Sacramento Dave wrote:

I have a 9.6 Makita the batteries don't seem to last very long. Now
I bought a 14V Dewalt the drill has plenty of power. But I notice the
batteries are not holding a charge very long. I was told they will take
1200 charges I'm not even close. I have used the 12V Makita it a
really nice drill.

About the only way to get 1200 charge cycles is by keeping the cells
cool (drilling several small vent holes in the pack can help greatly,
not charging them until they've fully cooled down, and frequently
checking for reversed cells. Otherwise the lifespan is more likely to
be 100-500 cycles.

Some people make a remote battery pack that fits on the belt by taking
the body of an old pack. This allows using D cells with over twice the
capacity of the C or sub-C cells normally found in tool batteries.
But don't connect this to a charger that monitors battery temperature
directly, rather than through a thermistor built into the battery, or
the cells will overcharge.

I also have heard the Panasonic is very good.

I'd buy nothing but Panasonic drills if the batteries weren't so
expensive and hard to find.