From hanging up pictures to putting together furniture to woodworking projects, having a lightweight, portable drill saves you a lot of time and effort. We’ve always been partial to the Milwaukee M18 as a compact, cordless drill and driver that packs a lot of power that belies its small size. And now, as part of its Black Friday Deals, Home Depot is now selling the Milwaukee M18 for $100 off its list price, which makes it one of the best deals we’ve seen for this drill in quite some time. Here’s our take on the drill and why it’s well worth the investment.
Milwaukee M18 18V Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 1/2 in. Compact Drill/Driver, $99 (36% off)
When evaluating a drill, its performance with different substances (including wood and steel sheets) is always at the top of the list. The Milwaukee M18 driver does a great job across the board, delivering 550 in-pounds of torque with its brushless motor, at speeds of up to 1,700 rpm. You can also switch to a lower-speed mode (up to 550 rpm) for projects where you need to be a bit more delicate.
We found that the all-metal chuck maintains a tight grip on drill and screw bits when in use, and the rubberized handle provides a solid grip. The variable-speed trigger is responsive whenever you want to increase or decrease the drill speed. The M18 is equally good at drilling holes and driving (i.e., working with screws and bolts), and at just under 6 inches in length, it’s small enough to negotiate tight spaces. With its rechargeable battery, you won’t need to worry about cords, either.
Another feature we appreciate about the Milwaukee M18 drill is the short amount of time it takes to fully charge its lithium battery (around 30 minutes for a full recharge). This gives it an advantage over other battery-powered drills that take a lot longer to charge. The included tool clip (for attaching the drill to a tool belt) and LED work light are also useful touches.
Suitable for practical uses as well as more heavy-duty jobs, we give the M18 a thumbs-up as a durable tool that ranks among the best drills in power and reliability. And now, thanks to this limited-time Home Depot discount, it ranks among the best drills in pricing, too.
