I believe the Panasonic drills are currently the drills on the market
with the shortest distance between the tip of the chuck to the back;
this will allow you to get into smaller places than with other, longer
drills.

The Makita is shorter than most, and I am happy with my 14.4v MForce. I
especially like the shift-lock switch.

- Daniel

My Old Tools wrote:
Time to retire the Dewalt 12V. I had the battery packs rebuilt by
Primecell. They hold a charge now, but have come apart in use more times
than I can count. They are both laying on the counter right now with the
cases separated. The drill still works, but I never liked it that much
anyway. After reading a number of reviews, the Panasonic 15.6 V has great
reviews in general, but several reported that the motor smoked and died.
With a year waranty, this doesn't seem to be too much risk, but I'd like to
hear from others. The Makita 14.4 V NIMH MForce looks good and Makita has a
good rep for most things. It doesn't have alot of track record yet that I
can find. Any comments? I don't want or need an 18V drill. And yes, I
have a corded drill.