DEWALT DC4KITA 18-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless 4-Tool Combo Kit

by DEWALT

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Power, power and more power! The 18-volt 1/2-inch hammer drill/driver's high-torque motor churns out an impressive 500 inch-pounds of torque—imagine the jobs it could tackle. We were surprised by how good it feels in hand, thanks, we think, to its neatly balanced design that places the handle toward the center of the tool. A nice touch is the ratcheting chuck with carbide jaws for a superb hold on your bit. And the all-metal, three-speed transmission is so innovative that DeWalt patented it. All we know is that this is one powerhouse of a hammer drill/driver, no matter what mode it's in. The DC385 recip saw's keyless blade clamp wins points in our book for fast blade changes. And talk about fast—with its one-inch stroke length, it runs at 2,900 strokes per minute. Like the drill, it's well balanced and feels good in hand. It's compact, lightweight and offers great cutline visibility through the pivoting shoe's open top. Plus, we like that the blade will reverse for flush and plunge cutting. The circular saw slices into 2x4s like butter, and you can always see your cut because the blade's on the left. Bevel cuts are no sweat; the saw's easy to adjust and the scale's clear. Finally, the flashlight's neck is super flexible, shedding light in just about any direction for up to three hours. This is a great collection of tools, essential for the contractor and perfect for the skilled do-it-yourselfer.--Kris Jensen-Van Heste

From the Manufacturer

DEWALT DC4KITA 18-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless 4-Tool Combo Kit

See all Product Description

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 24.1 x 16.4 x 9.5 inches ; 32 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 34.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0002AJJR8
• Item model number: DC4KITA
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,953 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Power for the DIY homeowner, February 24, 2005

By 

Magnus Opus (Washing DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: DEWALT DC4KITA 18-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless 4-Tool Combo Kit (Tools & Home Improvement)

Overall, a great tool kit for a DIY'er with some skill. Basically a pro-level set for the savvy homeowner/consumer. Long lasting battery and fast charging. The case is tough and well laid-out (the place to keep spare blades is a nice touch).

DC385 with keyless blade clamp for quick blade changes
PROS: Great balance. Nice power. Cuts through 2x4 like butter. Comes with 2 blades (coarse and fine-toothed).
CONS: Bottom loading battery requires upsidedown blade load for cutting through sole plates. This makes for awkward trigger position and the loss of that good balance. The unit can be bulky for tight spaces.

DW919 flexible floodlight for hands-free use
PROS: Mainly useful for people who have fulltime jobs during the day and work with the kit in the evenings in dark spaces. Usually rare but still happens, I guess. Adjustable beam is a nice feature.
CONS: The weakest link of the kit. A 4-piece kit with jigsaw would've been more useful. The rubber/plastic flexible arm feels a little flaky. I feel like I'll destroy it before long.

DC988 drill/driver/hammerdrill has 500 in.-lbs. of maximum torque
Exclusive 3 - speed all metal transmission
PROS: I've use this tool the most out of the three. Drills through concrete slab floor like it was asking for the drill bit. Both horizontal and vertical drilling are well balanced. Easy to use extension handle. Keyless chuck is truly single-handed. Excellent power and goes on a single battery charge for longer than an hour under normal to high use (just enough for that other battery to charge).
CONS: Transmission is problematic. Sometimes won't re-engage into hammerdrill mode from clutch settings. Running the drill for about 15 secs at full speed seems to get the clutch and transmission innards back in place and functioning properly (I cant explain why only this fixes it, but it does). I can sometimes see sparks from within the drill -- stay away from flammable materials and gases. The balance with the extra handle on is somewhat poor. It takes some mastering to get it right so that you're not bending your bit. Housing may get warm after more than 20 mins of heavy use.

DC390 cuts 2X4's at 45 degrees in a single pass
Haven't used it much yet to give an honest review. Will need to come back to this. But what I can say so-far:
PROS: Good balance with the battery in, like the other tools in the kit, but heavier than any corded model for obvious reasons. No need to buy furring strips anymore. Easily makes it down multiple 2x4x16 foot studs. It feels like a true pro-level tool after using Ryobi for so long.
CONS: None so far.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thing of beauty..., November 3, 2005

By 

Sean P. Dukehart (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DEWALT DC4KITA 18-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless 4-Tool Combo Kit (Tools & Home Improvement)

Where do I start?

I used to be a professional door/window/storm door installer for Lowe's & Home Depot and ran through the gamut of tools in my travels. I began with some low volt Black & Decker's and moved to a 14.4 Firestorm. Well the removable chuck on the Firestorm died after about a month, though it was a nice feature, leaving me drill-less.

Step in DeWalt DC4KITA...

I purchased this kit and instantly fell in love. The power, the battery life, everything was extremely impressive. In fact, I loved it so much that I bought a second one for my father. From lag bolts to 4" wood screws to light duty drywall screws to paddle-bit drilling, the drill in this kit handles everything I continue to throw at it. The reciprocating and circular saws speak volumes about the DeWalt quality (thus I learned my lesson pertaining to Black & Decker <==> Consumer; DeWalt <==> Commercial). And the addition of the light is really just an added bonus. As for all-in-one packages, you will find no better choice than the DeWalt DC4KITA!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "THE" do-all kit, January 6, 2006

By 

James Peterson "YMMV" (Savannah, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DEWALT DC4KITA 18-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless 4-Tool Combo Kit (Tools & Home Improvement)

I don't know how I got along with out this kit. The power, battery life, quality, and durability of these Dewalt tools are top of the line. I'd say these rank at the top with the Makita and Milwaukee kits. The DC988 drill works great, even after 2-3 years of use it is still as strong. I had only a small gripe because of the stiff cluch (even the lightest setting was to strong). The DC390 circ saw is great for quick cuts (when you don't want to pull out the miter or cords and the regular circ saw). The new DC385 saw is strong and can take the punishment (only grip is the front guard is easy to cut into, especially now with the new design that allows the blade to be mounted sideways, but it causes no real functional issues).
The price you pay for the Dewalt is the only downside, it seems to be the most expensive kit. But if you already have 18V dewalt tools...

The only weak part of the kit is the batteries. They will be the part that breaks when you drop it (usually the case, but sometimes the solder joints) I can't say that the same thing won't happen to the other kits, so don't make more out of it than it is... just try not to drop them. (ha ha)
I would like to find out if a smart charger could be bought for the packs. One that can discharge the pack and then pulse/reflex charge them back up with a peak charge cut off (instead of a temp or timed cutoff) I don't think the DW charger does any of that.