VOERJIA 16.8V Cordless Drill Review: budget-friendly hammer drill that’s small but punchy

I’ve been using this VOERJIA 16.8V cordless drill for a few weeks on basic DIY jobs around the house: shelves, a TV bracket, a couple of curtain rails, and some flat-pack furniture. I bought it mainly because my old 12V drill was struggling with masonry and the bigger 18V/20V kits from big brands were a lot more expensive. This one popped up with two batteries, hammer function and a bunch of bits for a low price, so I took a punt on it.

First impression out of the box: it doesn’t feel like a toy, even if the brand is pretty unknown. It’s a compact body with a battery in the handle, so it’s easier to get into tight spots than the usual chunky 18V drills with the big slide-on battery at the bottom. It’s a bit heavier than I expected for the size, but in the hand it feels fairly solid, not hollow or flimsy.

In actual use, I’ve mostly treated it as a general-purpose tool: drilling into brick and block, driving long screws into studs, and doing a bit of metal drilling for a small bracket. I deliberately tried to abuse it a bit to see where it would give up, and it held up better than I thought a no-name drill would. It’s not on the same level as my mate’s DeWalt, but it’s also not pretending to be.

If you’re expecting pro-grade finish and perfect accessories, you’ll be disappointed. The included bits are clearly there to pad the kit, and the manual looks like it came off a cheap office printer. But if you just need a cordless drill that gets the job done for home tasks and you don’t want to drop big money on Bosch or Makita, this thing is honestly not bad at all. That’s basically the angle I’m coming from in this review.

Looking at the whole package, I’d say the VOERJIA 16.8V drill offers good value for money if you’re a casual DIY user. For the price, you get a brushless cordless drill with hammer function, two batteries, and a starter kit of bits and sockets. Compared to big-name brands, you’re paying a lot less, and for typical home tasks the performance is close enough that most people won’t feel short-changed.

Where you feel the price difference is in the finish and accessories. The manual is poorly printed, the accessories are mostly low-end, and the plastics don’t scream quality. If you’re used to Bosch Professional or Makita, this will feel cheaper in the hand. But the core functions — drilling, driving screws, hammer mode, battery life — are all perfectly usable. For someone setting up their first toolbox or just wanting something for occasional jobs, it’s a decent deal.

Compared to other budget kits I’ve tried, this one stands out mainly because of the two batteries and the brushless motor. A lot of cheaper drills cut corners there, giving you one weak battery and a brushed motor that struggles. Here, at least on paper and in early use, you’re getting more for your money. The downside is the brand risk: if something fails after a year, you don’t have the same support network or easy access to spare batteries that you’d get with a bigger brand.

So in simple terms: if you want a drill that will be used every day on a job site, spend more and get a known brand. If you’re a homeowner who needs to hang things on walls, build furniture, and do basic repairs, this VOERJIA kit is good value and gets the job done without emptying your wallet. Just be realistic: it’s a budget tool that punches a bit above its price, not a miracle product.

Design-wise, the VOERJIA drill is clearly aimed at home users who don’t want a brick-sized tool. The battery in the handle design keeps the footprint small and makes it easier to get into corners or inside cupboards. I used it under a sink and inside a wardrobe, and the smaller size was genuinely handy compared to bulkier 18V drills I’ve used before. The weight is around 1 kg for the tool, and with the battery it feels a bit heavier than it looks, but not tiring for normal household jobs.

The grip is fairly comfortable. The rubber overmould on the handle gives decent traction even if your hands are a bit sweaty or dusty. The trigger is smooth and easy to modulate, though you do need a light touch when driving screws because this thing wants to spin fast. The forward/reverse switch is standard and does its job, and there’s a center “safe” position which is useful when you throw it in a bag so it doesn’t accidentally spin.

The 3/8" (10 mm) keyless chuck is fine for a budget drill. It holds bits tight enough; I didn’t have any slipping issues as long as I actually tightened it properly. It’s not the smoothest chuck I’ve ever used, but it gets the job done. Switching between drill, screw, and hammer modes is done with a ring behind the chuck, and it clicks into place fairly clearly. The 20-position torque ring also moves with enough resistance that you don’t accidentally knock it to another setting mid-job.

On the downside, some parts of the design do feel a bit cheap. The plastic casing is okay but not on the same level as big brands; if you drop this from a ladder, I wouldn’t be shocked if you cracked something. The colour is that generic bright green that screams "budget Amazon tool". It’s not pretty, but I don’t really care how a drill looks. Overall, the design is functional and user-friendly, but you can tell where they’ve saved money: mainly in the plastics and general finish.

The drill comes with two 16.8V 2000mAh lithium-ion batteries, and honestly that’s one of the best parts of the package. With cheap tools, you often get a single weak battery that dies halfway through a job, but here I could comfortably get through multiple small tasks on one charge. For example, on one Saturday I drilled around 16 holes in brick for wall plugs, mounted a TV, put up a small shelf, and assembled a flat-pack unit, all on one battery, and the power indicator still showed juice left.

The power indicator on the battery is basic but useful: a simple LED system that lets you check roughly how much charge is left before you start. It’s not ultra precise, but it’s better than guessing. I kept the second battery on the charger most of the time, and whenever I swapped them over, the drill went straight back to full power — no noticeable drop-off until the battery is really close to empty.

Charging time is reasonable for this price range. You’re not getting fast-charging like premium brands, but from low to full took roughly a couple of hours in my case. For a DIY user doing weekend jobs or occasional evening work, that’s fine. You can run one battery down, have a break, swap it out, and keep going. I never found myself stuck waiting for a battery to charge in the middle of a simple task.

My main concern is long-term durability of the batteries since this is a no-name brand. I obviously can’t say after just a few weeks how they’ll behave in a year or two. With big brands, you can always buy a replacement battery; with VOERJIA, that might be trickier. So for now, I’d say short-term battery performance is good, especially having two packs in the box, but long-term availability and lifespan are a bit of an unknown. For the price though, I’m not expecting miracles, and so far they’ve held charge well and delivered steady power.

In terms of build quality, the VOERJIA drill sits in that middle ground: better than the super-cheap supermarket drills, but clearly not on the same level as Bosch, Makita, or DeWalt. The drill body feels reasonably sturdy and there’s no obvious flex when you squeeze it. The moving parts like the chuck, mode selector, and torque ring all operate with a decent click and haven’t loosened up so far.

I’ve used it on a mix of materials and haven’t seen any worrying signs like burning smell, random cut-outs, or wobbling in the chuck. The brushless motor is a good sign for durability, because in theory it should last longer and be more efficient than a brushed motor, especially under load. I did a longer session driving screws into timber and drilling into block, and the drill got warm but not hot. No sign of overheating or thermal cut-off.

The weaker point is the external finish. The plastic casing and some of the detailing feel cheap. I wouldn’t trust this tool to survive being thrown around on a building site day after day. The green plastic looks like it would scratch easily, and if you drop it from height onto concrete, I wouldn’t be surprised to see cracks. So far mine has just had normal DIY knocks and scrapes and it’s holding up fine, but I’ve been reasonably careful with it.

As for the included accessories, durability is pretty average. The bundled bits and sockets are okay for light use, but they’re not built for heavy or repeated work. One masonry bit dulled quickly, and some of the screwdriver bits feel soft. I’d treat them as temporary or emergency options and buy a decent set of bits separately if you plan to do more than occasional jobs. Overall, the drill itself feels like it will last a fair while for home use if you don’t abuse it, but it’s not built for professional daily punishment.

This is where the VOERJIA drill surprised me a bit. For a 16.8V tool with a compact size, it actually has a decent punch. The spec says 50 N·m max torque, which on paper is up there with some 18V drills. I’m always cautious with those numbers on unknown brands, but in real use it’s definitely not weak. I drove 4" screws into breeze block and stud walls without pre-drilling in some cases, and it didn’t stall unless I really pushed my luck or used the wrong setting.

On wood, it’s more than enough for home tasks. I drilled through 2x4 studs and chipboard with no drama. The two speed settings (low and high) are useful: I kept it on low speed/high torque for screws and thicker bits, and high speed for small drill bits in softer materials. The variable speed trigger works fine once you get used to how quickly it ramps up. It’s easy to overshoot at first, especially when driving shorter screws, so I relied on the torque settings quite a bit.

On masonry, the hammer function is decent for a budget drill. I got through brick and block with 6–8 mm bits for wall plugs. It’s not as fast or smooth as a dedicated SDS drill, obviously, but for putting up shelves, curtain rails, TV brackets, and a washing line, it worked. You feel it working harder on tougher brick, and you need to give it a bit of time, but it doesn’t just die on you. The included masonry bits aren’t great; with decent bits, the drill itself is capable enough for typical DIY.

Noise and vibration are about what you’d expect. It’s not quiet, but not worse than other cordless drills I’ve used. The brushless motor is a nice touch at this price, and it does feel efficient. I didn’t notice any overheating or weird smells even after a longer session of drilling and driving. Overall, the performance is pretty solid for home use: not pro-level, but definitely more capable than the usual cheap 12V screwdrivers, and good enough to handle a mix of wood, metal, and masonry jobs without constant frustration.

The kit is pretty loaded on paper. You get the VOERJIA 16.8V drill, two 2000mAh lithium batteries, a charger, and a pile of accessories: wood bits, metal bits, a glass bit, some hammer drill bits, a flexible shaft, sockets, and screwdriver bits. It’s marketed as a 34-piece set, and that’s accurate if you count every tiny part. For someone who has zero tools, this is basically a starter pack in one box.

Now, in practice, the drill itself is the real value. The accessories are okay as a backup but I wouldn’t rely on them for heavy use. The screwdriver bits and masonry bits feel like the usual cheap bundled stuff: they’ll work for a few jobs, but they’re not what I’d use if I were doing a whole house renovation. One of the masonry bits dulled quite fast on hard brick. I swapped to my own better-quality bits and the drill handled them fine, so it’s not a power issue, more an accessory quality issue.

The two batteries are the main selling point of the package for me. Having 2 x 2000mAh batteries at this price means you can keep one on charge and one in the drill. For DIY, that’s plenty. I managed to mount a TV, drill a few extra holes for a shelf, and assemble a cabinet on a single battery without draining it completely. The charger is basic but works; no fancy display, just a light to show charging state.

Overall, the presentation is very "Amazon special": lots of features thrown into one kit to look attractive. If you strip away the fluff, what you’re really buying is a compact 16.8V brushless hammer drill with two batteries. The rest is a bonus. For the price bracket, that’s actually pretty solid, as long as you’re realistic about the accessories being more "nice to have" than "serious kit".