DriveMaster 14.4V Cordless Drill

by Drive Master

Product Description

Amazon.com

If you ever plan to tackle anything tougher than screwing or unscrewing light switch covers and battery compartments, you really want a good, basic drill/driver around the house. The DriveMaster is just that--a solid drill/driver suitable for hanging pictures and shelves, drilling holes for drywall anchors, anchoring furniture, or putting together "assemble yourself" furnishings--at a price that is truly remarkable.

DriveMaster has clearly chosen to make voltage their strong point. At time of writing, you won't find another 14.4-volt drill/driver at anywhere near this price. A couple of 9.6-volt models only come close. A higher voltage means that you will generally be able to operate the drill longer between battery charges. You can work with the DriveMaster for a good, solid hour without having to recharge the tool, which is important for things like putting together "assemble-yourself" furniture. The last thing you want to do is leave a table standing on two legs while you wait for a battery to recharge.

At 4.5 pounds, this is one of the lighter drill/drivers available, which is nice for the less burly, or anyone who wants to avoid wrist fatigue. There is a clutch with 8 torque settings, which is what makes it a drill/driver instead of just a drill. Just set the drill to the tension you want. When the drill meets a certain resistance level (for example, when your screw has been set), it will just spin without applying force to the screw. This helps prevent stripping screw heads and damaging whatever it is you are screwing into. The forward reverse switch is conveniently located above the trigger for quick and smooth directional changes. There is built-in storage for 2 bits on the base. The keyless 3/8-inch Jacob’s chuck provides quick bit changes and a strong grip.--Tod Harrick

What's In The Box
Includes 3/8-inch drill, 2 double-ended screwdriving bits, 1 battery, and a 3-5 hour charger.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 9.8 x 3.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000HDMU9E
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,648 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Killer gift, November 1, 2006

By 

James (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: DriveMaster 14.4V Cordless Drill (Tools & Home Improvement)

This 14.4 volt drill for $10 is an incredible deal. I needed a drill for around my house, nothing crazy, and I was suprised when I got it. Looks pretty cool, has a lot of power, feels great in my hand and is lighter then the ones I checked out at Home Depot(also a lot less expensive). As for the forward/reverse switch, mine works great. I have used this drill to drive screws and to drill holes into wood and metal in my shop. The clutch feature is really cool and lets you drive screws like you are a professional. This drill is not variable speed but with the clutch and a little pumping of the trigger it performs as good as any other drill I have owned and only costs $10. In fact, it has a ton of torque for any drill under $50. I just ordered 2 more to give as Xmas presents. Only came with two bits so I had to buy a set of extra bits to go with it or else I would have given it a 5. Good drill for me at a great price.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What do you expect for $10??, December 9, 2006

By 

FM "faismk" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: DriveMaster 14.4V Cordless Drill (Tools & Home Improvement)

Just received this drill. For $10 it's an incredible value. It is a single speed drill which means that when you pull the trigger it immediately goes to its 1 speed but this does not impact the use of the drill that much. If you want to drill or drive screws at a slower speed you just need to pump the trigger.

For drilling, single speed is fine for most applications. For driving screws, you just use the torque adjustment which allows you to sink the screw to any depth you want. Its a well built drill for $10. Heck, lunch now-a-days cost you more then $10.

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not variable speed, so not ideal for household use, December 17, 2006

By 

NM02 (New Mexico, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: DriveMaster 14.4V Cordless Drill (Tools & Home Improvement)

This drill is NOT variable speed, meaning once you hit the trigger, it spins at full speed with no modulation. Now before you immediately rate this review as "Not Helpful", please read on...

The lack of variable speed makes it nearly impossible to drive screws carefully, as you can't control the spin. With any decent variable-speed drill, you can gently press on the trigger to get it to spin smoothly and slowly without risk of stripping threads.

Here's an analogy: When you are driving and take off from a stop sign, you don't immediately floor it. Instead, you gradually apply the throttle and then increase it smoothly. The same concept applies to using a drill properly. Aside from not being able to screw stuff in easily, you also don't necessarily want to drill holes at full speed all the time too. If you watch professional contractors work, they always modulate the speed when first starting to help ensure a straight hole.

I honestly tried this drill at home, and decided to return it right away. It was not worth $10 as it is essentially useless for me. I tried very carefully to drive a screw in, but the drill immediately goes to full speed, turning the screw about 5 or 6 revolutions, when I only needed it to turn a couple of times. It's too easy to strip threads/screws this way. You can find decent variable-speed Black & Decker drills for $15-20 on sale. Other reviews argue about "what can you expect for $10", but I just want to strongly urge potential buyers to consider spending an extra $5-10 for a variable speed drill. I honestly find that this drill is not worth a single dollar as it makes it very difficult to get the job done "right".