Need Recommendation - Dewalt Cordless Hammer Drill/Driver

[Mav3481]

I'm in the market for a new Hammmer Drill/Driver to replace my old Ryobi that I got about 7 years ago for just easy work.  Now that I own a house, I need a drill that will do more for me.

I was looking for a Dewalt drill to take its place.  I'm looking at around $200 or less (I'm a good shopper, so I can hunt for prices).

Does anyone have a good suggestion?  I'm looking for not too heavy and battery doesn't matter.

I'd like it to fit easily between two joists in the basement if I need it to.

Thanks everyone.

[kanxrus]

You can hunt on Ebay, but at retail you won't get a Dewalt cordless hammerdrill for $200. For around the house use, I'd recommend the DC725.

[Steven]

Thats going to be hard to get a new Dewalt hammerdrill for $200 or under.  To get a hammerdrill that would be worth anything, I would not go below an 18 volt.  Maybe get a deal on black friday.  If you would be willing to add another $100 to it, you could get so much more drill that you would be happy with.  In my line of work, a compact drill/driver and a full sized drill/driver/hammerdrill comes in real handy (at least 1 of each).  I like the DCD950/DCD970 hammerdrills.  I have several DCD970s and they are a very good investment.

If your concerned about getting a drill model that fits between studs (maybe for drilling holes for plumbing/electrical?), what would help is getting a set of those new Craftsman stubby spade bits at Sears.  Dewalt also makes a right angled cordless drill for those tight spaces.

[Mav3481]

If I had a budget of $300 then what would be appropriate?

[Steven]

If all I had was $300 & wanted an excellent all-around drill/driver/hammerdrill, I would buy the DeWalt DCD970KL.

The only problem is that it does not come with a Depth Rod for some unknown reason.  So I ordered through my local DeWalt Service Center for around $3/each.  If you do order a Depth Rod, I would get 2+, because they are easy to loose.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xjl/R-100671643/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

[Mav3481]

My other thought is to get a smaller hammer drill with a nicer drill that both take 18v batteries.

I'm up for all suggestions.  I know Dewalt/Lowes have the deal where you buy a drill and you get the impact/hammmerdrill/whatever with it.

Any suggestions?

[BlackHawk1776]

I have the DCD970KL that I just purchased at HD when my Harbor Freight corded hammer drill died.  (It still works as a drill, but there is no more hammering to it!)  The DCD970KL is awesome as a tool - I had all of my 200 lbs on the drill as I was drilling concrete and it didn't give me any trouble.  One thing to keep in mind about this drill, it is about $300 but most of that cost is the batteries, not the drill.  If you look on eBay for the drill itself - less than $100.  Look for the batteries and they run $90+ each.  These are pretty high end batteries and they seem to work very well.

I also have a DC720KA which is an awesome compact drill that performs very well also; however if you are going to or might do any masonry drilling, you'll really want the hammer drill.  the DCD970 isn't light, but it isn't a super heavy tough to maneuver tank of a drill either.

Also if budget is a bigger concern - you can get a corded DeWalt hammer drill for about $100, perhaps less if you shop around.