I bought this drill to replace my Dewalt DC925, which fell off a roof and landed in a big nasty mud hole, I just figured the drill was toast and ordered a new one, saved the 925 for salvageable parts. The DCD950 and the DCD970 are the EXACT same drill except the clutch ring, which is black on the 950 and silver on the 970. The difference is the batteries that are included 950 has the XRPs and 970 has the new NANO's(lithium-ion). OK, back to the comparison
Pros of the DCD970/950 VS. the DCD925
1. Much Better balance
2. More power in both low and mid-range(Dewalt says the DC925 has 480 unit watts vs the DCD970's 450, but the DCD970 is more powerful
3. WAY smoother speed selector (moves back and forth, not in an semi-ellipse like the 925)
4. L.E.D light on front
5. Shorter in length
6. Drill/screw/hammerdrill, various clutch settings are no longer on the same ring, clutch now has its own ring.
Cons of the DCD970
1. Due to pressure from a group of so called "tool users" who ONLY seem to care about aesthetics, Dewalt changed the base to the new nano style, which means if you actually use the drill it only has space for one bit on the front and WILL Not hold a screw guide or short nutsetters very well, whereas the old style base could fit a screw guide for TEK screws on one side and a 1/4" and 5/16" short nutsetters for tapcons on the other side.
However, overall the DCD970/950 is a excellent drill and deserves 4.75 stars, if Dewalt would change the base it would be a 5 star item, but that will never happen thanks to people who care more about how a tool looks rather than how well it works.
6-6-2009
I cleaned off my old DC925 and put in a fresh battery and the thing works!! Well now I have two, I guess that is what I get for asuming things, oh well I like the DCD970 better anyway. DEWALT DCD970KL 18-Volt XRP Lithium-Ion 1/2-Inch Hammerdrill/Drill/Driver Kit
I must have purchased and worn out a half dozen Dewalt drills over the past decade. Some where great units, others where very cheap quality. They were all 18V. So this time I took the time to research the Dewalt line up and not just grab whatever Home Depot was peddling. I also decided to stick with 18V since I had so many other tools of that series. This has got to be the perfect drill. The drill chuck is all metal, holds super tight and is of a machine tool quality. The transmission is 3 speed and the whole unit just has a very rugged feel. The power is awesome. While not scientific, this thing must have at least 50% more torque and power then my previous drills. I can drive 3.5" deck screws into dry wood using high speed and cut a 4" hole saw into wood using medium speed. I even mixed a 5 gal pale of drywall mud with a beater using the low speed. This thing is almost on par with my 1/2" dewalt corded drill. The other nice thing is that the lithium ion battery seams to hold its power right up to the last second. Then the battery just shuts itself off. This scared me the first time. I was really torquing the drill and I thought I had blown something. But that is just how the battery operates.
The only negative is that the drill is heavier then I have been used to. Of course this is offset by the lighter battery but you might be disappointed if you are looking for a feather weight. It also seams to be a little bit longer then some of my other drills of this style by about 3/4 inch. Getting in between studs seams to be a little tighter then I'm used too. But this drill also includes a hammer feature and it is way shorter then my previous hammer drills.
Over all I'm very happy with this drill and was very impressed with its performance.
This is a must have tool for any type of home remodeling job. It's extremely durable and lots of power. I use this drill with the old NiCad XRP batteries and works great. The Dewalt tools are great for being backwards and forwards compatible with batteries. Batteries are a big thing. Dewalt is considerate of past purchases and current purchases in regards to the battery compatibility. Bottom line, if you are planning on making a purchase on a long lasting drill, Dewalt has the durability and strength that most drills do not have.
UPDATE May 4, 2011: This is a comment on the Lithium Ion batteries - DON'T CARE FOR 'EM. I've been using a couple of Li-ion batteries right along side my old NiCd XRP batteries and I gotta tell ya, the NiCd batteries are preferred. The Li-ions die suddenly and I hate that. Ever need just a little more time from your dying battery? You know, where you're thinking, just let me drive this one last screw or drill just one more hole. Forgettabout it with Li-ion. They are designed to die suddenly. It's a computer chip thing in the battery to protect it from overheating. They will work consistently until they suddenly die. I find that more annoying than dealing with a discharging NiCd battery's slow death. I do prefer the lighter weight and smaller size of the Li-ion, but that's it. I also do not like how sensitive Li-ion is to temps. They are nowhere near as indestructible as NiCds. Heat is very bad to Li-ion. So much for leaving them in the garage or truck in the summer here in the desert.
I don't expect to be buying anymore Li-ion batteries. I'm sticking to the NiCd XRPs until something better comes along. Li-ion just has too many shortcomings...especially at twice the price of NiCds.
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I switched to DeWalt cordless tools about 5 years ago from Craftsman and Makita. Is DeWalt better? I don't know. Tools change so often, especially those tools that needed improvement like Craftsman and Makita. All of my cordless DeWalt tools have great power and just keep going. The 970 is no exception.
I can honestly recommend the DeWalt 18 volt XRP cordless tools. Don't confuse this with the homeowner product line.
The Lithium batteries are so much lighter and smaller than the NiCd ones. I look forward to them coming down in price and I REALLY look forward to the retirement of all things NiCd.
Whatever cordless tools you go with, I suggest you stick with one brand. That way, you need only carry one charger and one brand of batteries. That's a real convenience.
DeWalt XRP drills are the best I've ever owned. - 18v - Cordless Drill - Lithium-ion - Hammer Drills'
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