The new DeWalt DCD785C2 20V MAX Lithium-Ion Compact Hammer Drill packs a lot into a small package. With plenty of power and speed, it is actually a few pounds lighter than most hammer drills we’ve tested. If you occasionally need to drill into concrete, yet want extreme versatility, then this drill is ideal for you. Since it is so lightweight, you can use it overhead just about all day long and not get tired. Also, thanks to its fast charging lithium-ion battery packs, you probably will never have any down time either. With a 1/2″ ratcheting chuck, variable speed motor and a two-speed transmission, you have the flexibility you to do many different drilling and driving tasks. We are pretty sure that professional contractors, electrical and mechanical tradesmen will quickly make this compact hammer drill one of their go-to tools.
DeWalt DCD785C2 Hammer Drill Features
The DeWalt DCD785C2’s two speed transmission has a low setting that delivers 0-600 RPM and a high setting that goes from 0-2000 RPM. A ratcheting style 1/2″ chuck ensures that bits stay put once they are inserted and helps to reduce bit slippage during hammering and high torque applications. The new compact Hammer Drill is just 7-1/2 inches long, and weighs just 3.5 pounds. A removable belt hook and on-board bit storage are also standard features that help keep your tool where you put it and minimize the amount of time it takes to locate a bit. A bright LED light positioned above the trigger operates with a 20-second stay-on delay for extended use in dimly lit spaces. Two 1.5Ah slim lithium-ion battery packs come with the drill along with a heavy duty carry case. Electronics are built into the switches, making these tools smarter by maximizing the life of the tools and batteries and helping to protect them from overheating, overloading and deep discharge during use. The drill comes with the slim size battery pack because it helps to make the whole package more compact. The larger 3.0 Ah lithium-ion batteries do work with the drill and are available as replacement packs. By utilizing the new slide battery packs, DeWalt was able to thin down the handle considerably and make the tool more comfortable to hold and control. All these features translate into better productivity and satisfaction for contractors and tradesmen who use drills like this everyday.
The included 20V MAX lithium-ion quick charger has dual voltage functionality, so it’s compatible with the 12V MAX lithium-ion batteries as well. It only takes 30 minutes to fully charge a battery pack. The 20V MAX designation for these tools is really just to ensure that there was no confusion with their current 18V line which is not going anywhere anytime soon. Unlike the 18V top post design like we know, the new 20V MAX batteries are a slide-on sled style, much like their new 12V MAX compact cordless tools. The DCD785C2 20V MAX Lithium-Ion Compact Hammer Drill comes with a three-year limited warranty, one-year free service contract and 90-day money-back guarantee. The included two 1.5 Ah lithium-ion battery packs come with a two-year free service contract. If you need extra batteries, a 3.0 Ah lithium-ion battery can be purchased separately and it will come with a three-year free service contract.
Testing and Use
Most folks think of hammer drills as big, cumbersome, bulky tools that can be almost torturous to use. In many case, they might be right. DeWalt, however, seems to prove otherwise with their new DeWalt DCD785C2 20V MAX Lithium-Ion Compact Hammer Drill. If you hold this drill side by side with the new DeWalt DCD780C2 20V MAX Lithium-Ion Compact Drill/Driver, the two are nearly identical in size. The only really visual differences are a metal ring around the base of the chuck and the hammer setting on the torque ring. We were slightly skeptical of the slight size of this Compact Hammer Drill, but after using it for a little while, we quickly realized that it is ideal for certain applications. Take, for instance, having to drill holes for blue Tapcon screw anchors. This drill is great for when you have to attach items to walls that are constructed with stucco or masonry. We enjoyed the slimmed down handle profile and the very balanced feel of this drill. There definitely is plenty of speed, and to make sure that you don’t rip the heads off your screws, we found that the adjustable clutch did a good job of limiting torque. The belt hook is a real benefit and, thanks to the lithium-ion battery, the whole drill is actually pretty lightweight. At first we wondered why this drill didn’t come with the larger capacity 3.0Ah batteries, but after some extended use, we figured out that it would simply weigh you down. The larger battery doesn’t add more power, just run time. One item to note is that this
drill does not include ,or have the option for, a side mounted handle. The idea here is that if you need that much leverage or control, you probably need to step up to a larger tool and leave this drill for your smaller, finer drilling applications.
Conclusion
The DeWalt DCD785C2 20V MAX Lithium-Ion Compact Hammer Drill is a great example of a versatile cordless tool. With plenty of power, its super compact size, practical features and the hammer drill function, this drill is an easy choice. If you are looking to move into the new DeWalt 20V MAX platform, the DCD785C2 would make a great starting tool. For our Professional rating, we gave this drill an 8/10 because it actually does a good job at being a light-duty hammer drill along with handling most other drilling and driving functions. For our Value rating, the drill also scored an 8/10 thanks to a good warranty for both the drill and the batteries and features and durability that most professionals will recognize.
