Cordless Drills History

Since the ancient Egyptians began using a hand-powered lathe centuries ago, man has striven to make arduous building and assembling tasks easier, quicker, and more efficient through cordless drills. We've come a long way from those sand-covered turning machines, but the end goal is no different from our desert-dwelling ancestors. Today, nearly every home in every industrialized country houses and uses cordless drills.

Even though the concept of the cordless drill has been around for a long time, it wasn't until the late 1800's when the first modern-era cordless drills became possible. The advent of electric motors made highly-efficient stationary and portable cordless drill technology a reality, and high-speed assembly lines made cordless drills both affordable and profitable.

The Bosch company was at the forefront of cordless drill technology in those early years. Founded in 1886 Germany by Robert Bosch, the company initially focused on automobile components with integrated electric parts, and was responsible for such developments as the first low-voltage magneto ignition. Before long, companies in other industrialized nations began developing the first electric cordless drills, and Bosch introduced its first power drill in 1932. Today, Bosch still engineers and manufactures automotive parts, and its cordless drill division has grown to include nearly every household and assembly tool on the market - including power drills, belt sanders, circular saws, and more. As part of the company's growth, it has acquired other successful cordless drill manufacturers that started during the same early 20th century era.

In 1923, American inventor Raymond DeWalt introduced the world's first radial arm saw, a sliding circular saw that could make long cuts with accuracy. One year later, he founded the DeWalt cordless drill company in Baltimore, Maryland; another company that has grown substantially over the last 85 years. At the forefront of portable cordless drill technology, DeWalt's cordless drills are revered by carpenters and homeowners alike for their long-life, durable cordless battery-styled power drill, circular saws, and other cordless drills; and the company currently manufactures over 200 types of cordless drills worldwide.

Founded in 1915 in Japan, the Makita Corporation has also staked its reputation on cordless, battery-powered cordless drills - most notably, the hand-held drill, which Makita introduced in 1978. Nine years later, the company had a full arsenal of cordless, professional-grade cordless drills for contractors. Today, Makita manufactures over 350 different cordless drills, both portable and stationary, and the pronounced teal color emblazoned on all of their tools is often mimicked by others trying to capitalize on Makita's reliable name.

The early 20th century proved to be a hotbed of cordless drill advancements, and many companies worked hard to develop profit-turning innovations that moved their products off store shelves and into people's homes. While the term cordless drill traditionally conjures thoughts of electric drills and sanders, machines like the pipe threader and utility pump are also considered cordless drills. This is the area the Ridgid company focused on when it was founded in Elyria, Ohio, in 1923. Still a leader in the plumbing tool industry, Ridgid now has a cordless drill division that focuses exclusively on contemporary cordless drills and has released its own saws, drills, and even air tools.

A.F. Siebert founded the Milwaukee Electric Tool Company one year later in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Known for manufacturing heavy-duty cordless drills, Milwaukee is best know for the 'Sawzall,' one of the most widely-used reciprocating saws in the world. Like their cordless drill manufacturing competition, Milwaukee currently produces portable and stationary cordless drills like circular saws, drills, band saws, grinders and sanders - over 500 different models in all. Unlike their competition, many of Milwaukee's cordless drills are released in both 120 and 230 volt models, drawing the line between household and commercial/industrial power.

Best known for the Skilsaw they invented in 1924, the Skil cordless drill  company evolved out of the Michel Electric Handsaw Company when they entered the cordless drill market. Fueled by the ingenious circular saw invention, the company elevated itself to the upper echelon of the small cordless drill industry with jig saws, grinders, sanders, and a whole slew of handheld, cordless cordless drills. In 1996, the Bosch company purchased Skil but still keeps its cordless drills on shelves worldwide as one of the most popular cordless drill lines on Earth.

The Delta company has changed hands several times since it was founded by Herbert Tautz in 1919 in his Milwaukee, Wisconsin garage. Tautz focused on small tools but when Delta was purchased by Rockwell in 1945, the company made a profitable shift to the stationary tools - like planers and bench sanders - it's renowned for today. Delta isn't the only name this line has carried, however; Rockwell enveloped the company on takeover before selling it to Pentair, which re-introduced the Delta name before selling out to Black & Decker in 2004.

A veritable cordless drill power house, the Craftsman brand was coined by the Sears company in 1927. At first, the company primarily manufactured common hand tools like hammers and screwdrivers; but soon jumped on the cordless drill bandwagon and is now one of the top-selling producers of all cordless drills, both stationary and portable.

S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker founded the Black & Decker small machine shop in 1910 in Baltimore, Maryland; and the duo found their niche in the cordless drill  industry by inventing the electric drill seven years later. The pistol-grip and trigger style drill became popular and is now a staple on construction sites and in households alike. Realizing the profit potential of cordless drills, Black & Decker has grown and acquired several other popular cordless drill  brands, including DeWalt, Porter Cable, Delta, and Kwikset.

As industrialized nations become increasingly technology-driven, cordless drill production stands to increase as lightweight, powerful, and longer-lasting batteries try to match the power and reliability of corded power. Versatile contemporary models and thousands of accessories continue to make everything from woodworking to metal machining easier, more efficient, and more profitable for manufacturers, contractors, and homeowners alike. As cordless drills have become affordable for nearly everyone, only the hammer has resisted an electric redesign destined to change the way we work forever.

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