DEWALT20V MAX Hammer Drill and Impact Driver, Cordless Power Tool Combo Kit with 2 Batteries and Charger (DCK299M2)

I upgraded from an old DeWalt 18V combo set, and it was worth every penny.When compared to a brushed motor, brushless has more power. Less energy is wasted as friction (heat) since the rotor and stator have an air gap between them. A brushed design has brushes that make contact as the rotor spins. That generates friction, heat, and they eventually wear out and need to be replaced. Brushless motors are more complex and expensive but do away with that, generating more power output at the rotor for the same power input.In addition, brushless motors tend to be smaller. This means the drill and impact driver are both smaller than my old ones, and this is critical for the drill.I am a big fan of Irwin Speedbor drill bits - specifically the three-bladed bits with flutes and the screw nose. That pulls the bit through wood, making it quick and easy to drill holes at least until you get to the back edge. Anyway, drilling holes through joists or studs to pull wire where the framing is already fully installed can be difficult or impossible without a right-angle drill: the drill and bit can be wider than the stud/joist cavity (14.5"). However, a 4" Speedbor bit in this drill (shorter because brushless) easily fits in a standard stud cavity with plenty of room to spare. I no longer need to beg borrow or steal a right-angle drill.The impact driver is an impact driver. Nothing special to report on that, just that it does its job as one would expect. Same with the charger.I like that this kit comes with a 4AH battery. Many of DeWalt's kits come with wimpy 2AH batteries. Those will not last as long - half as long, to be precise. Better to have the extra longevity to get the job done without swapping batteries in the middle.This may be more expensive than the non-MAX variety, but it is worth every penny and I regret nothing. Go big or go home!Update: After a year and a half of use and abuse, these tools are still going strong. They may be nicked up and dinged up, but they just work and work well. Since buying into this battery system I have bought a few other tools and I am even more grateful for the 4AH battery. I use it for the orbital sander and the extra runtime over a smaller battery is nice. I also bought a 6AH battery. Swapping between them when sanding bigger projects works well and I never run out of juice, thanks to the rapid charger in this kit.As far as I am concerned there are two power tool systems worth buying: DeWalt 20V Max, and Milwaukee Fuel. You spend a little extra money up front, but you also don't need to replace a broken tool a few months later which is actually more expensive in the long run.

I've had Dewalt drills and other tools before (still do), and I have always been very pleased. The last set of drills I had was a comparable Milwaukee 18 volt set that I used for the last 8 years or so. I bought them when I started building my new house. They worked very well, and I have no complaints. Lately though they stared losing battery power (both batteries), so I decided to get new drills. The drills I got are the extra run time 20 volt set. One of the reasons I decided on the extra run time (the larger batteries on both drills opposed to one large and one small, shorter run time battery) is because I already have the 1/2" Dewalt 20 volt impact driver with the same batteries. Now I have 3 batteries, and 2 chargers, all the same.After reading some of the other reviews, I was hesitant to get these drills because of complaints about loose batteries, switch problems, and the chuck apparently not tightening down (or whatever). On those things I have comments.On the loose battery issue... I see that the battery moves around a bit by about a 32nd of an inch. After having the impact drill already with the same battery setup, I never noticed that until it was suggested in the reviews on these drills. I went out to my shop and looked at it, and sure it does that, but it is not noticeable at all (like I said, had it not been suggested, I would not have noticed!). So when I got these drills, they are exactly the same movement; no big deal (not even a small deal).On the switching issue... I have been a contractor for 20 years building aluminum patio covers, etc. I have used many different brands and sizes of cordless drills over the years. I have never had one that didn't need to be turned on for a second to get the gears to sort of "mesh" (for lack of a better term). Every drill I have ever used, period. When building those patio covers you are running in hundreds of screws a day, and drilling hundreds of holes, every day switching from speed to torque. There is no issue here.On the chuck issue, I cannot speak for the drill that apparently has an issue, as the chuck that came with these drills has the black, all steel, knurled chuck (vs. the one with the black plastic grip and the shiny chrome looking chuck. I believe those are the ones that get the complaints. Mine works perfectly.I am no longer a contractor, but (besides building a lot of stuff) I am in the process of converting a 45 foot bus into a motor home. This will be about a 2-3 year project, and I am looking forward to using these new drills. They are nice and heavy, and balanced (even with the extra run sized battery, the drill motor is heavier than the battery, providing good balance). Keep in mind that a heavy drill doesn't kick back as easy as a light one (when the drill bit suddenly gets stuck in the material). Also, I don't know how necessary the "3 speeds" are, but I'm ok with them. I don't want to forget to mention the little LED light that comes on when you drill. I LOVE the 3 brightness levels. The highest one puts me in mind of those high powered flashlights. It is VERY bright, and will come in handy.I highly recommend these drills. Thank you, Glennman

Such a great deal!! The impact and drill work excellent, plus the 4ah batteries last long, and the charger, works well, its chargers the batteries pretty quick, plus the 12 inch duffle bag was definitely a bonus, overall great deal, and worth every penny!!

Drill work great,has plenty of power.

This package of default drill and impact that's exactly what they need them to do. Good quality

Works well. I'm able to accomplish more