For a "budget" cordless drill, I think the Craftsman C3 drill is hard to beat, IMHO. I bought mine a few years ago when I was using my sister's friends and family special sale to get the cordless recipsaw, it turned out to be only $20 more to get the dril/light combo which came with 2 batteries vs. 2 batteries and a charger separately. My only caution is that you need to get the correct drill. There's a cheaper, crappier drill and then there is the one that I have which I think is the "good" drill. (Found it on Sear's website, the drill without a battery is listed as "Craftsman 11581", but I would recommend looking for a kit with that drill.) I have a DeWalt 14.4V drill that I still would not trade for anything, but the Craftsman has been my "go-to" drill for sometime, now.
If you are willing to spend more money, then Makita, DeWalt, Bosch, Milwaukee will be fine, I tend to favor DeWalt or Makita for cordless tools, if I were to buy a new set of pro quality cordless tools, but every corded Bosch I have is a winner, I had a bad experience with a Milwaukee corded drill I bought (went through 3 before I gave up and bought a HF cheapie to get me through the project). Ryobi is of the budget variety, their One series (I think that's what they call it) is actually the same as the Craftsman C3 (non-compatible battery connection, though). The new Porter Cable stuff appears to be equivalent to the C3 series, not sure if its made by Ryobi, but is another budget choice, though I have no information on how well they hold up. Personally, I stay away from the Lowes and HD brands (i.e. Hitachi and Rigid). They just don't impress me. But then, the C3 earned my respect, as I was not impressed with their cheap feel at first, either.
Not sure where you're located, but if the Craftsman C3/Ryobi/PC are not "budget" enough for you, Harbor Freight sells what seem to be decent cordless drills. I bought a couple to canabalize the motors from, but did experiment with using them. Their shortcomings are the cheap batteries which die much quicker than the C3's I own.
wiser701 and a few others suggested compact drills. I agree if it's for EDU around the house but I don't know what you're using it for so I can't really give a good recommendation. So what are you using it for and how often?
My 'goto' drill in the ww shop is the Millwaukee M12 line (drill, driver, & impact). What I like about these compact drills is that they are light compared to an 18V type and I can use it all day without any fatigue and yet still drive the 3in screws every so often. I went with Milwaukee at the time because of their promotion when they first came out. Buy set (tool, 2 batteries, & charger) and get another tool free of your choice (no battery).
For anything more HD, everyday, trade use I recommend an 18v LiOn Makita. My contractor friends use it and swear by it. IMO all the premium brands (Bosch, Dewalt, Milwaukee, etc) make good drills however Makita comes up on top for me with regards to quality/durability/power ratio. They are generally a little more expensive than the others.
For a person on a budget who uses it once in a while, Ridgid brand is your best bet IMO because of their LSA (Lifetime Service Agreement). It would really suck if you bought an expensive & pretty drill, use it once or twice, store it away and come back 1 or 2 years later and the thing doesn't hold a charge because the battery is dead. Also remember: You have the 1 or whatever years warranty on the tool but the LSA only works if you register your tools on their website or by mail (you are not covered automatically).
One of the problems with LSA and registering is the wait time getting it processed. I read many complaints about how they're backed up several months and the consumers can't get their dead battery replaced when it's needed.
True there are some delays, but knowing every battery pack made has a finite number of cycles you know it is "when" not "if" you need a new battery. Replacement batteries are very expensive, and knowing I never have to buy another (@$100 each) is worth a delay every few years.
went from dewalt to milwaukee and i can recommend mikita , ridged and porter cable
but if you want a super nice drill paying $120 plus its fine but thats PRO grade IMO
also cannot suggest craftsman , skill , or black n decker - you may as well get a McCullough or harbor freight.
my best suggestion is get a refurb set like this NOTE not lithium ion but they have some swappable batts ( plus one system ) if you want to spring for it - id read more but a GOOD selling point , 2 batteries, recip, drill , circular saw , AND a flashlight !!! which you surely will MOD : )
also they have a lot of other tools that move into some lawn n garden ... let us know what you get : )
this is my monster powerful but heavy !!! get a light one
if you are going to spend some bucks , ridgid i havent used them myself only others word of mouth , but the life time batteries ! how can you beat that if they are decent
Depends on the Craftsman. Yep there is junk C-man cordless tools still offered by Sears (including one of the C3 drills, I recommended a specific one because it is the one I own and it has turned out to not be junk). I have worked my Craftsman C3 drill HARD over the past 5 or 6 years and it has always performed. I did wear out the original chuck, which I was never impressed with anyway. Replaced it with a good Jacobs keyless. It has literally built my 12'x24' workshop, plus a skin on frame kayak and countless other home projects. It has earned its keep and my respect. The batteries are not as good as those of my DeWalt 14.4V, but for a serious hobbiest, it is a very good drill. Would not recommend it for construction or in an industrial setting, but for use around the home and a serious WW'er, I think it is the best bang for the buck.
Back when I was starting to build my shed I did wish the drill would die so I could justify to the CFO that I needed a new top name brand one of a higher voltage than my DeWalt 14.4V, but now I have become kind of attached to it and have added on to the collection beyond the 3 original tools (drill/light, 2 battery and charger combo, plus the add-on recip.saw).
this is my monster 