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Craftsman V20 1/2-In. Drill/Driver Kit CMCD700C1 Review

A decent drill for DIY projects that won't deplete your savings
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Craftsman V20 1/2-In. Drill/Driver Kit CMCD700C1 Review (The high and low operating modes are handy when drilling large holes or driving in big fasteners.)
The high and low operating modes are handy when drilling large holes or driving in big fasteners.
Credit: Laura Casner
Price:  $79 List
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Manufacturer:   Craftsman
By David Wise and Austin Palmer  ⋅  Feb 14, 2022
60
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#13 of 23
  • Drilling - 35% 6.6
  • Driving - 35% 6.2
  • Battery Life - 20% 4.4
  • Convenience - 10% 6.0

Our Verdict

The Craftsman V20 1/2-In Drill/Driver Kit CMCD700C1 isn't the most powerful or high-performing cordless drill we have tested so far but we were pleasantly surprised with its performance given its much more affordable price tag when compared to the best drills. This drill has a decent amount of power, impressing us with its performance at driving in screws and drilling holes in a steel sheet. It also is fairly convenient and user-friendly tool to operate, though we did wish that it had a little bit longer battery life and included an additional battery.
REASONS TO BUY
Impressive drilling power
Strong steel drilling performance
Good control
Great price
REASONS TO AVOID
Only includes a single batter
So-so battery life in our tests
Editor's Note: This drill review was updated on February 14th, 2022, with more information on which drills we'd recommend to friends.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Best Buy Award
Best Bang for Your Buck
  Best Buy Award
Best 12 Volt Option a Budget
Best Buy Award
A Great Drill for Tight Budgets
Price $79 List
$59.00 at Amazon
$99 List
$61.00 at Amazon
$100 List
$68.49 at Amazon
$139 List
$105.52 at Amazon
$87 List
$71.83 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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84
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35
Star Rating
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Bottom Line A great budget drill for a homeowners or DIYer and has more than enough power for moderate to light-duty tasksThis model performs well across the board, and is especially worth the purchase if you already own the battery and chargerLimited driving performance kept this model from doing better overallOur favorite compact 12-volt drill when considering overall performance and priceThis drill isn't great, but can speed up driving screws through prefabricated furniture at a low price
Rating Categories Craftsman V20 1/2-I... Ryobi ONE+ HP 18V B... Ridgid 18V Brushles... Bosch 12V Max Drill... Black+Decker 20V Ma...
Drilling (35%)
6.6
9.3
8.9
5.8
4.1
Driving (35%)
6.2
8.8
5.6
4.5
3.2
Battery Life (20%)
4.4
6.8
9.2
3.2
2.6
Convenience (10%)
6.0
6.6
7.0
5.8
4.6
Specs Craftsman V20 1/2-I... Ryobi ONE+ HP 18V B... Ridgid 18V Brushles... Bosch 12V Max Drill... Black+Decker 20V Ma...
Five Inch Hole Saw Test 55 seconds 20 seconds 22 seconds 70 seconds 90 seconds
Lag Screw Test 4.37 in 4.75 in 4.25 in 3.87 in 3.19 in
Manufacturer Peak Torque 280 in-lbs 750 in-lbs 400 in-lbs 256 in-lbs Not Listed
Measured Charge Time 58 min 63 min 59 min 85 min 210 min
Measured Weight 3.44 lbs 3.77 lbs 2.97 lbs 2.17 lbs 2.68 lbs
Measured Length 8.25 in 7.1875 in 6.25 in 6.625 in 7 in
Measured Number of Settings 23 24 23 20 10
Manufacturer Stated RPM Low: 0 - 450
High: 0 - 1500
Low: 0 - 500
High: 0 - 2100
Low: 0 - 400
High: 0 - 1750
Low: 0 - 350
High: 0 -1300
0 - 650
Included Battery Pack(s) 1.3 Ah 2.0 Ah Tested with 2.0 Ah 2.0 Ah 1.5 Ah
Max Chuck 1/2 in 1/2 in 1/2 in 3/8 in 3/8 in
Battery Voltage 20V 18V 18V 12V 20V
Drill Model Tested CMCD700 PBLDD01 R8701 PS31 LDX120C
Box Model (Kit) Tested CMCD700C1 PBLDD01K Tested tool-only, no kit PS31-2A LDX120C
Battery Indicator Location Battery Battery Battery Drill N/A
LED Location Above the trigger Above the battery Above the battery Above the trigger Above the trigger
Included Belt Clip No No Yes No No

Our Analysis and Test Results

Performance Comparison


craftsman v20 1/2-in. drill/driver kit cmcd700c1 - the cmcd700c1 is a decent all-around drill that is a good budget...
The CMCD700C1 is a decent all-around drill that is a good budget option if you are just starting your tool collection.
Credit: Laura Casner

Drilling


To rank and score the drilling performance of the CMCD700C1 and other top drills, we conducted three different tests: drilling through a door with a 5" hole saw, making holes in 2x dimensional lumber with a 1" spade bit, and using twist drills in a steel sheet. This trio of evaluations accounts for 35% of the final score for each cordless tool, with the Craftsman scoring quite well.


We were pretty impressed with the performance of the CMCD700C1 in our hole saw test - especially given its budget nature — powering through to drill a hole the full-depth of the bit in 50-60 seconds. It started strong in its higher gear but eventually started to catch and stall. These struggles went away when we shifted to a lower gear, but the air coming out of the vents on the side of the drill was warm enough to burn your hand by the end of the test.

craftsman v20 1/2-in. drill/driver kit cmcd700c1 - the cmcd700c1 did manage to drill the hole saw to its full depth but...
The CMCD700C1 did manage to drill the hole saw to its full depth but the exhaust air coming out of the drill was hot enough to burn.
Credit: Laura Casner

Unfortunately, the performance of this cordless drill dropped a little bit when we tried to use the paddle bit. We had a mixed performance when using the CMCD700C1 in its high gear setting, with it sometimes barely making it through and other times failing. It didn't have much of a problem when we shifted to the lower gear, making it through slowly but surely. This would be fine if you just needed it for the occasional heavy-duty task, but its lack of speed would become irritating quite quickly if you needed to drill lots of holes with a spade bit in quick succession.

craftsman v20 1/2-in. drill/driver kit cmcd700c1 - we had to shift to the lower gear to successfully drill the 1" holes.
We had to shift to the lower gear to successfully drill the 1" holes.
Credit: Laura Casner

The CMCD700C1 score rebounded a bit when it came to drilling steel sheets, matching the performance of the top-tier drills with the ¼" bit. It quickly and easily drilled a hole through a 16 gauge steel sheet in about a second and a half.

craftsman v20 1/2-in. drill/driver kit cmcd700c1 - we were impressed with how easily the cmcd700c1 went through the...
We were impressed with how easily the CMCD700C1 went through the steel sheets.
Credit: Laura Casner

It took slightly longer than the premium tools with the ½" twist bit but still only took between 5-7 seconds for each hole. However, it would occasionally bind up right at the end as it punched through the sheet.

craftsman v20 1/2-in. drill/driver kit cmcd700c1 - the cmcd700c1 offers plenty of control and can fully countersink...
The CMCD700C1 offers plenty of control and can fully countersink most screws to the proper depth if they aren't too big.
Credit: Laura Casner

Driving


After ranking and scoring the drilling performance of the Craftsman, our next metric dealt with testing how proficient it is at putting in fasteners. This set of tests is also accountable for 35% of each drill's final score. We determined scores by comparing how well this cordless drill drove in a 5" long, ½" lag bolt and 3" long wood screws.


The CMCD700C1 struggled a bit with the larger lag screw, delivering a so-so result overall. This drill couldn't fully drive in the screw, no matter what we tried. It left about ⅝" of the screw above the surface of the wood and worked very hard to get it there. We called it quits there when the drill just kept clicking, as we didn't want to damage the tool completely.

craftsman v20 1/2-in. drill/driver kit cmcd700c1 - the cmcd700c1 failed to drive in the larger lag screw all the way.
The CMCD700C1 failed to drive in the larger lag screw all the way.
Credit: Laura Casner

The Craftsman handled the smaller wood screw much better, offering plenty of control while countersinking their heads. It has more than enough power to get the job done, even when driving the screw through tougher knots, but it is much slower than the top-tier tools.

craftsman v20 1/2-in. drill/driver kit cmcd700c1 - the cmcd700c1 performed a little below average in our tests.
The CMCD700C1 performed a little below average in our tests.
Credit: Laura Casner

Battery Life


Our third metric focused on the battery life of each tool, accounting for 20% of the final score for each product. Specifically, we looked at how long each product lasted during a side-by-side comparison of drilling and driving tests and how long it took to charge. Unfortunately, the Craftsman failed to do all that well. We tested this model with a 1.3 Ah battery.


To compare the battery life of the included batteries, we alternated between driving in 16 of the 3" wood screws to their full depth, then drilling a 1" hole with a spade bit in a 2x12 and awarded points based on the number of cycles completed. The CMCD700C1 only completed four cycles before calling it quits, though it only was one and a half holes short of finishing the fifth set. The best models completed over ten cycles before their battery was fully depleted.

craftsman v20 1/2-in. drill/driver kit cmcd700c1 - the craftsman drill did an alright job with the spade bits but...
The Craftsman drill did an alright job with the spade bits but struggled towards the end of each hole.
Credit: Laura Casner

The 1.3 amp-hour battery does charge in less than an hour, which is faster than average, but we wish a second battery was included.

Convenience


We rated and scored the overall ease of use and convenience of the CMCD700C1for, our final metric. We looked at the ease of installing/removing the battery, if there is a charge level indicator, how much it weighs, the different operating modes, the maximum diameter bit that works in the chuck, and the quality of the integrated work light there. The CMCD700C1 did a bit better with an above-average level of convenience.


This drill weighs in at just shy of three and a half pounds, which is about average for the group. It didn't include a belt clip, but it does have the option to add one by the battery pack. The CMCD700C1 has both a high and low operating mode and can grab up to a ½" diameter bit when the chuck is fully extended.

The LED light built into the Craftsman isn't our favorite, as we found the light was blocked a bit by the chuck when trying to line up a bit. It isn't the brightest we've seen and generally found additional lighting required when using this product in a dark space.

craftsman v20 1/2-in. drill/driver kit cmcd700c1 - we weren't too impressed with the integrated work light of the...
We weren't too impressed with the integrated work light of the CMCD700C1.
Credit: Laura Casner

The battery slides in and out of the CMCD700C1 fairly easily, but the release mechanism can be pretty stiff. This battery does have a fuel indicator, so it earns a few points for that.

Should You Buy the Craftsman CMCD700C1?


This drill packs a surprising amount of power in an affordable package and is a good option if you are shopping on a budget and just planning on getting a drill rather than starting a tool collection. We have found that Craftsman doesn't seem to have as many tool options as other brands that use the same battery system. They aren't as highly rated or well-regarded, so we only recommend the Craftsman V20 1/2-In Drill/Driver Kit CMCD700C1 if you just plan to get a cordless drill but not if you are looking to build an entire set of tools with a compatible battery system. Overall, the Craftsman CMCD700C1 is a great bargain buy, pairing a very reasonable price tag with a solid, all-around set of results for DIY projects.

What Other Drill Should You Consider?


If your budget is limited to this price range, it might be a struggle to find something better. However, the DeWalt 20V Max Compact Brushless Drill/Driver DCD777C2 is often on sale for a similar price if you hit the sweet spot on seasonal sales.

David Wise and Austin Palmer