Dewalt’s new DCD701F2 12 volt cordless drill is a major improvement over the DCD710S2, Dewalt’s last 12 Volt drill. Major improvements have been made in power, size and weight.
Dewalt DCD701F2 12 Volt Cordless Drill Review
Best 18 Volt Cordless Drill Under $100
To find the best 18 volt cordless drill under $100 we spent 40 hours testing 12 of the most popular drills on the market today. This is a great time to be in the market for a cordless drills because recent advances in battery technology and motor design have made 18 volt drills, cheaper, lighter, smaller, more powerful and more reliable. But with so many options how can you tell which drill is the best for you? We put all the most popular drills on the market today through a gauntlet of tests to fine a winner.
Now to the tests. These tests are designed to push the drills to their limit and they did. So much so that the drill that would have been the best overall broke at the end of testing so scoring was even tricker factoring that in.
The tests:
- How many ½ ” holes each drill could make on one battery charge
- Time to drill a 1” hole
- Time to drill a 2” hole
- Time to sink a lag bolt
- How much torque each drill could produce
- Time to recharge battery
- Weight and size
How the drills were selected
All drills tested cost under $100. I was able to find most of these drills on sale so the current prices might be higher depending on the season. Drills tend to go on sale between Thanksgiving and Christmas and around Father’s Day.
What’s Included
All of these drills come as a package consisting of a drill, one or two batteries, a charger and some also include a case. The drill itself is the main thing you are buying. The primary differences are the use of brushless motors vs brushed motors. Brushless motors are generally more efficient, more powerful, last longer, shorter in length and more expensive. Only recently have you been able to find a brushless drill for under $100. All the drills except the Milwaukee and Makita included an additional battery. Two batteries are ideal since you can charge one while using the other minimizing down time. The charger is the next major component. Some chargers are faster at charging than others. Finally some drills come with cases while some don’t.
The Winner is the DeWalt DCD777C2
This is a new drill from DeWalt bringing a brushless motor to a much lower price point. This drill is the full package, with two batteries, quick charger and a soft case. DeWalt packs a lot of drill into a small package. For DIYers and lighter duty pro jobs this is going to be the best combo of power weight and size and at this price, a really good value. For starters it’s got a brushless motor so it’s very efficient, it was able drill more ½ holes per battery watt hour than any of the other drills. Watt hours is like how many gallons your fuel tank holds. By dividing the number of ½ holes drilled by the battery watt hours you can measure the drill’s efficiency. The DeWalt was the most efficient drill at 6.1 holes per watt hour. If you were using the Craftsman at 2.7 holes per watt hour you would need a battery twice as big to do the same amount of work. Since the DeWalt is more efficient you can use smaller and lighter batteries. Both the brushless drills in this test were the two most efficient drills showing just how efficient brushless motors are. The DeWalt was able to drill the second most ½ inch holes on one battery. The Makita was able to drill more holes because it comes with one 3.0 Ah battery, double the size of the DeWalt’s 1.5 Ah batteries.
In timed tests the DeWalt was 3rd place in both the 1” hole test at 2.7 seconds and 2nd place in the 2” hole test at 45 seconds. It was the 4th fastest sinking a lag bolt at 7.2 seconds. In the torque test it was 3rd behind the Makita and Milwaukee at 510 in/lbs. At 3.3 Lbs the DeWalt was one of the lighter drills and at 7.5 inches it is also one of the shorter drills. The drill feels great ergonomically and very well built. As a bonus it has a brushless motor which should last longer than the brushed motor drills. It also come with a soft case. It was the only one of the top 3 drills to come with 2 batteries. This drill is the top choice because it performed near the top in every test.
The top 3 drills were all very good and I would call them all winners. Each one is going to be the best drill for different tasks. Choosing the top one was not easy but I had to pick one overall winner and that drill is, the DeWalt DCD777C2.
Second Place Milwaukee M18 2606-21L
This is a good general purpose contractors drill. If I was going to guess which drill would survive falling off a roof onto a driveway this would be the one. It’s got rubber all over the body and even the battery. Its got a metal chuck and metal gear housing. The build quality drill looks and feels like it is a step above all the others. The Milwaukee is one of the most compact drills at only 7.3 inches in length and 8.8 inches in height. This drill has the highest torque at a very strong 714 in/lbs. Torque was so high in fact that it the broke adapter bit that I was using for the torque test. Despite the high torque, the Milwaukee didn’t win any of the timed tests. It was the 2nd fastest at the 1” hole test at 2.5 seconds and tied for sixth place on the 2” hole test at 67 seconds. It came in 2nd in the lag bolt test at 6.4 seconds. It had the second fastest charge time at 31 min, just behind the Makita at 24 min. The battery has a handy gauge to tell you how much power you have left. To keep the cost under $100 their is only one included battery. But they did throw in this light which works really well as well as a soft case. All in all this is a very nice drill.
Third Place Makita XPH102
In third place is the Makita XPH102. This drill that had a shot at being the best overall drill but at the very end of the testing it broke. I’m going to run though the results then go into what went wrong. The Makita had the highest number of ½ holes drilled thanks to its huge 54 watt hour battery and being the most efficient of the brushed drills in holes per Watt Hour. It had the fastest battery charging time at just 24 min. It had the only charger with a fan which is probably one of the reasons it could charge faster without damaging the battery. It had the 2nd highest torque in the test and was the fastest in driving the lag bolt. It was the fastest drilling the 1” and 2” holes. This is a very powerful drill! The drill also feels really solid and well built. At $100 this is the cheapest 18 volt Makita drill available. This is also the only hammer drill in the test. If drilling into cement is on your to do list this is the best drill for you. It comes with a nice hard case. So if that was the end of the test the Makita would have come in first place.
Unfortunately at the end of the torque testing I could hear that something snapped in the drill. The motor still worked but the chuck did not turn. I opened the drill up and found that this little metal piece broke. I have mixed feelings on this, on the one hand the torque test is a very strenuous test but on the other hand none of the other 20+ drills I have tested have broken. And I wasn’t doing anything I would consider outside of normal use like throwing it off a cliff. While this is a pretty new drill, all the reviews I have read on this drill are positive and no one mentioned any issues like the one I had. While most people will probably never encounter this issue it did happen to me so I subtracted a point from it in my scoring and despite this it still did pretty well, getting 3rd place. For some people this still may be the best drill option
4th place Porter-Cable PCC608LB
The Porter-Cable PCC608LB is a new drill from Porter-Cable and the least expensive of the 2 brushless drills in this test. (Side by side with DeWalt) The Porter-Cable is similar in a lot of ways to the brushless DeWalt but $20 cheaper and with performance slightly below the DeWalt’s in several categories including length and height, ½ holes drilled, torque, 1” hole and 2” hole drilling speed. The Porter-Cable also is not quite up to the look and feel of any of the top 3 drills, the plastic feels cheaper. The Porter-Cable does cost less than the DeWalt. So while a good value I personally would pay the extra money and get the DeWalt.
All 4 of those drills had solid overall performance. In the rest of the drills performance falls off significantly in one or more areas.
5th place Bosch DDB181-02
The Bosch DDB181-02 was the most compact and lightest drill in the test. But if that’s what you are looking for get a 12 volt drill which will be even smaller and lighter and just as powerful. The winner of 12 volt drill test was also a Bosch and that drill was only 2 tenths of a second slower at the 1” hole test than this 18 volt Bosch. But the 12 volt Bosch was a pound lighter and shorter in length and height. Check out the 12 volt drill test here. The Bosch had great ergonomics and felt like a solid drill. But it was lacking in performance across the board. The 1” hole test at 7.2 seconds was towards the bottom of the pack.
In 6th place is the Ridgid. The Ridgid had average performance across the board. The one area is was not so hot in is sinking the lag bolt at a longish 8.7 seconds. The feel of the Ridgid was above average. But my favorite feature is the really cool looking battery gauge.
In 7th place is the DeWalt 771. This is the brushed DeWalt. This drill is the older cousin of the DeWalt 777. It’s slightly cheaper but you lose a lot of performance. The number of ½ holes drilled is about half, the 2” hole test took 27 seconds longer, the lag bolt took an extra second. It tied with the Hitachi for being the longest in length at 8.5 inches. So while not a bad drill in its day their are better options now. This shows the advantage of using a brushless motor. Looking at the two DeWalt drills performance side by side you can really see how big an impact the brushless motor has.
In 8th place is the Ryobi. I used this drill when building my deck and I thought it was pretty good. It worked after sitting out in the rain. I dropped it a couple times and it kept chugging. But performance on all the timed tests was pretty slow. For example drilling the 1” hole at 7.1 seconds is towards bottom of the pack. It was also last at drilling the 2” hole at 78 seconds.
In 9th place is the Craftsman. This was the slowest drill on the 1” hole test and in sinking the lag bolt. One redeeming quality is this is a fairly light drill at 3.1 Lbs. The plastic housing of the drill is one of the cheapest looking and feeling. There’s almost no rubber to protect it in a fall.
In 10th place is the Hitachi. This drill had poor performance across the board. Low torque was one of the biggest to stand out at just 22.5 ft/lbs. It was also one of the slowest at the 1” hole test at 7.5 seconds. It tied with the DeWalt 771 for being the longest length drill at 8.5 inches.
One final thought, 3 of the top 4 drill came out in the past year. This shows how rapidly advances in drill technology are improving performance. We should continue to see improvements as brushless motors continue moving down product lines into the sub $100 club.
DeWalt DCD777C2 Review
Check Prices on Amazon DeWalt DCD777
The DeWalt DCD777C2 20 volt brushless drill is DeWalt’s least expensive brushless drill bringing all the advantages of the brushless technology at a lower price point. This drill comes with a soft case and 2 batteries. The DeWalt DCD777 drill retails for $99 making this one of the best values for a DeWalt drill. The DeWalt 777C2 was the winner out of 12 drills in our under $100 18-20 volt drill comparison.
We spent several hours testing the DeWaltDCD777C2. In our tests the drill was able to complete 184 ½” holes on one battery, one of the highest we have seen in this class of drill. For comparison this drill’s predecessor, the brushed DeWalt 771C2, was able to complete 97 holes. One of the big advantages of brushless motors is they are very efficient. This means you can use smaller and lighter batteries and still get a lot of work done. This drill comes with 2 batteries so you can charge one while you use the other minimizing downtime.
In our second test, the 1” hole test, the DeWalt was able to complete the 1″ hole in 2.7 seconds. That’s one of the fastest times that we have seen from an entry level 18 volt drill.
But what if you want to make a really large hole? No problem, the DeWalt completed the 2” hole in 45 seconds, also a very fast time. In the lag bolt test the DeWalt took 7.2 seconds to completely sink the lag bolt. This was an OK time but definitely not the fastest compared to other drills in this class.
In the torque test the DeWalt was able to produce 510 inch pounds. This is going to be plenty of torque for all but the most demanding applications. This is enough torque you can hurt yourself if you aren’t careful.
When your battery does die recharging it will take about 64 min. That’s on the slow side but won’t be much of an issue considering how long each battery lasts.
Weight and size are two other areas where brushless drills do really well. At 3.3 Lbs this is one of the lighter drills and at 7.5” in length it’s one of the shorter drills. Compared to the brushed DeWalt 771 this drill is a full inch shorter and 0.3 Lbs lighter making this drill easier to handle.
Here is a breakdown of how the DeWalt 777 performed compared to the 771. In every category the 777 significantly outperformed the 771.
DeWalt packs a lot of drill into a small package with the DCD777C2. The drill feels great ergonomically and very well built. For DIYers and lighter duty pro jobs this is a really nice combo of power weight and size and at this price a really good value.
Check Prices on Amazon DeWalt DCD777
Our Video Review of the DCD777C2
Best 18 Volt Drills Under $100
Bosch PS31-2A Drill Review
The Bosch PS31-2A drill was the clear winner in our 12 volt drill shootout, beating 9 other drills. The Bosch PS31-2A had the best combination of power, size, weight and price. While not the best in every category, it was overall the best drill, performing at or near the top in every area tested. 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 vs 1.3-1.5 AH on the others.
The Bosch PS31-2A was also the second fastest drilling a 1” spade bit through a 2″ pine board 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.
Test Results for Bosch PS31-2A and other 12 Volt Drills
The feel and ergonomics of the Bosch PS31-2A 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.
Our Video Review of 12 Volt Drills
Best 12 Volt Cordless Drills – 12 Volt Shootout
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.