Dewalt has quietly come out with a new holiday season “special buy” cordless brushless hammer drill kit, DCD778L1. Thank you to Mosh for the heads-up!
The Dewalt DCD777 came out in Fall of 2016, and shook things up a little but. It was a compact brushless drill/driver, with (2) compact battery packs, on sale for $99 during peak holiday shopping seasons (mainly Christmas and Father’s Day seasons).
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Makita followed suit with a $99 brushless drill kit of their own, and so did Milwaukee.
In my 2017 holiday season drill/driver deals roundup, I said:
I’ve thought about it long and hard, but I think that this Makita XFD061 brushless drill kit is my “top pick” out of all the holiday season special buys. It’s going to drop back down to $99 again.
Why? Because the battery made it a little more appealing than both Dewalt and Milwaukee options, when considered as a gateway tool into the Makita 18V platform.
Keeping in mind that Dewalt competitors have caught up with their own holiday season brushless drill/driver kits at the same $99 price point, let’s take a look at the 2 main features that sets this new kit apart from their previous/other DCD777 kit offering. Also keep in mind that the DCD777 kit was a great buy as it was.
First, the Dewalt DCD778 is a hammer drill.
For some, a hammer drill mode is a “I’d rather have it and not need it” feature. For me, it’s a feature I rarely need, and it adds to the cost and size of a tool. In this case, it looks to make the drill only slightly longer. And with the kit at the same $99 price point, you’re not paying any more for it.
Second, this drill is bundled with a compact 3.0Ah battery pack.
What?
Didn’t the new Dewalt 20V Max compact 3.0Ah Li-ion battery pack *just* come out?
How are they able to bundle this new premium compact battery pack with a budget “special buy” drill kit? Hmm, maybe the fact that it’s built into a black-cased housing suggests that it’s different on the inside?
Still, the kit is bundled with a compact 3.0Ah battery pack.
Max torque? They don’t say. Max speed? I can’t find this either.
Acme Tools has a different product photo – theirs shows the drill kit as featuring the regular compact 3.0Ah battery that just came out. Maybe that photo is a placeholder and Home Depot’s is more up to date. Who knows.
Dewalt has never officially announced tools like this – the kind that are aimed at consumers and sold by the pallet during holiday season promos and sales. But we’ll ask a few questions and see if we can learn more.
From what I can tell so far, and from what I’ve seen in Dewalt’s other budget-priced brushless drill/driver kit, the new Dewalt DCD778L1 20V Max hammer drill kit will surely be a hot seller this Father’s Day. And for good reason too – priced at just $99, it’s an incredibly good value.
I would expect to see the price drop to $99 at other retailers very soon, as Father’s Day promos kick into full swing.
Price: $99
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Compare(via Acme Tool)
Compare(via Amazon)
AJ says
I agree that getting a hammer drill in this price point is useless. I have the nicer one with the metal chuck and if you were doing a lot of concrete/stone holes I’d want that.
For most people doing rough (not precise) home work, I’d think an impact work an Apex style drill bit would be the best 1 tool to own.
And—
“palette”. *pallet*
Stuart says
Thanks! Only one [obvious] mistake at 8am on a Sunday!
AJ says
I know it was an autocorrect. I hate coming off as a grammar nazi. Content is what comes first and the content is good!
MZ1981 says
AJ I think he actually meant what he spelt. He was right the first time. Pallet as in wooden pallet, the base a shipping crate usually rests on. Palette on the other hand is a plate-like board for mixing colors an artist holds in one hand while he paints with the other
Stuart says
Thank you, but what you see is the corrected version. =) I originally did write pallete.
jec6613 says
For a homeowner, this lets them hang something into a brick mantle. It’s not for real concrete work, but for basic masonry work for a homeowner – and at the right price point. It’ll probably sell like gangbusters.
Per says
This and even as a remodeler I have one of those with me because a lot times it is not worth it to drag out the corded one.
jec6613 says
I know a lot of home theater installers who have DeWalt full sized hammer drills as their only drill, either in 18V or 20V Max. Sure, 99% of the time it only drills, but for those masonry installs they can sink anchors without needing to buy another specialized tool.
A W says
Agreed. This one of those things where I’d rather have it and not need it than vice versa. Especially if it was my only drill.
Adhd says
I do not see a brushless label. Brushed motor hammer drill kit?
Stuart says
It’s definitely brushless.
If you’re not satisfied with the web descriptions or brushless-implied handle styling, look at the middle of the handle. There’s “brushless” molded into the yellow patch.
Cr8on says
Just put my eyes on it at HD, box says 340 UWO but that was about it for specs..
Thom says
So around 500 inch pounds..
Gus2259 says
I looked up the DCD 777 specs and found RPM to be 1600 but since its not a hammer drill no BPM. I would expect the RPM to be similar.
Rami says
DCD777 has 1750 rpm, at least in Europe.
DY says
We always knew Europe gets better stuff. The USA version is 1600RPM https://www.dewalt.com/product-repository/products-dewalt/2016/11/15/02/19/dcd777c2
Rami says
Torque is 65 Nm (hard), 26 Nm (soft). Speed is 0 – 500 and 0 – 1750 rpm. Impact rate 0 – 8500 and 0 – 29750 bpm.
bob says
I guess the hammer joules are too low to detect. 🙂
Checked out Amazon, was considering buying it for $110 + $15 shipping. Checked back a half hour later it was $129 with free shipping. So things are in a state of flux. Will wait until FD to try and get it for $99.
Rami says
Not a single manufacturer gives joules for hammer drills, because the amount of energy is so small when compared to rotary hammers.
doug in GA says
This one has me tempted. currently rehabbing 10 concrete block duplexes. As the first two posts point out, this is not the “go to ” for heavy and steady drilling in concrete. Our “go to” is Bosch rotary hammers. But now and then in concrete block, the rotary hammer is too strong, just blows the block out and doesn’t leave enough block to set an anchor in. Hammer drill is a lot slower but leaves a lot cleaner hole.
fred says
Good points about drilling hollow block walls. As always the right tool for the job makes work easier.
BTW, while the name “cinder block” has sometimes become synonymous with concrete block – the old blocks that were actually made from coal ash and cinders – were perhaps even more brittle. Of course if the block wall has been filled with concrete drilling deep holes is another issue.
We came into a remodeling job – where some prior “contractor” had “attached” furring strips to a concrete block basement wall apparently using a PAT. The strips then had paneling nailed to it. The paneling was all buckling when we were called in for a remodel. Almost all of the connections had failed – the driven pins having cracked out the block. The loose furring strips had warped and buckled.
Mahalo says
Just used a DeWalt 20V hammer drill to do just that (set anchors in hollow block wall). Very clean holes, and like you said, slow. But it worked perfectly, it’s not am everyday task.
doug in GA says
Fred,
My choice for attaching to block or concrete- drill a 5/16 hole through both the board and the wall, run the loose end of a spool of plumbers solder into the hole and run a torx (star bit) decking screw on in. this method can usually run the head of 3″ screw well past flush into the wood. bigger hole and more lead and I have run 6″ ledger locks to attach a 4×6 to concrete patios/steps.
cheaper than tap-cons or prepackaged anchors, less brittle than the tap-cons also.
Nathan L says
I don’t foresee ever owning a hammer drill. It’s kind of like those all-in-one abominations that try to combine a hammer and pliers: it’s not worth the trouble. I have a rotary hammer (M12 Fuel, bought refurbished), a drill, and an M12 Fuel impact driver (which gets the most use). If i need to install concrete anchors, the rotary drill is fast and efficient. I watched a plumber use an 18V hammer drill to install some concrete anchors for a fire sprinkler system the other day and it was so slow and painful to watch i couldn’t understand why he didn’t just buy a cheap rotary hammer.
JoeM says
Frankly, if they’re taking forever with the Hammer setting on, then the drill speed is set wrong. Slow for STONE, but fast for CONCRETE. Also, use the hammer drilling impact drill bits, usually Carbide, or don’t waste your time.
When you are either short, or high up, on a stone/brick wall, having a standard Drill that can hammer is better than climbing a ladder with an SDS Drill, or impact driver. Drill Hole, Click-Click the settings, install fastener. Repeat.
And, because I’ve seen it mentioned in ignorance so often, those “Hammer/Plier Combos” aren’t multi-tools. They’re used for maintenance, and installation of wire fencing and barbed wire. Hence their name: Fencing Pliers. Before we had heavy staple guns for the job, those were used to cut the fencing wire cleanly, remove the old nails, and not only tap in the nails, but also bend them down so they hooked over the fence wire.
Saying they’re awful is like saying a Hand Saw is awful, when all you use are power tools. It’s useless to YOU, but you don’t necessarily have to install KMs of Barbed Wire, or make precision or miniature dovetails in planks. They only still make them because there are fields that use THAT tool, without the slightest hesitation or thought of something “Better”… Because that tool is already THE tool for that job, and no amount of modern quirk is going to do it “better.”
fred says
Fence pliers (like the Channellock 85-G) come in all sorts – and professional fence installers, ranchers and farmers still use them because they work. As you say, power tools have their place – but hand tools do as well. There are Hammer-Plier- multi-tools – that also combine knife blades, can openers etc. in their handles. I saw one at Home Depot – bearing the “Sheffield” name – maybe the Chinese maker wanting to make you think it came from the UK – selling at the Christmas season for under $10 – and probably not worth even that much.
BTW – I also see that Paslode (ITW) New Zealand sells a cordless (fuel canister Impulse) fencing stapler – which may fit a need for driving more than a few fencing staples without resorting to a pneumatic tool.
fred says
Link to the Paslode New Zealand (called Stockade brand in the US) staple gun:
https://www.nailgundepot.com/stockade-st400i-cordless-fencing-stapler?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz7fb3byo2wIVQluGCh1XOQ1NEAQYASABEgIrhPD_BwE
Sheffield Hammer/Pliers multi-tool link:
https://www.amazon.com/Sheffield-12912-Hammer-Multi-Tool/dp/B001NCEWLM
JoeM says
Thanks fred!
And, I’m sorry, Nathan L, if I came off as rude… in fact, if I may say so, you were right… THIS All-in-one Hammer-Plier thing IS A MONSTROSITY! I’m truly sorry if this one is what you meant, and not a standard Fencing Pliers.
And fred, I know about the fencing staplers. That’s why I mentioned the Fencing Pliers as having existed before them. But, unlike the Pliers, the staplers can’t remove or replace damaged fencing. The Pliers can. That was my point. They’re for maintenance. Those cheap hammer multi-tools didn’t even enter my mind until now.
I feel rather stupid now, actually.
fred says
@JoeM
The funny thing is that some of those hammer-plier-knife-screwdriver etc. multi-tools get some 5 star reviews on Amazon.
So to be kind, they might have some merit. As the adages say: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” or “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”.
TonyT says
I would give that multi-Monstronsity a pass but back when I was going into clean rooms way too often multi-tools like Swiss army or Leatherman were extremely useful because you never knew when you would need something, exit/re-entry was a real pain, as was bringing extra tools (since they all would have to be wiped down)
Nathan L says
You make a good point and it’s true that the fencing pliers make that hammer-plier combo a poor example. I’ve seen fencing pliers in the shed at the farm but hadn’t ever seen them in their intended use, so that was interesting to read. The pair kicking around my parents’ house wasn’t as ridiculous as the Sheffield gadget but it wasn’t a legit pair of fencing pliers, either, although i imagine that’s why dad bought it. He’d grown up with lots of fences to repair and is into gadgets.
The main thing i was trying to convey is that i had watched this guy spend an inordinate amount of time with an 18V Dewalt hammer drill trying to mount the sprinkler alarm to an old concrete building wall. In addition to the slow drilling, he several times broke off the anchor head or left the hole loose, and had to move the box and try again. When it came my turn and i had to move it again and run the conduit to wire it up, i was worried i was going to have trouble. Then i was pleasantly surprised just how fast and problem-free the same kind of anchoring was with the help of my m12 Fuel rotary hammer and m12 Fuel impact driver.
Maybe he had the wrong bits, didn’t adjust the torque, or did something else wrong but, whatever the cause, in the end my smaller, lighter 12V max tools did a much better and faster job than his 18V yellow hammer drill did.
JoeM says
YOU had your settings right. He did not. Also… Hammerdrills TRULY are a half-way tool. Not a multi-tool, or all-in-one, a half-way. They are REALLY only useful for running cable or hanging things on walls.
The Compact will handle Oak if you put a bigger battery on it, and it will handle red, or clay, brick walls. One layer of Cinder Block IF the hole is around a QUARTER Inch… but that’s IT. Bigger jobs, like Stones, Thick Poured Concrete, and 1/2″ holes in Brick/Stone/Masonry you need to step up to the two-handed Pro-3-Speed Hammerdrills. They do everything the Compact does, but better, faster, and with less effort.
If you’re building that wall in the first place, or REMOVING a wall all together, setting all new anchors in brand new pavement… Yeah… You’re going Rotary Hammer, or you’re an idiot who isn’t using the right tools. This ISN’T a BRAND issue, it’s a SCALE issue.
As to the ACTUAL Hammer Multi-Tools… THAT ONE that fred posted, from “Sheffield” but made in China… THAT ONE… Total monstrosity. Not all of them are exactly like that, I know, but every time someone on ToolGuyd mentions “Those Hammer-Plier Things” they seem to reference them as awful, and awkward to use… and by far the most COMMON ones are just Fencing Pliers. They aren’t Evil, just a very old, very effective design that is still used for fence Maintenance.
Case in point:
https://www.dewalt.com/en-us/products/hand-tools/pliers-and-snips/fencing-pliers/dwht70273
NOT the greatest pair ever made, but popular ENOUGH for DeWALT to take a swing at trying to make a set to include in their hand tools.
And for THIS CONFUSION, Nathan L, I am truly sorry if I came off as rude. I was just a little frustrated that the humble Fencing Pliers got such… I don’t know…Disgust? From such hard working tool people here… and yet none of you ever used their NAME. I’m sorry, and I really should have known better from all of you, that you meant the Leatherman Wannabe knock-off type of All-In-One, not NECESSARILY the Fencing Pliers.
Philip John says
I do see the benefits of a small rotary hammer. But also some people can get by with the newer drills and batteries… I recently did 3 5/8 holes in concrete floor with latest dewalt premium drill and flexvolt battery… It was unbelievably good. For sure it’s nice to have 3 drills… a compact. A Premium hd and a rotary hammer.
Raoul says
I just wanted to give my opinion and start a discussion on these new 3ah slim or compact batteries.
I picked up a 2 pack at HD for $99 the other day. I have been waiting for months for these to come out to replace my 2ah batteries. I am very disappointed in the size and weight of these 3ah batteries and plan on keeping my 2ah and 5ah batteries.
My 2ah battery weighs 12.5 oz and the 3ah weighs 19.3oz. That’s ovee 50% more weight. My 5ah battery weighs 21.9oz. I didn’t physically measure the dimensions of them but the the 3ah has quite a bit bigger footprint and they won’t fit on my drills and impacts without modifying the belt hook, which is easier in theory than practicality.
I don’t know if the new 3ah battery has any better performance other than the 2ah other than capacity. I would think currently the best compact battery would be a 2.5ah battery with 18650 batteries and if you need the capacity the 5ah battery only has a little more weight than the 3ah. Also I would think a 5ah battery with two banks of batteries would offer better discharge performance than the the single bank 3ah battery. Perhaps in the future when the new larger batteries provide more capacity they will be a better option but until then I will stick with the older batteries.
If anyone can get better discharge performance ratings of these batteries it would be much appreciated.
Joe says
I see no point in owning a hammer drill. Use a small sds for small jobs and a larger sds Max for serious work. …they don’t even compare .
bob says
I agree in principle. But if someone frequently drills tiny holes, drills into tile, bricks, cinder blocks, refractory bricks and linings, or mortar, sometimes even a small SDS can blow it out. I really do need one. I need the extra battery and charger even more, so it’s like getting the drill free.
JoeM says
Although I swear by the “Rather Have It, but not need it than need it, and not have it” mentality of having Hammerdrills (Both my Compact and Pro drills are Hammerdrills) I am entirely unimpressed by the “Special Buy” breed of drills.
I am afraid of heights, but I’ve had to use my Compact AND My Pro Hammer Drills (On separate occasions) in order to work up on a ladder and run CAT5 Cable. (Yes. That’s what it was when I was installing. I had yet to move to CAT6.) You can’t bring an SDS up a ladder to drill through an oak beam, or 100 year old brick or concrete wall. You need to be able to anchor all the work in your hands, or you will shake the ladder, and end up having nightmares for months about it.
Enter the Hammerdrill. Up the ladder to drill the holes, run the cables, all one tool, with the right bits in a pocket. Click to the right speed, click on Hammer Mode, the only shaking is in your hands, it doesn’t transfer down your body to the ladder. Much safer, much faster, but I still don’t particularly like these “Special Buys” that come up for holiday gifts.
I can’t wrap my head around the logic. Don’t know what drill/driver to buy someone? ASK them, or GO WITH THEM to BUY IT FOR THEM. Tools are deeply personal things! You do NOT want to just cheap out on someone as a gift.
Fm2176 says
I just left my local store. The boxes have an illustration of the yellow topped battery. Overall, I think this is a good buy for someone who needs hammer drill. The 3Ah battery should provide plenty of runtime for most of those in the market for this drill. The only downside I could see of buying this versus a kit with two smaller batteries is the lack of ability to keep rotating out batteries. For the price, though, one could buy the 2-pack of 3Ah batteries to be able to work all day. This option would be nearly perfect for a budget-minded professional who needs to buy or replace a drill and who doesn’t need an impact driver.
Nate says
The new 3ah batteries should be called
Oversized low ah batteries
Nothing compact about those!
Stuart says
Well, they’re “compact” style compared to the 10-cell 3Ah packs.
pete says
Thats a really good deal for an entry into dewalts battery line. Personally i’d rather use a rotary hammer(sds) for ANY concrete work. Hammer drills vibrate too much and make my nose tickle lol.
bob says
Very tempting. Not because it’s a hammer drill, but because of the price and the nice battery. I already have a cordless DeWalt SDS hammer drill that I bought bare for around $150. It’s a real mini-beast, and it makes short work of bigger drills in concrete. This drill would be the replacement for my high RPM Hitachi corded light duty hammer drill, which is quickly wearing out from sanding and occasional spade drill work. I also need this DeWalt for light chores such as drilling small holes in bricks and through tiles that my SDS is too much for.
Note: A light duty hammer drill of any brand can be worn out doing 1 small job in concrete. They simply don’t have the joules needed to break gravel. Use this only for brick, mortar, tile, and the like. Don’t even think about deep or large holes in concrete.
fred says
You are right that there is no such thing as an all-purpose drill. We had, corded and cordless drills, electric rotohammers (SDS-Plus, SDS-Max, Spline drive and older big Hex drive), some core drilling equipment, plus pneumatic jackhammers. I like to think that we knew when to use what , when to switch to a hoe ram and when to give up and call in the rock drillers and blasting crew or the guys with the Vermeer machinery. Watching a water fed hydraulic rock drill work on a big outcropping of hard stone was impressive compared to trying to chip away at it with a hoe ram.
bob says
Nevertheless, if this kit materializes with a 3ah battery pack for $99, I’ll snap it up. Don’t need it that badly, but if they’re going to give away a nice drill with a higher capacity pack, charger, and pouch, I can’t turn it down. HD doesn’t have it, Amazon wants $110 plus $14 shipping. I need it badly enough to pay $99, but not $124 LOL.
JoeM says
Hey bob,
No, you certainly don’t use a COMPACT Hammerdrill on concrete. But the 3-speed Pro size ones handle Cement and Concrete blocks and bricks just fine, provided you use a Carbide bit, and use the lower speed on them. Plus, obviously, since they have 1/2″ chucks, you don’t want to drill any holes bigger than a half inch in diameter with them, even if the bit you use has a 1/2″ step down at the end.
Hammerdrills are that… tiny little step up from a standard drill. You want to run a cable to another room, and there’s a concrete wall between the two, in a house? Pro-Sized Hammerdrill. Want to hang some art, shelves, or photos on that wall? Hammerdrill to put appropriate anchors or screws in. Some Mountain Climbers use hammerdrills to drill the holes for setting permanent anchors in sheer rock faces as well.
CONSTRUCTION? Rotary Hammers. You’re all TOTALLY on the same vibe when we’re talking construction. Hammerdrills are for TINY jobs, not big ones.
bob says
Well, this deal hits my sweet spot. currently have a worn out corded hammer drill, a cordless replacement is better. I only have 3 20v Max batteries and 1 charger for 4 DeWalt tools. and 2 of them are only 1.5Ah. So the extra charger and bigger battery are just what I need.
Yeah, I know all about light duty hammer drills. I killed 1 and wore out 1 and learned from hard experience. My new one will never kiss concrete or stone, but no brick, block, or tile will be safe from it at my house. LOL
Nathan says
so back to some perspective. These are great for the guy that needs a new drill for home/personal shop use and it needs to be a semi-all rounder. I’ve been looking to get the top tier dewalt hammer drill mostly because I have need to drill a few holes into brick.
I know better than to try to sink a 1/2 inch hole into my foundation with one – even the premium hammer drill. that’s not their point. and I think we all know that.
This is a decent deal and hell I might well buy one. I wonder if dewalt is going to stop selling/making batteries on the older style cell – that would make this battery make sense at this point. It’s the new production run . I want something with more gumption – so I’m not going to buy this – but I’d surely recommend it to a person that needs something reasonable.
JoeM says
I THINK they are phasing them out. I think that’s a good thing at this point, going forward. The batteries on the new slide style are way better balanced, and lighter than the old style.
As I’m already invested in the 20 Volt system (Admittedly I haven’t bought anything in quite a while, I still have the original line of Brushed tools, except for the Brushless Oscillating tool.) I share your view here. I’m looking forward to more compact, higher capacity batteries as well. My DCD786, and 986 drills are still LITERALLY going strong. So, they could use some more power to feed them. Same goes for my DCS391 and 380 saws.
As tempting as this deal is… I trust the full powered ones a little more. But, if I want to get a kid into the 20 volt family… Eh… if all else fails, and it breaks, we can upgrade them to a “real” member of the 20 Volt Max/XR/FlexVOLT family.
bob says
Does anyone know if DeWalt fixed the aggravating “!KLACK!” when the trigger is suddenly released on the #2 setting? I certainly hope so, I’ve broken a few small drills because I didn’t realize my chuck had loosened up.
JoeM says
Wait… Compact or Pro Hammerdrill did that, bob? I haven’t had that, to my knowledge. Maybe it happened and I didn’t notice… mind giving some model details on that? I’d like to test mine, if you don’t mind sharing?
bob says
They all did it at 1 time, AFAIK. It’s the “brake”, which apparently engages only on the high speed setting (no 2).
Hope that’s gone, it’s very annoying and caused me to break small drills.
Here’s a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4ZgPD6Ogrg&t=3s
JoeM says
Oh THAT! Yeah, mine do that as well. I find it a minor inconvenience at best, really. I’ve taken to tightening the chuck every couple trigger pulls. Though, I get that with ALL my keyless chucks, including my Dremel Rotary Tools.
I’ve always chalked it up to the fact that, without the benefits of the quick-release lip we get in Impact Driver heads, and bit holders, the teeth and chuck of any keyless chuck are subject to basic inertia, and rotational momentum. More speed=more rotational momentum. Keyed chucks have greater torque to bite down with, but they are still subject to this, in my own experience.
Nathan says
the higher end dewalt compact drill I picked up the other day didn’t do that – my older dc771 (I think) does that and it’s a minor annoyance.
bob says
Amazon is all over the place on the DCD778L1 kit. They’ve had prices of $114, $124, $149, and back to #124 since May 27th!
Rick Owen says
Well after having used this for a week I’ve got the following comments. First my previous 1/2 cordless drill was a Craftsman 1/2” C3 Hammer Drill. Keep in mind the the Craftsman was bought soon after that model came out. That line hasn’t seen much if any improvement since. So let’s not get into a “Craftsman” discussion, just understand that it’s the baseline I have for comparison. Spec wise from what I’ve read they are supposed to be similar but in use I find the DeWalt with more power. Side by side they appear to be similar in size with the DeWalt slightly smaller but in use the DeWalt is lighter and better balanced. The main difference I’ve found is the Craftsman which has a Jacobs chuck is very much better at not letting the chuck spin on either drilling or driving. For what I do which is mainly woodworking, the DeWalt is a better option than what I had. If possible, I use my floor model drill presss rather than a hand drill, so the DeWalt does what I need. Should you buy a higher performance drill? Due to the situation with Sears/Craftsman, I’m moving into the DeWalt FlexVolt system. There is a outlet store near me that stock most types of DeWalt cordless tools. Since they offer “the best value” I compare what they offer to the local Lowes and Home Depot, I did a listing of all DeWalt drills and their price vs performance, at least on paper. The 778 drill is a decent value but I found the difference in cost vs the best DeWalt isn’t that much and the specs list more than double the torque. The value added to this buy is the 3.0 battery and faster charger. This allows me to have a decent run time vs size. Overall for me this was a decent buy. It fit my needs and with the transition to DeWalt.
Rick Owen says
I should have made the comparison to the better DeWalts models clearer. The higher end Dewalt hammer drills have almost double the torque compared to the 778 for a little more money. Still for my needs and the fact this came with a mid level battery and faster charger than what I had, it was a decent value.
laura blackmon says
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT BATTERY WILL LAST LONGEST FOR MY DCD777 AND DCD778 ? please.
Stuart says
In an absolute sense? The FlexVolt 12Ah battery https://toolguyd.com/dewalt-12ah-flexvolt-20v-max-battery/ .
In a compact form factor? Their compact 3.0Ah.
Personally, I’d go for the 2.0Ah batteries.