My cordless Drill/Driver is my most used tool.  I’ve had quite a few over the years and I just got a new one that I really like!  It’s the 18V Lithium Porter-Cable Drill/Driver.

What I like:

-The 18V battery making it the most powerful Drill/Driver I own.  It has plenty of power for building cabinets and driving lag bolts or large screws into wood.  It had some difficulty drilling pocket holes in 3/4 plywood but I usually use my corded drill for that job so having to baby it a bit in order to have the convenience of going cordless is a fair trade off in my opinion.

- The drill and battery packs are small and light, which I love!  Because of it’s size, I can “get up in there” better than with a big clunky drill and because it’s light, it doesn’t tire out my arm as fast as a heavier drill.

-It has an LED work light that illuminates what I’m working on which comes in handy! None of my previous Drill/Drivers had work lights so I didn’t know what I was missing.  I like that little touch more than I anticipated, especially when I’m sitting inside a cabinet, trying to screw something into the back or I’m in an awkward position and don’t have an extra hand for a flashlight.

-2 Battery packs is a must.  These charged really fast.  I think in about 20 minutes.  They are thin and light and they hold their charge for a long time.  I used the same battery for 2 weeks.  I changed it when drilling the pocket holes but it didn’t make a difference.  The first one was still charged.  I was just asking it to do a hard job.

-There are 2 bit holders on the base.  This is a nice feature because with the assortment of screws I use on one project, I find myself switching back and forth between philips, star and square bits A LOT.  I think all screw manufacturers should have a summit and figure out what screw head is the best for grip and non strippage and stick with it…but that’s beside the point.   The fact is, screws have all sorts of different heads, requiring us to keep track of an array of different screw driver bits!  So it’s nice when you can store as many as possible ON your driver.

- This drill/driver gives you a wide range of torque and speed adjustments.  The adjustable clutch has 22 settings and the drill has 2 speeds giving one the ability to find pretty much the perfect setting to drive a screw to just the right depth  regardless of length of screw and material hardness.  (Refer to my Drill/Driver video if you want more information on what an adjustable clutch is.)

Cons:

-There is no directional illustration on the forward/reverse function switch but that’s an easy fix with a Sharpie and not something that would dissuade me from buying this drill.

-I had the chuck get “wobbly” after switching back and forth between driving forward and reversing a screw back out a few times.  I had to tighten the chuck, really hard, and then it stayed put.  I’m used to hearing and feeling a little “click” on another drill I own, when the chuck is fully tightened on the bit shaft.  I didn’t have any more problems after I realized that I just had to turn the chuck as hard as I could when installing a bit.

Other Points:

-There isn’t a built in quick change chuck.  If you want one, you have to install it but this is a good thing in my opinion because not all bit are hex shafts.  I install a quick change chuck that accepts only hex shafts but on occasion, I need to remove that and use a drill bit that has a cylindrical shaft.  That would be impossible if the quick change was built in.  So, for me, this is a positive point.

-The case is a soft case that opens at the top and everything sits down inside pretty deep.  On the inside, there are just 3 pockets.  One for the drill and 2 for the batteries and charger.  I like to store my drill with the batteries removed and I’m not sure exactly where everything is supposed to go.  However, the soft case also has a strap and 2 pockets on the outside which, although I initially didn’t think I like it, turns out to be pretty handy.  I put my pencil and tape measure on the outside and carried the Drill/Driver case over my shoulder which freed up my hands for carrying a pile of wood.  So I decided that I actually do like the case and find it to be very convenient!

All in all, it’s a great drill.  I used it to install my closet rods, remove and replace a cabinet door in the kitchen, drill pocket holes and install the new shelves and faceframes in Wes’ closet as well as a couple failed crafty DIY projects that I was going to WOW you with today!  The drill worked great, my ideas, on the other hand, just didn’t pan out.  Oh well!

*I received this Drill/Driver for free in order to test it.  All opinions expressed are all my own.

So, I’ve tried it, I like it and now one of you get to win one!  Whoot!

Here are the details:

Sweepstakes for one 18V Lithium Porter-Cable Drill/Driver valued at $150

There are 4 possible entries per person.  You must leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

1.  Follow or subscribe to Sawdust and Paper Scraps and tell me what project you would tackle if you won the Porter-Cable Drill/Driver.

2.  ”Like” Porter-Cable on Facebook and tell them how much you love the drill they are giving away at sawdustgirl.com.

3.  Tweet about the giveaway.

4.  Post a link to this post on Facebook and tell your friends or fans about the party and chance to win!

*Odds of winning are based on number of entries.

*Sweepstake will run until Midnight (EST) on Thursday, December  8th.

*Available to US and Canada residents ages 18 and older only.

*Winner will be chosen through random.org and contacted via email and must respond within 3 days or another winner will be selected.

Good Luck!

Now it’s time to show off what you’ve made recently!

Remember, this party is for any project, Craft, DIY, Remodeling that you did using a tool.

Link up to your specific post and please give a shout out to the party so others can join in.  I love seeing what you’ve been up to.

Linky will be open until Sunday, December 4th at midnight (EST)

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Tags: Build{Hers} Club, Linky Party