DEWALT DCF895L2 20-Volt MAX Lithium Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4-Inch Impact Driver

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Price: $359.99 $343.43   

Product Feature

• Engineered to achieve maximum runtime
• Brushless Motor provides 57 percent longer runtime versus DEWALT brushed impact drivers
• And 1.5 times more runtime versus competitors' impact drivers in a compact
• Cool-running durable cordless power tool

Product Description

The DEWALT 1/4-inch Impact Drivers feature Cordless Brushless Motor technology. It includes: �DCF895 1/4" Impact Driver •(2) 20V MAX* Lithium ion 3.0Ah Battery Packs �Fast Charger � Belt Hook and Accessory Storage ��Kitbox

DEWALT DCF895L2 20-Volt MAX Lithium Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4-Inch Impact Driver Review

My 1/4" impact driver is the most used tool on my truck. I am a general contractor and sometimes handyman and keep an assorted variety of necessary tools on my truck. I have over the last 15 years gotten my tool list that I carry everyday down to an assorted essentials that is able to cover most construction needs from framing and trim carpentry to electrical and plumbing.

- I use impact drivers for various tasks such as attaching cabinet hardware with small delicate screws, installing deck boards, screwing down sub-flooring, installing drywall pieces, to installing windows by screwing thru the side jambs which is what I am currently doing with the driver last and this week.

My very first cordless impact driver came with the Makita LXT601 18-Volt LXT 6-Piece Lithium-Ion Cordless Combo Kit that I purchased in Jan of 2007. Prior to that I had only used cordless drills. After discovering the wonderful uses for a smaller, easier to change out bits, lighter and more powerful tool, I was hooked on impact drivers. I rarely used my drill anymore except for drilling masonry or using bits that did not come with a hex shank. I used the Makita for 5 years up until the end of this Feb 2012. The Makita served me very well and is still working fine today. I have purchased over 6 replacement batteries over the past 5 years and have yet to need to replace any brushes or have any major repairs done. The only symptoms of age on it was various black protective rubber areas on the driver coming loose. I hot glued those areas back down and otherwise the driver is still silkily smooth running and impacting fine. The single LED light right above the trigger still works greats with it's delayed off after activation feature.

I decided to purchase the DEWALT DCK590L2 20-Volt MAX Li-Ion 3.0 Ah 5-Tool Combo Kit late Feb 2012 which was only a two months ago from the writing of this review. While the impact driver in the Makita kit was working just fine, various of the other tools in the kit were not working so good anymore. The drill had stopped working due to stripped out gears in 2011 and the battery charger's fan is making a very loud vibrating noise when it runs. I had decided to switch to makita in the first place because I felt it was cutting edge and that DeWalt had lost some of it's innovation. Now I feel exactly the opposite about the two companies as of this writing.

-- I have been using the DEWALT DCF885L2 20-Volt MAX Lithium Ion 1/4-Inch 3.0 Ah Impact Driver Kit that came with the kit now for a couple of months and I am very happy with it. It is very powerful and has 3 LED lights around its front bezel that provide plenty of light. It is has a lot of torq with 117 Ft.-Lbs or 1400 In.-Lbs as listed in its manual. I find its trigger response to be as good as the Makita with a very controllable continuous variable speed trigger. I find it easy to set drywall screws to proper depth by letting off the trigger at the last moment and then bumping it until the screw is set. Overall after two months of use I will say that the Dewalt is my favorite and out performs the aging Makita in all areas except for being a little louder with motor noise. (not impacting noise).

I decided to purchase the new brushless DEWALT DCF895L2 20-Volt MAX Lithium Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4-Inch Impact Driver when I saw an ad for it in the last issue of Tools of the Trade magazine that I received a few days ago. I was already considering purchasing 2 more batteries for my DeWalt Kit as well as a second charger to carry with me on the job and that would add up to $205 at this time and the new Driver Kit is $335 and comes with the new 20V batteries that have the charge status LEDs on them. It made sense for me. If you are considering purchasing only an impact driver then as of this writing the DCF885L is $260 which is $75 less than the DCF895L at this time. It may be a harder choice to make. Currently you cannot get the brushless 895 as a part of a kit which I believe is the best way to purchase cordless tools as far a getting the best price on each component.

--- I have been running the 895 brushless thru it's paces for a couple of days and can say that it does have some real world noticeable differences other than the obvious of new batteries with an indicator. (which I now find to be very useful. The batteries came in with 2 of 3 LEDs lit so I put them on the charger. All of the 20V batteries are interchangeable.) The manual specs it to have 125 Ft.-Lbs of torq or 1500 In.-Lbs which is a little more than the 885.

---The first difference is the speed selector. It is a nice feature. On speed 3 it is like the 895 with a 0-2850 rpm speed range. Speed 2 has a 0-1900 rpm range and Speed 1 has a 0-950 range. I find speed 1 useful for setting drywall screws without having to bump the trigger. It is slow enough to actuate the trigger only once and release when the screw is at the right depth. It only took a little practice to get good at it. It rarely ever engages the impact function when doing this. This speed is also good for delicate wood screws or anything needing slower speeds. Speed 2 is good for shorter deck screws or when using softer woods. Speed 3 is what everyone is probably used to with a variable speed trigger. Drilling in Speeds 1 and 2 are also better for metal and slower drill bits. *** Interestingly in writing this review I discovered in the users manual for both drivers that using the driver in the variable speed range for prolonged periods may damage the switch and is not recommended. I wonder how or if the reduced speed selections on the 895 protect or are designed for this not to occur.

--- The 885 with brushes has more initial torq than the brushless. When actuating the trigger rapidly and fully on both drivers while holding the tool free handed, the 885 torqs in your hand more than the brushless 895. It may be due in part to the greater mass of the larger traditional external collet on the 885. Also it seems this applies currently to all brushless motors and is inherent to the design. This may prove to be different as the technology evolves. Af far as to how it translates to real world use, I find the softer starting torq a benefit as it is less of a jar and more controllable, especially when starting screws. These are minor differences however and really wouldn't bother me either way.

--- The brushless 895 has less vibration than the brushed 885 thru-out the rpm range. Noticeable. But for raw power the 885 feels brawnier even though it specs with less overall torq.

--- The new one handed hex shank release mechanism and internal designed collet are very nice features. I image competitors will copy this design. It is so much easier to actuate a button above the trigger than to use another hand to pull a collet forward away from the tool face. Also this seems a safer tool as there isn't a spinning external collet to mar a delicate surface as well as get your hand near a hot or sharp bit point while trying to pull the collet forward.

--- Without the exterior collet you can fit into tighter spacers. You can install a short screw bit directly into the shaft and the tool an it will fit within a 5.5" space plus whatever the screw length. The 895 is approx 1/4" shorter than the 885.

--- Not sure why but I'm not going to complain that the 895 comes with a bit holder on the opposite side of the belt clip. The 885 did not come with a bit holder and it was a complaint that I read about from other reviewers since you had to purchase it separately if you wanted one.

**** Summary ****

Overall I think the upgrades are well worth the added cost of $75 at the time of this writing. I'm sure this will be the future design of things to come. If you like new cutting edge design and have the budget for it then you will not be disappointed. If you are purchasing this for day in and out use on the job you may also want to consider this, as since there are no brushes to replace it will supposedly last longer. (My Makita's brushes are still going strong after 5 years, it's the other components that seem to wear out first, however). The reduced vibration and new batteries with fuel gage are other pro worthy benefits. If you are just looking for an impact driver to use on the job that is a DeWalt 20V then you may want to purchase the 885. I know some of my sub-contractors that seem to have employees lose/abuse tools periodically and would not want to purchase for them anything with more bells and whistles. Hopefully this new model and design will last me at least another 5 years. Overall I have to give it 5 stars.

I always like to read the reviews on new tool purchases and especially on costly ones. I hope this review helps on this potential considerable investment.

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