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I just purchased my first drill last week, and ended up choosing a corded drill. Before you choose your cordless drill, see how much it costs to replace the battery, and know what the advantages of the lithium ion battery over nickel cadmium, particularly in declination of charge duration over time, before you get it in your head that the lithium ones are too expensive. Batteries can be as expensive as a new corded drill, so you don't want to replace them often.

VERY useful post. thanks AT.

KTG has an excellent point.

I recommend getting lithium ion, as it will hold it's charge longer. Also, the 18V sets allow batteries to be used on more tools - you never know when you may need a different tool, so may as well try to make your batteries interchangeable.

In the end I settled on an 18V Ryobi Lithium Ion drill (part of a set) for renovating my house. While Dewalts (and others) will last longer, I think Ryobi's are pretty good quality and their batteries are much cheaper than a lot of the other big brand names.

We had a Ryobi 14V for a while but it did not have a lithium battery. Upgraded to a Makita 18V with a lithium ion battery. It smokes that old Ryobi! Buy a good drill the first time and you'll save money and frustration in the long run.

Hilti Makes great tools, but that is Not the same tool as the others. It is not something you would ever use to do trim or even most household tasks. It is a Hammer drill, it turns and Really Pounds the screw in.

Best cordless I have ever used (Years of Finish work) is my current drill...
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-EY6432GQKW-15-6-Volt-2-Inch-Cordless/dp/B00009KDGX/ref=pd_sim_dbs_hi_title_2

I think you the money Makita is Way better than the DeWalt.

I would Never ever recommend a Ryobi for anything but a Paperweight.

I'd also point out that you'll want to step up to a half-inch model no matter what. Having access to half-inch bits gives you a lot more usability.

I second the 18v Makita LiIon. It kicks all sorts of ass, holds its charge well, and is kinda pretty (black/white).

The equivalent version of the Hilti cordless drill that I saw at Home Depot was about $320, and that was around the same price point as Ridgid and Milwaukee and Makita. I was told as much that you won't want plastic gears, and that some drills are manufactured by the same company, and are better or worse versions of the same drill. I wish I could remember which was which though.

And just saying Makita! is so fun. Plus it has good accessories.

Yup. The stage carpenters I work with all use the 18v Makita lithium cordless drills. Superlightweight, and plenty powerful.

We have an 18v ryobi at work. It was purchased at costco over 4 years ago and still runs perfectly. We've never replaced the battery.
I have a 12v model ryobi and the batteries don't hold a charge at all. It works fine until the charge runs out. I wouldn't recommend anything less than a 14v no matter what brand you buy.

I've got a Makita. I believe Skil has a "tight spaces" model that bends.

Makita is my favorite one... I would rather recommend this cordless drill to anyone, because it's worth having and using...