Customer Reviews

Denali 582146 18V Cordless 3/8-Inch Drill/Driver Kit

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Last year, someone gave me a Denali 5-Piece Outdoor Utility and Emergency Kit, so when we started a garage remodel and I found myself in need of a second cordless drill, I decided to give this one a try. The price was certainly right, and I figured if it wasn't that great, it was just a spare anyway.

As the review title indicates, I was pleasantly surprised. I would recommend this to anyone even as their primary drill/driver.

I was a little nervous when I took it out of the box, because it's pretty big, but it's well-balanced and feels light in the hand.

It has plenty of power. We've used it to hang cabinets, shelves and hooks. We've been able to use it for hours at a time without it overheating. There is no discernible wobble or shake, and the chuck holds tight. I even used it with long auger bits to drill pilot holes for rebar connectors through 4 x 4s on a garden retaining wall.

The spare battery is huge in terms of convenience. I tend to like post-type batteries rather than the slide batteries this drill has, but it hasn't been a problem. The batteries charge fast, and the charge indicator is really helpful.

Another great thing about this drill is the nylon bag. Most tools come with no case or, at best, with a hard plastic case. The bag is light, easy to carry around, and fits easily into a shelf. I might recommend the drill based on the bag alone.

Oh, it's definitely durable. I knocked it off of my 2nd story deck railing onto our driveway (about 15 feet up), and it still works. I'm not guaranteeing that would work for you, and I'm not trying it again, but it's worth mentioning.

One neat thing I've never seen on a cordless drill before is the rotating battery pack. I'm not sure if the image shows exactly how this works, but you can rotate the battery 360 degrees on the drill's handle. Although that might just seem like a gimmick, it came in handy big time when we were driving the bottom screws on our upper cabinets. With my other drill, I would have had to turn the drill upside down and climb a ladder to get the screws in. With the Denali, I was able to just swivel the battery out of the way.

Is that it? Oh, one more thing. It's got a little LED light on the base. It's been helpful when I was working under the counter. If I had a basement or attic, I imagine it would be helpful there too. The only weird thing is that it won't turn off when the drill is operating, so I keep worrying I'm going to look at it. So far I haven't.

Important note. It's NOT a hammer drill. If you have to do masonry work, you'll need to look elsewhere. Overall though, this is a great drill/driver.

PS - If you don't have a bunch of bits, I get Denali's Denali 136-Piece Titanium Contractor's Drill And Drive Bit Accessory Set. Why? Magnetic Drill Guide. It will make every drilling job much quicker and easier for you. And good bits are a huge factor in how any drill performs. The fact that Set includes the Guide and that many titanium bits at that price is too good a deal to pass up.

I own this but I haven't used this personally (I'm a girl after all ;) However, all of my friends (1 works as a maintenance guy at a hotel, 1 works for a contractor - so they have used several other drills, including high end ones) who have used my drill swear that it's got all the useful features that only a $200+ drill would have. The price did make me wonder if it would last, but so far, it lasted after using it heavily for the past several months - we've installed brand new kitchen cabinets, hardwood floors, added a door in the den, several window treatments, assembled a lot of furniture (those that needed assembly), several light fixtures, playground for the small ones, shelving for a 2-car garage etc (that's for the 2 houses that we own!). So far, we haven't seen any wear & tear. I liked it so much that I bought it for all of the men in my life (brothers, in laws & friends).

Do not waste your money on this. Unless you are drilling into your birthday cake this thing is pretty much useless. Broke two of the drill bits today trying to intstall window blinds.

I bought this drill to replace a Craftsman 19.2 because the batteries only lasted 30 minutes or so per charge. This Denali goes all day long and is priced way below the Craftsman. Next I am going to get the Sabre Saw.

This drill has many nice features and is well-constructed for the price except for one caveat - chuck wobble. The wobbling chuck makes it nearly impossible to drill a hole true to size.

I returned the first one ordered and while the second wobbles less, it nevertheless still wobbles. I may return this one, but I am wary of just getting another with the same problem or perhaps worse.

This is the first 18v I have purchasedDenali 582146 18V Cordless 3/8-Inch Drill/Driver Kit, I have used other peoples 18v and this one is as good as the other brands I have used. You need to buy good bits and the best screws, to get the best use out of this driver.