Hitachi WH12DAF 12 Volt Impact Driver

i found this tool on sale at a local store. being a very satified owner of the makita 12v impact driver, i made sure i could return the tool if it didn't measure up.
got it home, charged it up and went to work. the tool felt great in my hand and really performed well. i was thrilled with my new toy when the battery began to croak while driving the 15th 3" screw into a soft pine log. i chalked it up to the brand new battery being not charged fully. i decided to do a side-by-side comparison. i charged my five year old makita 12v impact driver and my new hitachi. i ran three inch scews into pine logs. the makita was dead after 16 screws. the old makita burried 42!
i hope hitachi can rectify this problem because this tool feels great and performs well when the batteries are fresh. if the battery doesn't improve, they need to include two chargers and four batteries.

Lowe's had these on clearance for about 1/4 off, so I got one. I own a lot of Hitachi tools and this driver is of the usual good construction. It's rated at 700 inch# versus 1000 plus for the top end drivers. The battery is shorter than their 2.0 amp hour 12v battery and amphours are not stated. The batteries weigh 17 ozs versus 23.5 for the 2.0, and length of run is roughly proportional. The batteries interchange with the old and new 2.0's. Total tool weight with small battery is 57.5 ozs. The driver sinks 3" #8 screws into dry doug fir no problem. 5" #12 screws slowed it down somewhat. I would recommend this driver for lighter applications like screws, but not for heavier apps like bolts.