I can only review this as a DIYer. To me this is a well made drill. The part metal body casting and an all metal chuck promise a long life. I bought this to drill some half inch pockets in fence posts. It did this with no problem at all - bags of power. After drilling about 100 holes, it was still going strong without needing a recharge. The auto locking chuck makes changing drill bits easy. The three speed gearbox will cope with anything I can every imagine doing. The light has three settings and is very handy. The torque setting ring is very positive. When the torque is reached the motor stops instantly - so no more wasting battery by spinning the motor with the clutch slipping. I can't really think of any negatives - except maybe it's a little expensive.

What a beast! I needed a hammer drill for a one-time project...installing an above ground storm shelter that required drilling 12 holes into my concrete patio. I purchased the bare tool and used one of the DeWalt 20V 5AH batteries that I already owned for my other DeWalt tools. (The batteries might be even more impressive than the drill.) The DeWalt handled that task with ease. It's small size is deceiving because it packs a massive amount of capability in a compact, light package. It runs smoothly and never bogged down despite the fact I was applying a LOT of pressure during drilling. The drill did get very hot but it never showed signs of quitting. The chuck was easy to operate and held the drill bit securely at all times. Easy to tighten and to release bits. The ... MoreWhat a beast! I needed a hammer drill for a one-time project...installing an above ground storm shelter that required drilling 12 holes into my concrete patio. I purchased the bare tool and used one of the DeWalt 20V 5AH batteries that I already owned for my other DeWalt tools. (The batteries might be even more impressive than the drill.) The DeWalt handled that task with ease. It's small size is deceiving because it packs a massive amount of capability in a compact, light package. It runs smoothly and never bogged down despite the fact I was applying a LOT of pressure during drilling. The drill did get very hot but it never showed signs of quitting. The chuck was easy to operate and held the drill bit securely at all times. Easy to tighten and to release bits. The LED light is actually effective, too. It's actually got a switch to adjust the brightness levels and it's very bright on the highest setting. It's also located where it can be effectively used. A few of the holes had to be drilled from inside with no light. The LED light on the drill made the darkened interior a non-issue. One of the best things about this drill is it's Made in the USA! That's important to me. The drill comes with an adjustable side-handle. For my purposes the handle was pretty much useless. The handle extends too far from the drill to really assist with leverage in my opinion. I needed to be able to apply pressure closer to the drill and handle was more of a hindrance. Also, the retention ring on the handle near the drill end (that keeps your hand from sliding towards the drill) is very thin and the edge of it is quite sharp when you move your hand closer to the drill to apply downward pressure. I wound up taking the handle off. Pay attention, DeWalt...the design of your handle needs some work. This may not be a professional-grade drill for someone needing to drill holes in concrete every day of the week. But for the avid DIY'er like me, it's likely more than I really need. But the price is right and the performance is exceptional. Highly recommended.

Bought a Dewalt drill for my partner for his birthday and was disappointed to see the drill was sent in the wrong case. As pictured, it has quite clearly been sent in a case as specified on the label for a DCD796. FFX think it is acceptable to hand write and stick a label on for the DCD996 (which we ordered). The case is an incredibly poor fit, doesn't have space for all the accompanying parts it comes with and therefore it all moves around during transit. Very disappointing for the price paid. Have contacted FFX multiple times regarding this with very poor response simply telling us we are wrong. I have seen the correct case for this drill and this is completely different. FFX may be slightly cheaper but it my opinion its not worth the poor product or customer ... MoreBought a Dewalt drill for my partner for his birthday and was disappointed to see the drill was sent in the wrong case. As pictured, it has quite clearly been sent in a case as specified on the label for a DCD796. FFX think it is acceptable to hand write and stick a label on for the DCD996 (which we ordered). The case is an incredibly poor fit, doesn't have space for all the accompanying parts it comes with and therefore it all moves around during transit. Very disappointing for the price paid. Have contacted FFX multiple times regarding this with very poor response simply telling us we are wrong. I have seen the correct case for this drill and this is completely different. FFX may be slightly cheaper but it my opinion its not worth the poor product or customer service. Will not buy from them again and suggest others don't unless you want half a product.

Brush less motors are a real leap forward in tools, increased power and longer battery life. Compared to my old XRP ni cad drill, less weight and more power. Combined with the 5ah batteries work time are massively improved.Disappointing that Dewalt tools are now made in China, well at least UK supply seems to be. Overall build quality seems lacking compared to older tools. Battery fit is a little loose and a very small amount of play in chuck bearing, my old well used drill is better.Overall tools today seem to be pushing towards a more disposable ideal with a shorter service life. My only reason for changing my old drill was lack of battery availability. I very much doubt this drill will provide me with 16 years of service of my previous one, but it appears to ... MoreBrush less motors are a real leap forward in tools, increased power and longer battery life. Compared to my old XRP ni cad drill, less weight and more power. Combined with the 5ah batteries work time are massively improved.Disappointing that Dewalt tools are now made in China, well at least UK supply seems to be. Overall build quality seems lacking compared to older tools. Battery fit is a little loose and a very small amount of play in chuck bearing, my old well used drill is better.Overall tools today seem to be pushing towards a more disposable ideal with a shorter service life. My only reason for changing my old drill was lack of battery availability. I very much doubt this drill will provide me with 16 years of service of my previous one, but it appears to be a robust drill and only time will tell.

DeWalt As a Family Tradition

I been using DeWalt tools since I was a little, along with my family as a tradition. Also I use it for work and other projects.My father was in the USMC and was a mechanic and used DeWalt to work on vehicles that are totaled or critally damaged (to say the least) and taught me how to use a drill along with other power tools. He have me his DeWalt drill and that is my first power tool.Today, I am all grown up and work with him along with my friends and some co-workers to work on houses in general and I work mainly on the masonry as a special focus. Thanks to DeWalts power torque and 20 volts instead of 18, I am always ahead in group projects to get the job done. I don't let anyone barrow my tools or else they might want to keep it after using it for the first ... MoreI been using DeWalt tools since I was a little, along with my family as a tradition. Also I use it for work and other projects.My father was in the USMC and was a mechanic and used DeWalt to work on vehicles that are totaled or critally damaged (to say the least) and taught me how to use a drill along with other power tools. He have me his DeWalt drill and that is my first power tool.Today, I am all grown up and work with him along with my friends and some co-workers to work on houses in general and I work mainly on the masonry as a special focus. Thanks to DeWalts power torque and 20 volts instead of 18, I am always ahead in group projects to get the job done. I don't let anyone barrow my tools or else they might want to keep it after using it for the first time. DeWalt is the only power tool brand I trusted all my life to achieve my projects as I use them in work, repair my truck, and DIY projects.

Good kit

So far so good. There is a good value to this kit depending on what promotions they are running.Have only used it on one project so far but made over 40 ¹/2 in hole in 2by and have not dropped a bar on the battery yet.The charge indicator on the battery is nice. The work light is also a nice surprise feature.Works well with good rpms and does not bog down.

Great Hammer Drill Kit!

The Dewalt Drill arrived attached with the 5ah battery in the case and with the other battery you can tackle any project without worries of running out of juice anytime soon. The Hammer Drill has tons of torque and will drill through pretty much anything. It is a little heavy but of course that is expected with a drill with this much power. It has a great feel and light weight. I would definitely recommend this driver. It has been a great addition to my Dewalt collection.

Great Purchase

I had purchased this kit after a long debate between Milwaukee equivalent to this model. I recently came across a K Drill ice auger for the right price and decided I could use a new cordless at home as well. While ice fishing here in Iowa, in 5* weather with a negative windchill, I used this drill to cut at least 20 holes through ice ranging from 7-12 inches. It did so effortlessly and used only about 1 bar of battery. I was very pleased with its performance. The LED light and its different settings are a very useful feature minimizing the need to keep turning on a headlamp or flashlight during the early/later hours. The ratcheting chuck is very positive, and the battery life so far is excellent. However i did remove the batteries most of the time and stored them in ... MoreI had purchased this kit after a long debate between Milwaukee equivalent to this model. I recently came across a K Drill ice auger for the right price and decided I could use a new cordless at home as well. While ice fishing here in Iowa, in 5* weather with a negative windchill, I used this drill to cut at least 20 holes through ice ranging from 7-12 inches. It did so effortlessly and used only about 1 bar of battery. I was very pleased with its performance. The LED light and its different settings are a very useful feature minimizing the need to keep turning on a headlamp or flashlight during the early/later hours. The ratcheting chuck is very positive, and the battery life so far is excellent. However i did remove the batteries most of the time and stored them in an insulated lunch bag when i was not cutting ice, which I feel will not only prolong the life of my investment but keep everything working correctly when I need it most. I can only imagine the performance with the 60v/9a/h battery!

I buy it again

I bought the hammer drill to do a couple hole saw projects on the house. I needed to drill through stucco in a couple places. Rather than hiring a handyman, I bought the XR. The batteries charged right up and we were off. I ended up deciding against using a hole saw and instead traced an outline of the fitting I wanted to insert into the wall and used the drill with a 3/8 inch concrete bit to perforate just the right sized holes. It was like the wall was butter. Drill couldn't have worked better. For the work it was handier than my old red, corded 1/2" hammer drill. The next project involved putting a bulb auger in the XR and angering nearly 100 holes for flower bulbs - it was a little twitchy in this mode and I experienced occasional kickback as my grip strength ... MoreI bought the hammer drill to do a couple hole saw projects on the house. I needed to drill through stucco in a couple places. Rather than hiring a handyman, I bought the XR. The batteries charged right up and we were off. I ended up deciding against using a hole saw and instead traced an outline of the fitting I wanted to insert into the wall and used the drill with a 3/8 inch concrete bit to perforate just the right sized holes. It was like the wall was butter. Drill couldn't have worked better. For the work it was handier than my old red, corded 1/2" hammer drill. The next project involved putting a bulb auger in the XR and angering nearly 100 holes for flower bulbs - it was a little twitchy in this mode and I experienced occasional kickback as my grip strength isn't what It used to be, which is why 4 stars and not 5. Admittedly, the handle would have helped the situation but anyone using it in that mode should be careful (and use the handle!).

Works well with ice auger

I purchase this hammer drill for use with a K-Drill ice auger. The item arrived on time and was as described. It has performed well with the ice auger. I have a 7.5" auger and I drilled about 30 holes through 10" before the battery started to weaken. The battery was quite cold, so that may have affected performance, but 30 holes is plenty for me. I do have a second battery available. I was surprised by the power of the drill. It is important to always use the provided handle and operate drill with two hands. I tried it once with one hand and the torque ripped the drill out of my hand.