The Best Cordless Drill in Australia

You’ve got furniture to assemble and shelves to put up, and choosing a cordless drill shouldn’t take longer than the job. Our recommendation for most home DIY is the Bosch UniversalImpact 18V: it includes a battery, charger and case, covers drilling and screwdriving, and costs less than the other independently recommended picks here.

For demanding work, we’d choose the DeWalt DCD1007 instead. If awkward corners are the problem, the Bosch AdvancedImpact’s interchangeable attachments give you a clearer reason to spend more. These cordless drill reviews explain where each pick makes sense and where we’d keep our money.

The best cordless drills in Australia

• Best for most home DIY: Bosch UniversalImpact 18V
• Best for demanding drilling and fastening: DeWalt DCD1007
• Best for awkward corners: Bosch AdvancedImpact 18V-80 QuickSnap
• Best cordless hammer drill for masonry-focused DIY: WORX WX354 SlammerDrill
• Best household tool kit: MasterSpec MS005
• Lowest-priced starter kit: Advwin 8021
• For heavy-duty work with an LXT skin: Makita DHP486Z

Product		Price
	Bosch UniversalImpact 18V (06039D4140)	from $108.43	$108.43 at Amazon
	DeWalt DCD1007N-XJ 18V XR Premium Brushless Hammer Drill Driver Skin Only	from $239.00	$239.00 at Amazon
	Bosch AdvancedImpact 18 (06039E2103)	from $189.00	$189.00 at Amazon
	WORX WX354 SlammerDrill (WX354.9)	from $367.56	$367.56 at Amazon
	MasterSpec 47Pcs 12V Cordless Drill Driver Set with 2 Batteries (MS005)	from $89.00	$89.00 at Amazon
	Advwin Cordless Electric Drill (8021)	from $62.90	$62.90 at Amazon
	Makita DHP486Z 18V LXT Li-ion Brushless Combi Drill Driver Skin Only	from $269.00	$269.00 at Amazon

1. Best for most home DIY: Bosch UniversalImpact 18V

If you’re starting from scratch, buying a drill and then discovering you still need a battery is an avoidable expense. The Bosch UniversalImpact 18V comes with a battery, charger and case, which makes it our first choice for ordinary jobs around the house.

You don’t need separate tools just to move between driving screws and drilling holes. Its three operating modes cover those jobs, including impact drilling in masonry. Expert Reviews recommends it as the best combi drill for most DIY tasks, citing straightforward controls and versatile drilling and screwdriving performance.

Our take: this is the sensible place to start before paying for a more specialised drill. The catch is the single included battery. If you want a spare ready for longer projects, allow for that purchase.

Our verdict: Buy this for general home DIY when you want a complete kit at a sensible price. It’s our default recommendation unless demanding work or awkward access gives you a specific reason to upgrade.

2. Best for demanding drilling and fastening: DeWalt DCD1007

When drilling and fastening are a regular part of a bigger project, we’d move beyond a basic starter kit. The DeWalt DCD1007 earns that recommendation through its adjustable controls and an independent recommendation for demanding applications.

Pro Tool Reviews names it runner-up overall in its cordless drill comparison for exceptional performance in demanding drilling and fastening applications. That is a useful reason to shortlist it for harder work, rather than treating a long feature list as proof.

The three-speed transmission gives you another choice when matching the drill to the job. Adjustable torque control is there for screwdriving, while the spotlight mode should be useful when the work area is poorly lit. DeWalt’s broad claim that it can tackle any job is less helpful than those specific features.

The objection is the skin-only package: make sure you’ve budgeted for a compatible battery and charging setup.

Our verdict: Choose the DCD1007 for demanding drilling and fastening, especially when buying a skin suits your existing setup. For occasional household jobs, we’d spend less on the Bosch UniversalImpact.

3. Best for awkward corners: Bosch AdvancedImpact 18V-80 QuickSnap

A screw tucked into a corner can be more frustrating than a difficult drilling job. The Bosch AdvancedImpact 18V-80 QuickSnap addresses access with angle and eccentric attachments, rather than asking you to make a straight drill fit every space.

Those attachments are the reason we’d pay more than the UniversalImpact’s price. Homebuilding recommends the AdvancedImpact for comfort and ease of use, with interchangeable chucks suited to varied DIY and installation tasks.

Don’t buy it just because the specification looks stronger. If your jobs don’t involve awkward access, the cheaper Bosch kit is the better starting point. This listing excludes the battery, too.

Our verdict: Buy it when access is the problem and you’ll use the supplied attachments. We’d skip the extra expense for straightforward drilling and screwdriving.

4. Best cordless hammer drill for masonry-focused DIY: WORX WX354 SlammerDrill

If masonry keeps appearing on your job list, it deserves more attention than an incidental hammer setting. The WORX WX354 SlammerDrill is our masonry-focused choice, backed by a recommendation for that work as well as general DIY.

Expert Reviews recommends it for masonry and general DIY, praising its effective hammer action and balance of power and control. WORX also claims reinforced-concrete capability. Treat that as the maker’s claim and check the requirements of your particular job before buying.

Price is where it falls short. It’s the dearest drill in this guide, and you’re buying a bare tool. Our take is that masonry needs to be a real priority to justify that spend.

Our verdict: Shortlist the SlammerDrill when masonry is central to your DIY plans. For occasional masonry holes alongside household jobs, we’d start with the less expensive Bosch UniversalImpact.

5. Best household tool kit: MasterSpec MS005

Starting with an empty toolbox means a drill alone may leave you shopping again. The MasterSpec MS005 combines a drill driver, household hand tools and accessories in one case.

The included tools are what make this worth considering; the two batteries also give you a spare for longer jobs. It costs slightly more than the Bosch UniversalImpact kit, so we’d choose it for the broader household set rather than the drill alone.

It was ranked number 4 in Power Drills on Amazon Australia when we checked. We found no independent owner rating at the retailers we check, so its place here rests on sales rank and the listed kit contents.

Our verdict: Buy this if you need household tools as well as a drill. If you’ve already got those tools, we’d take the independently recommended Bosch UniversalImpact instead.

6. Lowest-priced starter kit: Advwin 8021

For occasional furniture assembly, keeping costs down makes sense. The Advwin 8021 is the cheapest pick here and includes batteries, a charger and accessory bits.

Our take: the complete package makes more sense for a first purchase than a cheap skin that still needs a battery. But a low price and a brushless motor aren’t enough to make it our first recommendation.

It was ranked number 6 in Power Drills on Amazon Australia when we checked, and we found no independent owner rating at the retailers we check. That makes it a budget choice based on sales rank, rather than a well-reviewed drill.

Our verdict: Consider the Advwin when minimum upfront cost matters most and your plans are modest. We’d pay more for the Bosch UniversalImpact if you want an independent recommendation behind the purchase.

7. For heavy-duty work with an LXT skin: Makita DHP486Z

A household starter kit isn’t the obvious choice when heavy-duty work is the priority. The Makita DHP486Z is worth considering if an 18 V LXT skin fits your plans, but we wouldn’t make it the default purchase for a new toolbox.

Makita’s stated torque figures give heavy-duty buyers a reason to look closer. Its claimed water and dust protection is also relevant to worksite conditions, though it shouldn’t be read as permission to ignore the tool’s care instructions.

It was ranked number 16 in Power Drills on Amazon Australia when we checked. We found no independent owner rating at the retailers we check, which keeps it behind the independently recommended drills in our order.

Our verdict: Consider the Makita when you specifically want an LXT skin for heavy-duty work. Without that reason, we’d favour the DeWalt’s independent recommendation and lower price.

How we chose

Our reviews are based on owner ratings where available, independent recommendations, maker specifications, and price and stock checks. None of these seven picks had an independent owner rating available from the retailers we check. Amazon Australia was the only stocking retailer recorded for every pick, and all seven were in stock at our last check; check the warranty and returns terms before ordering.

Independently recommended products come first, ordered by their fit for the stated need, package contents and price. Products selected on Amazon Australia sales rank alone follow them; a best-seller position isn’t a quality rating.

Cordless drill buying guide

If you’re starting from scratch, buy the complete setup

Battery drills can look cheaper until you add what’s missing. Check whether the exact listing includes a battery and charger, rather than assuming the pictured drill arrives ready to run.

For most first-time buyers here, we’d choose the Bosch UniversalImpact kit. A skin makes more sense when you’ve checked that your existing battery and charging setup are compatible with the exact model.

If masonry is on the list, confirm the drilling mode

Don’t assume every cordless power drill has hammer action. Look for an explicitly stated impact- or hammer-drilling function and check the maker’s guidance for the material and hole size you need.

The UniversalImpact lists impact drilling in masonry. For masonry-focused DIY, the WORX has a specific independent recommendation, though its price is harder to justify for an occasional job.

If the drill won’t fit, look at attachments

More torque doesn’t fix an awkward corner. An angle or eccentric attachment may address access more directly, which is why we’d choose the Bosch AdvancedImpact for confined installation work.

Check the space and the required bit position before paying extra for attachments you’ll rarely use.

If you’re comparing a brushless drill, look beyond the motor

Several picks here have brushless motors. That feature alone doesn’t settle which one to buy, and it doesn’t establish a particular runtime or drilling result.

Start with the job, then compare the package, controls and price. Don’t pay more for a motor description while overlooking a missing battery.

If you swap between screws and holes, check the controls

Speed selection and adjustable torque serve different purposes. Speed controls let you change how fast the drill runs; torque settings help manage screwdriving force. Neither removes the need to choose the correct bit and setting.

Also check the bit’s shank against the chuck capacity. The working end of a bit and the part held by the chuck aren’t necessarily the same diameter.

If you already own battery tools, verify compatibility

Matching voltage numbers don’t establish compatibility. Check the exact battery system named for the drill and the battery you own.

The UniversalImpact’s supplied battery is listed for Bosch’s Power for ALL 18 V DIY Home and Garden range and Bosch Unlimited vacuum cleaners. Don’t extend that statement to every Bosch cordless tool.

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