Speed, power, endurance, precision … the best cordless drills share many traits with Olympic athletes. Subconsciously, this might have informed my method for testing these power tools: a gauntlet of DIY challenges, against the clock. I also learned, much to my alarm, that drilling into wood with the drill bit turning in the wrong direction is an efficient way to start a fire. I would need to change the drill bit after every station, and I’d time each drill to see how quickly it completes these tasks. The Drillympics was fun and useful in equal measure, but it couldn’t make up the entirety of my cordless drill testing.

Source: The Guardian February 23, 2026 15:59 UTC