For any diy worker, a cordless drill is an essential tool to have. It's easy to use, convenient, and versatile. While a corded drill has more power in general, it can't match all the features that a cordless drill can offer. When you shop for a cordless drill, you will come across a wide range of ones to choose from. A common approach is to buy the most expensive or the most powerful model you can afford, but this may not result in getting the best drill. With cordless drills, it's the little things that count.

Charging batteries is a necessary evil with cordless drills. When you use a corded drill, you never have to worry about batteries going out. However, the efficiency of today's cordless drill batteries has improved significantly. Moreover, two batteries are included with most drills so one can charge while the other is being used. DeWalt and Craftsman are two brands that utilize lithium-ion batteries, though many others are now switching over from nickel cadmium. Brands will also allow you to buy a drill and other power tools without a battery or charger, in case they already have them. Many times, you can plug batteries from one cordless drill into another that are made from the same brand.

Charge time does matter. Makita cordless drills for instance can be fully charge in under 30 minutes, while others can take up to an hour. This can make all the difference if you work for extended periods of time, and have a number of drills operating at once. DeWalt's batteries generally charge in 30-45 minutes. Charge times aren't quite as important as they used to be, just because two batteries come with drills nowadays. But quick-charging batteries are nice to have.

Many drills now have variable speed. The low speed will generally have more torque for driving screws, and a higher speed to drill faster. Clutch settings with vary, with many mid-range drills having 20 or more. This allows the user to have more control, as they can reduce or increase torque depending on the task. All drills come with a reverse/forward switch to use when driving out a screw.

Chuck size should never be overlooked. The standard is now a keyless chuck, meaning a key isn't needed to tighten them. The typical size for cordless drills is 3/8, and the heavy-duty versions usually have 1/2 chucks because of the need for larger bits. The larger the chuck size, the better.