Should You Get A Brushless Drill? - Consumer Reports

1. More energy-efficient. Because there are no brushes rubbing against anything, no energy is lost due to friction. That means brushless motors are more energy-efficient than brushed drills and can run on batteries for up to 50 percent longer. "That energy efficiency translates into more powerful drills because there's no mechanical limitations posed by brushes," says John Banta, a senior test project leader at CR.

2. More responsive. A drill with a brushless motor adjusts its speed, torque, and power supply to match the task at hand. It'll sense if you're driving screws into a light material like drywall or a dense material like mahogany, and use only enough power to accomplish the job. (This battery power conservation also contributes to the brushless motor's efficiency.) A brushed motor will use the same amount of power no matter what resistance it's up against.

3. Capable of packing more power, torque, and speed. Without brushes to cause friction and slow things down, brushless drills pack more power and torque. They can reach higher speeds, too. "You can expect a 15 to 35 percent increase in performance compared with a brushed motor drill," says Banta.

4. Easier to maintain. A brushed drill requires new brushes after every 50 to 60 hours of use, but brushless models don't have any brushes that need replacement.

5. Smaller and lighter. Brushless motors are also smaller than brushed motors, which brings down the overall size of the tool. Lauren Chell, a product manager at Dewalt, cites an example of a brushless model that's 25 percent more compact than the brushed version the company makes. "For a compact drill, you could see a reduction of 1 pound and over 1 inch in length," Chell says.

What does that mean when using a drill? Banta says you can get into tighter spaces with the same or better power.

6. Longer-lasting. No friction in a brushless drill means less wear and tear, and less heat. "Excessive heat is the enemy of both the motor and the battery," says Wayne Hart, communications manager at Makita. "And a brushless motor runs up to 50 percent cooler than a brushed motor."

With a brushless drill, any heat that does develop dissipates faster because the winding mechanism that creates heat is on the casing of the drill rather than in the interior. Because of this, brushless drills don't need air vents on its casing for cooling, so they're better protected from dirt and debris than brushed versions.