10 Best Corded Drills 2024 in the United States

A drill is a useful tool for DIY home repairs as well as for hobbyists. With the wide range of bits that can be attached, it can be used for a lot more than just drilling holes in wood, plasterboard, or stone. It can replace an electric screwdriver, a sander, or a mixer. It can also be used for polishing or filing as well. Since it's always connected to the outlet, a corded drill can deliver power that a battery-powered cordless drill can't. When drilling into hard wood, or when drilling into steel, a cordless drill will start to get stuck, and even generate a lot of heat, that can damage the drill.

We've put together this corded drill guide to help you select the best corded drill that answers to your needs. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of corded drill,

• See useful tips about that type of corded drill,    

• Read reviews of different brands of corded drill, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of corded drill, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

We can distinguish between the types of corded drills by the type of grip:

• Pistol grip: This type of drill will take the form of a pistol, with the on/off switch operated by pulling on a trigger. The Milwaukee 0234-6 Magnum has a pistol grip.

• Spade grip: These will have a handle in back of the drill, that resembles a shovel handle. Using two hands will give you greater control when drilling into concrete or stone. The DEWALT DW130V has a spade grip.

• T-handle grip: This is also known as a “mid-handle grip”. This will have the handle of the drill closer to the center of the drill, for greater balance and control. The DEWALT DWD115K has such a grip, for more comfort as well.

• D-handle grip: These will have a D-shaped loop in the back, for the most control and the most secure grip. They’ll typically be used for demanding, high-power jobs.

Based on all the consumers' reviews we've scanned, these are the top things they mentioned about their new stuff:

• Power of the drill: The number of amperes that the drill uses is an indicator of its power. But users notice that higher amps to a drill (like 8 or 9 amperes) also tend to mean that the drill will have a shorter life span. A 5 ampere drill should be adequate for most uses.

• Prefer keyed chuck for exact work: When doing a heavy job, a keyed chuck is preferable. If the drill bit is not secure enough, it can lead to a disaster of a drilling job. The keyed chuck lets you tighten the drill bit more securely into place.

• Choose the right speed: If you're using a drill as a screwdriver, make sure you use a slow speed. Fast speeds will strip the head of the screw--and it won't be very easy to get the screw out afterwards.

• Weight: Take note of the weight of the drill. A pistol-style drill will start to be a strain on the hand after a lot of use, and that’s amplified by the drill’s weight. Heavier drills will require some sort of grip from the side or back of the drill.

• Type of Chuck: The chuck of the drill is the part that holds the drill bit. They can be either keyed or keyless. Keyed chucks require a small hand tool to loosen and tighten the chuck, to change drill bits. That tends to be more secure than the keyless chucks--but make sure you don’t misplace that tightening tool!  You change bits in a keyless chuck by rotating the chuck--this is somewhat easier than using a keyed chuck.

• Chuck diameters: There are three maximum diameters of the drill’s chuck. The diameter will determine what size bits it can accept, and thus what kind of jobs you can do with the drill:

  • 1/4 inch--this is optimal for doing light work and drilling small holes

  • 3/8 inch--this is ideal for most household projects. The Black & Decker DR260B is a ⅜-inch drill.

  • 1/2 inch--this is used in heavy-duty applications, or when it’s necessary to make large holes. The Milwaukee 0234-6 Magnum is a ½ inch drill.

• Variable speeds: Slow speeds will be necessary for drilling into hard materials--steel, stone, or brick. Fast speeds will be adequate for drilling into wood, or when mixing paint, cement or plaster.

• Black & Decker--is an American tool company that was founded in 1910. Their headquarters is located in Towson, Maryland. They make power tools such as drills, saws, sanders, as well as vacuum cleaners, small kitchen appliances, and more. They make both corded and cordless drills.

• DeWalt—was founded in 1922 by Raymond DeWalt, as makers of woodworking machines. They expanded over the years to making power tools and accessories for professional woodworkers and contractors. They now make drills, screwdrivers, holesaws and sockets. They are now a subsidiary of Stanley Black and Decker, and have their headquarters in Towson, Maryland.

• Porter-Cable--is an American company that has been producing tools since 1906. Today, they make an array of drills, fastening, saws, multi-tools, tools for metal-working, wood-working and more.

• Milwaukee--is an electric power tools company, founded in 1924, and located in Brookfield, Wisconsin. They were founded by A.H. Petersen, who manufactured tools and dies. His first innovation was the one-handed drill, which revolutionized the power tool industry. Together with A.F. Siebert, they expanded to electric sanders, hand grinders, reciprocal saws, hacksaws, band saws, and more.

• Bosch: Bosch is an German home goods producer, founded by Robert Bosch in 1886. Today the company is an international conglomerate, that produces a wide range of automotive parts, power tools, home appliances, and more.