This Cordless Drill Has The Best Battery Life (According To Consumer Reports)

Compared to their wired counterparts, cordless drills make your home improvement projects a lot easier. You can use it anywhere without having to worry about your distance from an outlet. You won't even need to bring and set up an extension cord — just grab your tool and battery and go on your merry way. Plus, no cables mean a safer and less cluttered workspace.

The one big tradeoff of cordless drills, though, is that you'll be conscious about its runtime. Nothing is more frustrating than the tool dying on you in the middle of a job. It's especially inconvenient when you're up in a ladder — say, drilling holes for a curtain rod or mounting shelves — and have no spare batteries with you.

To minimize the hassle, you can always go with a cordless drill that has a long battery life. According to Consumer Reports, that cordless drill happens to be from Hercules, one of the tool brands owned by Harbor Freight. The Hercules HCB91K1 can last long enough on a single charge of an 8Ah battery to drill 350 holes with a one-inch spade bit in pine wood. It's available at Harbor Freight for $97.99, and it comes with a 2Ah battery, charger, and side handle accessory. Here's what else you can expect from this cordless drill.

The Hercules HCB91K1 is a 1/2-inch brushless drill/driver from Hercules' 20V line. Generating a maximum torque of 1,200 lb-in, this battery-powered drill is 80% more powerful than its brushed counterpart. It also offers precise control with a drill mode, 14 clutch settings, and two speed options. The low-speed setting has a maximum speed of 550 rpm, while the high-speed setting provides up to 2,000 rpm.

Runtime-wise, you can use the drill to make 350 holes on an 8Ah battery. Pairing it with smaller-capacity packs, like the included 2Ah battery, will shorten this runtime. If you need the drill for a bigger job, you can go with the 12Ah for extended battery life, but this would add more weight to the tool.

Other than having a long battery life, the drill is built with the jobsite in mind. It features an all-metal Jacobs 1/2-inch ratcheting chuck, all-metal gear, and a LED work light at the base. It even works with a detachable side handle for extra stability and control. For your convenience, you can even get the right drill bits from Harbor Freight too. The drill is covered by Hercules' five-year limited warranty, while its battery and charger have a warranty up to three years.