Synopsis: In this tool survey, Oregon contractor Paul Johnson puts 12v Li-ion compact drill/drivers through their paces to determine which of these eight pint-size tools is the best. After a battery of job-site and shop-based tests, Johnson rated the DeWalt DCD71052 as his top choice, praising its high-speed drilling capacity. For best value, Johnson chose the Porter-Cable PCL120DCC-2. Also tested were models from Ridgid, Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, Ryobi, and Hitachi.

I’m one of those people who believe that you can never have too many drills. That said, I’m always on the lookout for the drill-driver that could take the place of the multiple drills that I otherwise need to bring to a job. The new generation of 12v Li-ion drill-drivers brings a lot of the speed and power of larger drills into a compact, lightweight package. None of these drills will take the place of a full-size model, but most are worthy of consideration for the majority of daily tasks.

Compact drills come in two styles

Although most of the drills in this review are also available with a hex-bit chuck, I chose to review only models that had keyless chucks. The hex-bit drills are excellent in high-torque situations, but keyless chucks have more versatility because they accept both driver and drill bits. Also, in the end, keyless chucks add a level of potential complexity that separates one drill from another.

The eight drills I tested come in two different styles. The DeWalt, Hitachi, and Ryobi models have a flat battery that makes the tool a little larger in overall size, but allows it to be set down on its base without falling. The Bosch, Makita, Milwaukee, Porter-Cable, and Ridgid models have a stick-style battery inserted into the handle. These drills are smaller overall and are…