DEWALT DC725KA 18-Volt Cordless Compact Hammer Drill/Driver

I am in no way an expert of power tools or proficient in all their uses. But I am a guy and I do love them whether I'm building/ fixing something or just puttering around in the garage with them. For a more comprehensive review I would read one of the other more in depth testimonies. I can say though that it comes with two batteries, a charger, and a well made case. The drill feels great in my hands, not cheap at all, and is ultra light. I charged up the batteries straight off the bat to prolong their lives and started putting it through some trails. The drill has a wide range of speeds and plenty of power. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. The only reason I picked this up was because it was only $97 bucks including my two day shipping. I love Gold Box deals!!

This is a good drill, but the hammer part of it only works on soft items like wood or plastic from my experience.I tried using this on concrete and it made no progress at all. Ironically, the 20 volt Dewalt unit (DCD796D2) was able to handle concrete with the exact same drill bit for me. Unfortunately I got this 18 volt model so that I could swap batteries with my other tools.When used on wood timbers as well as vinyl and plastic, I had no issues.As others have stated, the light on the unit is not very useful due to its placement and the fact that it is a directional LED type.

I had never owned a drill before but knew I wanted something with a driver in it.I did a lot of research and reviews and then got this for an amazing price with Amazon's Fathers Day sale.Overall I am very happy with the power, usability and battery life of this product.Only negative I can think of is the size and weight. Sometimes it is hard to get into those small spaces you want to get to. Other times, you've been holding the drill a long time and it starts to feel heavy. The weight is worth it for the power you get and the warranty. I really enjoyed myself when I started drilling into concrete for the first time to install an Alarm Panel.This isn't the best review out there, simply because I am still learning about the functions and uses for my DEWALT product. I don't have any products to compare it to - but I don't think I'll ever need another.UPDATE ON 11/06/11!Just wanted to say that this drill has not faltered for am moment and the batteries are still going strong. I still get the same battery life out of these.Projects I've used this for: Mounting alarm panels to concrete walls, Fixing my fence, running cable from my upstairs to my basement, installing a camera system at a small shop, etc. Drill is still working great and I look forward to having this drill for years to come.

The Dewalt 18V DC725KA drill was more than I expected. I bought the drill to use mostly as a driver for the deck I was building. The charge lasts a very long time and it comes with 2 batteries so you will never run out of power. I especially like the design of the chuck. I am used to using a Craftsman drill, which I like very much also. The chuck on the Dewalt is a much better design. At first, I was trying to use it wrong (I was trying to use it by using the trigger and holding the chuck with one hand and this does not work with the Dewalt). However, the actual chuck mechanism works so much better, it does not slip! I can change from a driver to drill very quickly. I have not tried to use the hammer drill portion of this drill yet but all other features make this a fantastic deal.

This drill isn't a bad choice for a homeowner. I think someone who uses a drill on the job would probably do better with lithium batteries. The extra weight of the NiCads probably won't be a factor for me as I won't likely be using it continuously for long hours, or over my head very much. NiCad batteries will usually last a couple of years longer than lithiums if used just for homeowner projects. That is dependent on having good batteries with temp sensors and a smart charger, which this unit does have.Evidently the memory problem with NiCad batteries isn't a problem with high load equipment like drills. And since NiCads maintain almost full power until they are depleted you would often run them all the way down anyway. They do have a higher self-discharge than lithiums, but you will usually have enough power in the first to have the second battery fully charged by the time you need it.Pros:Good power, as you would expect from a Dewalt. There is very good trigger control, and even when running at high speed the chuck stops instantly when you release the trigger (with a clunk).Well made chuck. It grabbed a 1/16 drill bit and there is no wobble. A 3/8 chuck makes no sense when a 1/2 can do the job as well. You aren't limited to drills with the base turned down to 3/8. It seems to be a trend to put half inch chucks on drills that would previously have had 3/8, a trend I like.The apparent temperature sensor in the battery and smart charger are both a pro and con. On the pro side, the batteries should last for quite a while. My last Craftsman, which didn't have that advantage, lasted less than a year before the batteries were useless.The grip is comfortable for my hands. It is a tad nose heavy, but the balance generally seems fine.You can leave a battery in the smart charger indefinitely as long as it is plugged in. So if you are doing a project the next day you can leave it plugged in overnight with no damage to the battery.Cons:The light placement is absurd. You need a bit that extends around six inches from the chuck so the light is really any good for positioning. For anything 3 1/2 inches or shorter, the light is blocked by the chuck and your target is in shadow. Unfortunately the tips of most bits and many drills I use fall into the shadow and the light is useless. Most manufacturers are putting the lights on the base to avoid that problem.After heavy use of the first battery, don't expect it to be charged when you use up the second. It takes about 5 hours to charge a completely depleted battery, most of that time spent with the dot/dash signal that the battery is too hot to charge. That was in an air conditioned room with a battery that hadn't been under load. Outdoors or in the garage in the summer you might not have the second battery recharged that day. This is also a problem with lithium batteries, so it is just something you have to be aware of. My last drill didn't have the problem but the batteries didn't last a year either. It is a good feature to protect the battery, but it can slow you down if you have a lot of heavy load work to do.The hammer drill might be OK for putting Tapcons into manufactured blocks, which use a fine aggregate. For aged poured concrete it is nearly useless. The instructions say to use the high speed (low torque) setting and put only enough pressure to keep the drill from jumping or it will hang up. To drill into the aged poured concrete around my house I have to use my large corded 1/2 inch hammer drill and put all my weight into it.Overall I'm happy with the purchase. Dewalt makes good equipment and I expect it to last a good bit longer than some other drills I have owned. I didn't buy it to replace my corded hammer drill. I like having a half inch chuck and the power is more than sufficient.