DEWALT DCD780C2 20-Volt Max Li-Ion Compact 1.5 Ah Drill/Driver Kit

Like many guys I've spent time doing construction. My first cordless drill was the original Makita, which lasted me through a couple of battery replacements. Since I'd gotten back to a desk and had lost the wrist strength to a use pro grade cordless, I replaced it with a Black & Decker VPX1212X Li-Ion 14.4-Volt VPX Drill Driver, which is light enough to use and powerful enough to drive screws through 2x4s. For bigger jobs, though its batteries didn't last long enough and took too long to recharge.

Enter the DeWALT. With its lithium ion batteries, it's light enough for me to use for hours. The batteries last for hours, too. I spent all day putting up a fence. The first battery got me through lunch and into the afternoon. I gave out before the second battery did about time to put some fish on the grill. It has plenty of power. It isn't an impact driver drill, which makes is slightly less powerful. On the plus side of that it has an adjustable clutch. When I get tired I rely on that a lot to not overdrive screws. It has two speeds. High is plenty fast enough to run a drill. Low has a variable speed, which is nice on delicate work. The handle is just right for my med-large glove size and can be used by those with smaller hands.

The drill has all the little features I'd expect on a pro model. There's an LED light, a lanyard clip and a belt clip, as well as a clip to hold a screw bit. One nice touch is that the belt clip and screw bit holder are removable and can be switched for left handed users. It has a 1/2 inch chuck.

I have a 25 year old DeWALT belt sander and a Porter Cable (same company) orbital sander that are both still going strong and have always considered DeWalt to make rugged and dependable tools. This has a 3 year limited warrante and a 1 year full one. As a home owner I expect this to last, though lithium ion batteries have a definite shelf life limit.

I loved this drill when I first got it, so I'm going to chalk up my problem to it being a one-off issue (see "Experience" section).

Pros:
1. Awesome ergonomics. I just wanted to hold my new drill because it feels great to hold. I caught my friends picking up my drill to feel it in their hand.
2. Light weight. It's incredible how much torque such a small piece of equipment can generate.
3. Sturdy ratcheting chuck. The chuck feels solid - way more solid than any of the other compact drills I have examined. I didn't experience any discernible wobble problems.
4. Batteries charge fast (less than 30 min.) and have a long run-time.
5. LED light helps illuminate target surface from a distance.* (I didn't realize how useful this feature would be. Added bonus.)

Cons:
1. * LED suffers from shadow cast by the chuck when up close to target surface.
2. Weak manual on one sheet of paper. They could definitely improve upon that with a booklet and a larger font.

Experience:
I was in the middle of installing a closet system in my master bedroom. Toward the end of the project, I was driving screws into MDF shelving when I pulled the trigger and the drill started clicking but not really spinning. I also started to smell something burning, so looked at the motor part of the drill and pulled the trigger. I will admit that I wasn't wearing goggles (bad), and something small (speck-sized) hit me in the eye. I was able to get the drill spinning again after pulling the trigger a couple more times, but the same thing happened again. The drill also developed a very subtle clicking sound from that point. Luckily I was literally on my last screw, so I was able to finish the project. I returned the drill not sure if I wanted to give Dewalt another shot. In the end, I just really liked the drill and want it to work out, so I ordered the drill and impact driver combo kit to replace it. If I have anything productive to add to this review after receiving the new set, I will update it.

Some people are partial to Dewalt. Some people seem to complain that Dewalt tools are just over-priced Porter Cable tools. I'm too ignorant of the power tool industry to have an opinion on that. I'm just a new home-owner that has lots of fixing up to be done. (Ever see "The Money Pit"?) I just want a drill that is light, comfortable, and powerful, and I want the batteries to last. I looked at all reputable brands and chose this one because of the size, weight, solid chuck and long lasting batteries.

I'm rating the drill 3 stars due to my defective experience. I hope to raise that to 5 stars if my new drill pans out. I really hope this was a one-off incident. I'm also hoping that I don't get the dreaded "wobbly chuck" problem that others have mentioned with the new drill...

UPDATE (2/23/12):
I received a clearly used combo kit in the mail. It had been resealed and the case was fairly scratched up. Best of all <sarcasm>, the impact driver smelled like it was burning. I also decided to check out the chuck to see if there was the reported wobble, and yes, there was a definite wobble. (Please see the attached video. The bit in the drill spins straight in several other drills. I was doing some hex driving and felt I needed to document it. Sorry for the shadows. I have other videos of the chuck itself wobbling, but they are less clear.)

Shipping me a used and defective product was Amazon's fault. There is no way this kit should have been sent back out. I have already ordered a replacement, but I'm starting to really wonder about Dewalt's quality after checking out the wobble on the drill's chuck. I'm not going to change my 3 star rating yet, but if this one comes back with the same chuck wobble or any burning issues, I will...and I'll be changing brands. Stay tuned...

FINAL UPDATE (3/6/2012):
My last combo set arrived. This one appeared to be new (no scratches on case and it was not re-sealed). Both the drill and the impact driver smelled like they were burning. Maybe this is how they're supposed to smell, but if that's the case then Dewalt needs to at least be consistent. The fact that my first and second drill did not (at least initially) smell like they were burning, but the third one did indicates manufacturing problems to me. That being said, my major problem is not with the smell.

The third drill exhibited the same noticeable wobble as the second drill. I am now very disappointed with Dewalt for allowing this product to make it into production with this issue. When I'm spending this much money on something, I expect quality. I love the ergonomics and features of this drill, so I'm giving it 2 stars for potential. Until Dewalt gets its act together and fixes the chuck wobble, I recommend looking elsewhere.

Side note: It seems that chuck wobble is reported in reviews of most, if not all, "high-end" compact drills that I have looked at, so maybe there is a problem getting a true chuck in such a small body.

I loved almost every aspect about this drill (DCD780C2), but I ended up returning it.

I got fed up with the ever decreasing battery life of my ancient but solid Makita. Both batteries exhausted doing 20 1/8" drill hits through 1/8" angle aluminum. Not much more $$ to buy a new drill than replace batteries, so that's what I tried. This Dewalt is a stellar drill in most respects. It did 3x the workload of the Makita, in less time, and apparently using only a fraction of the charge in the battery. The combination of high power, small size and weight, and excellent ergonomics in the hand is a huge benefit that I didn't fully appreciate until I used the drill for myself. I am now certain that for my usage, a compact form factor 18V Lithium drill is the way to go.

I only have one real complaint with this drill, and it's a show stopper. Bits do not run true. At 4" past the chuck, a rotating bit will show over 1/8" of wobble. My Makita shows < 1/64", and it has been dropped repeatedly and otherwise abused over the years. I had some challenge with the new DeWalt walking bits on the aluminum I was working with -- a problem that was not happening with the Makita on the same material and with the same drill bit. For someone who doesn't need precision, this drill would still be a good choice. Which concerns me. If the bulk of users don't need low run-out, there may be less incentive for DeWalt to fix this problem. Still, DeWalt should know that increased run-out causes greater wear on other parts, like the bearings.

So I went out to find another 18V compact that I could life with. No go with the Hitachi DS18DSAL. I tried two in succession and both came with dead batteries that would not charge. Makita is rife with complaints on chuck wobble, Milwaukee has too many 18V lithium battery complaints for my taste, and Bosch has several complaints about the transmission speed switch breaking. It seems all of these manufacturers can put out a decent drill, but marry 18V lithium to a compact form factor, and no one seems to be able to do it with high quality.

In contrast, it looks like there are quality options in 12V Lithium drills. However, I want the greater runtime, power, and presumably higher quality afforded by a beefier 18V unit. For now, it looks like that drill may not exist. So I'll either buy a new battery for my aging Makita, or go out and get a $60-$80 cordless that I won't mind too much if it breaks in a year.