In the world of cordless drills, more voltage means more power. For the past decade, 18 Volt cordless drills set the bar for power and performance. In an attempt to raise the bar, brands like Dewalt and Porter Cable introduced 20 Volt cordless drills to the market.
Not everyone is convinced that these drills actually raised performance levels, and some sceptics even called it nothing more than a marketing gimmick. In this article, we take a look at the best 20v cordless drills to see how they perform and what the statistics reveal.
To get a clear picture of performance levels, I have decided to compare these 20v cordless drills to the industry leader in the 18 Volt category. That is the Milwaukee M18 Fuel, regarded by those in the know as the best 18 Volt cordless drill at the moment. If you need a bit more drilling power, you may want to consider a drill press. Read our page on the best drill presses to see all the options.
Contents
- 1 Here Is My List Of The Best 20v Cordless Drills:
- 1.1 #1. Dewalt DCD 991 P2 20V Cordless Drill.
- 1.2 #2. Porter Cable PCCK 608 LB 20v Max.
- 1.3 #3. Black & Decker BDCDHP 220 SB 20v Cordless Drill
- 1.4 #4. Dewalt DCD 771 C2, 20 Volt Max Cordless Drill
- 1.5 #5. Rockwell RK 2852K2 20v Cordless Drill
- 1.6 So Are 20 Volt Cordless Drills That Much Better Than 18 Volt Cordless Drills?
Here Is My List Of The Best 20v Cordless Drills:
#1. Dewalt DCD 991 P2 20V Cordless Drill.
This is one of the latest and most powerful drills from Dewalt. It features a powerful 20v brush-less motor that delivers 820 UWO of power and a three-speed gearbox to better match the speed to the task. A 5.0 Amp/hour battery provides longer running time than ever before. This is one heck of a drill! Being described as “scary strong” by a contractor, and looking at the specifications, I can say that the performance bar has been raised in this case.
The Dewalt DCD 991 is competitively priced, making it a good option for anyone looking to invest in the best cordless drill money can buy.
Specifications and Features:
System: 20v Max, Cordless
Power: 820 unit watts out
Battery: 20 Volt lithium-ion; 5.0 amp/hour
Gearbox: 3-speed settings: max speed – 2000 rpm
Weight: 4.6 lbs
Chuck: 1/2 inch metal ratcheting.
Conclusion:
The Dewalt DCD 991 is a top quality drill that produces enormous amounts of power and excellent running time. This is one serious tool, and certainly not just another marketing gimmick.
#2. Porter Cable PCCK 608 LB 20v Max.
The PCCK 608 is a budget 20v cordless drill and can be purchased for under $100 from certain online retailers. If value for money is what you are looking for, the Porter Cable should definitely be on your shortlist. This drill features a 20v brush-less motor that produces 360 UWO of power. This is by no means the most powerful cordless drill around, but the whole package makes this a good choice for its target market.
Weighing in at only 3.2 lbs, this is one of the lighter 20v cordless drills, certainly something to keep in mind if you are going to use the tool for extended periods of time.
Specifications and Features:
System: 20v Max, cordless
Power: 360 unit watts out
Battery: 20v Lithium-ion
Gearbox: 2 speed; 1,700 maximum rpm
Weight: 3.2 lbs
Chuck: 1/2 inch
Conclusion:
Looking at the specifications I can safely say that this drill did not raise any performance bars, but that was never the aim with the PCCK 608. This drill is aimed at providing value for money and is definitely a good choice for someone on a tight budget. The Porter Cable PCCK 608 received excellent reviews from consumers
#3. Black & Decker BDCDHP 220 SB 20v Cordless Drill
Black & Decker is well known as a brand that is aimed at the domestic market. This drill is perfect for DIYers that want to enjoy the benefits that a 20v cordless drill provide. The B&D 220 produce a healthy 412 in-lbs of torque and maximum drilling speed of 1500 rpm. The biggest plus for this drill is the price. The 220 SB-2 can be purchased for under $100 from most retailers. This drill kit includes two batteries, doubling effective running time.
In terms of power and performance it can’t compete with the top 18 Volt cordless drills, but then again it is less than half the price of those drills.
Specifications and Features:
System: 20v Max; cordless
Power: 412 in-lbs of torque
Battery: 20 Volt Lithium-Ion
Gearbox: Two speed, 1500 max rpm
Weight: 4.5 lbs
Chuck: 1/2 inch single sleeve
Conclusion
Just like the Porter Cable, this drill did not raise the bar set by the top 18 Volt cordless drills. Again, this was not the aim of Black & Decker when they launched this 20 Volt cordless drill. The 220 SB-2 provide the average DIYer with a 20v cordless drill at an affordable price. This drill has the power and performance to take care of any tasks the DIYer may face. A very good drill for the price, and backed by a trusted brand.
#4. Dewalt DCD 771 C2, 20 Volt Max Cordless Drill
This drill from Dewalt is the best selling cordless drill at the moment. This is due to the excellent value for money that this drill provides. The DCD 771 is probably one the best drills for under $100. It doesn’t have the same level of performance as the DCD 991, and it is clear to see that Dewalt wants to target the budget market with this drill.
The Dewalt DCD 771 C2 features a brushed motor that delivers 300 UWO of power and a maximum drilling speed of 1500 rpm. This is very average for a 20v cordless drill, and certainly nowhere near the performance of the top 18 Volt drills, but just like the two previous drills in this article, this drill was never meant to challenge for top honors. The Dewalt DCD 771 is all about value for money.
Specifications and Features:
System: 20v Max, cordless
Power: 300 UWO
Battery: 20 Volt Lithium-Ion
Gearbox: 2-Speed; 1500 rpm
Weight: 3.6 lbs
Chuck: 1/2 inch, keyless
Conclusion:
This is not one of Dewalt’s top of the range models, but the DCD 771 would definitely be one of my top choices if I had to pick a cordless drill on a $100 budget. This model is the best selling cordless drill for two reasons – price and value for money. The DCD771 received 5-star ratings from 80% of consumers that bought this drill. That is a very high figure and certainly proves that the Dewalt provides exceptional value for money.
#5. Rockwell RK 2852K2 20v Cordless Drill
Although the Rockwell cordless drill is not as well known as the other drills in this article, it is by no means not up to par with these drills. The RK 2852 is a very good drill. This drill features a brushless motor that delivers 531 in-lbs of torque and a maximum speed of 2,000 rpm. That is a decent amount of torque and compare well with the top 18 Volt cordless drills. With a maximum speed of 2,000 rpm, you know that this drill will be very good at drilling holes.
Rockwell is so confident in the reliability of this drill that they back the motor with a 10-year warranty. Impressive! The Rockwell RK 2852 K2 has all the right stuff, and in my opinion, one of the most underrated cordless drills around.
Specifications and Features:
System: 20v; Cordless
Power: 531 in-lbs of torque
Battery: 20 Volt Lithium-Ion
Gearbox: Two speed; 200 rpm max
Weight: 3.5 lbs
Chuck: 1/2 inch metal ratcheting
Conclusion:
The Rockwell RK 2852 is a lightweight, powerful 20 Volt cordless drill. This drill can compete with any of the top 18 Volt cordless drills on the market today. The backup from Rockwell is just amazing. Not only do you get a Ten-year warranty on the motor, but you also get the battery for life plan. This means that when the battery dies, Rockwell will replace it free of charge! This drill received very good reviews from consumers on various power tool forums. One to keep in mind when you shop for the best 20v cordless drill.
So Are 20 Volt Cordless Drills That Much Better Than 18 Volt Cordless Drills?
As a general rule, I would say no. Not all the models that opted to go the 20v route can claim significant higher levels of power and performance. There are however those models like the Dewalt DCD 991 that fully utilizes the extra voltage to produce new levels of performance. This leaves me with one conclusion- There are brands that are trying to push the envelope of performance levels to produce better tools and there are brands that jumped on the bandwagon to gain a marketing edge over other competitors.
Having a quick look at the specifications of a 20v drill when you shop around will let you know which side of the fence that brand is on. To get the latest specifications and features of the top 18 Volt models, read our cordless drill reviews where we compare and rate these drills.
Here is a video by Toolmetrix on the best cheap 20V cordless drills. This video feature the Black & Decker and Kimo drills. Very interesting!
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