8Rank 08 of 8 · Best Cordless Drill Sets
DeWalt DeWalt DCD805
Included as a warning. A compact, well-specified brushless tool at 90 Nm — that scored 4.0 at Stiftung Warentest because its battery failed before reaching 400 charge cycles.
6.1BPR score
- €131Price
- 4.0 ausreichend (Stiftung Warentest 6/2025)Independent test grade
- 8 of 8in Best Cordless Drill Sets
- 6.1BPR score 0–10
Review
What this product is
Written after the analysis, from the same sources the score is built on: the manufacturer's documentation, available studies and verified owner feedback.
On paper this is a good tool. Compact combi drill, brushless motor, 90 Nm hard and 27 Nm soft torque, 13 mm metal ratcheting keyless chuck, two gears at 0–650 and 0–2,000 rpm, 34,000 bpm, and 55 mm wood / 13 mm steel / 13 mm masonry capacity at 1.3 kg bare. Good specification, good size, reasonable price at €131 for the bare tool.
Stiftung Warentest 6/2025 scored it 4.0 "ausreichend", and the reason is specific: its battery failed below 400 charge cycles in the durability protocol. Everything else about the tool is beside the point once that happens, because a cordless drill whose pack degrades early becomes a €130 tool needing a €120 battery.
We have included it deliberately rather than quietly leaving it out, because it makes the argument this whole guide rests on. This is a brushless tool from a professional brand with a higher torque figure than the €80 Einhell that won the same test — and it scored two grades worse. Not one of those three signals predicted the result.
Toolbrothers gave it an "Empfehlung" in August 2022, before the durability data existed.
A correction worth noting if you compare specification sheets. testberichte.de's data sheet labels this tool's torques the wrong way round, showing 90 Nm soft and 27 Nm hard. DeWalt's own distributor data and every RS Components listing give 90 Nm as the maximum hard-joint figure. The correct reading is 90 hard, 27 soft.
DeWalt also uses UWO (Unit Watts Out) in some markets, a proprietary power metric that is not torque at all and is not comparable to any competitor's figure. And "20 V MAX" branding describes the same 18 V nominal battery every European brand sells — five cells at 3.6 V nominal, 4.0 V off the charger.
Technical data
Specification
Figures from the manufacturer's documentation, verified against available outside sources. Values we could not confirm are marked as declared.
- Type
- Compact combi / hammer drill
- Maximum torque
- 90 Nm hard joint / 27 Nm soft joint
- Motor
- Brushless
- Battery platform
- DeWalt 18 V XR (marketed as 20 V MAX)
- Chuck
- 13 mm metal ratcheting keyless
- Speeds
- 0-650 / 0-2 000 rpm, 34 000 bpm
- Clutch settings
- 15 plus drill
- Weight
- 1.3 kg bare / 1.6 kg with battery
- Capacities
- Wood 55 mm, steel 13 mm, masonry 13 mm
- Stiftung Warentest 6/2025
- 4.0 ausreichend - battery failed below 400 cycles
- Price
- from EUR 130.90 bare
Component scores
Where the score
comes from.
Four components, equal weight, each on a 0–10 scale and each resting on a named source. The overall score is their mean — the full procedure is in the methodology.
What we liked
- Good specification on paper: 90 Nm hard, 1.3 kg bare, compact
- Publishes both hard and soft torque figures
- 13 mm metal ratcheting keyless chuck
- 55 mm wood and 13 mm masonry capacity
- DeWalt 18 V XR platform carries over 300 tools
Worth knowing
- Stiftung Warentest 6/2025: 4.0 ausreichend
- Battery failed below 400 charge cycles in the durability test
- Costs €51 more than the tool that won the same test
- Aggregator data sheets have the soft and hard torque figures reversed
- "20V MAX" branding describes the same 18 V battery as every European rival
Comparison
How it compares
within the category
All values come from the same analysis and are comparable only within the category Best Cordless Drill Sets.
| Product | Score | Independent test grade | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Einhell Professional TP-CD 18/70 Li-i BLTop score | 9.1 | 1.8 gut — Testsieger (Stiftung Warentest 6/2025) | €84 |
| DeWalt DCD805This product | 6.1 | 4.0 ausreichend (Stiftung Warentest 6/2025) | €131 |
| Category average8 products analysed | 8.2 | — | — |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should I avoid DeWalt entirely?
No — this is one result on one model, from one test round. DeWalt's 18 V XR platform carries over 300 tools and is a serious professional system. What the result shows is that a professional badge and a brushless motor do not guarantee a good battery, and that the battery is the component most likely to end a cordless tool's useful life. Check independent durability results for the specific model and pack you are buying.
What does 20V MAX actually mean?
It is the peak voltage of the pack measured with no load immediately off the charger. Five lithium cells in series give 5 x 3.6 V = 18 V nominal, and 5 x 4.0 V = 20 V peak. DeWalt's own specification sheets state this plainly. Bosch, Makita, Milwaukee, Metabo and Einhell print the nominal 18 V; DeWalt and Parkside print the peak. They are the same battery.
From the same ranking
Other products in Best Cordless Drill Sets.
The same protocol, the same key parameter, the same set of sources.
-
No. 019.1/ 10
Einhell Professional TP-CD 18/70 Li-i BL
Stiftung Warentest's 2025 outright winner, at €80 for the bare tool. Brushless, 70 Nm hard…
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No. 029.0/ 10
Bosch AdvancedDrill 18V-80 QuickSnap
The best pure drill-driver here: 78 Nm, brushless, and just 1.2 kg with the battery…
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No. 038.6/ 10
Parkside PSBSA 20-Li C3
Second place at Stiftung Warentest 2025 — with a brushed motor, beating several brushless…
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No. 048.4/ 10
Einhell TE-CD 18/50 Li-i BL
The most consistently tested tool here — graded by four separate publications between 2021 and…