DEWALT DC983KA 14.4-Volt Ni-Cad 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit

I'm not sure why people are complaining about this drill in other reviews. As far as the bit not being centered perfectly, that did happen to me a couple of times, but each time readjusting the bit slightly made it perfect. At any rate, I've got no problems with this drill. As a matter of fact, my expectations when I brought it home were pretty low because I'm so used to corded drills. But it really can hold its own. Two things that were a little annoying at first -- the sometimes-touchy chuck that I just mentioned (but that's easily fixed), and the tendency for the speed selection switch to not always move fully into position. From time to time, I'll be on "3", for example, and try to slide the switch down to "2". But there will be a lot of resistance, and the switch won't slide fully into place. The fix: blip the trigger. Switch moves perfectly. Between those two things, I guess I could have made my review 4 1/2 stars instead of five. Since I don't have the option of a half-star and...Read more

I have had my share of the makita 14.4 drills(older style like the 20th anninversary model)and I can tell you the newer style dewalts are fantastik. I am a Electrician and use this drill everyday from driving screws to .... 4" holesaws!! I know this is not recommended by dewalt but it will do it. I have had mine for 1 1/2 yrs And it is holding up great. I drill a lot of sills with a 1"x 18 auger bit. Switches hold up and the 3 speed gear box is the cats meow. I put a 1/8" bit in the chuck on high speed and use it to cut out around boxes in sheetrock like a router.The ratchet clutch has not let go yet or slip.The torque is all you want without the extra handle.
My only wish is to see nimh batteries. The xr packs absolutley hate cold weather and are cycled through the charger steadily

DeWalt drills now come with a 3 year warranty. My DC983K 14.4 has a 1/2" chuck and 450 pounds of torque. It's lighter and easier to handle than the 18 volt model and produces almost the same torque 450 lb vs 500 lb.

Battery Life is excellent....just finished a deck and went almost 5 hours driving 2-1/2" screws into planks before the battery needed to be charged. I really like my DC983K