I'm trying to drill holes in my house walls to hang shelves and pictures, but I don't want to spend too much. I've seen DeWalt and Makita around, but I was wondering if there are Chinese brands like Xiaomi that make decent drills at a lower price. Which ones would you recommend?
For holes in walls around your house, honestly a Chinese drill like Xiaomi or other budget brands works great, you don't need the professional-grade quality of DeWalt or Makita that cost twice as much 💪 Check out reviews on what users say about the power and battery, because that makes more of a difference than the brand when you're using the drill every now and then.
If you need to make occasional holes in your house for shelves and pictures, Chinese brands like Xiaomi and similar ones do their job just fine. You'll only feel the difference between these and DeWalt or Makita if you use the tool every day or need to drill through really hard materials - for occasional home use it's not worth paying triple the price. That said, before you buy, check out specific reviews from people who've actually used the model for drilling into masonry, because some budget drills drain the battery super fast or don't have enough torque with concrete and bricks.
A trick that saved me when I had to hang up a bunch of stuff: always use a specific masonry bit (with the pointed tip, not the regular wood one) and above all keep the drill as straight as possible while drilling - even a small tilt makes everything harder and slower. If you don't have a level handy, use your phone's level app. With this tip even a less powerful drill makes decent holes without wearing itself out too much.
Also keep in mind that a lot of Chinese brands now offer kits with multiple bits and batteries for the same price, so check what's included in the package. If you're buying from Chinese retailers it's worth waiting a bit for shipping, or look for European stores that have local stock - it's worth it more than waiting weeks.
Chinese drills like Xiaomi are fine for occasional work, but there's one thing the others haven't mentioned: the battery. It's not that the drill itself is bad - the problem is that these lesser-known brands often have batteries that degrade quickly, and after a year or two of sporadic use you'll find it doesn't hold a charge well. With DeWalt and Makita at least you can find replacement batteries everywhere and they last longer, whereas with Chinese brands sometimes it becomes hard to track them down or they cost a fortune.
That said, if you're only drilling holes for shelves and the occasional picture frame, it doesn't make sense to splurge on a professional one. A Xiaomi or another budget drill in the 50-80 euro range does the job just fine. My advice is: check the reviews carefully for battery durability before you buy, and consider whether the seller guarantees that replacement batteries are easy to find. If you see it's a discontinued model or without support, it could cause you headaches down the road.
Xiaomi and Chinese brands are fine for occasional work, and what others said is true, but it's not just about "they work, period." What really matters is whether the drill holds a charge and whether you can easily find replacement batteries when one dies. With Xiaomi maybe everything's perfect on the first charge, but after a year when you need a new battery it becomes a pain to find one at reasonable prices, especially in Italy.
If you're really only drilling a few holes (like occasionally hanging up a couple of shelves), then yeah, spend 100-150 euros and you're good. But if you're thinking you'll use it more often over the next few years, I'd honestly rather go with a brand that has a guaranteed ecosystem of batteries and accessories. DeWalt and Makita cost more, sure, but you can find their batteries anywhere and used ones still work fine. With the Chinese brands the risk is ending up six months or a year down the line with a drill that won't charge anymore and nothing compatible on the market.
So before you decide, I'm wondering: how many holes are you actually planning to drill? Are you talking about two or three jobs or do you think you'll use it every month or two? That's what really makes the difference in what to get.
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