Cordless drills Pricier may not be better.(Best gifts)(Product/service evaluation)

You don't have to spend top dollar for a capable cordless drill or driver that's easy on your arms. Three of the top picks in this report cost less than $100, and 10 weigh less than 5 pounds.

You'll find plenty of cordless drills priced much higher, largely because of better battery technology. Lithium-ion batteries typically deliver more power for their weight than the more common nickel-cadmium (NiCd) cells. They also work without toxic cadmium, which can contaminate groundwater if spent NiCd batteries aren't recycled and are thrown out with trash. But lower-priced NiCd cells still power most drills at stores and on our Quick Picks list because they provide decent performance for most tasks.

You'll also see more $300 to $400 drills and impact drivers that promise "heavy-duty" and "pro-grade" performance, as well as ultralight cordless screwdrivers with a heavyweight price. But as our tough tests show, some of the largest tools delivered less than their brawn and bulk suggest, while some of the smallest proved to be little more than high-priced toys. Here are the details:

Bigger isn't necessarily better. At 7.2 pounds and $450, DeWalt's 36-volt DC900KL is among the heaviest, priciest, and highest-voltage cordless drills you can buy. Yet it was also one of several heavyweight drills that were outpowered and outscored overall by lighter, lower-priced models in our tests.

Less can cost more. Black & Decker's new 2.8-pound SC1400 is the lightest drill we've tested. But it delivers little performance for its $130 price. Smaller cordless screwdrivers weigh even less and offer bendable powerheads for getting into tight spots. But our tests of the Panasonic, $160, and Hitachi, $90, found both models low on speed, power, and run time, despite their high prices.

Impact drivers are pricey and loud. These tools emphasize torque for driving fasteners into hardwood and loosening stuck or rusted bolts. Nearly all we tested delivered noticeably more torque than our most powerful cordless drills without twisting in our hands. But all were relatively slow at drilling and noisier than the 85 decibels at which we recommend hearing protection. Most top-performing impact drivers also cost $200 or more.An exception: the high-scoring Ryobi P230C, $130, a CR Best Buy.

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