Maybe you’re a Pro, maybe you’re a DIYer, or maybe you’re just curious. However you landed here, something made you curious about the best lightweight drill for a variety of reasons or maybe just a lightweight option in general. Regardless, who doesn’t prefer a lighter tool as long as it does the job well?
As usual, we’re short on short answers, but we have some recommendations for you from the Pro level to basic homeowner use.
We’re primarily recommending hammer drills, which add an extra concrete drilling mode to standard srill drivers. If you don’t need or want the hammering function, we’ll drop the drill driver model number in there for you, too. Learn more about drills vs hammer drills here.
Looking for more drill coverage? Check out our best cordless drill recommendations!
Best Lightweight Drill for Heavy-Duty Professional Use
Milwaukee Gen 4 M18 Fuel Hammer Drill 2904
If you’re doing work professionally and looking for the best lightweight drill for heavy-duty professional use, it has to be the Gen 4 Milwaukee M18 Fuel hammer drill. This top-of-the-line drill from Milwaukee packs the punch of the big boys with a compact size and weight that other brands can’t match.
It packs 1400 in-lbs of torque to go along with 2100 RPM. Milwaukee geared this drill to punch holes in 2x framing lumber with self-feed bits up to 2-9/16″ without dropping out of high speed.
When it comes to keeping it light and compact, we measured it at 3.3 pounds bare and 5.0 pounds with a 5.0Ah battery. It’s just 6.9 inches long, making it the most compact high-performance drill you can get your hands on.
With the latest update, Milwaukee also includes kickback control for the first time. If the bit you’re using binds and the drill starts to twist, the motor automatically shuts down to help prevent injuries to your wrist and arm.
There’s also a drill driver version of this tool—look for the Milwaukee 2903 if you don’t want the hammer function.
Price: $199.00 bare, $299.00 with two 5.0Ah batteries and a charger
Best Lightweight Drill for Light to Medium-Duty Professional Use
Metabo HPT 18V Brushless Compact Hammer Drill DV18DEX
If you to drop even more weight, you can get solid medium-duty performance from Metabo HPT. The DV18DEX gives you excellent top-end speed at 2000 RPM and offers a muscular 620 in-lbs of torque. All that comes in a package that’s just 6.1 inches long and weighs 3.5 pounds with a 2.0Ah battery.
Those numbers on their own are enough to earn our recommendation. However, Metabo HPT solidifies it by adding kickback control—something that’s tough to find in a compact drill.
Price: $179.00 with two 2.0Ah batteries and a charger
Best Lightweight Drill for Small Hands
Hey, not all of us have gorilla hands, and having a smaller grip is a big deal. Two brands really stand out in this regard—, Makita and Metabo HPT. DeWalt is also pretty good, but its handles are a little larger than the other two. So which one tops our list?
Makita 18V LXT Brushless Sub-Compact Hammer Drill XPH15
The lighter of our two recommendations is the Makita XPH15. With a 2.0Ah battery, it weighs just 3.1 pounds and measures 6 1/2 inches long. It’s also a good choice if you’re concerned about drills that are too powerful or fast. With 350 in-lbs of torque and 1700 RPM, it’s easy to control.
The nice thing is that this drill has 12V weight and size while using Makita’s popular 18V LXT batteries.
Price: $129.00 bare, $229.00 kit with two 2.0Ah batteries and a charger
Best Lightweight Drill for Prosumers and Serious DIYers
Skil PWRCore 20 Brushless Compact Hammer Drill
Skil upgraded its 20V compact hammer drill by reducing its size and improving its performance. This model measures 6.1 inches for the head length and weighs a very reasonable 3.1 pounds with a 2.0Ah battery. Incidentally, the battery doubles as a USB power supply to charge your devices.
The speed of this model runs 1800 RPM in high gear. Low gear can muscle through your light to medium-duty tasks with 450 in-lbs of torque. Those are numbers we expect to get from professional brands. Skil gives them to you with a much lower price tag.
Price: $129.00 with a 2.0Ah battery and PWRJump charger
Best Lightweight Drill for Homeowners and DIY Projects
HART 20V Cordless Drill Driver HPDD02B2
For getting work done around the house, the HART HPDD02 is the best lightweight drill for DIYers and it comes in at a price that won’t hurt your wallet too badly. Part of the 20V system you can find at Walmart, the drill’s 1750 RPM and 450 in-lbs of torque can take care of almost anything you’ll run into for DIY repairs and weekend projects.
Even though this model isn’t as compact as some of our other recommendations, the overall weight is still in check. With a 1.5Ah battery, it weighs 3.4 pounds. If you’re on the fence, the $79.00 price tag might just seal the deal—and that’s for the kit with two batteries.
Price: $79.00 with two 1.5Ah batteries and a charger
Which of our best lightweight drill recommendations best suits your needs? Let us know in the comments below!
Looking For a Specific Brand? Check out These Best Lightweight Drill Recommendations!
Even though every brand doesn’t earn one of our accolades above, there are plenty of really good options available. If you have a quality brand’s cordless platform you’re already using (or want to jump into), here are our best lightweight drill picks for other brands that we trust.
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