Skil PWR CORE 12 Brushless 12V 1/2-inch Compact Drill Driver Kit

I reached for Skil’s 12V brushless drill/driver to tackle a punch list that mixed cabinet installs, pocket holes, outlet cutouts, and a few brackets in sheet steel. It’s the sort of work where a compact tool matters more than brute force, and this one fits that brief nicely. With a sub-6.1-inch head length and a bare-tool weight under two pounds, it slips into places my 18V hammer drill simply won’t go and never tired out my wrist during overhead work.

What stands out first is how mature this little drill feels. The handle shape is excellent—deep enough palm swell to lock in, with overmold where you need it and not where you don’t. The balance with the 2.0Ah battery is spot-on; it sits neutral rather than nose-heavy, so you don’t fight the tool when you’re reaching into a stud bay or working inside a cabinet carcass. The trigger pull is smooth, and while this is clearly a compact class drill, it doesn’t feel cheap or toy-like.

Performance and power
Skil rates the brushless motor at 0–450 rpm in low and 0–1,700 rpm in high with up to 350 in-lbs of torque. In real use:

• Low gear: Driving 3-inch construction screws into SPF without a pilot was comfortable and predictable. I could run a 3/4-inch spade bit through stud material for quick pass-throughs without drama, and 3/8-inch brad points in hardwood stayed controllable.
• High gear: This is the gear I used for drilling small pilots and running pocket-hole screws. It’s quick enough for efficient drilling and tapping but will trip electronic protection if you lean on it with bigger bits. That’s normal for this class—flip to low when the bit size increases or the material gets dense.

On sheet steel (think brackets and light-gauge trailer parts), I ran a sharp 1/8-inch bit for pilots and stepped to 3/16 without bogging, as long as I kept feed pressure reasonable. The electronics err on the side of protecting the motor in high gear. You may occasionally feel a cutout when you’re right at the edge of what a 12V can do. Dropping to first gear keeps the torque up and the annoyance down.

Chuck and clutch
The 1/2-inch single-sleeve keyless chuck is a standout feature here. It’s unusual to see a full 1/2-inch opening in the 12V class, and it adds flexibility for larger-shank accessories. The sleeve tightens positively and holds onto hex and round shanks without walking. It’s not a substitute for a keyed chuck if you’re drilling large twist bits all day, but for what this drill is built for, it’s rock solid.

The 17+1 clutch has a wide spread, and the steps are meaningfully different. I dialed in consistent results driving #8 and #10 screws into cabinets and MDF without blowouts. On delicate tasks—hinge screws into prefinished cabinet doors, for instance—I could drop to a lower setting and keep the screw heads flush without chewing the surface.

Speed control and the “low-speed floor”
Variable speed is smooth, but there’s a quirk worth noting: the minimum motor rpm is a tick higher than some competing 12V drills. Most of the time it’s a non-issue, but when I wanted to feather the trigger for super slow starts on brittle surfaces (like avoiding a paper tear on drywall or avoiding a walk on glossy tile backer), I had to be more careful and use a center punch or start at a slight angle. The drill’s low gear has plenty of torque; it’s the ultra-slow finesse work where a lower minimum rpm would help. Once I acclimated, I still got clean results, but it’s something precision-focused users will notice.

Lighting and visibility
The onboard LED is excellent for a tool in this class. Pre-light turns on as soon as you touch the trigger and after-glow lingers for a moment when you release it. In practical terms, it meant I could position the tip in a dim cabinet, confirm the mark, and then pull the trigger, instead of wasting the first second of drilling just to locate the hole. The light is bright and well placed; it’s not blocked by the chuck unless you’re at an extreme angle.

Ergonomics and noise
Ergonomically, Skil got almost everything right. The rubberized overmold is secure but not tacky, and the belt clip is genuinely useful when you’re climbing a ladder or swapping positions frequently. The drill is marginally louder than some other 12V brushless models—more of a higher-pitched motor whine than obnoxious volume—but I only noticed because I was switching between tools during the day.

Battery, charging, and USB-C
Skil’s 12V platform has a neat trick: the battery itself has USB-C power delivery. I charged my phone and a small tablet from the pack and appreciated not carrying a separate power bank. Skil documents up to 60W output from the pack, which is enough to give some laptops a meaningful bump in a pinch. The kit’s compact 20W PD wall charger and included USB-C cable make the whole system travel-friendly; you can top the battery on a nightstand the same way you’d charge your phone. Runtime with the 2.0Ah pack is respectable for a 12V—plenty for a punch list or an afternoon of cabinet install work—but if you’re on a job all day, a second battery is practically mandatory. I’d love to see a two-battery bundle from Skil as the default.

Build quality and controls
The housing feels stout, with tight seams and well-executed overmold. The two-speed gearbox switch clicks with assurance, and the clutch ring has enough resistance that you won’t bump it accidentally. There is a tiny delay between trigger pull and motor start—a fraction of a second. It never affected my work, but you’ll notice it if you’re used to instant-on tools. The USB-C port’s rubber cover could fit more securely; mine tended to pop open in the bag. Not a deal-breaker, but something Skil could tighten up in a future revision.

What it’s not
This isn’t your hole hog or your “3-inch self-feed through joists” tool. It will spin a small hole saw for outlet boxes through drywall and ply, and it’ll happily chew through pine with modest spade bits, but if your day is full of large-diameter bores in hardwood or heavy structural fasteners, you want an 18V/20V drill/driver or an impact driver pairing. That said, for service work, cabinetry, electrical rough-in, HVAC panels, and general home projects, the size-to-performance ratio here is excellent.

Value and competition
In the 12V class, you can spend more for incremental gains in trigger finesse, accessory ecosystem, or slightly better top-end torque. What Skil delivers is a very compact, very capable brushless drill with a 1/2-inch chuck, a legitimate LED implementation, and a modern USB-C charging setup—plus a good charger in the box. That combination is unusual at this price, and it matters more in day-to-day use than another 20–30 in-lbs of claimed torque.

The bottom line
After a week of mixed tasks, the Skil 12V drill/driver earned a spot on my wall for anything that benefits from light weight and small size. It feels purpose-built for overhead work, inside-cabinet drilling, and close-quarters fastening, and the brushless motor makes it both efficient and pleasantly compact. A slightly high minimum rpm and occasional electronic cutouts in high gear are the main quirks; neither knocked it off its stride for the kind of work this drill is meant to do.

Recommendation
I recommend the Skil 12V brushless drill/driver for DIYers, homeowners, and pros who want a compact, lightweight companion to a larger drill. It’s comfortable, capable, and thoughtfully featured, with the bonus of USB-C charging both ways. Buy it as your primary if your projects lean toward cabinetry, furniture, hardware installs, and light metal work; add a second battery if you’re on the tool all day. If you regularly need ultra-slow trigger control for delicate starts or you frequently push large bits in dense material, step up to a heavier 18V model or pair this with an impact driver—but for its intended lane, this Skil hits the mark.