The battery life is so low on this that I am constantly changing the batteries out. I really only get about maybe 30 screws drilled before the power starts to die. I miss my old Ryobi which I left out in the rain! Also, the case doesn't stand up on end, so when I set the case down with the drill in it it tips over. I completely agree with the other reviewer who commented on horrible battery life and a stubborn clutch.

I don't know what all the nonsense is about buying ony American made. You learn in Economics 101 that outsourcing is good for everyone--increased competitiveness creates greater efficiency, well made products at a cheaper price, increased trade among all nations, and raises up poor people in developing countries to a higher level of opportunity and wealth creation, which a healthy reciprocity of trade. You outsource your heating, water, groceries, employment, power, etc. don't you? And why do you do that? Because it is efficient and cheap.

I don't know what some of these other people are talking about. They should get their facts straight. (1) This drill is not made in the good old USA--try Mexico. (2) Black & Decker owns DeWalt. DeWalt is their commercial name. Why DeWalt does not mention the drill is made by Black & Decker on their packaging is because most people in the trade (carpenter, builder, etc.) would not buy a Black & Decker due to it being for the home-use market. I found this out after reading the invoice for warranty repairs and confirmed this with an ex-district manager of one of the big building supply chains. I wish I would have known this before my purchase.

The batteries don't hold a charge for long, but if you're only going to drill a couple of holes you'll be OK. DeWalt, or should I say Black & Decker, did warranty one battery for me on the most recent repair of the drill. The gear shifter is hard to get into 2nd gear and at times just hard to shift period. The clutch works good when it does work. Other times it just locks up at to the point that you'll have to take it in for repairs just to have it work a couple of months before it locks up again. This has happened to me three times in just over 1 year. I don't use this drill on a daily basis, but when I do I expect it to work like all my other quality tools.

If you're looking for a trouble-free drill, stay away from this one. On the plus side, this is a well-balanced drill, it has great torque and feels compact for its intended use. The ½" keyless chuck works great and holds a drill bit tight.

I'm sure some of you out there are thinking, "Well, what do you expect out of a cordless drill?" I can tell you that I started with a Craftsman industrial cordless drill about 16 years ago and have purchased 4 batteries for it and was looking at 2 more a year ago and thought it would be silly to spend $70.00 on a 15-year old drill. I think I made the wrong decision.

And there I was in a Home Depot in Laplace, Louisiana and what did I see?
A Dewalt 14.4V xrp 1/2 cordless, drill/driver on the clearance rack for $149.99 plus 10% sales tax.
"Say it ain't so!" - I thought to myself. Why would this be a clearance item? Turns out Dewalt came out with the DC983KA - same drill - slightly different look.
I've owned a Dewalt 12v xrp for 4 plus years and it's still going strong. When the 12v unit came out the xrp batteries were not available. I ultimately purchased 2 replacement 12v xrp batteries and have been enormously satisfied.
So recently I have been doing a lot of pre-drilling and screwing and have thought about purchasing another 12v xrp drill/driver; they are still holding their price at $169.00
And then I saw the 14.4 on the clearance rack. Half inch chuck, xrp batteries and case for the same price. Oh yeah!
The 14.4 is a bit heavier than my venerable 12v - not the lead weight of the xrp 18v, but all the features are the same:
3 speed, ratcheting steel chuck and great tough if not precision construction.
Some where between 12v and 18v - the torque of the drill becomes unmanageable with one hand. (when tightening wood screws or when a spade bit stops dead in a hole.) That is what the clutch is designed to alleviate. I have never used a cordless drill in the screw/clutch mode. I achieve my desired results by careful modulation of the trigger. The 14.4 works just about perfectly without wrenching your wrist.
There is the same slight bit wobble present in the 12v xrp but it is more of an irritation than a liability.
All Dewalt cordless drills are not created equal.
My 12v xrp has more torque and longer battery life than a friend's 18v dewalt heavy duty cordless drill/driver (non xrp model.)
Complaints: I am ready to see a nickel metal hydride battery made available for cordless hand tools. Knowing that the battery would have a longer run time - yet a much longer charge time would not deter me because the batteries would not be subject to failure in 2 years. ( the Nickel Cadmium short coming.)
My advice buy a 14.4v xrp cordless drill/driver at your home depot clearance rack or take advantage of the Amazon frequent tool discounts to make the DEWALT DC983KA 14.4-Volt XRP 1/2" Drill/Driver Kit your next best friend.

caslo

I have owned many DeWalt products over the years. Until now I had a 12V DeWalt drill/driver for about 10 years, but that was getting a little long in the tooth. The new 14.4v is better in just about every way. There is *plenty* of torque and having 3 speeds is better than the 2-speeds on my older drill. The battery lasts all day for me in normal use (sometimes more than one day). And the new chuck is great also - positive closure and no slippage at all. It doesn't come loose after a while either like the chuck on my old one did sometimes. The drill is also well-balanced and feels good in your hands. Overall- I have no problem recommending this drill/driver - its a great tool.

I purchased the DeWalt DC983 after using both their 12 volt and 18 volt models. This thing really packs a punch, 450 in/lbs of torque and up to 1800 rpm in 3rd gear. It is a little heavy, but well balanced. The only problem I have had so far is with the speed selector switch. Sometimes it sticks when I try to shift from 3rd to 2nd or 1st, but only occasionally. The chuck on this drill is one of the better chucks I have used and the bit storage on the handle is large enough for larger bits and socket drivers. As with most DeWalt products I use, I would highly recommend this model of drill/driver.