Inside: Simple DIY projects you can do with just a power drill, plus recommendations for the Best Budget Cordless Drills for a weekend DIYer; comparing Craftsman, Black and Decker and Ryobi entry level power drills
I am asked all the time about how to amass a solid array of home tools that will help with more than one project and not break the bank. For anyone just starting out, I always recommend investing in a cordless power drill and possibly even a power combo drill kit. There’s a lot you can achieve with just a power drill when it comes to projects. Here are a few amazing things you can do with a cordless power drill, plus some tips for buying the right one for you.
The Best Budget Cordless Drills
We aren’t all contractors and we don’t all need the most heavy duty tools out there. But we do want our tools to last and work when we need them to work. Here are the three that I have used extensively and highly recommend for any weekend warrior to buy.
- Black and Decker 20v Cordless Drill and Driver
- Craftsman 20v Cordless Drill and Driver
- Ryobi 18v Cordless Drill and Driver
A note about each – the Black and Decker is my favourite for household DIYs like hanging shelves and assembling store bought furniture. The Craftsman has a bit more heft and is more of a ‘shop’ drill. The Ryobi is definitely entry level and you will notice that reflected in the price. I have burned through at least two Ryobi drills in the past few years.
Amazing Things you Can do with a Cordless Drill
Install Certain Types of Flooring
We used a power drill combo kit to install the barn board flooring in our basement. This is a challenging project but it really doesn’t require very many tools. The kit we used was the cordless impact driver and drill kit from Ryobi and we swapped it out with the 20v cordless impact driver and drill kit from Black and Decker. Both work well. For me, I prefer the grip on the Black and Decker model. It seems to fit my smaller hands a bit better.
Install Cabinets
Remember how we (very) recently updated our living room using basic stock cabinets from The Home Depot? Well, besides some hand tools, the only power tool we needed to get the job done was – you guessed it! A Power Drill!
Create and Hang Awesome Wall Art
Ok so we like to hang all kinds of stuff on our walls, from traditional prints and photos to big, bold artwork. Sometimes we even make our own! For our DIY Scrap Wood Signs, we put our drill, circular saw and brad nailer to work, to create our own chunky, beachy wall art! The signs actually turned out to be pretty heavy, which meant the drill was put to task again, as we drilled into the studs before screwing in our hooks.
Build Basic Furniture Pieces
Your not going to get very far with any building project without a drill. When Dan made me a West Elm Inspired Day Bed, he carried our drill around in a holster for nearly a month! Paired with a Kreg Jig, we were able to use the drill to create pocket holes, which helped hide all the screws that were used to assemble the piece, and give it a more high-end look.
And not to be out done, our good friend Emily over at Table & Hearth created a beautiful backyard privacy wall using her Ryobi tools. You’ve got to see it!
Install and repair furniture hardware
Sometimes I pick up pieces at garage sales or thrift stores and the hardware is fused on. Like SUPER stuck. The easiest way to take it off is to use a small-ish bit and simply drill through the screw that is holding it on. I often can’t believe how often I turn to my drill to help me work through a furniture flip! I’m a bit of an expert at flipping furniture. Check out this post on how to remove veneer using a heat gun! (Not a drill, but just as simple to use.)
Other Posts about Cordless Drills
I love easy projects that only take one day! And in this case they just use a drill. And if you need even more inspiration, here are 25 beginner woodworking projects to try out!
After you’ve purchased a cordless drill and you’re comfortable using it, my next suggestion is to buy either a saw or a brad nailer.
Here are other posts you’ll love
*This post is sponsored and made possible by the folks at The Home Depot Canada. However, it does not change that we love our Ryobi tools and would recommend them to our readers no matter what. You can see our full disclosure and privacy policy here.
