One for the toolbox. You are in your apartment and you want to hang curtains, you want to hang a pot rack, you want to repair a table.... If you want to do almost anything handy, you need a drill. This one tool is arguably the most essential part of the apartment tool kit, and it must be cordless, because worrying about extension cords is just not on.
A good cordless drill is also a very sexy tool to have in one's closet, and we find that most people enjoy the thrill of using one almost as much as a ride on a Harley.
Our cordless of choice has always been a Makita (we like the green color), though others swear by DeWalt. We have bought and liked Black & Decker, but they have not been well rated (price is good). Most cordless work well these days, and for apartment use you certainly don't need to spend a ton of money on a heavy duty model. A lightweight version will do perfectly. MGR
LINKS
- Makita for $70
- Makita for $88
- DeWalt for $100
- Makita for $109
- Ryobi for $79
- Black & Decker for $70
Andy & Andrew's Vintage Modern
Quick Cleaning Tip: Keep Baseboards Cleaner With Fabric Softner
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Eileen Fisher Washe...
15 Essential Building Blocks for Quick Weeknight Meals
Summer Recipe: No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
Comments (4)
This article is a little dated now and there are much better drills out for the same money. I always like to recommend either the Panasonic 18v or the Makita Li-ion 18v drills. For this site I would recommend the Makita because the Panasonic is more for working everyday, all day with it. The Makita is also much lighter which is a huge plus if you're not a professional. The Panasonic is also very pricey (I like to recommend it because it is the very best.) The Makita is cheaper, but still possibly overkill if you use it infrequently.
If you really just need to drill some small holes than a $40 Black and Decker 12 volt from Lowes will do the job and save you a lot of money.
If you want to do some more research take a look at the best cordless drills site.
At this time there can be actually heaps of distinct cordless drills on the market to choose from presently, starting from around $35 upward to $300 for a top of the line specialized unit, which one is actually the best cordless drill ???, which one is the best cordless drill for you, is it the most inexpensive one, or the most dependable ?
The Lithium Ions are pretty good today - they are well sorted and very reliable.
The problem is not finding the best cordless drill, it is to find the best for the budget you have. As always it seems, it all depends on your budget.
Makita is a nice brand. I actually like the Bosch brand though because it's a nice inbetween. I think people run into problems with the batteries. I still think the best cordless drill is more about finding a drill that has good battery life, light weight, power and durability.