Customer Reviews

DEWALT DW160V 3/8-Inch VSR Right Angle Drill

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I'm an Industrial Technology teacher and have access to many new tools. I am very disappointed with this Dewalt Product. I still don't understand why they didn't put a reversable switch on this unit. It would have been great for installing and removing Kitchen cabinets. Moreover, when using spade bits to drill through flooring, you periodically need to "back" the bit up to remove it when it becomes bound. I think a better purchase would be a temporary 90 degree chuck that mounts to a portable drill. Be very careful when setting this unit on the ground ... it's super easy to hit the start switch and if you've got a large spade bit in the chuck "watch out!!" I also would like to see a variable speed adjustment as this drill does create a lot of torque and can easy twist and sprain you wrist if you're not anticipating it.

I bought one of these for my father, a retired electrician who occasionally still takes jobs. At first, he loved this little drill. The only shortcomings he noticed in the beginning were the lack of a keyless chuck and the fact that the paddle-switch could be dangerous if you weren't paying close attention to what you were doing. In the end though, what became this drills downfall was the cheap construction inside the housing. After only a few jobs, a plastic component around the motor cracked, allowing the teeth to slip under strain. A DeWalt service shop charged... to fix this problem. The second hole it drilled after that caused the gears to give out. It was a great idea, but DeWalt needs to send this one back to the design board for more work... I wish now that I had spent the extra money on the bigger DeWalt right angle drill.

I did a lot of looking around at medium right angle drills. The drawbacks on the Dewalt is no variable speed, and no reversing. So it may be prone to stripping screws, and now way to reverse them out when they do. Ouch. For straight drill of holes it is great.
If you have air around, and don't need to make large holes in 2x12s, the air driver Porter Cable is sweet. Has air pressure, to create torque and variable speed adjustments, and has reversing capabilities, and is the best price on the block.
My pick is the Makita 110 volt model. It has the largest amperage motor in the medium duty range, has variable speed, reversing, and an adjustable speed limiting dial, an LED light to illuminate your work, and is guaranteed to last the lifetime of the tool.
Next is the Bosch with a slightly weaker motor at 3.8 amps, and doesn't have the speed range of the Makita, even though it is at the same price. Nice overall tool though.
Then comes the Milwaukee 55 degree angle drill. Fine for additional leverage while drilling, but could be a problem for deeper access areas when making 90-degree applications. Especially important in crammed quarters, when you would have to swing the body out the additional 35 degrees to get a 90-degree angle.
Black and Decker makes a lightweight unit, and will suffice for the occasional weekend warrior.
The Dewalt unit, fills a niche, but is a very good example of getting what you pay for. If it were not for the no reversing, and no variable speed capabilities, and for making the paddle switch so long, that gets in the way, even when you don't want it to, makes the unit, strictly for those who are price conscious first, and tool conscious later.
Wake up and smell the Makita. :-)

The construction of the DeWalt DW160 right angle drill is surprisingly good being that the enclosure is all plastic. The drill trigger is ruff cast aluminum and sized for someone with a certain size hand. The drill is made for right hand users and can not be converted to lefty. The trigger design could be improved upon by removing the bar that runs from the top to the bottom of the drill to allow you to grip the drill fully and not end up inadvertently turning it on. The weight of the drill is very good and the compactness is exceptional. It would have been better if this drill was available with a keyless chuck. The drill motor is very quite and supplies smooth operation but does not have variable speed. The power it provides for drilling through floor joists is more than adequate.

The large paddle switch that covers the handle makes it difficult to grab the drill without turning it on. Switching the bit out (with a keyed chuck), I got my hand caught in the chuck key, grabbed the handle, and off to the medic.

And no variable speed means its more difficult to drive screws without stripping them, and no reverse means you're back to the manual screwdriver. C'mon dewalt.

Bought this drill while I was rewiring several rooms in my house. Got it to drill through floor joists, and it did just that very well. Compact size with good power.

The handle/trigger is tricky, and I unplug it before changing bits or if I'm done using it for awhile. Otherwise you're likely to activate the drill accidentally. Did it once, luckily didn't get hurt.

But, the length of the trigger is good for one thing. With 2 x 10 joists, I was able to get the drill bit up into the upper part of the joist without having to stick my hand all the way up there. No keyless chuck, but that may be why it's compact. Keyless chucks are about 2-3 times as long as a keyed chuck, so for size issues, I don't mind it here.

Horrible little drill!!!! No variable speed, no reverse!!!You better be perfect because god forbid you must back a screw out, no reverse. Hard to start screws w/o variable speed. I replaced this drill w/ bosch's 1132vsr rt. angle drill. I am happy with the bosch, it is head and shoulders above the dewalt. I gave the Dewalt to my father in-law.

I purchased this drill two years ago when it first came out. While this drill is certainly heavy duty, it has been a disappointment. It has a very dangerous switch which is easily turned on when you are working in awkward positions, as typical with right angle drills. Also, it lacks variable speed and reverse which was not clear in the description when I bought it. My brother has a Milwaukee (made by Sioux) right angle drill which is hands down better which I would recommend instead.

I own this particular drill, although it is a powerful drill for a compact right angle drill, the major draw back for me is the non-reversing feature. What I have needed to use it for mostly is driving in screws in compact areas such as the inside of cabinets. If there is a need to remove the screw for adjustment of what you are working with you are really up a creek. Other than that it is also not variable speed which is not critical but would definitely be a plus if it were variable speed. I would recommend the makita model although not as powerful it has all the things the dewalt model lacks. P.S. A friend of mine has this drill and while trying to change the bit with the drill plugged in accidentally hit the trigger driving the chuck key deep into his hand. VERY PAINFUL!

The plastic gard around the chuck is strange and there is no reverse. It might be ok for wood.