Makita 6217DWDE 12-volt NiMH 3/8-inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit

Makita 6217DWDE 12-volt NiMH 3/8-inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit Motor With Dual Ball Bearings For Longer Motor Life, All MetalGear Transmission Creates EfficientP ower, Shift Lock Drive System Instantly Shifts From Drill To Driver Mode, 2.6AH Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries Outlast Any NI-CD Batteries, Locking Ratcheting Chuck Securely Grips All Bits, Includes 2 Batteries, Multi-Voltage Charger, Keyless Chuck, Tool Case.

Makita 6217DWDE 12-volt NiMH 3/8-inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit

Oh what a difference
Have owned a 14.4 Ryobi Cordless drill for year, but became increasingly disatisified with short battery life, and also the inability of the chuck to hold the bits securely.
Although I am just a "home-owner", I do appreciate good tools and the Makita Mforce is top notch. Good Balance, the chucks grabs the bits correctly. The 2 speed drive along with a easy feel to the speed lever makes a controbable tool with just the right feel and control. The extra dollars is well worth it, as now I have a tool that will last for many many years, and most importantly is a pleasure to use. You know.. priceless.
follow up: july 15, 2009.. Sadly accidentally dumped this great tool into salt water, and it actually ran for awhile, but the salt took its toll. Will have to get another

Awsome
I purchased this drill about three months ago and I have been using it almost daily on various home improvement projects. I have owned two lesser brand drills in the past and this time I went for the best. The perfomance of this drill is so much better than those cheaper brands it's amazing. The battery life is outstanding along with power and torque of the drill. I have also used serveral Dewalt cordless drills and find the performance of the Makita superior. This drill is a winner.

Non-professional perspective
I'm a homeowner and occasional DIYer. I do appreciate a good tool and splurged on a previous version of this drill 3 years ago when I needed a cordless. It has been a workhorse... it handles all of those "around the house" tasks without breaking a sweat. It's lightweight enough to be very handy to just grab and use, and laughs at my typical jobs- hanging stuff on walls, putting Ikea furniture together.
The controls are really well designed- the direction switch is in easy finger reach, but never gets in the way. The gear shift is on top and thus easy to see, reducing the number of "oops" moments. The speed control is very precise and easy to fine-tune, and the drill stops instantly when you let go of the trigger. The body is narrow enough to fit in tight spots, and the thing is light enough to hold and control at arm's length without being a weightlifter.
But I came to have a new appreciation of it last weekend when I was replacing the decking on our back deck with Trex composite lumber... I used this drill to pre-drill and drive all of the screws for a 300 sq. ft deck. The power was plenty sufficient, and the excellent batteries were able to keep up with me- by the time I ran one out, the other was charged and ready to go- I was doing the cutting and carrying the lumber too, so it got regular breaks. The battery life was still excellent after three years of neglect- being left uncharged for long periods of disuse, or alternately staying in the charger for weeks at a time. I had only rarely done a "full cycle", and yet I felt like all the power was still here.
Anyway, I've been really, really pleased- unless you're a pro that *really* needs a lot of power and run-time, don't be seduced by higher-voltage drills- this is likely to match the endurance and needs of even a relatively serious DIYer, and you'll have something a lot lighter and nimbler than one of those monsters.

Buy Now $ Makita 6217DWDE 12-volt NiMH 3/8-inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit