I know you are speaking from experience. I'm confused by the factory
specs. In the Dewalt line, the corded drills actually turn slower than
the cordless. In fact, the fastest drill made by Dewalt that I could
find was their 1/2" heavy duty cordless (3 speed with top speed range
0-2000 rpm). I've got a Dewalt 18 volt drill and its always seemed as
fast on its highest speed as my 3/8" corded drill. Maybe the lower
voltage drills slow down under load?

Bob