30 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Poorly designed w/little features,
July 15, 2001 Clarke Prichard (Lima, Oh United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: DEWALT DW160V 3/8-Inch VSR Right Angle Drill (Tools & Home Improvement)
I'm an Industrial Technology teacher and have access to many new tools. I am very disappointed with this Dewalt Product. I still don't understand why they didn't put a reversable switch on this unit. It would have been great for installing and removing Kitchen cabinets. Moreover, when using spade bits to drill through flooring, you periodically need to "back" the bit up to remove it when it becomes bound. I think a better purchase would be a temporary 90 degree chuck that mounts to a portable drill. Be very careful when setting this unit on the ground ... it's super easy to hit the start switch and if you've got a large spade bit in the chuck "watch out!!" I also would like to see a variable speed adjustment as this drill does create a lot of torque and can easy twist and sprain you wrist if you're not anticipating it.
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Its ok for the money, but far from terrific.,
February 27, 2001 Scott Pointon "Former Marine, Librarian, Wood... (Crest Hill, IL United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: DEWALT DW160V 3/8-Inch VSR Right Angle Drill (Tools & Home Improvement)
I bought one of these for my father, a retired electrician who occasionally still takes jobs. At first, he loved this little drill. The only shortcomings he noticed in the beginning were the lack of a keyless chuck and the fact that the paddle-switch could be dangerous if you weren't paying close attention to what you were doing. In the end though, what became this drills downfall was the cheap construction inside the housing. After only a few jobs, a plastic component around the motor cracked, allowing the teeth to slip under strain. A DeWalt service shop charged... to fix this problem. The second hole it drilled after that caused the gears to give out. It was a great idea, but DeWalt needs to send this one back to the design board for more work... I wish now that I had spent the extra money on the bigger DeWalt right angle drill.
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
What no variable speed and reversing?,
August 31, 2003 Bob Feeser "MillCrafters.com" (Springfield, PA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: DEWALT DW160V 3/8-Inch VSR Right Angle Drill (Tools & Home Improvement)
I did a lot of looking around at medium right angle drills. The drawbacks on the Dewalt is no variable speed, and no reversing. So it may be prone to stripping screws, and now way to reverse them out when they do. Ouch. For straight drill of holes it is great.
If you have air around, and don't need to make large holes in 2x12s, the air driver Porter Cable is sweet. Has air pressure, to create torque and variable speed adjustments, and has reversing capabilities, and is the best price on the block.
My pick is the Makita 110 volt model. It has the largest amperage motor in the medium duty range, has variable speed, reversing, and an adjustable speed limiting dial, an LED light to illuminate your work, and is guaranteed to last the lifetime of the tool.
Next is the Bosch with a slightly weaker motor at 3.8 amps, and doesn't have the speed range of the Makita, even though it is at the same price. Nice overall tool though.
Then comes the Milwaukee 55 degree angle drill...Read more
(22 customer reviews)