Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Mini drill pen vs cordless drill

Updated: October 2026

Two amazon.co.uk tabs can both say drill. One is a 12 V pistol at £24.99. The other is a pen at £26.99 that quotes 18,000 rpm. The mini drill pen vs cordless drill choice is which hole you are making. A pen holds bits of about 0.6 mm to 2.2 mm. A 12 V pistol has a chuck near 10 mm. The rows are on the [mini cordless drill comparison](/hub/screws-and-accessories/mini-cordless-drill). This is the 16 October 2026 capture. Peter F. did not test these tools. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Two amazon.co.uk tabs can both say drill. One is a 12 V pistol at £24.99. The other is a pen at £26.99 that quotes 18,000 rpm. The mini drill pen vs cordless drill choice is which hole you are making.

Our top picks

FADAKWALT FADAKWALT 12V drill

Best overall

FADAKWALT FADAKWALT 12V drill
8.8/10about £24.99
View offer
FAHEFANA FAHEFANA 12V mini combi

Best value

FAHEFANA FAHEFANA 12V mini combi
8.8/10about £20.99
View offer
Uolor Uolor 3-speed drill pen

Rank 3

Uolor Uolor 3-speed drill pen
8.0/10about £26.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.They are not two sizes of one drill
  2. 2.Choose the pen for craft holes
  3. 3.Choose the 12 V pistol for the house
  4. 4.Do not split the difference

They are not two sizes of one drill

A cordless drill here means a pistol. The FADAKWALT has a 9.53 mm chuck and 650 rpm. The FAHEFANA and DEKOPRO list a 0.38 inch chuck. A 6 mm bit fits. A pen does not. The Uolor is 4.2 V, with bits from 0.6 mm to 2.2 mm and 5,000 to 18,000 rpm. None of these pens takes a 6 mm bit.

Choose the pen for craft holes

Choose the pen for holes under about 2 mm to 3 mm in resin, beads or thin ply. The Uolor is £26.99 with 4.0 from 1,827 reviews. Lyai is 2.8 from 7 and stalled in 4 mm softwood. NiuLumea at £6.49 has no star line. Seating a collet is on the how to use a mini cordless drill page.
FADAKWALT FADAKWALT 12V drill

Testsieger

FADAKWALT FADAKWALT 12V drill
8.8/10about £24.99
View offer

Choose the 12 V pistol for the house

Choose the 12 V pistol for furniture, a bracket or a hole a 6 mm bit might make. The FADAKWALT at £24.99 has 4.4 from 1,204 reviews, a 9.53 mm chuck and a charger. Why it is the top pick is on the best mini cordless drill page. The FAHEFANA and the DEKOPRO are clumsy on a 1 mm resin hole. Plug checks stay on the mini cordless drill buying guide.

Do not split the difference

A 3.6 V or 4 V driver is a third tool. The MQFORU at £13.99 is about 3 to 3.5 Nm. The DongCheng at £16.98 lists 5 Nm and a 1/4 inch hex. Both assemble flat-pack. Neither holds a 0.6 mm jewellery bit. If you need resin and furniture, buy a pen and a pistol.

Common questions

Pen or 12 V pistol for shelves?
Buy the 12 V pistol. Shelves and brackets need a chuck near 10 mm and a screwdriver bit that stays in a Pozidriv head. The FADAKWALT, FAHEFANA and DEKOPRO are that shape in this set. A pen's bits stop around 2.2 mm, so it cannot drill the clearance hole or drive the screw. The Uolor's 1,827 reviews do not change the collet size. Set the pistol's clutch low so you do not split the bracket or the wall plug's timber.
Pen or pistol for resin and beads?
Buy the pen. Resin, beads and keyrings want bits from about 0.6 mm to 2 mm and a light touch at high rpm. The Uolor is the pen here with 4.0 stars from 1,827 reviews and bits in that range. A 12 V pistol is too fast to control on a thin casting and too clumsy in the hand, even though its rpm number is lower. Skip Lyai for this if you can, on 2.8 stars from 7 reviews and stall reports in thin plastic.
Why does 18,000 rpm still stall in thin wood?
Because rpm is not torque, and the bit is the size of a needle. Lyai reviews stalled in 4 mm softwood and while widening a 1.7 mm plastic hole. The motor is built to spin a tiny bit in soft craft material, and it bogs down as soon as the cut gets wider or the timber grips the flutes. More trigger pressure bends the bit. If the hole is 4 mm in wood, you wanted the pistol.
Can I put a 6 mm bit in a pen?
No. The Uolor and the Lyai list bits from 0.6 mm to 2.2 mm. The Draymora's stated range is even smaller in one line, about 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm. A 6 mm twist bit needs a chuck near 10 mm, which is the FADAKWALT's 9.53 mm or the 0.38 inch chucks on the FAHEFANA and DEKOPRO. Forcing a large bit into a collet damages the collet and does not make the hole.
Which pen has the most UK reviews, and which scored poorly?
The Uolor has the most, 4.0 stars from 1,827 reviews, at £26.99. Lyai scored poorly, 2.8 from 7, with stalls in plastic and softwood. Draymora is 3.8 from 17, with collet complaints. Zestecho is 3.7 from 9, including a return over pearls. NiuLumea has no star rating on the listing. Review depth and a low score are both reasons to name the Uolor and to leave Lyai off a craft shortlist.
Is the Uolor worth £26.99 next to a £24.99 pistol?
Only if the holes are pen holes. At £26.99 the Uolor costs more than the FADAKWALT at £24.99 and cannot hang a shelf or take a 6 mm bit. It is worth the money for resin, beads and thin ply, with the limit that a UK reviewer needed extra charges on a run of 1 mm plywood holes. If the afternoon's job is furniture, the pistol is the better £25. Buying both is rational. Buying the pen as a cheaper drill is not, because it is not cheaper.

Related pages

Electric screwdriver comparison

Mini cordless drill

Best mini cordless drill for small household holes

Mini cordless drill buying guide for type and chuck

Cordless drill for flat-pack furniture and Pozidriv

How to use a mini cordless drill without stripped screws

Sources

Public UK sources on drill safety, product safety, the 30-day right to reject, work equipment and lithium-ion charging. Listing prices and star counts are from the amazon.co.uk extracts kept for this comparison on 16 October 2026. Prices move.

  1. Electrical Safety First, drills (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. BSI, BS EN 62841-2-1:2018+A12:2022 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. HSE, Providing and using work equipment safely (INDG291) (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. HSE, Electrical systems on construction sites (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Scottish Fire and Rescue, lithium-ion batteries (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk listings for the ASINs in this set (retrieved 16 October 2026)