Cordless Drill Buyer's Guide — Everything You Need to Know

A cordless drill is the single most used tool in any toolbox. Get the right one and it becomes an indispensable daily companion. Get the wrong one and it's either underpowered for the job or overkill for what you need. Here's everything you need to know.

Types of Cordless Drill

Combi Drill (Hammer Drill): The most versatile type — combines standard rotary drilling with hammer action for masonry, brick, and concrete. If you're going to drill into walls in a UK house, you need hammer action. This is the type most tradespeople and DIYers should buy.

Impact Driver: High torque, high-speed screw driving — uses impact mechanism to drive screws without camming out. Not designed for drilling holes. Perfect for decking, timber framing, and any application requiring lots of screwdriving.

Impact Drill/Driver: Combines drilling capability with impact driver torque — the best of both worlds for many users. The TEH LD105 Brushless Impact Drill Driver is an excellent example.

Voltage — What Does It Mean?

Higher voltage generally means more power, but the relationship isn't always simple.

12V: Compact and lightweight — ideal for light work, flat-pack furniture, and occasional use. Our TEH 12V range is perfect for homeowners who don't need heavy-duty performance.

20V: The professional standard. Enough power for sustained drilling into masonry, driving long screws, and all-day trade use. Our entire professional cordless range runs on the TEH 20V LXT system — meaning all batteries are interchangeable across drills, grinders, saws, impact wrenches, and more.

Torque — Nm Explained

Torque is the rotational force that drives the bit into the material. More Nm = more capability.

Brushless vs Brushed — The Key Decision

Always buy brushless if you can. Here's why:

Brushed motors: Use carbon brushes to transfer electricity — the brushes wear down over time, generate heat, and limit efficiency. Common in budget drills.

Brushless motors: Use magnets and electronics instead — no contact, no wear, no heat buildup. More power from the same battery, significantly longer motor life, better performance under load.

The TEH LD105 Brushless and the full TEH brushless cordless range deliver brushless performance at competitive prices.

Battery Capacity — Ah Explained

Ah (amp-hours) determines how long the battery lasts per charge.

• 2Ah — adequate for occasional home use
• 4Ah — professional standard, roughly twice the runtime of 2Ah
• Multiple batteries — always buy kits with at least 2 batteries so you can swap while one charges

Speed Settings

Always choose a 2-speed drill:

• Low speed — high torque for driving screws
• High speed — faster rotation for drilling

Single-speed drills are far less versatile — avoid them.

Torque Settings

Most combi drills have 18-25 torque settings plus a drill mode. Lower settings for delicate screwdriving (preventing screw heads stripping), higher settings for heavy driving, drill mode for drilling holes.

TEH Cordless Drill Range:

Browse the full cordless drill range at tehtools.co.uk