IN THE SHOP
by William Sampson
wsampson@wattnet.net
Compact cordless tools
come of age
DeWalt’s new
diminutive driver
packs surprising punch.
The new De Walt DCF610
12v cordless screwdriver
comes with two batteries,
a charger and a belt clip
all packed in a cloth
carry bag.
From its beginning, the story of
cordless portable power tools has
seemed a lot like an arms race. Competing manufacturers offered one tool
after another, each with more power,
bigger batteries and performance features. But users paid the price in bulkier,
heavier, often more awkward tools.
Today, that trend may be reversing.
Major power tool manufacturers have
capitalized on new lithium-ion battery
technology to develop smaller, lighter
tools that offer surprising performance
for their size. This new class of tools is
typically powered by 10.8-volt battery
packs, and we suspect many professionals overlooked these tools thinking they
must be anemic compared to industry standard 18-volt ni-cad-powered
workhorses. Now, a number of these
compact tools are being marketed as
“12-volt-max” units because the 10.8-volt
battery packs can develop 12 volts of
peak power. So, is this just a marketing
gimmick, or can you get professional
performance from a compact tool? To
answer that question, we took the new
De Walt DCF610 12v cordless screwdriver for a spin.
De Walt enters arena
The new cordless screwdriver from
De Walt is just one of a small family of
compact power tools all powered by the
same 12-volt maximum power lithium-ion
battery pack. Professional users of De Walt’s full-size cordless line will smile when
Despite its small size, the new compact
cordless screwdriver from De Walt
packs plenty of power.
they see the size of these new tools,
which are all dwarfed by their 18-volt
brethren. But before we dismissed the
tools as something for the DIY market,
we couldn’t help but notice some intriguing features.
First off, the De Walt tools stand
on their own – literally. Most of the
10.8-volt/12-volt max tools on the market
have battery packs in the grip, making
it necessary to lay the tool down on its
side. The De Walt’s battery is at the bottom of the hand grip. Not only does that
mean the driver stands upright, it also
seems to improve balance and makes
for a smaller, more ergonomic handle,
especially if you have smaller hands.
The chuck is improved with a one-handed feature that makes it a snap
+ Watch the video: To see the De Walt DCF610 cordless crewdriver in action go to cabinetmakerfdm.com/8243.html
to remove or install a bit with only one
hand. And when you don’t have any
hands to spare, a belt clip makes it easy
to hang the tool from your belt.
More light
Many tools now come with lights, but
often they are shadowed by the chuck
and don’t really put illumination where
you need it. De Walt put three LED lights
around the chuck, so there are no shadows and three times the light.
Plenty of power
OK, it’s got whistles and bells, but
can it shoot screws? The answer is yes,
indeed. With 15 clutch settings plus full
power coupled with surprising speed
and battery life, this tool clearly outperformed previous 10.8-volt units we’ve
used and made us seriously question
why we needed to carry the extra weight
of a bigger unit to do the same job. ❮
