A basic cordless drill is found in the tool bag of almost every electrician and workers in many other construction trades. Today, cordless drills are available in several sizes, and many are promoted to be as powerful, or more so, than corded drills of comparable sizes.

The first cordless drill came out in 1962, 54 years after the handheld electric drill was introduced. It was a heavy, corded tool that required both hands to operate and was considered by creator Black & Decker, Towson, Md., to be used in industrial and manufacturing plants. However, the drill’s value proved interesting to a wider range of customers.

The first cordless drill, also from Black & Decker, was powered by a nickel-cadmium (NiCad) battery, allowing workers to move freely around the work area without being tied to power cords and extension cords that can tangle and pose a tripping hazard.

As their popularity and demand increased, other manufacturers added cordless drills to their product lines, which led to improvements and tool evolution.

In 2005, Milwaukee Tool, Brookfield, Wis., introduced cordless tools to the lithium-ion battery, and the cordless tool market changed forever.

Companies offering cordless drills and a wide selection of cordless tools for professional users include Bosch, DeWalt (a Stanley Black & Decker company), Hilti, Makita, Milwaukee, Porter Cable and Ryobi. Black & Decker tools target the DIY market.

The lithium-ion battery changed the world of power tools. Below, manufacturers identify other significant milestones in the cordless drill’s evolution.

Mayela Schoonover, group project manager at Milwaukee Tool, cites five developments as the most significant:

• Battery technology. In the past, NiCad cells were the main power source for tool batteries, but they were considered a supplemental solution to corded tools. As technology advanced, lithium-ion cells were found to provide enough power to be a full replacement for corded tools. Rather than fading out when the battery was low like NiCad, lithium-ion allows using the battery’s full charge before needing to be recharged. In addition, lithium-ion technology delivers a faster throttle response and longer battery life. Users were quick to adopt the new and improved battery-operated tools, recognizing the benefits of productivity, portability and durability. Today, lithium-ion continues to be the main power source for battery-operated tools.

• Brushless technology. The introduction of brushless technology has allowed cordless tools to rival corded solutions’ power. A brushless motor has an electronic communication instead of a mechanical one (through the brushes). By removing the mechanical communication system, the electronic communication frees space to add more power-generating materials such as copper, metal and magnets. By eliminating mechanical parts within the motor, electrical communication can optimize the tool for increased reliability and overall use. An electronically controlled motor also allows for a wear-free design, increased efficiency and a much more durable motor. Brushless motors provide unmatched run time, power and application speed. As a result, users have increased productivity, mobility and safety without sacrificing power.

• Different voltages. Battery and motor technology advancements inspired tool manufacturers to look at diversifying their products to better fulfill different user groups’ needs. Twelve-volt tools were developed to provide a lighter-weight and more portable solution, particularly tailored for service groups. The lightweight tool is easier to use in tight spaces or above user’s heads, without sacrificing power. With 18V and 12V tool options, users can choose a solution that is best optimized for their job-site needs.

• Smaller tools. As technology has advanced, there has been a trend for tools to get smaller and more compact without loss of power. Smaller drills give users more portability and the ability to get into tighter spaces. As a result, there is a wider variety of drills tailored to specific applications.

• Safety/productivity. Over the past 70 years, cordless drills have made great advancements in performance, size and safety. With anti-kickback technology, when a drill bit catches or binds, the drill automatically turns off to prevent kickback and wrist injury. Users can expect to see more safety features added to their tools to prevent injury while increasing productivity.

Improvements to cutting accessories have kept pace with advances in basic tools.

“Advancements and innovations in materials, structure and shape have contributed to the improvement of drill bits and accessories,” Schoonover said. “The introduction of impact-rated bits has added to greater durability and longevity of bits by taking the tension of the torque away from the tip, resulting in less breakage and wear. Variable flute designs have improved users’ efficiency by quickly clearing out debris for faster cutting. Hex shanks were developed to provide a more secure fit while being compatible with both drill drivers and impact drivers.”

The use of carbide in the bit’s tip delivers a precision start and prevents “walking” to help users complete their work faster. These innovations provide users with a more successful experience during their daily tasks, Schoonover said.

Going forward, Schoonover sees a greater focus on advancing cordless drill safety. As the construction industry evolves, safety is becoming more of a concern on job sites. Safety and quality assurance managers are in charge of ensuring projects are meeting safety standards. One example of quality assurance would be the verification that all pilot holes have been made to a specified depth without going into another material.

“In the future, there could be improvements made in the communication between the tool and the application,” Schoonover said. “For example, a drill would be able to automatically stop after drilling to a certain depth or before it hits another piece of material. Developments like this would give both workers and quality assurance managers confidence that a process is repeatable and meets the necessary safety protocols every time.”

Schoonover said users should continue to voice their frustrations and thoughts about ways to improve cordless drills.

“Experts in their trades and daily tasks, users have the best understanding of what they want or need out of a tool to get the job done. As users voice their concerns, tool manufacturers can develop solutions better tailored to their needs, resulting in greater tool development and innovation,” Schoonover said.

Brandon Stumpf, senior product manager at DeWalt, Towson, Md., also considers the most significant advances in cordless drill evolution.

• Brushless motor technology has maximized efficiency while minimizing friction, heat build-up and the corresponding energy loss caused by the physical brush contact in traditional motors.

• Battery technology helps to improve runtime and efficiency. For example, the just-launched compact battery uses pouch cell technology rather than traditional cylindrical, and cells deliver 50% more power in a 25% more compact housing that is 15% lighter and has two times the lifespan.

• Material advancements help to improve durability and allow for ergonomic enhancement.

Looking ahead, Stumpf said there is a focus on user-driven features such as anti-kickback technology and a focus on power, ergonomics and durability.

According to Robert Chetelat, senior product manager at Plano, Texas-based Hilti, these are the most important benefits of today’s cordless drills.

• High performance. Today’s cordless drills can perform most applications done by today’s corded drills.

• Productivity. Today’s cordless drills can drill hundreds of holes per charge.

• Safety. Hilti cordless drills today come standard with active torque control (ATC) to help protect the user. If a tool spins too fast, ATC stops the motor to help prevent twisted-wrist injuries.

• Size. The tools continue to get smaller in size, making it easier for the operators to work.

• Brushless motors. Advancements in motor technology allow extended size and depth of the holes that can be drilled, making corded tools a tool of the past.

Chetelat sees the future for drills and other power tools as cordless.

Brittany Buchanan, social media and public relations brand manager at Bosch, Farmington Hills, Mich., cites several developments in cordless drills’ evolution, including keyless chucks, inclusion of clutches for repeatable driving, continued lithium-ion battery development for more power and longer runtime, kickback control, improved power-to-weight ratio of tools and batteries and transition to brushless motors.

“There is a wide range of high-performance cutting solutions, and manufacturers will continue to develop accessories that cut faster, last longer and are specialized for specific materials and applications,” Buchanan said. “We achieve longer life and faster cuts by optimizing both the materials we use and the geometry of the teeth and flutes that do the cutting. In addition, making the accessories perform better and are more efficient, make batteries last longer.”

Buchanan said Bosch is constantly researching to innovate products based on user needs. Power tools will continue to adapt, evolve and take on new advancements to keep up with professionals’ needs.

“We anticipate seeing increased compactness of tools, increased power, more connectivity solutions and other custom control features on tools such as angle detection,” she said.

To drill down deeper, read “100 Years of Innovation: History of the Electric Drill” in the February 2016 issue of Electrical Contractor.