2022 test10 productsPower Tools
Which Right Angle Drill Brand Wins?
We compared 10 right angle drill options head to head. Ryobi ONE+ HP came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
Ryobi ONE+ HP
Price shown in test: $100
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Runner-up
Ridgid
Price shown in test: $139
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Specs | Deck screw driving speed (4.5 inch screw, average of 3) | Max torque (lag bolt test, low range) | Wood boring | 2 minute continuous load endurance test | Max torque (lag bolt test, single speed) | Max torque (lag bolt test) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ryobi ONE+ HP$100 | brushless motor, two speed transmission, up to 350 inch pounds of torque claimed, 3.56 inches long, weighs 2.4 lb, 76.1 dB, low range 18 to 446 rpm, high range up to 1,685 rpm (the fastest high range spin of all ten) | 1.8 seconds, took the lead from the base Ryobi ONE+ at the time | 196 inch pounds, second best of all ten drills | handled up to a 2 and 1/8 inch bit at 8.11 seconds, the first drill able to bore with the 1.5 inch bit as well (6.78 seconds) | survived the full 2 minutes in low range but overheated and began smoking badly around the 80 second mark before powering down to cool | not tested | not tested |
| 2Ridgid$139 | best in class claimed torque of 375 inch pounds, two speed gearbox (0 to 500 low, 0 to 1,852 high), 3.56 inches long, the lightest tool tested at 2.04 lb, 82.4 dB | 1.41 seconds, tied for second fastest with Makita | 179 inch pounds, third best | fastest of all ten with a 1 inch bit at 1.82 seconds, handled the 2 and 1/8 inch bit in 5.47 seconds | survived the full 2 minutes in low range without issue | not tested | not tested |
| 3Kobalt$119 | 24 volt brushless motor, up to 250 inch pounds of torque claimed, two speed gearbox (0 to 600 first gear, 0 to 2,000 second gear), 3.9 inches long, weighs 2.805 lb, quietest of all ten at 82 dB, fastest high range spin among the group's mid pack at 1,950 rpm | 1.2 seconds, the fastest of all ten drills | 167 inch pounds, fourth best | fastest drill overall with a 3/4 inch bit at 1.46 seconds (tied with Ridgid), handled the 2 and 1/8 inch bit in 4.86 seconds | could not get the load spinning in high range but survived the full 2 minutes easily in low range | not tested | not tested |
| 4DeWalt$139 | dual speed (0 to 650 low, 0 to 2,000 high), 3 8 inch ratcheting chuck, made in Mexico (the only brand not made in China or Japan), weighs just over 3 lb, 79.4 dB | 1.5 seconds | 211 inch pounds, the best of all ten drills | handled the 1.5 inch bit in 4.96 seconds (second fastest) but slowed to 6.43 seconds on the 2 and 1/8 inch bit | got the load spinning in high range and performed well but began smoking after about 45 seconds and shut off at 1 minute 5 seconds; the host noted it does not seem to have overload protection and it was still smoking badly afterward | not tested | not tested |
| 5Makita$159, the most expensive brand tested | single speed transmission, 4 pole brushed motor, 121 inch pounds max torque claimed, 18 volt battery, made in Japan, about 3.5 inches long, weighs 2.6 lb, 77 dB, rpm range 90 to 1,939 | 1.41 seconds, tied for second fastest with Ridgid | not tested | handled up to a 1 inch bit at 1.97 seconds (second fastest with that bit) but the single speed gearbox did not have enough torque for the 1.5 inch bit | one of only four drills to survive the full 2 minutes, no problem getting the load spinning despite being single speed | 106 inch pounds, the best result among the single speed only tools | not tested |
| 6Milwaukee M18$129, about $30 more than the M12 | brushed motor, up to 1,500 rpm and 125 inch pounds of torque claimed, made in China, about 3.84 inches long, weighs 2.725 lb, 77.1 dB, rpm range 44 to 1,494 | 1.7 seconds, about twice as fast as the Milwaukee M12 | not tested | handled the 3/4 inch hole in 1.97 seconds but the single speed transmission could not handle the 1 inch bit | single speed transmission could not get the load spinning over at all | not tested | 45 inch pounds, only 5 inch pounds more than the M12 |
| 7Metabo HPT$120 | brushed motor, capable of 1,800 rpm claimed, made in China, the most compact of all ten at 3.45 inches, weighs the same as the Kobalt at 1,274 g, 83.8 dB, rpm range 78 to about 1,600 | 2.12 seconds, enough to move into third place behind the Ryobi ONE+ HP and Kobalt at that point in the video | not tested | bored a 3/4 inch hole in 2.22 seconds but the single speed transmission did not have enough torque for the 1 inch bit | ran out of steam after 20 seconds of actual run time | 61 inch pounds | not tested |
| 8Milwaukee M12$99 | 3 8 inch ratcheting chuck, 100 inch pounds max torque claimed, made in China, the most compact drill body at 3.8 inches, weighs 2.045 lb (nearly the lightest), 74.1 dB, rpm range 38 to just over 800 | 3.28 seconds, about a second slower than the Ryobi ONE+ | not tested | not fast enough for a 1 inch bit, ran out of steam | only lasted 18 seconds | not tested | 40 inch pounds |
| 9Ryobi ONE+ (base model)$79, the least expensive of the two Ryobi models tested | 18 volt brushed motor, single speed, 0 to 1,100 rpm claimed, made in China, 4.14 inches long, weighs 2.945 lb, 75.6 dB | 2.42 seconds, almost twice as fast as the Costway | not tested | made quick work of a 3/4 inch bit but could not handle a 1.5 inch bit | survived the full 2 minutes without a problem despite being single speed | 72 inch pounds | not tested |
| 10Costway kit (includes battery and charger)$55, the least expensive brand tested | brushed motor, 12 volt 2,000 milliamp hour battery, claims up to 700 rpm and 106 inch pounds of torque, made in China, weighs 2.4 lb, not very compact at 4.36 inches, the quietest overall at 71.3 dB, topped out at 714 rpm | 4.5 seconds, the slowest of all ten drills | not tested | could not complete even a 3/4 inch self feeding spade bit in under 2 seconds | stalled on the first attempt, then ran out of steam after only 12 seconds | not tested | stalled at only 38 inch pounds, the weakest of all ten |
How it was tested
- screw driving speed test with number 10 by 4.5 inch deck screws (3 screw average)
- maximum torque test driving 5/16 by 5 inch lag bolts with a torque adapter
- wood boring speed and torque test with 3/4 inch, 1 inch, 1.5 inch, and 2 and 1/8 inch self feeding spade bits
- 2 minute continuous load endurance test spinning a lawnmower engine with a spark plug removed against a 33 inch pound brake load
- tool weight, size, and noise level measurements
- subjective ergonomics assessment of grip, trigger location, and forward/reverse switch placement
“the roby one plus hp definitely seems like the best value when you consider the price”