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ToolGuyd > DealGuyd > Hot Deal: Dewalt 20V Max Compact Drill Driver Kit for $99

Hot Deal: Dewalt 20V Max Compact Drill Driver Kit for $99

Nov 13, 2013 Stuart 27 Comments

If you buy something through our links, ToolGuyd might earn an affiliate commission.

Dewalt 20V Max Compact Cordless Drill Driver Kit Black Friday Special

In case you missed it in our Home Depot Black Friday 2013 tool deals listing, this Dewalt 20V Max compact drill/driver kit will be on sale for just $99 throughout the season. It comes with a 20V Max 1/2″ drill, (2) Li-ion batteries, a charger, and kit bag.

This kit is the DCD771C2, which is a little different than their DCD780C2 kit. The DCD780C2 kit is currently $169 via Home Depot.

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When this post was first published, we wrote that we believed the DCD771 was a close derivative of the DCD780. However, it has come to light that the two drills are very different designs. The DCD771 is a little less featured and less powerful, and was designed to appeal to customers with tighter budgets.

We reviewed the Dewalt 20V Max DCD780 compact drill kit a while back, and the drill proved itself to be a quite comfortable and capable design. If you are looking for a Dewalt 20V Max drill with more features and greater power, we still strongly recommend the DCD780.

Thanks to comments from DKing and Scotty, and an email from a Dewalt rep, we have a much clearer understanding about how this drill, which is confirmed to be the DCD771, differs from the “standard” DDCD780 drill.

Compared to the 20V Max DCD780 drill, the DCD771 is:

  • a little longer (8.7″ vs. 7.5″)
  • a little heavier (3.6 lbs vs 3.4 lbs)
  • a little less powerful (300 UWO vs. 350 UWO)
  • a little slower (0-450/0-1500 RPM vs. 0-600/0-2000 RPM)
  • bundled with 1.3Ah batteries vs. 1.5Ah
  • bundled with a slower 20V Max charger (60 mins vs. 30 mins)
  • bundled with a contractor bag instead of a hard plastic case

The DCD771 has a 1/2″ ratcheting single sleeve chuck, built-in LED worklight, and 16 clutch settings.

This model was designed in the same spirit as Dewalt’s DC970K-2 NiCd kit, which is exceptionally popular every year. A lot of customers are okay with the size/power/features tradeoff because it means for substantially lower pricing.

There will be a couple of pro-brand $99 Li-ion drill/driver kits this year, such as the Bosch 18V drill deal we recently discussed. But unlike this Dewalt drill deal and that Bosch deal, many 18V Li-ion drill/driver special buys at the $100 price point only come with one battery pack, not two.

If you’re looking for a new cordless power drill and are on a limited budget, this looks to be a good deal.

Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Compare(via Amazon)
Compare(via Lowes)

Be sure to check out our other Black Friday 2013 tool deals and regular deals sections for more deals like this one.

At the $100 price point, pro-grade brands typically produce one of three 18V/20V Max drill kit options for the holiday season: a 2-battery NiCd kit, a 1-battery Li-ion kit, or a 2-battery Li-ion kit.

In this case, you get a lower-spec’ed drill with 2-batteries. If you opt for a 1-battery kit, you often get a regular-line product, but buying a second battery will typically reduce your net savings to nil. Going with Dewalt’s NiCd will save you $10 more, but in my opinion buying into NiCd at this point is a mistake.

If you’re in the market for a $100 drill kit, the decision will therefore come down to a higher-spec’ed 1-battery drill kit, or lower-spec’ed 2-battery drill kit. In our opinion, a 2nd battery is more valuable than a bump-up in features and specs.

What did we do? We opted for a regular-line drill/driver and impact driver 2-battery kit. That way there was no compromise, but of course this option comes with costs.

Related posts:

dewalt-dcd777c2-20v-max-brushless-cordless-drillNew Dewalt DCD777 20V Max Brushless Drill Looks Budget-Friendly Dewalt Next-Gen Compact Brushless Drills & Drivers are Now Available! New Dewalt Single-Battery 20V Max Impact Driver Kit

Sections: DealGuyd Tags: Black Friday 2013, Cordless Drill, Dewalt 20V Max, Dewalt DCD771, Dewalt DCD771C2More from: Dewalt

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27 Comments

  1. Caleb says

    Nov 13, 2013 at 11:37 am

    Does anyone know if the 20V MAX chargers/batteries are cross compatible? Craftsman Bolt-on, Black & Decker, Porter Cable, Stanley, and Dewalt batteries (and many tools) all look the same and appear to be manufactured at the same place. It would be great to be able to buy whatever is the better deal and/or buy better tools for more demanding tasks and cheaper ones for less intensive needs.

    Reply
    • Stuart says

      Nov 13, 2013 at 11:43 am

      They’re not.

      Reply
      • Seth says

        Nov 13, 2013 at 9:44 pm

        Except for Craftsman Bolt-On and B&D 20V MAX, which are the same.

        Reply
    • Hang Fire says

      Nov 14, 2013 at 9:28 am

      Across brands, no. There is a Combo deWalt 12V/20V Max charger.

      Reply
  2. Jimmy Conklin says

    Nov 13, 2013 at 12:42 pm

    Actually, I tried changing out the Craftsman Bolt-On and the Black and Decker Matrix batteries and heads. They are interchangeable and work fine as I can tell. The chargers work with the other brand as well. Find the cheapest charger, battery, or head and the brand doesn’t matter between the two.

    Reply
    • Stuart says

      Nov 13, 2013 at 12:56 pm

      Craftsman Bolt-On and Black & Decker Matrix modular power tool products are compatible with each other.

      But Dewalt, Porter Cable, and Black & Decker 20V Max products are not compatible with the each other’s tools or batteries.

      Reply
      • Caleb says

        Nov 13, 2013 at 3:51 pm

        Thanks.

        I was wondering because the battery slot on the tools look the same on all of them (killing time at HD the other day). I have not been able to examine the batteries on any of the Dewalt, Stanley, or Porter Cable products yet. Did they put something on them so that they will not slide on? Is it more of a programming thing?

        Reply
        • Stuart says

          Nov 13, 2013 at 3:56 pm

          I just tried to slide a Dewalt 20V Max battery pack onto a Porter Cable 20V Max tool. There’s a physical block that prevents the battery from sliding all the way on. I’m sure this is the case across Stanley Black & Decker’s other cordless lines.

          Reply
          • Caleb says

            Nov 13, 2013 at 4:02 pm

            That makes sense, from a misplaced marketing idea. I am sure the plan is to get you to buy more tools.

            It only makes me more likely to jump do a different companies tools when it is time to upgrade. If I have to get new batteries and chargers anyway, why not?

      • Seth says

        Nov 13, 2013 at 9:50 pm

        The bolt-on 20V packs interchange with Black+Decker 20V Max power tools, battery packs, and powered lawn and garden products.
        You are right about the PC and Dewalt 20V packs – those are keyed different from B&D 20V Max and Bolt-On 20V Max.

        Reply
  3. George says

    Nov 13, 2013 at 2:51 pm

    This is a good deal too Dewalt 18v NiCD
    Battery is not Li-ion thought.

    Reply
    • Stuart says

      Nov 13, 2013 at 3:58 pm

      Amazon has it for $90, and Sears will offer it for the same price as part of their Black Friday sale.

      I see little point in buying NiCd power tools these days when Li-ion is available. For $10 more, this is a far better deal. Plus the tool is smaller, lighter, and more ergonomically designed.

      Reply
  4. Javier says

    Nov 13, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    Good deal. I might just stand in line to get one. It isn’t the dcd780 drill though. It looks a little off. Side by side pictures will tell you. It’s missing the black plastic behind the clutch and a black bumper. Housing looks slightly different as well. When I first seen the picture I thought it was a 12v drill.

    Reply
    • Stuart says

      Nov 13, 2013 at 4:01 pm

      I thought the same, but double checked and it does say 1/2″ chuck 20V Max drill/driver.

      Good eye about the missing bumpers. There’s also no belt clip.

      If it’s not the DCD780, then it will probably at least be a close derivative.

      Reply
  5. Brian14 says

    Nov 13, 2013 at 4:33 pm

    They’re always selling drills for $99 during the holidays – got an 18V Dewalt and two batteries for that price last year at Sears.

    Reply
  6. scottyd says

    Nov 13, 2013 at 8:29 pm

    This is a dcd770. Total JUNK! Under powered and very large just a cheap dewalt starter for diyers

    Reply
  7. DKing says

    Nov 13, 2013 at 8:47 pm

    It looks to be the DCD771, whatever that is. Is it a close derivative of the DCD780 as Stuart predicted?

    Home Depot sells it for $99 now, not just on Black Friday. http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-20-Volt-Max-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Drill-Driver-Kit-DCD771C2/204279858

    Over at Lowe’s ($149) they list it as being
    – lower power (300 UWO vs. of 350)
    – different speeds (0-450/1,500 RPM vs. of 0-600/0-2000rpm),
    – slower charger (1 hr. DCB106 “compact charger” vs. 30 min. DCB 101)
    – slightly heavier and larger
    – 16 vs. 15 clutch settings
    – 2 yr. warranty on the battery vs. 3 yr.
    Lowe’s often gets their specs. wrong though, so who knows. If you find more information please post it. Thanks.

    Reply
    • DKing says

      Nov 13, 2013 at 8:48 pm

      I forgot the Lowe’s link: http://www.lowes.com/pd_506283-70-DCD771C2_0__?productId=50040962

      Reply
  8. Stuart says

    Nov 14, 2013 at 9:23 am

    Thanks for the information! A Dewalt rep also sent in additional details about the DCD771 kit.

    It looks like the DCD771 is a different animal than the DCD780, and not a derivative as I had originally thought.

    Reply
  9. Jason says

    Nov 15, 2013 at 10:19 am

    I think the DCD771 is supposed to be the replacement for the the cheap non xrp nicad drill they used to offer at different times at the 89-99 dollar price point around the big tool sale holidays. This new drill isn’t bad for light duty contractor/homeowner use.

    Reply
  10. Stuart says

    Nov 30, 2013 at 9:53 am

    Someone wrote in asking if the DCD771 is a brushless drill. No, it is not.

    P.S. For anyone that emails in, please include a working email address so that my responses don’t get bounced back.

    Reply
    • Dany says

      Nov 21, 2015 at 8:10 pm

      Hi there . Where can I find replacement brushes for dcd771?

      Reply
  11. Brian says

    Jan 26, 2014 at 4:22 pm

    I just bought a 771 with DCB106 charger. When I plug in a battery, the left side of the light flashes once or twice then the right side slowly dims away — does not stay on like the documentation says it should. Is this behavior normal?

    Reply
  12. James says

    Oct 14, 2015 at 2:05 pm

    Brian, I have the same indicators as you have with my 771/DCB106 except
    I have 2 dead batteries now that will not recharge after leaving them
    on the charger over night. I thought the charger would time out when the charge was full. Both batteries were fine until this last incident.
    Anyone have any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Stuart says

      Oct 14, 2015 at 2:26 pm

      Your best bet will be to contact Dewalt, especially if the batteries and charger are still under warranty. They might be able to offer you troubleshooting advice.

      Reply
  13. James says

    Oct 15, 2015 at 9:39 am

    Thanks Stuart, I’m also wondering if I purchase a DCD780 D2 kit
    or the DCD771C2 kit will the batteries that come with the either
    kit be used on my current DCD771. My thinking is I’ll have 2 drills
    now plus a good charger for less money that trying to replace
    the bad batteries and or charger.

    Reply
    • Stuart says

      Oct 15, 2015 at 9:53 am

      Yes, the DCD780D2 batteries will work with your DCD771, and will be higher capacity, too.

      Reply

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