18V Drill Kits: Makita vs DeWALT vs Ryobi vs Kincrome

You might expect the premium brands to cost the most, but the pricing here is tangled. DeWALT's 18V brushless hammer drill kit undercuts the equivalent Makita by $30, despite explicitly packing a hefty 5Ah battery. Meanwhile, Ryobi offers a two-battery setup for under $200, and Kincrome asks a steep premium to throw in a second tool.

The single drill sweet spot

If you just need a capable hammer drill, the DeWALT at $249 is hard to ignore. It gives you a brushless motor and a large 5Ah battery for less money than the Makita ($279). That big battery means fewer trips to the charger when you are drilling into masonry or driving long screws.

The Ryobi is the cheapest option at $199, saving you $50 compared to the DeWALT. While it doesn't mention a more efficient brushless motor, it does include two batteries (a 2Ah and a 4Ah). That is incredibly useful if you want to keep working while one battery sits on the charger.

Paying for the impact driver

The Kincrome kit jumps to $449, which is $200 more than the DeWALT. That premium buys you a second tool—an impact driver—alongside the drill. If you are driving long screws into decking or framing, an impact driver is exactly what you want. But if you only need to drill holes and drive the occasional screw around the house, paying almost double for a two-piece kit doesn't make sense.