was thanks to its large capacity 2 AH battery.
It was also the second fastest drill with the 1” spade bit at 7.4 seconds, just behind the DeWalt at 7.2 seconds. It was fourth place in torque at 163 inch-pounds behind Ridgid, Milwaukee and DeWalt. It was the most compact drill coming in at 7” in length, great for working in tight spaces. It was also the lightest weight drill at 2.1 Lbs. It was one of the slower drills to recharge the battery at 80 min. This probably won’t be too much of an issue considering the long run time on each battery and the included spare battery.
The feel and ergonomics of the drill were excellent. The rubber grip is easy to grip. Since the battery is in the handle it is larger than drills with the battery at the bottom like the DeWalt. People with smaller hands may not find this comfortable. Other nice features include a spare battery, a battery gauge to tell you how much juice you have left and soft carrying case. One con was the light on the drill was dim compared to the others. All in all this little drill packs a punch.
Update July 27, 2018 – The brushless version of the Bosch PS31-2A, the Bosch PS32-02, is now only slightly more expensive. While not a part of the original test we would also consider this drill. Brushless drills are generally more efficient, more powerful, smaller and lighter.
Bosch PS32-o2 Check Price on Amazon
12 Volt vs 18 Volt – What to get?
12 volt cordless drills are the compact pickup of drills, light weight and small, but still powerful enough for most jobs. These drills are great for homeowners, apartments dwellers, DIYers or even professionals that want a more compact drill. Compactness is important if you will be working in tight spaces like under counters or installing cabinets. Your back and arms will appreciate the lighter weight, especially when working overhead. If you are going to be drilling holes larger than 1” or working on a large project, say building a deck, then you will want to consider an 18 volt cordless drill. 18 volt drills have more power and longer run times. Otherwise a 12 volt cordless drill will be your best choice.
How We Choose The Drills
We choose these 10 drills by looking on Amazon.com, Home Depot, Lowes, Sears and Harbor Freight Tools. After reading reviews and we selected all the leading 12 volt drills these retailers carried. The drill ranged in price from $120 to $45. Most were around $100 or $50. The $100 drills included accessories not included with the $50 drills, a second battery, quick charger and carrying case.
The Tests
Our testing process involved running each drill through a gauntlet of tests to find the best 12 volt drill.
- We drilled ⅜” holes into 2” pine boards to see how long the batteries would last.
- We timed how long it took to drill a 1” hole with a spade bit, also in 2” pine. This shows how much power the drill has.
- Then we connected each drill to a digital torque meter to see how much turning force each drill had. More torque is great for things like screwing in lag bolts. The more torque your drill has the less work you are going to have to do by hand with a wrench.
- Then we timed how long it took to recharge the battery.
- Next we measured the weight and length of each drill.
- Price, oh yeah don’t forget about the price.
The Results
Also Consider
Ridgid R82005K Check Price on Amazon
The Ridgid is a torque monster at 269 inch-pounds, more torque than some 18 volt drills we have tested. This is a great compact drill that can still fill in for larger drill projects such as sinking a lag bolt. What held the Ridgid back from being my top choice was not being able to drill as many ⅜” holes as the Bosch at 102 vs the Bosch’s 172. This is despite having the same 2 AH battery size. It is also slightly slower than the Bosch in the 1” hole test at 8.2 seconds. Battery charging was considerably faster than the Bosch at 46 min. This drill tied for second shortest at 7 ⅛”, a hair longer than the Bosch. The drill comes with a spare battery and soft carrying case. If you can’t get the Bosch this is a good second choice.
Milwaukee 2407-22 Check Price on Amazon
If you want a rugged drill for the job site or your house this is it. Its got lots of rubber to protect the drill in a fall. It is also the only drill that has a metal chuck, the part you turn to tighten the drill bit. But all that protection also makes this the heaviest drill in the group at 2.6 Lbs. It is also on the longer side at 7 ¾” in length. It includes a big red hard case that would look at home in the back of a work truck. The Milwaukee was second in the number of ⅜” holes drilled at 103. It was the third fastest in drilling in the 1” spade hole at 7.7 seconds, only 0.3 seconds behind the winner, Bosch. This drill had plenty of torque at 208 inch-pounds, second highest in the test. This drill includes a spare battery for a total of two 1.5 AH batteries. For those who want longer run times you can buy larger capacity batteries. Sticking with the battery in the handle format you have the option of a 2 AH and 3 AH battery. With the battery hanging down below there are larger 4 AH and even a super high capacity 6 AH battery options.
The Rest
DeWalt DCD771C2 Check Price on Amazon
The DeWalt was most similar to the Milwaukee, both are rugged pro grade tools, but the Milwaukee beat the DeWalt in several areas including number of ⅜” holes drilled and battery charge time. The DeWalt had decent overall performance and it was the fastest drill in the 1” hole test at 7.2 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than the Bosch. It suffered because it’s smallish 1.3 AH battery only allowed it to complete 77 ⅜” holes. It was also one the of larger drills at 7 ⅞” in length and one of the heavier drills at 2.5 Lbs. The DeWalt was one of the few drills tested to have the battery below the grip, the others being the Hitachi and Black and Decker. This design is like larger 18 volt drills. This makes the drill slightly taller so it may not fit in tight spaces as well. The benefit is that it is better balanced and you have a smaller grip which might be more comfortable for people with smaller hands. It has a rugged body to protect it from falls. Also the feel and ergonomics of the drill were great. The DeWalt is not a bad drill but is is also the most expensive drill tested and their are better and cheaper options.
Hitachi DS10DFL2 Check Price on Amazon
The deal breaker flaw with the Hitachi was that the slip clutch slipped in drill mode. In drill mode the clutch is supposed to be locked so all the torque is applied to your drill bit. Slipping is only supposed to happen in the lower torque settings so your don’t over tighten screws. This was probably a manufacturing defect with our drill. I contacted Hitachi about this problem and never heard back. This was not only annoying but it affected the drills performance in the torque test since the clutch would start slipping and in the 1” hole test. Putting that aside for the moment, the performance of this drill was about average and this drill would be fine for smaller projects. The Hitachi is the least expensive drill to come with two batteries. If it wasn’t for the clutch issue I would recommend this as a good budget option.
Craftsman 17586 Check Price on Amazon
Compared to the other sub $50 drills, the others being the Black and Decker and the Chicago Electric, this one had the quickest battery charger by far at 32 min. This is important when you only have one battery, which is the case with all three of these drills. The Craftsman was the second lightest drill at 2.2 Lbs but it was one of the longest at 8 ¼”. In the rest of the test performance was below average.
Chicago Electric 69360 Check Price on Harbor Freight Tools
The Chicago Electric had average to below average performance in our tests. What really stands out though is the poor look and feel of the drill. While this is one of the lowest cost drills, this drill also looks and feels the cheap. From the plastic body to the paint on the lettering everything is slightly off. This drill only comes with one battery and does not come with a case, which is the norm for under $50 drills.
Black and Decker LDX120C Check Price on Amazon
This was least expensive drill in the test but it was also the only single speed drill. All the other drills have 2 speeds which lets you pick from high speed, low torque or low speed, high torque depending on what you are doing. For drilling you want high speed and screwing you want low speed. This drill has one so it’s a compromise medium speed and medium torque. Because of this it has the lowest torque in the test. This was also the slowest drill to recharge it battery at 184 min. That 3 hours and 4 minutes! Hope you’re not in a rush or you will need to buy another battery also.
Porter-Cable PCL120DDC-2 Check Price on Amazon
High price and low performance make this drill one of the worst values. This drill is going to be OK for smaller jobs but their are better options. One cool nice-to-have feature only this drill has is a magnetic bit holder on the top. This is really handy way to hold your bit.
Makita FD02W Check Price on Amazon
The Makita’s performance was below average in all areas aside from a quickish battery charge time of 41 min. That is disappointing considering this is a “pro” brand and it’s got a pro level price tag. Also alarming was during the ⅜” drill test, the drill started smoking. I stopped drilling and let the drill cool off. I then switched to the other battery and did the test again and it worked fine. Not sure what happened but it’s never fun to see your drill smoking. Overall this was a big disappointment from a generally great brand. This is the opposite of the best 12 volt drill.
Fun Fact: Makita sold the first cordless drill is 1969.
That wraps up our best 12 volt drill comparison. Look out for a future review on the best 18 volt drills and 2o volt drills.