Its 24-Volt Brushless Cordless Drill has a lot of positive feedback at Lowe’s , but we don’t think the added voltage is necessary for around-the-house work. The Black+Decker BDCDD12C 12V Max Cordless Lithium Drill/Driver comes with only a single battery. It doesn’t have a belt hook, onboard bit storage, or a battery gauge.
Add an impact driver to your workshop from one of the most well-respected names in power tools. During testing, the Craftsman drilled 44 holes, which puts it lower than our other 18-volt recommendations. In the hand, it feels chunkier than the others and doesn’t seem as solid. It does not come with a belt hook, which left us scratching our heads a little. If budget is your primary concern, this is a great option, but you’ll be able to do more with the others.
The one slight negative we found with the DeWalt DCD701F2 kit is that taking the battery off the tool is a little counterintuitive. On most drills, a sliding tab releases the battery, but on the DeWalt 12-volt, you need to press the tab in toward the drill. On other models, like the 20-volt DeWalt DCD791D2, the tab slides away from the tool, making it easier to grab, unlatch, and pull off. This is truly a minor point, though, and once we got used to the tab on the 12-volt DeWalt, we had no issues.
The DeWalt DCD701F2 is part of the Cordless Drills & Impact Drivers test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, Cordless Drills models like the DCD701F2 are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below. Includes the drill and battery pack, to the nearest tenth of a pound. Reflects how much work the drill can perform per battery charge, as measured on a dynamometer.
When you add an impact driver to your arsenal, you’ll need impact-rated 1⁄4-inch hex bits. Plain 1⁄4-inch hex bits meant for use with a drill/driver may work with an impact dewalt cordless drill driver in a pinch, but will not hold up over time. The selection of hex bits here is comprised of some of the best we’ve tested, designed specifically for impact drivers.
Brushless motors electronically control magnetic fields to drive their rotor without friction and heat buildup from brushes. They use battery power more efficiently to provide longer run times per charge than brushed motors. A high-voltage driver is heavier and more powerful than a low-voltage driver. Higher voltage provides more torque, as well as increased spinning strength. Higher-voltage drivers also offer more settings and versatility. Impact drivers are fairly safe in general, nowhere near as unsafe as a chainsaw or table saw.
The DCF887 also comes with the triple LED light ring and ergonomic handle found on all DeWalt impact drivers. Recently, a new class of 18- and 20-volt drill has become available, splitting the difference—both in size and power—between the 12-volts and the full-size 18- and 20-volts. They’re typically referred to as subcompacts, and we think of them as a great entry-level DIY tool, perfect for light framing and more-heavy-duty work.
Good ones have no problem with tasks like swapping out light fixtures, building a bookshelf, and making minor drywall repairs. And they can even handle an occasional foray into more-aggressive work, like fixing a saggy gutter or replacing a few rotted deck boards. Dewalt Impact Drivers are designed with the trade professional in mind, so you’ll get the driving performance you’d expect from the brand you know and trust.