A cordless drill-driver is the one power tool every home should own: it hangs a shelf, builds flat-pack, drives decking screws and bores pilot holes without a cable in sight. The compact 12 volt class has become the sweet spot for home use — light enough to hold all afternoon, yet powerful enough for most jobs. An extensive group test drove thousands of screws — using long Spax screws 8 mm in diameter — through more than 75 metres of soft spruce beam and into oak to sort the genuinely good from the merely cheap, and these are the best you can buy in the UK now, checked against current prices.
What to Look For
Torque — the twisting force, measured in Newton metres (Nm) — is the headline figure, but read it with suspicion. Makers usually quote only the brief peak torque, not the sustained force the drill actually delivers while driving a screw, so a big number on the box can flatter a weak tool. As a rough guide, a good compact drill musters somewhere between about 7 Nm and 15 Nm; the more it has, the deeper it sinks screws into hard timber before stalling.
Battery voltage and capacity set both power and endurance. The compact class runs 10.8 volt to 18 volt motors with 1.3 to 2.0 amperehour batteries; higher voltage generally means more grunt, higher capacity more screws per charge. It pays to read voltages with care, though: lithium cells are each rated at 3.6 volt, so honest figures come in multiples of that — 10.8 volt, 14.4 volt and so on. Values between 10.8 volt and 18 volt are ample for home use; adverts trumpeting 36 volt and beyond promise far more than most DIYers will ever need. Two batteries are worth having for bigger jobs, so you can swap packs and keep working while one charges.
An overload cut-off is a feature worth seeking out: clever electronics shut the motor down when it hits its limit, preventing the drive from overheating. Strikingly, fewer than half the tools tested had one — so it is a genuine differentiator, not a given.
Battery ecosystem and ergonomics matter for the long run. Sticking to one maker's battery platform lets you share packs and chargers across drills, drivers, sanders and garden kit, saving real money over time. And since you will hold the thing for hours, a drill that balances well with finely controllable speed beats one that is merely powerful. Finally, check the charge time — some chargers refill in half an hour, though the fastest use a cooling fan that can be noisy in a small workshop.
The Winner: Metabo PowerMaxx BS 12
The Metabo PowerMaxx BS 12 took the test overall, and at around £84.14 it is also the value champion of this guide. It has slightly less outright punch than its rivals, but it wins on everything else: it sits beautifully in the hand, its speed can be dosed with real precision, and the battery lasts impressively long — it drove 236 screws into soft spruce on a single charge. The clever touch is a removable chuck that reveals a direct bit holder behind it, cutting weight and length for awkward, tight-access work. There is no quick-release for the chuck, but that is a small price for the best all-rounder here. Check the price on Amazon
Best for Power: DeWalt DCD701D2
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If you regularly work with hardwood, the brushless DeWalt DCD701D2, around £137.99, is the muscle of the group. At 15.1 Nm it was unfazed by hardwood even in first gear, driving screws so deep into oak that the head lost contact with the bit — genuinely impressive. Crucially, it is one of the minority of drills here with an overload cut-off that shuts the motor down at its limit to prevent overheating, which makes it both tougher and more durable under hard use. For decking, framing and dense timber, this is the one to reach for. Check the price on Amazon
Best Ergonomics: Makita DF333DSAE
The Makita DF333DSAE, about £201.99, is the connoisseur's pick. Its battery life trails its closest rivals slightly, but it wins on everything else: it feels superb in the hand, offers finely controllable speed and has plenty of power — though you must tame that power yourself, as there is no overload cut-off. Two things stand out. First, it slots into Makita's vast shared battery system, so its packs and charger work across the brand's huge tool range. Second, its charger is a genuine turbo, refilling the battery to full in just 30 minutes — the catch being a cooling fan whose whine grates in a small workroom. Check the price on Amazon
Also Tested
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The test's designated value winner was the Einhell TE-CD 12/1 Li, a calm, competent budget drill that handled most tasks well and earned a deserved price-performance award. Its speed control is a little imprecise and, at a maximum of 6.8 Nm, it lacks the muscle for power-hungry jobs. Frustratingly, the exact model is not cleanly stocked on Amazon UK — the closest current listing is the different TE-CD 12/1 Li-i hammer variant — so there is no merely-similar drill substituted in its place here. Elsewhere the field showed how much stamina varies: the Worx WX128 gave out after 89 screws on fast gear, while the powerful, slower first gear of the Black+Decker BDCDC18K-QW sank 274.
How to Choose
Start with your workload. For everyday DIY — shelves, flat-pack, the odd repair — the Metabo PowerMaxx BS 12 is all most people need, and its keen price makes it a genuine bargain. If you tackle decking, hardwood or heavier framing, step up to the DeWalt DCD701D2 for its torque and protective overload cut-off. If comfort, fast charging and buying into a wider battery family matter most, the Makita DF333DSAE rewards you. Whatever you choose, prioritise a real overload cut-off and finely controllable speed over a flattering peak-torque figure, and consider a second battery so a flat pack never stops the job.
Verdict
The Metabo PowerMaxx BS 12 is the cordless drill to buy for most people, winning the test outright while costing just £84.14. Move up to the DeWalt DCD701D2 at around £137.99 for serious hardwood power and its rare overload cut-off, or the Makita DF333DSAE at about £201.99 for the best ergonomics and a 30 minute turbo charge. Read torque figures sceptically, value a proper overload cut-off, and any of these will earn its place in the cupboard for years.
