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The old batteries still hold some charge, but the time is noticeably shorter than new. I've had no problems whatsoever. My 18V other brand finally wore out and I saw the Panasonic being used by local contractors, so I bought one. I'm sure that cold weather degrades the battery time, but for most intermittent projects, cold temps don't seem to be a problem.
Love the drill. I've owned the 15.6V 3.5 amp-hr Panasonic drill for about 3 years. The drill has quite a lot of torque for a battery model (not as much as my Milwaukee 1/2 hole shooter of course) and is very controllable. Our local industrial supply house has sold many of these to local contractors & I've talked to a number of the guys using them daily. The chuck is probably the best I've ever had - no slippage with drill bits.
Batteries last a long time before recharge. So far almost everyone really likes the drill. I've built a deck, finished a large basement, and done numerous other projects on 3 houses. I wish the plastic case had a little more room for storing bits, etc. I really like the lighter weight & the relatively compact size.
The batteries are finally beginning to lose their storage capacity after 3 years, so I just bought a 3.5 battery two-pack. However a plastic tube / rubber end cap storage container fits perfectly in the case & will hold a fair number of bits. So do I.
When the battery on my Dwalt finally gave up the fight, I checked Consumer Reports for a good replacement. The Panasonic drill that I bought has seen plenty of use in the short time that I've had it. I have only good things to say about the way it's performed so far. I highly recommend this drill.
Pros:1/2" chuck, high torque at lower speeds, compact, comfortable grip, chuck stays tight and is easy to use, quality built for professional use.Cons: Motor gets hot, especially at lower speeds. somewhat heavy and makes an unusual noise at lower speeds.It's more money than I wanted to invest in a drill but if it continues to work well and the battery packs last, I'll be happy.
It has enough power to do all the household jobs I've used it for so far. I've owned a lot of Panasonic electronics and have had nothing but great luck with all of them, so I figured I'd take a chance with this drill. It is much better than the one I had before. The batteries (comes with 2) charge quickly and last long. I highly recommend this drill for any homeowner.
I wanted a powerful, solid but slightly more compact and lightweight drill to replace it when it finally gave up the ghost (nonreplacable brushes, I think), and this Panasonic was my choice. I'm hard on tools. At $0.00 with 2 batteries it's a good deal. I occasionally "nudge" pieces I'm gluing and screwing, for instance, with the battery end of a cordless drill. My old Milwaukee 16v drill cost me $0.00 and lasted through 5 years of hard use and abuse. It feels good in the hand, and has a lot of torque at low speed, good for starting big unpiloted screws. I like the "click" of the chuck as I lock in a bit.
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