Cordless Drill Review

My old Delta cordless drill, drilled it’s last hole after four plus years of service.  It was a 14 volt drill that served me well. The drill is in decent shape but the batteries would not hold a charge long
enough to drive a 2″ drywall screw.  To replace the two batteries would
cost over $75.00.  I do not want to put that kind of money in to
batteries with the life of the drill motor uncertain.  Time to go
shopping for a new cordless drill.

First, lets look at what I need in a drill and how it will be used.  I build custom cabinets and furniture so most of my work is accomplished in the shop. The fewer cords under foot the better so a
cordless works well.  Many times I use two drills, a corded one for
drilling holes and the cordless to drive the screw.  I do the
installations myself,  so a long battery life is important, as is a
quick charge, but the most critical features are the weight and overall
size.  I prefer a smaller drill for working in tight spaces and one
that is on the lighter side to reduce fatigue.

I chose the Hitachi DS 10Fl, that I found on Amazon  http://bit.ly/aqDWCs  for $99.00 and free shipping.  It weighted in at 2.2 pounds which had me concerned that it would lack enough power to
drive larger screws.  The advertisement read  Hitachi DS10DFL 12-Volt Peak Li-Ion 2 Speed Drill/Driver but it has a 10.8 volt Lithium-ion battery.  I don’t know what they mean by “12 volt peak” and really don’t care.

After installing a complete set of kitchen cabinets, including installing door hinges and drawer slides, I can say that this little drill really packs a punch.

It has plenty of power and the 40 minute (or less) charger meant there was no waiting for a fresh battery.  The clutch worked as advertised and the keyless chuck held the bit firmly.  The
forward/reverse switch is in an excellent location, located just above
the trigger.  One can easily change direction using your thumb or
forefinger, allowing for a convenient one handed operation.  This
function was used frequently when installing drawer slides and
adjusting door hinges.

A couple of notable items:

The LED light located between the trigger and forward/reverse switch is a good idea but it is positioned so that the chuck casts a shadow on the drill point rendering the light useless.

The high/low switch is located on the top of the drill.  It is in a convenient location but I found the sliding switch a little stiffer than it should be.  Maybe it will loosen with use.

I found this drill to be a good value and the two year guarantee on the batteries an added bonus.

Keith

www.TheBenchDawg.com