Best Compact Cordless Drills Under $75 (2026)

This B+D is the best compact buy because it does not trade capability for size. A brushless motor wastes less energy as heat, so a short housing can still deliver 486 inch-pounds of claimed torque, the highest in the roundup, and the maker's own claim of 92 holes per charge suggests the pack goes far. The 1/2-inch metal chuck accepts larger shanks than the 3/8-inch plastic-backed chucks on most small drills.

The metal, single-sleeve chuck is the second reason to pick it. A single-sleeve design lets you tighten the bit with one hand, and metal jaws stay concentric longer than the cheap alloys in the DEKOPRO drills. Against the Craftsman CMCD702D1, which uses a brushed motor and a 300 unit-watts-out claim, the B+D's brushless motor gives more run time from the same 2 Ah class of battery.

The cost of compactness is capacity. A 2 Ah pack is light and small, but it will not drive 3-inch structural screws all afternoon, and the POWERCONNECT platform leans toward household tools, not job-site gear. As a first cordless drill it is excellent, and the battery fits the maker's trimmers, vacuums and other home tools.

The CMCD702D1 is the brushed-motor counterpart to the B+D, with the same 2 Ah pack class and a 1/2-inch chuck. Craftsman quotes 300 unit watts out, a measure of power delivered at the chuck that is easier to trust than a peak torque number, because it combines speed and torque into one rating. It claims about 90 holes per charge, two fewer than the B+D, which is within the noise of how those claims are measured.

Because the motor uses brushes, the drill generates more heat and wears faster than a brushless design under heavy use, but for occasional drilling it is fine. The body is compact and light, and the V20 pack fits Craftsman's trimmers, blowers and saws, so it sits on a platform that is easy to expand. Against the DEKOPRO 12V, it is twice the battery and a larger chuck.

Its position in this guide is as the dependable middle: not as strong as the B+D, not as small as the DEKOPRO. Wipe vents with a dry cloth after dusty jobs, and keep the pack away from heat. If the B+D is out of stock this is the one to buy.

The COMOWARE is compact in the sense of a small, light drill with a 3/8-inch chuck and a 1.5 Ah pack. Its 266 inch-pound claim, equal to 30 N.m, is honest about its scope, which is furniture assembly, hanging pictures and similar light work. Compared with the B+D's 486 in-lbs, it has roughly half the claimed torque.

What it adds is a kit. A molded case, a bit set and an LED mean you can pick it up and start without shopping for accessories. For anyone who wants to leave a drill in the apartment closet and trust it to work, that completeness counts for more than extra torque.

The small pack is the limit. It will drive a bookcase's worth of screws, but a full day of drilling will drain it. Charge it before a project, and do not leave it plugged in for weeks, since high charge and heat age the cells faster. The 3/8-inch chuck holds bits up to that size, which is enough for most small jobs.

The DEKOPRO 12V is the lightest drill in this guide at 1.65 pounds, so it suits overhead work and anyone for whom weight is a barrier. A 12V pack uses fewer cells than a 20V pack, which keeps both battery and drill body small. Its 800 rpm maximum no-load speed tells you it is tuned for driving screws and drilling small holes at low speed.

The trade-off against the B+D is large. The 12V drill has less torque, a smaller chuck and a battery that will not sustain long work. It is the right size for assembling a flat-pack shelf, and the wrong size for drilling pilot holes in dense hardwood. Next to the DEKOPRO 8V it is stronger but heavier, and that is the line to choose between.

Store the pack indoors. Cold garages cut small lithium cells' capacity sharply. Use sharp bits, since the motor has little reserve when a dull bit binds, and avoid pushing hard, which is the commonest way to stall a small drill.

The DEKOPRO 8V is a small screwdriver-class drill, the most compact thing in this guide. It charges through a USB-C cable, so any phone charger can refill it, which removes the proprietary charger that tends to disappear from small tool kits. The listing states clearly that it is for wood and plastic and not suited to masonry or hard metal, which is more honest than most.

Its 42-piece accessory set adds bits for common screws, so you can start straight away. The power is low, with the same 800 rpm ceiling as the 12V model but less torque behind it, so it suits assembling small furniture, mounting hooks and tightening eyeglass-scale hardware.

Because it is so light and small, it is also the safest drill to hand to a teenager or a first-time user. It cannot punish a wrist the way a 20V drill can. Do not buy it as your only drill if you plan to drive screws longer than about 2 inches, and expect to recharge it often.