DEWALT DC980KA 12-Volt Ni-Cad 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit

This is my Third Dewalt Cordless Drill. I have a 9.6 volt, an older 12 volt and now this 12 volt. For me, 12 volts is the right size/power combination. This unit is much nicer with the three speeds, it handles most needs. Sometimes it is a bit tricky to shift gears. I love that the chuck can be tightened with one hand.

I bought this drill because I needed new batteries for my existing 12volt. Made more sense to by a whole new kit and get the new features and extra drill than to just buy two new batteries. While, just a home owner, I heavily use all three drills and they keep on going.

I had an older 12v Dewalt drill that I used around a farm and other places for over 9 years. After the second set of batteries started to die on me and the drill started showing some bearing wear, I decided to get a new one. The 3 speeds seem nice even with the extra weight that comes with it.

I do have a problem with the clutch mechanism while the drill is in first gear. Even at the lowest setting, the clutch does not release while the drill is in first gear and breaks off the heads of screws. The clutch does work in second gear and is down right loose in third, however it would be nice to be able to use first gear so as to slowly drive a screw without worrying about the head snapping off. I returned the drill and got a second one thinking it was an adjustment problem. The second one has the same problem. I am now thinking of returning this model drill and getting a Panasonic or other brand.

When I originally reviewed this drill, I was thinking that the evolving battery technology sort of left this one in the past. Well, now I have second thoughts. Having had the drill for well over 5 years, it's still going...and going...and going. The batteries--well, the original NiCads lasted me maybe 4 years, which isn't too shabby. But lately, I've seen that you can get NiMH 3 amp-hour batteries for this baby on Ebay at a very nice "buy-it-now" price.

So, combine the new batteries with a drill that is fairly light weight, a huge range of speeds, and, as I said, just shows no signs of wearing out after 5 years and multiple tumbles off the workbench...All I can say is, Dewalt knows how to make a drill. The 400 in-lbs of torque comes in very handy for sinking lag screws deep into wood or for using Forstener bits. That's a lot of torque. You can get a bigger Dewalt drill, like the 14.4 or 18 v versions, but they weigh more (in the case of the 18 V, a LOT more)...Read more