"J. Clarke" wrote:

On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 17:22:35 -0500, Jeanne wrote:

Hi,

My husband asked for a hammerdrill for Christmas. I had never even heard
of one before he mentioned the word(s?). I've tried to do some research
but as usual, there are way too many suspects even within one single
brand.

I think I'm looking for a cordless 18 volt hammerdrill. Certainly no
larger. The three names that keep popping up are DeWalt, Bosch, and
Milwaukee.

I welcome any suggestions for specific models and where to buy them
(online if necessary).

I've got one of the first deWalt 18v hammerdrills and it's lovely. It's
one of the few tools that I can recommend to someone completely without
reservation. The newer ones with the 3 speed gearboxes (mine has 2)
should be even better.

Big question--does he have other 18v cordless tools--if so then if there's
no reason to do otherwise it's best to buy into the same system so that
the batteries are interchangeable.

Among the dewalts the 925KA is the current model that I'd go for but if
you find a good deal on a 988KA which is last year's model it should be
fine.

As far as places to buy go, http://www.coastaltool.com is a very
reliable source for portable power tools (they're a brick and mortar store
that also runs an internet business).

Second the recommendation for Coastal Tool, an excellent place. I used
to work fairly close to their store (both the old one with no parking
and the new one) and it was a frequent stop when I went out to lunch
(I'm now 1,700 miles away). In fact I just got a couple gift
certificates from them for holiday presents to send to friends.

Pete C.