A cordless drill/driver is bought three times over: once as a battery platform you will keep buying into, once as a tool with stated figures, and once as an exact package whose suffix decides the batteries, charger and bag. Settle those three questions in that order before a torque number or a voltage label narrows the choice.
Choose the battery platform you will own
Every drill in this catalogue accepts one manufacturer battery system and no other. DEWALT names its 20V MAX system, Milwaukee its M18 system, Makita its 18V LXT slide-style packs, Bosch its 18V AMPShare line and RYOBI its 18V ONE+ system. If you already own packs and a charger on one of these platforms, a tool-only package such as the Makita XFD14Z or the DEWALT DCD800B is a complete purchase. If you own nothing, a kit is the only package that works out of the box.
Write down which platform your other tools use, how many packs you have and whether they are compact or extended capacity. A platform name establishes which packs fit; it does not say that every pack in the line is sold with this tool or recommended for it.
Read the voltage label and the nominal rating separately
Marketing labels and nominal ratings are different facts. DEWALT markets the DCD800 as 20V MAX and states in its own footnote that the maximum initial battery voltage measured without a workload is 20 volts and the nominal voltage is 18. Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch and RYOBI use 18V platform names and their pages do not use the word nominal at all.
This catalogue records the marketed label as text and a nominal figure as a number only where a page states one. A 20V MAX label does not make a drill stronger than an 18V drill, and an 18V label does not make it weaker. Compare the stated torque, speed and package instead.
Compare torque figures only on their stated basis
Makers publish torque as in-lbs, as Nm or as a power figure such as UWO, and they often say up to or max without naming a test method. Milwaukee states 1,400 in-lbs of torque for the 2903 and Bosch states up to 400 in-lbs of max torque for the GSR18V-400; RYOBI states up to 850 in-lbs for the PBLDD02. None of these pages names the basis, so the numbers are manufacturer statements that can be read side by side but not treated as a measured ranking.
Some pages give no figure at all. DEWALT's DCD800 pages publish no torque or UWO value and offer only a relative claim of up to 40 percent more UWO than the older DCD791B with specific batteries. A relative claim is not a figure. This catalogue does not convert between in-lbs, Nm and UWO, and it does not fill a blank with a figure from a different basis or a different region.
Use speed, chuck and clutch as control features
A two-range gearbox and a variable-speed trigger are different controls. The high range suits drilling small holes; the low range suits large fasteners and hole saws. Bosch lists 0-500 and 0-1,900 RPM no-load, RYOBI lists 0-700 and 0-2,150 RPM, DEWALT lists 0-650 and 0-2,000 rpm. No-load speed falls under load and is not a drilling-rate measurement.
Every drill here uses a 1/2 in chuck, which describes the largest bit shank the jaws accept rather than a drilling capacity in wood or metal. Chuck wording such as metal ratcheting or all-metal with carbide teeth comes from product copy. Clutch positions, where stated, describe how finely you can set the driving stop; they do not describe how much torque each position delivers.
Know what the size and weight numbers measure
DEWALT quotes 6.37 in for the tool head only. Bosch quotes a 6.3 in head length. Milwaukee quotes 6.9 in and Makita copy quotes 7 in without saying whether that is head or overall length. A smaller number does not establish that the drill reaches a particular cavity, because the bit and the chuck travel add to the figure.
Weights are quoted under different conditions. Makita copy says 5.7 lbs with battery, the Milwaukee seller lists 4.82 lbs without stating a battery condition, and Bosch lists 1.95 lb without saying whether a BAT612 pack is on the tool. RYOBI and DEWALT US pages list no weight at all. Compare weights only where the condition is the same, and otherwise treat them as separate statements.
Confirm the exact US package before ordering
The suffix is the package. DCD800D2 means two DCB203 2Ah batteries, a DCB112 charger and a bag; DCD800B means the drill and a belt hook. 2903-22 means two XC5.0 packs, a multi-voltage charger, a side handle and a hard case; 2903-20 means the drill, side handle and belt clip. GSR18V-400B22 means two BAT612 2 Ah packs, a charger and a bag, while GSR18V-400B12 is a one-battery kit. RYOBI labels the PBLDD02K1 option 4Ah Battery/Charger and sells PBLDD02B as tool only.
Where a page did not render its package list, this catalogue says so rather than guessing. RYOBI's Includes tab was empty, Bosch's includes list printed two drill lines for a one-drill kit, and Makita's own US pages were unreachable, so Makita values are seller-repeated copy. Check the exact SKU, the battery models and the charger with the seller before the purchase depends on them. Hammer drill/drivers carry their own model numbers and are outside this category.
Common questions
Does a 20V MAX drill have more voltage than an 18V drill?
Not as a nominal rating. DEWALT states that 20V MAX refers to the maximum initial battery voltage measured without a workload and that the nominal voltage is 18. Compare stated torque, speed and the package instead of the label.
Can I compare a UWO figure with an in-lbs figure?
No. They are different bases and this catalogue does not convert between them. Where a maker publishes only a relative claim, such as more UWO than an older model, no figure is recorded.
Is a tool-only package a worse deal than a kit?
It is a different package, not a worse one. Tool-only suits buyers who already own compatible batteries and a charger on that platform. A kit supplies exactly the batteries, charger and bag or case named in its SKU and nothing more.
Sources & further reading
- DCD800D2 20V MAX XR brushless 1/2-in drill/driver kit pageChecked 2026-10-21
Current US manufacturer page used for the kit contents, speed ranges, chuck and the footnote stating that nominal voltage is 18. The page shows no price or cart and no discontinuation notice; it lists no torque, UWO or weight figure.
- DCD800B 20V MAX XR brushless 1/2-in drill/driver tool-only pageChecked 2026-10-21
Tool-only package of the same DCD800 drill. Its only power statement is a relative up to 40 percent more UWO than DCD791B claim with specific batteries, which is not recorded as a torque figure.
- M18 FUEL 1/2-in Drill/Driver Kit 2903-22 pageChecked 2026-10-21
Current manufacturer kit page used for the 1400 in-lbs torque statement, 6.9 in length, chuck and the itemised kit contents. The page does not state voltage, speed ranges, weight or a torque basis.
- Makita XFD14Z 18V LXT brushless 1/2-in driver-drill tool-only US retail listingChecked 2026-10-21
US seller page repeating Makita product copy: 1,250 in.lbs. max torque, 0-550 and 0-2,100 RPM, 7 in length, 5.7 lbs with battery, tool only with battery and charger not included. Makita's own US product pages returned HTTP 503 at every attempt.
- GSR18V-400B22 18V compact brushless 1/2-in drill/driver kit pageChecked 2026-10-21
Current US manufacturer page used for torque, no-load speeds, clutch settings, 6.3 in head length, 1.95 lb weight and the includes list. The page does not sell directly. Its includes list prints two drill/driver lines for a single-drill kit; the weight line does not state the battery condition.
- 18V ONE+ HP Brushless 1/2-in Drill/Driver Kit PBLDD02K1 pageChecked 2026-10-21
Current manufacturer store page with Add to Cart, used for the up to 850 in-lbs statement, 0-700 and 0-2,150 RPM, 24-position clutch, ratcheting metal chuck and the 4Ah Battery/Charger kit option. Its Includes and Specifications tabs did not render, so battery model, count, bag, weight and length are unverified.
See our methodology for source labels and limitations. Product evidence dates are shown beside the corresponding specifications.
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