DIY lovers and tradespeople alike will all revel in the fact that cordless hammer drills now exist.
Long gone are the days where we were hindered by wires, constantly plugging-in and unplugging our tools. Now we have the freedom to roam wherever we want with our drills, provided they have enough power.
The choice we have over these tools is wider than you could imagine, which is generally a very good thing, but it does make choosing the perfect tool that little bit harder. It’s easy to get bogged down by the sheer amount of different drills out there, all the different brands with slightly different specs.
It can be mind-boggling - but fear not, for we are here to help you!
This article aims to give you a breakdown of the five best cordless hammer drills out there, as well as an informative Buyers’ Guide to really hammer home the product specifications you should keep an eye out for when it comes to purchasing your cordless hammer drill.
So keep on reading to find out our top picks of the best cordless hammer drills.
Got a DIY project that urgently needs completing? Check out our top pick here and get your product delivered to your door quicker than you can say cordless hammer drill.
Our top pick is the Dewalt 20V Max XR Hammer Drill. We were very impressed with this handy hammer drill. Here’s a little breakdown of its top features that will show you why we loved it so much:
- The fastest cordless hammer drill we have found with a whopping 2250 RPM and three different speed settings
- A high-power 20V battery maximum
- LED lights to ensure you can see those hard to rewatch areas and in dim rooms
- Lightweight and comfortable to use
- Rechargeable lithium-ion battery powered
Top 5 Best Cordless Hammer Drills
OUR TOP PICK
First on our list is the Dewalt 20V MAX XR. This cordless hammer drill has very impressive specifications.
It boasts three speeds, making it suitable for any number of DIY products and jobs. The speed can go up to 2250 rotations per minute (RPM), giving it a 2.8x faster application time than some other brands out there. This fast, powerful speed makes it suitable for drilling various masonry materials.
A distinguishing feature of this particular cordless hammer drill is the fact that it has LED lights on it, too. This means you can drill with ease in those dark, hard to reach places. Heck, you can drill in the dead of night in the middle of a blackout if you wanted, because of how powerful the light is!
It weighs 4.7lbs, making it light enough to use all day every day if needed. It is not bulky either, at just 8.4 inches long. The handle grips are comfortable too, giving you excellent ease of use.
In terms of power, it runs on 20 V maximum Lithium-Ion batteries. It is also rechargeable, with the battery and charger pack available to buy separately.
The chuck is a very heavy-duty nitro-carburized metal, coming in at ½ an inch. This ensures that the grip when holding bits is super strong.
Pros
- High maximum voltage ensuring high-power
- LED lighting to see in dimly lit rooms
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Rechargeable battery powered
- 2250 maximum RPM, making it one of the fastest around
- Ability to drill through a huge variety of materials
Cons
- Battery and charger sold separately
EDITORS CHOICE
Next up we have the Milwaukee 2607-20 Hammer Drill. This handy piece of machinery is cordless, running on 18V lithium-ion batteries.
This is a modestly powerful voltage, ensuring the tool will be just as powerful as other leading names on the market. It is also rechargeable, with the batteries and the charging kit available to buy separately.
It comes in at 3.4 lbs, making it very lightweight, and the hardwearing materials of metal and plastic mean that it will be hard wearing so you don’t need to worry about dropping it off your ladder (we’ve all been there!). It is comfortable to use, too, due to the grip which makes it easy to hold on to.
There are three different drilling modes on there, meaning it can easily drill into a variety of materials such as softwood, hardwood, stone masonry, and even some softer metals if using the 18-position on the clutch. It also features a keyless chuck for attaching your bits.
The LED light also gives added peace of mind that you can keep focussed on the task at hand, no matter how dimly lit the room is, and the addition of the belt clip further ensures that peace of mind and ease of use.
Pros
- Super lightweight drill for ease of use
- Hardwearing materials in case of dropping
- Three different drilling modes so it is suitable for a variety of materials
- Modestly powerful with 18 V maximum lithium-ion batteries
- LED light setting
- Belt clip attachment
Cons
- You have to purchase the battery and charger separately
- Clutch can be a bit slippery at times
BEST VALUE
Makita’s XPH07TB Hammer Drill Kit is a popular choice as it comes with a battery and charger unlike some of the other top-rated hammer drills where you have to purchase them separately.
Running on 18V lithium-ion batteries, this cordless hammer drill is a worthy contender in terms of power and speed with some of the other drills on this list. Talking of speed, this has two different speed settings, with the ability to reach up to 2100 RPM.
It has a brushless motor, which makes it very efficient, and allows for up to 50x more run time after each charge. As well as this, it also makes it cooler when running, to lower the risk of overheating.
The chuck allows for up to ½ an inch for your bits, as is generally the case for most cordless hammer drills.
Pros
- Battery and charger included so no need to purchase separately as with others
- 18V lithium-ion batteries for maximum power possible
- A brushless motor to ensure it is 50x faster after each charge
- Runs cool to stop overheating thanks to the brushless motor
- Two different speed settings with a maximum of 2100
Cons
- Speed is not as fast as some other competitors’
- No LED light
RUNNER UP
Porter Cable’s Cordless Hammer Drill is next up for us. It can hold up to a maximum of 20V, giving it a competitive edge, as most similar tools go up to 18V. Remember, the higher the volts, the more power it has! The battery is available to buy separately, as is the charger kit.
It has two different speed settings, with the ability to reach up to 1600 RPM. This means it can be used for a variety of different materials from woods to masonry. It can even be used for some metal drilling.
The chuck is ½ inch, and comes with 23 different chuck settings, meaning you can attach bits to your heart’s content. The chuck is also metal ratcheting, meaning it will stop your bits from slipping.
It also features a really handy LED light that will brighten dark work settings and enable you to see when drilling hard to reach places.
Pros
- It can hold up to 20V in terms of battery, making it a worthy contender with others
- Two different speed settings for a variety of materials
- 23 chuck settings with metal ratcheting to secure your bits into place
- The battery is a rechargeable lithium-ion
- LED light for ease of use in darker rooms
Cons
- Reaches just 1600 RPM in terms of speed which is slightly slower than others
- You have to purchase the battery and charger separately
RUNNER UP
Lastly, we have Ryobi’s P1813 One+ which is a cordless hammer drill kit. The kit means that it comes with the battery, charger, and a super practical carrying bag for storage and transportation.
The battery included is 18V lithium-ion, as that is the maximum voltage it can hold. It is also 4 amp hour, which means it will be long-lasting after it has charged. When it runs out, simply recharge it for thirty minutes to use it again - you could charge it on your lunch break, and you’ll be good to go!
It has three speed settings, which allow it to be used for a variety of different materials such as wood, plastic, and stone. As well as this, it can safely drill through concrete and even thin metal.
- The chuck is high-quality, and has a 24-position clutch, meaning you can attach a variety of bits to it as well as being able to adjust to 750-inch pounds of torque.
The grip is comfortable, and also features a rubber coating, meaning you can safely and securely grip it even when drilling in the pouring rain.
Pros
- It is a kit so it comes with the battery, a charger, and a bag
- Comfortable grip with a rubber coating to ensure security when using it
- 3 speed settings for a variety of materials
- It charges within 30 minutes and lasts for up to 4 hours
- 18V battery made of lithium-ion
Cons
- The chuck has been known to sometimes be loose on this model
- Some users have had issues with the charger not working
Best Cordless Hammer Drills Buying Guide
Have you been wondering what factors we considered when picking out our top five cordless hammer drills?
Maybe you’re just not quite sure what specifications you should be looking for when it comes to the handy little hammer drill.
Keep on reading for our Buyers’ Guide which will help you make the most informed decision when it comes to purchasing your cordless hammer drill.
Type of Drill
The first thing to consider when looking for your perfect cordless hammer drill is the type of drill you want. Sure, this sounds obvious, I mean, the reason you’re here is because you want a cordless hammer drill, right? However, even in this very specific category of tools, you can get even more specific.
When it comes to choosing a drill you should first consider what you want the drill for. What are you going to be drilling? Do you need something heavy-duty, or a general everyday drill? Another way of thinking about this is by looking at the typical materials you will be drilling. For example, if you are planning to use your cordless hammer drill to drill through concrete blocks, it is going to have to be far more powerful than the sort of drill you’d need for household handiwork.
To help you figure out how powerful each drill is, we recommend taking a look at the voltage (V) of each drill. The typical, everyday usage drills can be around 12 V. this is more powerful than it sounds though and will provide you with lots of power even on a couple of hours charge, and be ideal to keep with your household tools.
For more heavy-duty work, perhaps for those who are tradespeople and need a drill on the job, we recommend going for a slightly more powerful 18 V drill. This will ensure a little more strength, as well as an even more powerful charge. In fact, this is the voltage recommended for those concrete blocks we mentioned earlier!
Chuck Size
The DIY newbies among us might be thinking “Who on earth is Chuck?”... and who can blame them? There was once a time when all of us had no idea about some of the tool-y terms. The chuck is the part of the drill that holds the rotating end.
The chuck size typically is one of two - it is either ½-inch or ⅜-inch. Typically, the bigger the chuck size, the more powerful the drill. Understanding the chuck of the drill means that you will know the upper limit of the shank size of drill bits that it can accommodate - the bigger the chuck, the bigger the drill bit you can attach.
This is particularly helpful to know if you are someone who will be wanting to use bigger drill bits for things such as mixing cement.
Power - Battery and Charging
It is important to establish how long much you will be using your drill. Will you be using it for hours at a time or will you just be using it every now and again for a few minutes each time? Determining this will help to establish how powerful a charge you want from a drill and the run time that is most desirable for you.
You will want a good-quality battery, that ideally can be recharged, rather than just be battery operated. This will ensure a long-lasting product with high-performance.
Typically you will find that the best cordless hammer drills will have lithium-ion batteries, with the ability to be recharged before each use. Again, most drills will also come with the charger pack. Newer models may even have the ability to turn right off when they have reached full charge, to ensure your tools don’t overcharge. In turn, this will ensure a longer life for your product, as overcharging can damage the battery and the tool.
When choosing a drill, you want to choose the one with the best battery voltage for you. As already discussed when we looked at the type of drills available, the higher the voltage, the more powerful the drill is likely to be.
Handle Comfort and Ease of Use
You definitely want to choose a drill that is going to be comfortable and easy to use. This is particularly important for those of you who will be using the drill daily on the job. It is also important here to consider the weight of the drill, as something that is super heavy will be an unnecessary strain on your hands and arms when really there is no need as you can get a perfectly fine lighter-weight tool that still does the job for you.
You should look for a drill with a comfortable grip, with enough room for your hand to hold it properly, as well as ensuring it is easy to use. Ensure you understand how the controls work, simple is typically the best way forward in terms of power tools - no one wants to mess around with buttons and directions when there’s a job to be done!
The ideal weight and grip of the drill will of course depend on the person using it - generally, though, something between 3-5 lbs will be suitable for most uses.
Final Word
Hopefully, you can now see that choosing the best cordless hammer drill doesn’t have to be hard work.
We hope this guide has really hammered home to you the top specifications and features you should look out for when buying a cordless hammer drill, and that you have found your ideal products from our list of favorites.
Whatever product you choose, you can be assured that we are more than confident in its ability to get your job done. Happy hammering!
