5 Cordless Drills That Outshine Milwaukee's In Price And Quality

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Milwaukee is a tool brand that countless users place their trust in. The iconic red and black power tools from the company are some of the best solutions for a wide range of needs; in our own review, Milwaukee came out on top compared to its two main competitors. With that being said, Milwaukee gear isn't always the best solution for every single job. There are times when budget constraints might sway a buyer toward a different tool ecosystem, or when the absolute pinnacle of power is required. For example, consider Milwaukee's M18 Fuel ½-Inch Hammer Drill/Driver, undoubtedly among the best options on the market. It delivers up to 2,100 RPM rotational speeds underpinned by a two-speed gearbox. The tool further offers 1,400 in.-lbs. of peak torque and 16 clutch positions. It's also pretty compact, measuring 6.9 inches in length while retailing for roughly $230 across the board (Home Depot and Acme Tools, for instance).

These are high quality specs on a tool that receives significant praise from users. But there are better options out there for niche requirements or demanding users who seek different experiences with their drill. These five cordless drills give Milwaukee a run for its money and can offer a genuine alternative to a tool, and brand, routinely classed among those at the top of the driving game.

When durability and longevity are the name of the game, it's hard to surpass the power tools you'll find from Metabo HPT. These pieces of equipment aren't built to be any longer lasting than any other premium brand, but what the company does offer functionally delivers the same outcome. Metabo HPT's lifetime limited warranty on cordless power tools gives users coverage for the "serviceable life of the product," meaning that as long as this company makes the tool and its parts, your tool is covered. For something like a hammer drill, this can easily translate into decades of warranty support, something that no other brand comes close to providing.

Enter the Metabo HPT 18V MultiVolt ½-Inch Hammer Drill. The tool can be found at outlets like Acme Tools and Amazon for $149 (with an additional 15% off) and $147, respectively. It's slightly longer than Milwaukee's model, measuring 7.4 inches, and offers 1,240 in.-lbs. of max torque alongside an RPM max of 2,000. These are slight reductions when compared to Milwaukee, but the tool also offers compatibility with Metabo HPT's MultiVolt batteries and utilizes some key enhancements like its 22-setting clutch and a reactive force control that reduces kickback for a better overall experience. The company is frequently a professional-level favorite, and the longevity and functional features underpinning this tool help indicate the reason for this preference.

Recently, Makita has been releasing an increased volume of power tools under its 40V battery platform's umbrella. This satisfies the power-hungry needs of professional users, but it also delivers a key advantage to homeowners looking to bundle power platforms across job types, too. Makita's outdoor power tools frequently run on its 40V XGT lineup, meaning a buyer shifting into this ecosystem can pair their landscaping needs with the standard renovation tools they use elsewhere without having to invest in numerous battery systems. That's a definitive advantage to be sure, but the Makita 40V Max XGT 3-Speed ½-Inch Hammer Drill delivers more value than just convenient battery crossover.

The tool offers three gearbox settings, improving over the standard pair of driving speeds found in Milwaukee's model and most others. The driver also delivers higher power than Milwaukee's Fuel tool, maxing out at 1,590 in.-lbs. of torque with a hammer action that offers up to 36,000 impacts per minute for intense workload support. The unit also offers speeds ranging up to 2,600 RPM with a variable speed trigger and an electronic digital clutch with 41 settings in low speed, 30 in second gear, and 21 in its high speed mode. For this all-around better performance you can naturally expect a higher price tag, but it's only slightly elevated and only in some stores, retailing for $259 at Acme Tools. Yet at Home Depot you'll find it for $222 or for $469 in a kit alongside charging gear and a 40V impact driver, though this second option was out of stock at time of writing.

Power flows freely through the entire ecosystem of this next tool brand. Flex topped our list of the best impact drivers, beating out major competitors in large part due to how the tool's supreme power output far surpassed any other challenger. If you're after vast amounts of driving and drilling force, Flex is likely your best bet. This quality German tool brand offers some additional functional niceties on top of that promised workhorse attitude; the company claims its rapid recharging technology can bring one of its 8.0Ah battery packs up to a 50% charge in just 30 minutes.

Flex's 24V ½-Inch Hammer Drill with Turbo Mode is available in a kit configuration (with a case, two batteries, and a charger) from Acme Tools for $249, or just $99 as a bare tool from Amazon. It's also listed at Lowe's but noted as unavailable online. The unit produces the same 1,400 in.-lbs. of maximum torque when compared to the Milwaukee model and further includes an anti-kickback feature thanks to Flex's "advanced braking technology." The tool's turbo mode boosts its speed up to 2,500 RPM while its framework follows the classic, two-speed gearbox configuration. It measures 7.15 inches in length, making it relatively compact, but still longer than Milwaukee's offering. Yet it provides a largely comparable drilling experience at a significant price reduction, making the Flex hammer drill a solid option for buyers in the market for something new and perhaps different from the big three makers that tend to dominate the conversation around power tools.

Hercules is one of Harbor Freight's in-house tool brands, and it's a cost-effective solution that puts virtually every other quality competitor to shame upon reaching the checkout desk. Buyers think highly of Hercules equipment, too; even with its cut-rate pricing structure, it doesn't appear that you'll be losing any functional value. It's additionally worth noting that Hercules stands as the retailer's premium power tool option ahead of its other offerings like Warrior and Bauer.

The Hercules 20V ½-Inch Compact Hammer Drill/Driver is available from Harbor Freight for $80, making it the least expensive option on this list. The tool produces 1,200 in.-lbs. of max torque, placing it slightly behind the Milwaukee option but still firmly in the same basic competitive sphere. It features 14 clutch settings with a maximum rotational speed of 2,000 RPM. The tool is very light, weighing in at 3.3 pounds, and it features a 7.18-inch length. It's also underpinned by a hefty 5-year warranty from Harbor Freight, giving buyers plenty of protection as they leverage the tool in demanding work environments. As a budget-friendly option, there's little that can compete with this model, even as its power output stands ever so slightly in the shadow of its Milwaukee alternative.

Another prominent performer, DeWalt's drills actually top our rankings, relegating Milwaukee to second place. DeWalt packages high power specs with great functional upgrades in virtually all of its tools, delivering a premium experience in almost all instances. Users tend to gravitate toward DeWalt when they need something with a bit more nuance than Milwaukee, since the red brand tends to offer more raw power but fewer onboard niceties. However, this isn't always the case; the DeWalt 20V Max XR ½-Inch Hammer Drill actually outpaces Milwaukee's equivalent in its maximum torque by a hair. This tool delivers 1,495 in.-lbs. of torque while offering three gearbox settings and a 2,250 RPM maximum rotational speed, although just 11 clutch settings.

The drill is available at Acme Tools for $249 with a $25 off code listed on the product page (bringing it down to $224 and therefore slightly cheaper than the Milwaukee tool). It's also available at Home Depot for an even better $203. This makes for a natural competitor to Milwaukee. The two brands are some of the most prominent sights on the job and around hardware stores; while Milwaukee might hold the upper hand in many other categories, DeWalt's hammer drill is simply better across the board while also selling for a more favorable price. If you're a tool user with both battery systems in your arsenal already, this choice is essentially made for you thanks to DeWalt's immense laundry list of upgraded specs and features.