New Hot Rod Powered Drivers from DeWalt
Jun 24, 2011
The cordless-tool power race has a bunch of new hot rods competing for pole position. DeWalt just released news about a series of compact 20-volt lithium ion powered drills and drivers. DeWalt claims the tools combine big power in a manageable size.
First off the line is a compact drill-driver (DCD780C2) that offers 0-600 rpm for heavy driving and 0-2,000 rpm for efficient drilling. A 1/2 in. keyless chuck keeps small bits centered without the inherent run-out of hex-collet bits. Combine this accuracy with a 15 position clutch and this little brute looks like it will be adept at installing hinges and hardware, jobs that require high accuracy and a delicate touch. The battery is rated for 1.5 amp-hours.
Next up are the DCF885C2 and DCF885L2 1/4 in. impact drivers. These two are identical except for the battery ratings: the DCF885C2 battery is rated for 1.5 amp-hours; the DCF885L2 is rated for 3.0 amp-hours. The drivers have a one-handed loading, 1/4-inch hex chuck that will accept 1-inch bit tips. According to DeWalt, these little drivers produce 117 foot/pounds maximum torque and up to 3200 impacts per minute.
The drill and the DCD780C2 driver will run about $220 bucks each. The DCF885L2 driver will cost around $270. Each drill/driver also features a built-in LED light. And each one comes with a belt hook and bit holder that can be mounted on either side of the drill, two batteries, a fast charger, and carrying case.
Expect the DeWalt 20-volt MAX Lithium Ion tools to be available in September. I can’t wait to give them a test drive.
***UPDATED on June 28, 2011
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Did I mention these drills are small? This is the 12V model, but it's got a slim-line battery that's very similar to it's beefier 20V cousin.
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Here's an even better shot of these new, slim batteries. Again, this is a 12V model we happened to have at the offices of FW, but the 20V models are very similar.
Comments
Since there's no such thing as a 20-volt Li-ion battery (Li-ion battery voltages are always a multiple of 3.6 volts), I assume that this is really an 18-volt battery that has been "upgraded" in the same way that 10.8-volt batteries are now advertised as 12-volt. (Because if you measure the open-circuit voltage within a few seconds after the battery comes off the charger, a 3.6-volt cell reads about 4 volts, never mind that as soon as you connect a load to the battery, it almost immediately drops down to 3.6 volts per cell.)
-Steve
Steve, you are correct. On the bottom of the press release I have, there is a disclaimer that states "With respect to the 20V MAX*: Maximum initial battery voltage (measured without a workload) is 20 volts. Nominal voltage is 18."
So I guess the "MAX" in the name means, "This is the MAXimally meaningless number that we measured for the battery voltage."
-Steve
DeWalts price of a replacement battery is beyond belief. Up to $96.00 for an 18V battery at Home Depot or Lowe's.
For that amount of money I can buy a higher voltage cordless drill along with 2 extra batteries at Harbor Freight! And I've done that. All the tools I've purchased from them are still working. The days of paying a higher price for a name are gone!
Today you can purchase a lower priced brand and throw it away when it no longer performs, then purchase another one in place of an alledged higher quality brand.
DeWalt, Bosch, Makita, etc, etc. need to wake up and stop being so greedy as they are losing customers faster than they think!
hey all of you guys i can notice that you had never been working whit a dwalt really hard side to side tough times we all do in my shop in ensenada mexico and dewalt delivers power an last longer batteries no doubt, here in mexico people its really hard to drive tools and dwalt past the test thats because we always prefer to pay a lil more but its worth it.
MARTIN LARRAURI
july 2 nd 2011
i wish they would say how much the drill weighs with battery?
it has to be lower then my 18v DC759, a lot lower. my battery
probably weighs as much as this new drill alone? i love this
new slim lined battery, makes the drill look much more manageable.
now i just need to start saving some money, a lot of money! :-(
Dewalt tools and batteries ARE expensive. But you can find them discounted way below the big box store prices on E-bay. A lot of on-line dealers will sell just the tool so you don't have to buy the batteries and charger for every tool.
I have found that if tools are being used two shifts a day every day by ironworkers and concrete form builders the ONLY brand that lasts is Dewalt. They will take a lot of abuse. There are a lot of power tools out there that are designed for occasional use by homeowners that wouldn’t last eight hours around a scrum of ironworkers (on second thought they would probably last forever because the guys would refuse to touch them). There are also a lot of very inferior quality rechargeable batteries being made these days and I expect they are being used in the budget priced import tools. I have always been satisfied with the longevity of Dewalt’s batteries although I havn’t used the Lithium packs and I have read some bad reviews about them.
i had a carpenter do some work for me which involved screwing 4" heavy screws tieing together 2x4s and 2x6s for two sets of garage stairs. he used the dewalt 20 volt driver/drill and i couldn't believe how easy it worked. when i tried it i almost drove the screwhead THRU the 2x4 with no effort at all...he spoke so highly for it and i was so impressed i'm gonna have to get me one...
can't comment on the price, but he said he picked it up cheap at a tool show and was much bette than the 18 volt he previously used.
i had a carpenter do some work for me which involved screwing 4" heavy screws tieing together 2x4s and 2x6s for two sets of garage stairs. he used the dewalt 20 volt driver/drill and i couldn't believe how easy it worked. when i tried it i almost drove the screwhead THRU the 2x4 with no effort at all...he spoke so highly for it and i was so impressed i'm gonna have to get me one...
can't comment on the price, but he said he picked it up cheap at a tool show and was much bette than the 18 volt he previously used.
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