Withย almost 500 in-lbs of torque, a three-speed transmission, ratchetingย chuck, and a new level of ergonomics, the new DeWalt DCD985L2 20V MAXย Lithium-Ion Premium Hammer Drill kit is a must-have tool. This newย five-pound drilling and driving machine can handle just about anyย fastener, drilling, and hammer drilling application you can think of.ย With the innovative battery technology of the 20V MAX platform and theย built-in electronics, you can be assured that your cordless DeWaltย tools will last and perform better than the current 18V tools.
Weย suspect that this drill will quickly become the tool of choice forย many of the tradesmen and contractors who opt for the new 20V MAXย lithium-ion battery platform.
Build Quality and Features
The upper portion of the DeWalt DCD985L2 20V MAX Lithium-ion Premium Hammer Drill is nearly the same shape and offers the same functionality as the current 18V hammer drills. The changes come into play really from the trigger down. Electronics are nowย built into the switches, making the tool smarter by maximizing theย life of the tools and batteries and helping to protect them fromย overheating, overloading and deep discharge during use.
The drill kitย includes two 3.0Ah battery packs and a heavy-duty plastic carry case.ย By utilizing the new slide battery packs, the engineers at DeWaltย were able to thin down the handle considerably and make the tool moreย comfortable to hold and control. The DeWalt DCD985L2โs all-metalย three-speed transmission has settings that go from 0-600, 0-1,250,ย and 0-2,000 RPM, depending on which level you have it set to.
The 1/2-inch metal ratcheting chuck comes with carbide inserts that help to reduce bit slippage during high torque applications and provide long life. The drill features a bright LED workย light above the trigger, which provides a 20-second delay for use inย dimly lit spaces. Theย word โPremiumโ in its name really is just a way toย differentiate it from its slightly smaller and more compact brother,ย the DCD785C2.
Charging and Operation
Theย included 20V MAX lithium-ion quick charger only takes 30 minutes toย fully charge a battery pack. It has dual voltage functionality,ย making it compatible with the 12V MAX lithium-ion batteries as wellย as the new 20V slide packs. Unlike the 18V top post design , the newย 20V MAX batteries are a slide-on sled style, much like their new 12Vย MAX cordless tools.
The 20V MAX designation for these tools is reallyย just to ensure that there was no confusion with their current 18Vย line which is not going anywhere anytime soon. The DCD985L2 20V MAXย Lithium-ion Premium Hammer Drill comes with a three-year limitedย warranty, one-year free service contract, and 90-day money-backย guarantee. The included 3.0Ah lithium-ion battery packs each comeย with a three-year free service contract.
Testingย and Use
After spending a little time with theย DeWalt DCD985L2 20V MAX Lithium-Ion Premium Hammerย Drill, one of the first things that comes to mind is versatility. Withย a feature set that makes it a good workhorse, we never were able toย stall it in our drilling challenges. This drill has a high thresholdย for pain, too. Unlike some of the competition that tends to cut offย when the drill overloads, we were not able to get it to this point,ย and we never smoked a motor.
We liked the three-speed transmissionย and the built-in work light. What makes this LED light even better isย that, when you let off the trigger, it stays on for an additional 20ย seconds. We compared this drill to other 18V hammer drills on theย market, and the new 20V MAX drill was among the most compact andย lightweight models. The balance in the hand is good and the new gripย geometry is noticeably better then DeWaltโs 18V models.
Theย ratcheting chuck with the carbide jaws provided a fantastic grip on roundย shank bits. The secondary handle worked well and attached in the sameย familiar way as with all prior DeWalt hammer drills. What makes their secondary handle better than much of the competition is that you can position it anywhere, which makes your grip more comfortable. Compareย this to some that are locked in at 90-degree increments or less.
Conclusion
Dewaltย cordless drills have always been good performers, and the new DCD985L2ย 20V MAX Lithium-ion Premium Hammer Drill lived up to our highย expectations. What the old 18V models lacked in run time and batteryย durability, this new model makes up for with 3.0Ah 20V MAXย batteries and protective internal circuitry. We just wished that weย knew when it was running out of juice.
For our Professional rating,ย we gave this drill stellar marks because it does a good job at justย about every task that we used it for. The fact that it is a hammer drill and that it has as much power as it does makes it a great portable tool. The DCD985L2 also provides value, giving the users all the features that they need and noneย that they donโt. In other words, it is a premium tool that offers professional performance, and all at a price point that keeps it in line with the competition.
