dewalt 12 volt max brushless tool kit - homemade

[skfarmer]

i started assembling this kit in early december. i started with the dcf 902 3/8 brushless impact that i was tipped off to over at toolguyd. acme tool had the kit with two 2ah  batteries, bag,  charger and free tstak case for 90 dollars. i had been thinking about 12 v stuff for a while as even compact 20 volt stuff isn't real compact and thought this would be a good spot to jump in.

later in the month "runnings" had the fcf801 brushless impact driver/dcd701 3/8 brushless drill combo on sale for 140. the combo kit came with a charger, two 2ah batteries, a bag. there was also a  promo for a a free 3ah  battery with a kit purchase. they also had dcl510 work light on sale for 25.

i know that the dewalt 12volt system is rather small but i like the dewalt ergos and the chargers are common with my 20 volt max dewalt tools. i used them on a small wood project in the house today and was quite impressed. they won't replace my heavy duty tools and they should not be compared to them but i think they will become part of the rotation for smaller jobs, overhead, under hood and under dash work as well as on the road . they may actually go behind the seat of  my service pickup during the busy season.

all in all it is a very compact kit. it all fits in the tstak box with a small assortment of drill bits and  impact bits and there is still room to add a couple rails for sae and metric impact sockets. 5 batteries,  3 premium brushless tools, 2 chargers,  2 bags,  a light  and the tstak came in at less than 3 bills after tax. not the cheapest set but not a "cheap" set either.

[skfarmer]

the dcd701 drill driver is a 2 speed reversible drill driver with 0-425 and 0-1500 rpms. it has a belt hook, one led light, 15 clutch settings and a drilling mode.

[skfarmer]

the impacts are very similar. the impact driver, a dcf801 has a belt clip,, 3 led lights and a 3 speed electronic control. in addition to low and high power it has  a"precision drive"  mode .  it operates from 0- 950/1950/2850 rpms and 0-3600 impacts per minute. using the "precision drive"  mode in forward it will turn until it starts to impact and then hesitates before impacting  for better control and to reduce the chance of over tightening. in reverse it works the opposite. it impacts at normal power and then slows when the tool quits impacting to prevent runoff and or losing the fastener. i have yet to fully explore this function but it does seem to work.

[skfarmer]

 the dcf902 3/8 impact driver is nearly identical to the dcf801. it has a belt clip, 3 leds and the same type of electronic modes but uses a "precision wrench" mode. it operates the same but the speeds are slightly different at 0-2850/1000/2850 rpms and 0-3400 impacts per minute.

[skfarmer]

the business ends of both impacts showing the mode selector, anvils and lights. the 3 leds are pretty darn bright!

[skfarmer]

the dcl510 work light is pretty plain but works well. the light pivots. rotates and has a multi position hook, belt clip and magnet. it seems almost as bright but is much more compact than it's 20v max big brother.

[fatfillup]

Nice assortment of tools there and a good write up.

Thinking that honey do list will see some action this winter 

[muddy]

Looks like a super handy set to have around the farm

Sent from the twisted mind of the Mudman

[bonneyman]

Looks like a good set.

I like your thinking, SK. A set that fills an intermediate place in your work. Very few tools will do everything well, and very few people can afford to have several sets to cover all those bases. Looks like you found a happy medium.

[slip knot]

seems like a good set. so man of the store combos have a tool or two that's of limited need for me. I've been buying singles more often. I got a 1/4 drive adapter for my impact driver it works really nice as a 1/4 impact.

[eborcim]

I have the 12V drill and impact.  Like SK, I like the size and power.  The batteries charge quickly too.  Good stuff for the $$.