Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Retailing around $79.99, this is clearly a budget model drill. Unfortunately, it performs like exactly that. This particular model comes as part of a set, which includes several different drill bit diameters, screwdriver bits, a charger and two batteries- making it a good budget option for simple repairs around the house.
The primary benefit of the Powermate is that it's easy to use. The bits are simple to switch in and out, and operating the drill is fairly intuitive. This drill features two different speeds in forward and reverse, giving it a bit of flexibility without being complex to operate. The handle of the drill is covered with a rubberized grip material, making it comfortable to hold.
In terms of durability and performance, the Powermate is pretty solid for its price range. I have used mine for 4 years now and it's still in good working order. The 18 volt motor is not very powerful, but adequate for my needs as I primarily use it for drilling drywall and utilize the screwdriver bits for assembling furniture and performing other light tasks.
The biggest flaw present in this set is the quality of the batteries. Even new, the batteries included with this drill perform very poorly. Even quick jobs will easily drain both batteries, frequently resulting in frustration as you're forced to take a break and wait for them to recharge. Over the life of the drill, this problem has become more and more significant. At present, the drill will only work for me if I take a battery fresh off the charger- and it will only operate for five minutes or so. The batteries will not hold a charge while stored, and must be plugged into the charger immediately before each use. Replacement batteries for this model are now impossible to find.
In short, this is definitely not the drill of a professional- but if you need a simple tool for quick jobs around the house, it's adequate and not a huge investment.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
