DEWALT 20V MAX Impact Driver and Drill Combo Kit (DCK280C2)

I've owned several cordless kits/tools over the last couple of decades. My needs have changed as I've grown in projects, and my old cheap black and decker sets have long since been replaced by Dewalts. I've had the Dewalt 18V kits for several years and I've been very happy with them. They last through most small jobs with one charge. They are solid, beefy, and have plenty of power, but are also pretty heavy. I nearly converted over to the Li-ion packs, but the price always kept me from it. Then came the 12v max line, I thought they were perfect for nearly every small job and home use. They are light, solid, and have surprising power in a compact size. The charge they hold may not last the entire project, but the packs are so cheap you can buy a couple extra to finish up (and not break your wallet). Well now we have the 20v Max line. To be honest, if I didn't need to buy some new 18v packs, I wouldn't have even considered getting these. But I did, and I'm not disappointed. They all have the same solid, beefy Dewalt design, but now they are light and compact as well. They appear to be nearly as small/compact as the 12v max tools. And these tools hold a charge for much longer than their 12v cousins. (Sorry, I haven't done a comparison test on how long they all last, 12 vs 18 vs 20). The new Impact driver is equal to the 18v version but lighter. Function and size seem nearly the same, but the 20v is slightly smaller and a good bit lighter. The new compact drill is not as small as the 12v version, but is slightly smaller than the 18v compact. power/speed seem to be equal to the 18v and better than the 12v, as you would expect. Charging seems much faster (about 30min or so, but don't hold me to it as I didn't discharge the pack fully). Even the case is great, since I'm always using the impact and drill they go with me everywhere and take the most abuse, the hard case is a welcome change, than the soft bags of before. In summary, I'd recommend this set if you are new or moving up from the inexpensive (and usually low quality) brands. If you're already heavy into the old 18v stuff, I wouldn't bother with a switch until you have to replace them. In all fairness, I have not had much experience with other brands kits (some Milwaulkee, a Bosch, and a Makita) I'm sure they are all great sets, but I was already using Dewalt so I stuck with them.

Over the last several years, I’ve owned multiple cordless drills from different brands, and this combo kit is definitely near the top of my list. I’m not going to review every detail, just what stands out to me. Overall package: Case: I’m glad that DeWalt is still using plastic cases while other brands have moved towards bags. The plastic case keeps the drills from being banged around. Charger: This is one of the few 30-minute chargers that actually charges the battery in 30 minutes. Drill/Driver: >The overall shape feels natural in my hand (I have large hands), and the weight is fairly balanced over the grip. >The one-handed keyless chuck doesn’t require much force to loosen/tighten it. >High/Low Gear Switch: Great for choosing between speed (high gear) and torque (low gear). I’d like to comment on the torque adjuster, but I’ll admit that I never use it. I’ve learned how to feel how much torque is going through the drill, instead of relying on the drill to keep me from stripping out/breaking screws. The only improvement that I think should be made to the drill is to add more lights like the Impact Driver. The single LED is great, but it’s useless when you’re a few inches from the screw. Impact Driver: >Like the drill/driver, it feels comfortable, and doesn’t weigh too much. >Unlike other impact drivers, which require you to use an adapter, this one can hold one-inch bits. >This impact driver has plenty of power. I’ve been remodeling my bathroom, and used it to install 1/2” Hardiebacker. I couldn’t believe how easily the screws went through it. >The three LEDs easily illuminate whatever you're working on. Note to anyone who hasn’t used an impact driver before: Due to the hammering action, the impact driver creates a lot of noise. If you’re using it in an enclosed area, I recommend wearing hearing protection. Overall, this is an excellent combo kit, and well worth the money. The only thing that’s really lacking is a battery meter. With an on-board battery meter, the combo kit would be complete. To anyone experiencing chuck wobble: I do agree that DeWalt really needs to fix this problem in all their drills, but it’s not fair to slam DeWalt just because you happened to get a bad chuck. There’s a reason why they have customer service. These things are made in massive batches, so it’s not uncommon to get a defective item. If you have a problem with the drill, please contact DeWalt before leaving a bad review.

I purchased this set for light-moderate home usage. So far I have been very pleased by the set. First, the case. There is ample space for the tools and some room left over for some bits as well. Don't plan on fitting a box of drill bits... but you can certainly store some loose bits and small tools. The case handle is nicely contoured for carrying and feels good to hold. This is just the beginning. The charger is pretty compact. It would be nice to have some information regarding the battery level or status... as this charger just has the same old blinking light... However, the battery charges quickly, so you will not have to wait long. In my experience, the charger did not get too warm either. I have used the drill far more than the impact driver so far, so I will focus my comments on the drill. This drill is light. Upgrading the 1.5mAh battery to a 3mAh size will surely add some weight, but really not much. Drill bits load and unload quickly, with a satisfying click in the chuck when loading bits. The exterior of the drill is all plastic construction with a rubber grip. Metal would be nice, but for a household user the lighter weight is more appreciated. That said, the construction is very solid. Both tools have a belt hook on the side, which should really be a standard feature on any drill. Because of the light weight, hanging this drill on your belt won't drag you down. My gripe with the drill is that the LED worklight (located near the trigger) is almost useless at close range. The light becomes shadowed very very quickly by the long snout of the drill. The impact driver, on the other hand, has three LEDs located all around the drill bit.... which makes for full light coverage even at close range. Both tools have a lot of torque and plenty of power. At the current price of $199... this is a great set. I was happy with my purchase when this combo was at $240, and I would highly recommend it.

I've only had the set for a day now, but I feel like I've tried it out enough to know what I have. Both the impact and drill have PLENTY of power, I'd say more than my older 18v Ryobi that my job has supplied me with. Being in the HVAC industry I do a lot of drilling and fastening and while I haven't tried it on the job site yet, Id say it would fit in absolutely perfectly. I don't plan to use it in the field as my company supplies a drill for me, no sense in wearing out my personal items. If my boss would reimburse me to use this kit in the field, I would in a heartbeat... Pros: -Good life from the battery so far, although I haven't used it enough to drain it yet. -Awesome 'bite' from the drill chuck. The ratcheting chuck will assure your bits NEVER come out, yet its very easy to remove when you want to. -Great power, the 20v definitely supplies enough power, both drivers buried screws in hardwood like it was foam. -SMOOTH clutch adjustment, you have to wrestle with my Ryobi... -Both drivers have excellent control, I could easily set screws an 1/8" below the wood surface if I tried, with the impact, as soon as it gets level with the surface, stop, and give it a few more slow 'taps'. -Fast, cool, charging. I don't know how dead they were from the factory, but both were done in ~15 minutes. (love the fade-in, fade-out charge light!) -AWESOME ONE HAND BIT CHANGE on the impact, that is the best feature aside from the tri-lights. Being led's they draw next to nothing power, no need to worry about it sucking juice. -Decent typical DeWalt hard carry case. Cons: -My drill driver has chuck wobble, BUT, I found if you use round items (drill type bits) its dead on 95% of the time. I also found if I just take the bit out and put the bit back in, sometimes that will solve the wobble issue. You shouldn't have to do this, but it works. I used a 10" gun cleaning rod and at the tip I couldn't even tell it was spinning it was so dead-on. I made a video I could put up to prove it. Its when you use hex bits that I find I get the wobble. Again, removing and re-inserting seems to help, but that is annoying. For this high caliber of an item, I feel there should be no issues like this, hence the -1 star. -Only 1 light on the drill driver, it would be nice to continue the 3-led tradition of the impact, but that would make the drill less compact as it has to clear the chuck. If you use longer 4" bits, the light does go right to the tip of the bit. SO, it does work. -No bit clip was included on my impact driver, WTH is up with that? Its a penny part, why would they not put one in? I like the one on the drill, there should be one on both for this price. All in all, great set, it was either this or the compact 18v Makita. Having used both, its a toss-up. If there was no chuck wobble, it would be a hands-down better set than the Makita. I guess only the test of time will tell how reliable it is, but it feels solid and well built, so Im hoping for the best!

Melissas husband:I was eyeing this combo set for a while at my local big box store waiting for the price to drop and of course found it cheaper on Amazon. Li-ion batteries kill it compared to my 10yr old craftsman drill. Both tools have a ton of torque for a very long time. Slim batteries and small profile on the impact make working in my old houses tight corners a dream compared to my old standby. The 1.5 amp batteries will work for now, I also picked up a Dewalt 20v oscillating tool and plan to add some 5 amp batteries to my cordless arsenal(Dewalt offers 20 volt batteries in 1.5 - 5 amps that fit ALL their 20 volt hand tools, more amps means longer battery life). Once they start producing their 20 volt saw in the US I will be interested in adding it as well, from what I hear you may get a good tool from China but you may get junk too. I didn't feel like the brushless motor was justified for my needs from a drill right now so for the set this is an incredible value in my opinion. Side note if you have never had a drill with worklights on it you will be pleasantly surprised by the usefulness of them, they are not a gimmick. No chuck issues at all, great drill! I am partial to Dewalt but only because I have only had good luck with their products in the past.