DEWALT DC987KA 18-Volt Ni-Cad 1/2-Inch Drill/Driver Kit

I have used the Dewalt DC987KA drill/driver for the past three to four years in the development of a 6500 sq. ft. research lab at my university. This drill has definitely been up to every effort, performing tasks like drilling anchor holes in poured concrete, driving bolts in unistrut, drilling 1/8-5/8" holes in mild and stainless steel plate, to duration tasks like stripping coatings using a wire brush attachment. There are several pros and cons of this drill to point out:

Pros:
1) Ample power and torque. For driving screws or bolts, the driver is outstanding. The clutch works well and has sufficient numbers of ranges to allow for fine tuning the depth of drive. The low range on the transmission gives absolutely breathtaking torque for driving, and the variable speed has sufficient control to allow for slow starts in hard to drive materials.
2) The three stage transmission allows for plenty of speed ranges, and is a major plus for this unit. I have used other...Read more

Fantastic drill.lots of power and runtime,Great chuck.Great handles.Good weight for powerful 18v drill.

Poblems? Poor workmanship that you would never see on a Bosch.
Annoying poorly sanded seam down the middle of the drill.
Finicky shifting.The poorly sanded seam seems typical on Dewalt
drills made in Mexico.

Great clutch. Power for any job, but on the heavy side. Well balanced, there's nothing this can't drill with the right bit. My main complaint is that the batteries would not hold a charge after the first year. I'l not a contractor - just a homeowner who likes quality tools. I had to replace the batteries for over a hundred bucks (for two) just 11 months after purchasing the drill.