These Are the Best Power Tools of 2026

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Credit: Amazon / Lifehacker

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If you love doing your own home maintenance or tinkering in your garage, having the right tools can make all the difference. If you’re looking for new tools, keeping in mind durability, battery life, and ease of use can help you find something that will work well and save you money down the road on replacing broken tools and worn-out batteries. With so many options, it can be hard to figure out which tools are the best quality, so I put together a list of my favorites to help you choose.

The new Makita 18-volt LXT drill and driver combo set is my favorite tool this year because it has better battery life than other drill and driver sets, and the drill in this kit can deliver 70% more torque than its predecessors, allowing you to drill into tougher materials like pressure-treated lumber or plaster more quickly. The impact driver on this set also has a three-speed control switch, allowing you to choose the amount of force you want to use for a given project. This gives you the advantage of more power when you’re trying to undo an old, rusted nut, and less when you’re trying to screw a hanger into a picture frame.

The set comes with an 18-volt hammer drill, an 18-volt impact driver, a 2-amp-hour battery, a 4-amp-hour battery, a charger, and a tool bag.

Makita has been known for making reliable cordless tools since they launched the first battery-operated drill in 1969. The early in-handle batteries were easy on the wrists because they balanced the weight of the drill fairly evenly between the motor and battery pocket. The new drill and driver set has lighter batteries and builds on Makita’s reputation for ergonomic design.

This pocket hole joiner is my favorite DIY woodworking tool

The standout new tool for woodworking is the Kreg Rebel 20-volt pocket hole joiner. This is a completely new power tool that improves on Kreg’s previous jigs for making pocket hole joints by adding an integrated powered drill to the jig, improving precision and making it a simple, single-action tool. It comes with the joint-making tool, a 4-amp-hour battery, a charger, an easy-set drill bit, and dust collection attachments.

I’ve used Kreg jigs for lots of projects, like cabinet joints, shelving, and furniture builds. The added convenience of this tool saves time and allows you to make about twice as many joints in the same amount of time.

The 20-volt MAX XR DeWalt 5-inch random orbital sander is my pick for best cordless finishing tool. It has engineering updates that improve counterbalance and reduce vibration, preventing stress on your wrist while you’re using it and reducing the numbness and tingling experienced with many sanders. Its redesigned body is more balanced, especially on narrow surfaces, and it’s easier to grip because of the new shape and battery position. The sander is a tool-only package, so you’ll need a 20-volt DeWalt battery and a charger to use it.

DeWalt makes some of my favorite cordless tools, and they’re known for making high-quality woodworking-focused tools. This tool has the power to sand down rough surfaces more quickly than previous versions of a cordless sander because it can rotate up to 1,200 OPM (oscillations per minute) and has a more powerful motor. This, combined with the decreased tool vibration, makes it my favorite cordless random orbital sander.

This cordless chainsaw is my favorite tool for yard work

My favorite new power tool for yard work by far is the EGO 56-volt 12-inch cordless chainsaw. Chainsaws are just a good time, but this one stands out because it has the equivalent power to a 55cc gas-powered saw—but it’s rechargeable and lighter. The improvements to power and utility make this tool easier to control than previous EGO chainsaws, allowing you to operate it more safely, as well as making cleaner cuts. The set comes with a 56-volt cordless 12-inch chainsaw, a 56-volt, 6-amp-hour battery, and a charger.

EGO makes the most efficient batteries for cordless outdoor power equipment. They have the most powerful, long-lasting batteries, and you can use them to cut hardwood like oak for up to 80 cuts.

Cordless powered ratchets are having a moment right now, and DeWalt makes the best one I’ve found. The new 20-volt sealed head DeWalt powered ratchet set stands out because it comes with both a ⅜-inch and a ½-inch interchangeable coupling that allows you to use a much broader range of sockets than other similar tools that constrain you to a ⅜-inch or a ½-inch attachment. It’s made to last because the gear mechanism that drives the socket head is protected from metal dust and debris, keeping it from wearing down as quickly. The set comes with a 20-volt cordless powered ratchet, a 20-volt, 2-amp-hour battery, and a charger.

This cordless ratchet is powerful enough to turn bolts for DIY oil changes, but you can also use it for DIY appliance repair like changing out the drum in your washer.

This cordless tire inflator is my favorite new tool under $100

Ryobi is known as a solid DIY standby because it makes affordable cordless tools that are durable enough for most home shops and DIY projects. Their new 4-volt rechargeable cordless tire inflator has a 150 PSI rating that allows you to top off a car tire in about 90 seconds. This tiny powerhouse is perfect for an emergency car kit because it’s compact and powerful enough to inflate a tire in a pinch. The set comes with a cordless tire inflator, a hose, bicycle and passenger vehicle connectors, a 4-volt battery, and a charging cable.

This update to a previous version of this tool, which was mainly useful for bike tires, allows you to more practically use it for inflating tires on larger vehicles.