Buying a combo kit isn't really buying two tools. It's picking a battery platform you'll live with for years, because the next saw, blower, or impact wrench you add has to run on the same packs. Get this decision right and you save a fortune later. Get it wrong and you're either stuck with a thin tool lineup or buying a second set of batteries. So the question isn't "which drill is best," it's "whose ecosystem do you want to join, and at what budget."
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Two ground rules apply across every brand. Buy brushless, not brushed. Brushless motors run cooler, last longer, and squeeze more work out of each charge, and at this point the price gap is small. Second, batteries don't cross brands or, in most cases, voltage classes. Milwaukee's M12 won't fit an M18 tool, Makita's 18V LXT won't fit a 40V XGT tool, and Ryobi's 18V ONE+ won't power its 40V gear. Pick a lane.
Best for the pro who wants the most power
The Milwaukee M18 FUEL kit (3697-22) is the one to beat on a real jobsite. It pairs the 2904-20 hammer drill with the 2953-20 impact driver, both running Milwaukee's POWERSTATE brushless motors, and it ships with two REDLITHIUM XC 5.0Ah packs instead of the dinky 2.0Ah cells most kits include. That's the difference between charging once a day and charging at lunch. The drill is also remarkably short at under 7 inches, which matters in a stud bay.
The catch is weight and price. Those 5.0Ah packs add heft to the nose of the drill, and this is the most expensive kit here. If you wear out batteries for a living, it's worth every dollar. If you hang a few shelves a year, it's overkill.
Best all-rounder and biggest platform
DeWalt's DCK283D2 is the safe, smart pick for most people who want pro-grade tools without going all in. You get the DCD791 brushless drill and DCF887 brushless impact, both proven workhorses, on the 20V MAX system that has the widest tool selection in the US at well over 300 options. Whatever you need next, DeWalt makes it.
The one weakness is the batteries. It comes with two 2.0Ah packs, which are light and great for trim work but will tap out fast on a hole saw or a mixing paddle. Plan to add a 4.0 or 5.0Ah pack early. If you'd rather not, jump to the DCK249E1M1, which swaps in a 4.0Ah POWERSTACK pouch-cell battery and a hammer drill for not much more.
Best if you want light and quiet
Makita's XT288T is for the person who picks up a tool all day and notices how it feels. Makita tunes its motors to be quieter and its tools to balance well in the hand, and the LXT line has been around long enough that the accessory catalog is enormous. The XPH14Z hammer drill is rated up to 1,250 in-lbs of max torque, and it ships with two genuine 5.0Ah packs, so runtime isn't a compromise here.
The catch is the platform fork. Makita is splitting attention between 18V LXT and the newer 40V XGT, and the two don't share batteries. LXT isn't going anywhere soon, but know that the flashiest new Makita tools tend to land on XGT first.
Best for the DIY homeowner
You don't need a Milwaukee to hang blinds and build a workbench, and the Ryobi ONE+ HP kit (PBLCK01K2) proves it. The HP line is genuinely brushless, not the old budget Ryobi, and the drill and impact have enough muscle for any normal household job. The real draw is the platform: ONE+ has more than 300 tools, including oddball stuff like inflators and glue guns, and every 18V ONE+ battery you ever buy fits all of them.
The catch is the same 2.0Ah packs that limit the DeWalt, and Ryobi tools won't keep up with the pro kits under heavy sustained load. For the money, though, nothing matches the value.
If I were buying one kit today and didn't already own batteries, I'd take the DeWalt DCK283D2 for the platform breadth and add a bigger battery on day one. Spend all day on tools and the Milwaukee 3697-22 is the upgrade. Just heading to the garage on weekends? The Ryobi will not let you down.