This page is all about drills that I think are worth buying. I like Bosch as a brand for drills in general, mainly because my Bosch drill is still working after many years of punishment but putting that aside I’ve taken a look at what’s available.
Before we get into the drills, I just I’d point out what I look for in a drill and what features I think are useful.
- Changing the drilling motion. Ability to toggle between ‘Impact drilling’ (hammer drill) and straight forward drilling. This is particularly useful when drilling through tougher walls.
- A keyless chuck. The ability to switch drill bits in and out is important
- Ability to vary the ‘torque’ i.e speed and power of the drill. You may not want to drill too hard or fast through a delicate material
- An auxiliary handle is super useful to help you drill straight. This is really useful and more important if you’re buying a hammer drill or a heavy-duty drill. With cordless drills, this is less of an issue.
- The battery life for cordless drills i.e how long the battery will last before it needs a charge. 4-6 hours is generally good, and charging time should be around 3-4 hours.
In a hurry? No worries these are my winners for cordless and corded drills.
Corded drill winner: Bosch Corded Impact driver Universal Impact 700
In terms of my criteria – this drill ticks every box but it’s good for general home use. It’s simple enough for most everyday jobs, but also has that extra power that you may need for tougher jobs like drilling through tougher materials removing tiles for example. It’s labeled as a combi drill because it can do everything basically.
I have a Bosch drill that’s the slightly older model of this drill, and I have had it for over 4 years. It’s safe to say that I have put this drill through it’s paces, using it in the rain, to put up shelving and to remove tiles.
I’ve also dropped it a few times which says something about the durability of the drill. I’ve gone into some additional detail about my drill in this post.
| Drill Criteria | Functionality Check against Bosch Universal Impact 700 |
| Changing the drilling motion (Impact drilling/ drilling) | Yes |
| A keyless chuck | Yes |
| An auxiliary handle | Yes – also adjustable |
Additional Features
- The rapid shut off feature provides better control over the power tools to increase user protection
- 3 years warranty
- For optimal handling and control whilst drilling, the handle can be adjusted to be in a perfect position.
- Depth stop – The drill comes with what is basically a ruler which can help you to avoid drilling further than you want to
Cordless drill winner – DeWalt XR 18V 1.5Ah Li-ion Cordless Combi drill 2 batteries DCD776S2T-GB
This drill is pretty heavy-duty, and is good for some serious DIY use. There are cheaper options which I’ll go into after this but for everything this drill has, it’s great value in my opinion.
What clinched it for me was the great features, the known durability and the fact that it also comes with an additional battery pack, which I have not seen before.
I’ve got to admit, had my wife not bought me my cordless Bosch Drill (I’ve gone through the details of it in this post). It’s a great drill and does everything I need it to do.
That said, I would have gone for the Dewalt drill just because of the heavy-duty punch it’s got.
| Drill Criteria | Functionality Check against DeWalt XR I8V |
| Changing the drilling motion (Impact drilling/ drilling) | Yes |
| A keyless chuck | Yes |
| The battery life (4-6 hours per charge) | Yes – also comes with an additional battery pack |
Additional Features
Bright white LED with delay feature for improved visibility & flashlight functionality
Appreciate that you may already have a budget in mind for your drill and with that in mind for any given price range here are the drills that I would recommend.
Best combination Corded drill under £50
Einhell Percussion Drill TC-ID 650 E (650 W, 0 – 2600 1/Minute Rotational Speed, Auxiliary Handle with Fixation, Inclusive Metal Depth Stop)
This drill is awesome value for the money. It has all the functionality you need to be an effective combination drill at home, and can be bought on a budget.
The fact that you can adjust the power, change the drilling motion is brilliant. Other well-known brands such as Bosch and Dewalt do not offer this functionality in this price range.
| Drill Criteria | Einhell Percussion Drill TC-ID 650 E |
| Changing the drilling motion (Impact drilling/ drilling) | Yes |
| A keyless chuck | Yes |
| An auxiliary handle | Yes – also adjustable |
Best Cordless drill under £50
Terratek 13Pc Cordless Drill Driver 18V (Check price on Amazon)
I bought this drill as a Christmas gift for a friend and I’ve got to say it’s been a great buy. It can be used on wood, metal steel and plastic. It also comes with a set of drill bits and screw driver accessories. It’s also got a ‘quick charge’ functionality, allowing you get get back to drilling between 3-5 hours of stopping.
For the price it’s fantastic you can’t really go wrong.
| Drill Criteria | Terratek 13Pc Cordless Drill Driver |
| Changing the drilling motion (Impact drilling/ drilling) | Yes |
| A keyless chuck | Yes |
| The battery life (4-6 hours per charge) | Yes |
Frequently asked questions
Is 12 volt cordless drill powerful enough?
12-volt drills can do 80% of the work of an 18-volt drill. For many jobs, you simply just don’t need the extra torque. If you already own an corded drill, there’s nothing wrong with going for a 12 volt cordless drill. When you’re putting together flat-pack furniture for example these drills are great.
Can a cordless drill go through brick?
Yes, it should be able to drill through brick no problem as long as you have the right masonry drill bit. If I’m facing any trouble drilling through a tougher material I tend to switch to my corded drill and use the ‘Impact drilling’ option and carry on.
In Conclusion…
Although there are some great value drills under £50, if I were buying a drill today I would go with the Bosch Impact driver 700 I recommended as my winner for a corded drill. Retailing around the £60 mark at the time of writing this review I think it’s a good buy
Furthermore, given the known durability of Bosch drills, I believe you will get your money’s worth in reliability.
For similar reasons, I would also recommend buying the Dewalt XR 18V as my top cordless drill. This drill retailed around £120. The heavy duty nature means that this drill is prepared for any task as every day use. I was really impressed to see that the drill came with an extra battery pack too, which is perfect.
When I buy a power tool like a drill it’s a purchase I look to make every few years. Whilst I think the cheaper drills mentioned are of great value, I question their durability and the level of punishment they can take. That being said if your budget is tight, they are great budget options.
