Cordless tools and saws
Drill, drive, cut: cordless tools by volts, torque and battery platform.
Combi drills, impact drivers, mitre and circular saws, and the battery platforms behind them, explained in plain terms and compared on what the makers state: volts, Nm, chuck size, blade diameter and cut width.
Our top picks
All buying guides- Best combi drill and impact driver twin packs
Bosch GSB 18V-110 C and GDR 18V-210 C, 2 x 5 Ah
GSB 18V-110 C, 110 Nm · GDR 18V-210 C, 210 Nm · 2 x 5.0 Ah
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link - Best combi drills for home DIY
Bosch GSB 18V-45: 920 g brushless kit for home jobs
18 V · 45 Nm · 920 g
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link - Best combi drill kits with batteries and charger
DeWalt DCD996P2: 95 Nm, three speeds, two 5 Ah packs
95 Nm · 2 x 5.0 Ah · Multi-voltage XR charger
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link - Best compact and sub-compact combi drills
DeWalt DCD805NT: compact 18 V XR, 90 Nm, bare unit
18 V hammer drill driver · 90 Nm · Not stated
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link
Mitre angle calculator
Open the calculator →Mitre scale setting, each piece
30°
180 ÷ 6 = 30.00°
- Saw scales read 0 at square, so the value shown is the number to set on the mitre scale. Rounded to 0.5 degree.
- Cut both ends of every piece at this setting, with opposite pieces the same length.
Tool types
Every tool type on the site, from combi drills to bits and blades.
Mitre
An angle across the face.
Bevel
A tilt through the thickness.
Compound
Both at once, as on coving.
- Combi drillsCordless combi and SDS drills by torque, chuck, weight and the walls you need to drill into.10 guides · 4 buying guides
- Impact driversImpact drivers for long screws and coach bolts, with bits, torque modes and where a drill still wins.4 guides · 1 buying guide
- Mitre sawsCompound and sliding mitre saws by blade size, cut width, bevel range and how you will use them.6 guides · 3 buying guides
- Circular sawsCordless circular saws, plunge track saws and site table saws for sheet goods, decking and rip cuts.5 guides · 3 buying guides
- Battery platformsDeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee and Bosch ranges, twin packs and kits, and how volts and amp hours add up.9 guides · 5 buying guides
- Bits and bladesMulti-tools, drill bits, saw blades and the know-how that makes every cordless tool cut cleaner.4 guides · 1 buying guide
Calculators
Mitre angles and battery energy, worked out for you.
Common problems
Slipping bits, splintered cuts and batteries that fade: causes and fixes.
- Charger light flashingHot or cold pack delays, faulty pack signals and dead cells on DeWalt, Makita and Milwaukee chargers, and the safe checks to try at home.
- Cuts not squareCheck fence and blade with a square, run the five cut test, and adjust mitre detents and bevel stops so your mitre saw cuts true again.
- Bit slips or wobblesWhy drill bits slip or wobble in a keyless chuck: tightening technique, worn jaws, round bits in hammer mode, and when to replace the chuck.
- Drill will not runBattery contacts, the direction switch lock, overheating cut outs, worn brushes on older drills and when to get a cordless drill repaired.
- Blade binds or burnsBlunt or wrong blades, pinched kerfs, poor support and a misaligned base plate: why circular saws bind and burn wood, and how to fix each cause.
Comparisons
- SDS drill vs combi drill for brick, block and concretePiston hammer against ratchet hammer: how SDS and combi drills differ, typical hole sizes in brick and concrete, and when each is worth buying.
- Mitre saw vs circular saw for decking and flooringRepeatable square crosscuts against long rips and sheet cuts: when a mitre saw or a circular saw is the better buy, with decking and flooring examples.
- Makita vs Milwaukee cordless tools comparedMakita LXT against Milwaukee M18 for trades and keen DIYers, plus M12, Makita's twin 18 V tools and the 40 V XGT range, with a drill spec table.
- Impact driver vs impact wrench: hex bits or square drive?Hex bit holder against square anvil, typical torque ranges and why wheel nuts and large bolts usually call for an impact wrench, not a driver.
- DeWalt vs Milwaukee cordless tools comparedDeWalt XR and FlexVolt against Milwaukee M18 Fuel, the two platforms most often weighed up on UK sites, with a bare drill spec comparison.
- DeWalt vs Makita cordless tools comparedTwo of the biggest 18 V platforms compared on tool range, batteries, ergonomics and warranty, with a compact drill spec table from each brand.
Buying guides
Focused guides to one type of tool each, compared on what the listings state.
- Best combi drill and impact driver twin packs
- Best combi drills for home DIY
- Best combi drill kits with batteries and charger
- Best compact and sub-compact combi drills
- Best cordless circular saws
- Best cordless mitre saws
- Best cordless SDS drills
- Best impact driver kits and bare tools
- Best mitre saws for home and site
- Best oscillating multi-tools
- Best plunge and track saws
- Best cordless power tool kits and bundles
- Best sliding compound mitre saws
- Best site and bench table saws
- DeWalt 18V XR drills compared
- Makita 18V LXT drills compared
Guides & advice
- Which drill bit for which wall plug?Common UK colour coded wall plugs matched to typical masonry bit sizes and screw gauges, with tips for brick, block, plasterboard and SDS bits.
- What size mitre saw do you need?210, 216, 254 and 305 mm mitre saw blades compared by cut width and depth, with skirting, decking and post examples and real listing figures.
- What is an SDS drill and when do you need one?SDS plus and SDS max chucks, the rotary hammer action and the jobs where a combi drill struggles, explained for UK homes and renovations.
- What is an impact driver used for?How an impact driver's rotational impacts and hex bit holder work, and the jobs from decking screws to coach bolts where it beats a drill.
- What is an oscillating multi-tool used for?Flush cuts in door frames, plunge cuts in floors, grout removal and detail sanding: what an oscillating multi-tool does and how to use one.
- What is a combi drill?A combi drill combines drilling, screw driving and a hammer mode for masonry in one cordless tool. Here is how the modes, clutch and gears work.