Metabo HPT MultiVolt DS18DC Drill/Driver

Released in July 2026, the GFD03 is Makita's most powerful driver-drill and the non-hammer twin of the GPH03. It makes 1,590 in-lbs through a 3-speed gearbox (0-650, 0-1,800 and 0-2,400 RPM), and Makita says the medium gear gives twice the working speed without overloading the battery. The electronic clutch has 41 settings in low, 30 in medium and 21 in high. AFT cuts the motor if the bit suddenly stops, and XPT sealing, a reinforced gear housing and a redesigned side handle round it out.

Milwaukee's fourth-generation M18 Fuel drill/driver shares its motor and gearbox with the 2904 hammer drill but drops the hammer mechanism, keeping the same 6.88-inch head length. It makes 1,400 in-lbs, 200 more than the previous generation, with 0-500 and 0-2,100 RPM ranges. This generation brought AutoStop anti-kickback to the standard (non-One-Key) model and went back to a mechanical 16-position clutch after the Gen 3's electronic one drew complaints. Milwaukee ships it with a side handle and belt clip.

With a CORE18V PROFACTOR pack fitted, Bosch rates its heaviest-hitting non-hammer drill at 1,330 in-lbs from the BITURBO brushless motor, through a 0-550/0-2,200 RPM two-speed metal gearbox. KickBack Control cuts power when the bit binds, and Electronic Angle Detection gives feedback on a small onboard interface so long screws and holes go in at the angle you set. A 25-position clutch, all-metal chuck and a connectivity-ready slot for Bosch's GCY42 module round it out. It launched in January 2022 alongside the GSB18V-1330C hammer version, which is the one to buy if you ever drill masonry.

Launched in May 2025 to replace the DCD800, the DCD801 is DeWalt's highest-output 2-speed drill/driver, rated at 1,050 max watts out (MWO). DeWalt no longer quotes in-lbs for it. A gyro-based ANTI-ROTATION system cuts the motor if the body spins suddenly in a bind-up, and a red LED on the tool shows when it has tripped. Gearing is 0-650 and 0-2,000 RPM through a 15-position clutch and metal ratcheting chuck. The head is 6.47 in long, about half an inch shorter than the DCD806 hammer drill version.

Makita launched the XFD14 in May 2021 as the non-hammer twin of its XPH14 flagship, and it remains the most powerful driver-drill in the 18V LXT range. Its brushless motor makes 1,250 in-lbs through a 2-speed gearbox (0-550 and 0-2,100 RPM), with a 21-step clutch and an all-metal self-ratcheting chuck. Makita rates it for 3-inch self-feed bits and 6-inch hole saws in wood, and the 7-inch head is 14% shorter than the model it replaced. XPT sealing and STAR Protection overload controls come standard, but there is no anti-kickback electronics.

Flex's top drill/driver makes 1,400 in-lbs from its Sensor-Free brushless motor, and a Turbo switch raises the two gear ranges from 0-550/0-2,000 to 0-700/0-2,500 RPM for fast small-bit work. The metal single-sleeve ratcheting chuck has carbide teeth, and anti-kickback protection and electronic braking are built in. At 7 inches long and 3.7 lbs bare, it packs that torque into a body shorter than Bosch's. The tool-only FX1171T-Z comes with a side handle, bit holder and belt clip.