February 6th, 2010 
TBDKeith My old Delta cordless drill, drilled it’s last hole after four plus years of service. It was a 14 volt drill that served me well. The drill is in decent shape but the batteries would not hold a charge long enough to drive a 2″ drywall screw. To replace the two batteries would cost over $75.00. I do not want to put that kind of money in to batteries with the life of the drill motor uncertain. Time to go shopping for a new cordless drill.
First, lets look at what I need in a drill and how it will be used. I build custom cabinets and furniture so most of my work is accomplished in the shop. The fewer cords under foot the better so a cordless works well. Many times I use two drills, a corded one for drilling holes and the cordless to drive the screw. I do the installations myself, so a long battery life is important, as is a quick charge, but the most critical features are the weight and overall size. I prefer a smaller drill for working in tight spaces and one that is on the lighter side to reduce fatigue.
I chose the Hitachi DS 10Fl, that I found on Amazon http://bit.ly/aqDWCs for $99.00 and free shipping. It weighted in at 2.2 pounds which had me concerned that it would lack enough power to drive larger screws. The advertisement read Hitachi DS10DFL 12-Volt Peak Li-Ion 2 Speed Drill/Driver but it has a 10.8 volt Lithium-ion battery. I don’t know what they mean by “12 volt peak” and really don’t care.
After installing a complete set of kitchen cabinets, including installing door hinges and drawer slides, I can say that this little drill really packs a punch.
It has plenty of power and the 40 minute (or less) charger meant there was no waiting for a fresh battery. The clutch worked as advertised and the keyless chuck held the bit firmly. The forward/reverse switch is in an excellent location, located just above the trigger. One can easily change direction using your thumb or forefinger, allowing for a convenient one handed operation. This function was used frequently when installing drawer slides and adjusting door hinges.
A couple of notable items:
The LED light located between the trigger and forward/reverse switch is a good idea but it is positioned so that the chuck casts a shadow on the drill point rendering the light useless.
The high/low switch is located on the top of the drill. It is in a convenient location but I found the sliding switch a little stiffer than it should be. Maybe it will loosen with use.
I found this drill to be a good value and the two year guarantee on the batteries an added bonus.
Keith
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Hi Keith, hope you are well.
)
Very good review and price. “BUT” being British we love things old and hate spending money !!! So any one that is a cheap skate like me heheh. so when you cordless drill batteries packs up and you cant get hold of another one due to the fact that they have stopped making them( & more important your tight) get a 12 volt battery charger and connect the terminals to the drill it works but its now corded heheh will work all day long. (not recommended). before i go Keith i also have 2 of my uncles corded drils(very old indeed, one i have found out is a very early surgical drill and the company is still going its about 60 years old (no parts have ever been replaced AWESOME) it has no power to it which i am shore is right as you would not want to much power when drilling in someones head hahah but i love it great for pilot holes and other small jobs. Anyway keith love your review great drill may be one day
best wishes as always
Hi Mark,
I would love to see a picture of the surgical drill. (but not in use)
Those old tools were built to last and last, no plastic parts to break.
12 volt charger…I didn’t think of that. Maybe that old drill could be used after all.
Take care.
Keith
PS
It was good to see your name pop up in my in box
Hi Keith, I will sort out a picture for you. Hope you have had a great weekend i am in work tomoz so i will sort it out then. speak soon
best wishes
Mark
Keith,
I didn’t even know Delta made cordless tools. I have been having trouble with my 12 Dewalt batteries. I tried the cheap route and got a couple at “The Battery Source”. At first they worked good and held the charge for quite some time. Lately I have had no luck with them. Then it dawned on me maybe it was the charger (some electrician I am) so I bit the bullet an ordered me a new Dewalt charger and battery. The rotten part about it when I bought the drill a few years ago *5-10?* I got the drill charger and two batteries for under a hundred bucks. The new charger and battery cost almost 50 bucks at a discount supply house. Retail it would have been 100 dollars. Where is the justice? I did buy an 18 volt Porter Cable. I thought I was getting a new ion battery but it was just a ni-cad. A couple hundred dollars more and I could update to ion. Do you really think there is that much of a price difference between making the batteries?
Toolmanstan
Hi Stan,
I don’t know if there is a big difference in the cost to build ion over ni-cad. I read that the big difference between the two is the ion has a better weight to power ratio, as compared to the ni-cad. I read that as more juice in a smaller package. I tried to find the info to reference it, but couldn’t.
Keith
Hey Keith,
Great review, for me I am a Bosch man. I will be getting a Bosch ion battery to take advantage of the weight and longer battery life as well. Bosch is a great company with lots of great tools. My last drill was a tool force cheep o from walmart and it lasted 2 years, I went to get another one and it could not even put in a couple of screws in hardwood. So I am done with the cheap ones. Just my thoughs
Dennis
Hi Dennis,
You may not know this but with two Bosch routers and three of their sanders…I could be considered a “Bosch Man”. Now, say that to the theme of Batman. Da Da Da Da Daaaa Bosch Man.
Truth is, I looked at the Bosch cordless, PS20-2A 12-Volt Max Lithium-Ion Pocket Driver
But I did not like the chuck on it. I was looking for a key less chuck that would use standard drill bits.
I agree, it is a good idea to stick with a name you can trust.
Thanks for the comment.
Keith
One of our readers recommended this blog post:…
My old Delta cordless drill, drilled it’s last hole after four plus years of service. It was a 14 volt drill that served me well. The drill is in decent shape. … I didn’t even know Delta made cordless tools. I have been having trouble with my 12 De…
One of our readers recommended this blog post:…
Great review, for me I am a Bosch man. I will be getting a Bosch ion battery to take advantage of the weight and longer battery life as well. Bosch is a great company with lots of great tools. My last drill was a tool force cheep o from … Truth is, I…
One of our readers recommended this blog post:…
Great review, for me I am a Bosch man. I will be getting a Bosch ion battery to take advantage of the weight and longer battery life as well. Bosch is a great company with lots of great tools. My last drill was a tool force cheep o from ……
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