DeWalt DW160 reviews
A drill for those who make no mistakes
helpful for 5 of 5 people
Horrible little drill!!!! No variable speed, no reverse!!!You better be perfect because god forbid you must back a screw out, no reverse. Hard to start screws w/o variable speed. I replaced this drill w/ bosch's 1132vsr rt. angle drill. I am happy with the bosch, it is head and shoulders above the dewalt. I gave the Dewalt to my father in-law.
7/13/2005
DANGEROUS
I consider this one of the most dangerous tools in my shop and will soon be replaced. This tool was poorly designed and is unsafe.
10/17/2006
10 Stitches? I'm lucky with only 4.
The large paddle switch that covers the handle makes it difficult to grab the drill without turning it on. Switching the bit out (with a keyed chuck), I got my hand caught in the chuck key, grabbed the handle, and off to the medic.
And no variable speed means its more difficult to drive screws without stripping them, and no reverse means you're back to the manual screwdriver. C'mon dewalt.
11/30/2007
DeWalt DW160
I have used this tool for several years, and bought it instead of the Milwaukee close-quarter drill because the DeWalt seemed to measure a little less in depth, which I preferred for access to tighter spaces. I generally like the DeWalt, but the reason I only give it three stars instead of four or five is from what I perceive to be a safety issue. The DeWalt has a large switch trigger (the large silver colored thing in the photo) which is helpful when working in close quarters, but you have to watch what you are doing when you go to pick the drill up. There does not appear to be an interlock on the trigger, and I have had several occasions where just picking up the drill caused it to start because I inadvertently activated the switch when picking up the drill. Luckily there were no serious consequences. It seems to me that this tool should have an interlock (at least I didn't see one) such as on some right angle air tools, that require a lever or similar to be flipped before the paddle switch can be engaged.
2/25/2007
Works just fine!
I didn't pay close enough attention when I ordered this drill. I failed to notice that it was not variable speed or reversible. All I saw was that it was the cheapest one. OK, so make sure it does what you want. If it does what you want, it works fine! I really have no complaints about the drill as it is. It has plenty of torque. The keyed chuck is very good quality. The paddle switch works fine, and is made out of metal (I think it's cast aluminum.) The switch is long and it pivots sideways - the hinge is parallel to the body/motor. I can get a good working grip at several places along the body, or with the drill twisted around in my hand at a wide range of angles. I can't blame the drill for my mistake, and besides, it has served me well in a couple tight places inside walls and and between some hard to reach ceiling joists. It is pretty compact, which is definitely a benefit. If I had it to do again, I would buy the 12volt DeWalt right angle VSR drill that uses the same batteries as my regular DeWalt cordless drill. But now that I have this one, I'm all set! Oh, one more thing; notice that it does not come with any kind of case. It just comes in a DeWalt yellow box. That's not a big deal, unless you are expecting a case.
12/10/2004
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