My wife and daughters bought me a 1/2 hammerdrill for my
birthday/fathers day last June.

I used it a couple times last summer/fall, and then today I wanted to
use it to drill a 1 1/2 hole in a spruce 2X8. Put it in low gear (for
the first time) and founf out there were teeth missing on a gear
somewhere. Just a lot of noise, and no drive.

It was a Black and Decker DR650-ca -= 6.5 amp unit that They paid $80
for.(on sale).

Took it back to Canadian Tire where they bought it, and they don't
carry it any more. After a lot of hassle, I paid the difference ($20)
to get a Porter Cable PC650 - looked like virtually the same drill
except for the location of the reverse switch.

I gor ONE HOLE drilled, and noticed something poking out through the
side of the drive gear case which LOOKED like it was aluminum, but was
in fact aluminized chrappy plastic.

Looks like I'll have to cruise the Garage sales this spring and try to
find myself a 30 year old half inch drill - - - - - - .
The one the B&D replaced was almost 50 years old and had been used
professionally by my dad as an electrical contractor for about 35
years of that until his retirement. In hindsight, I should have spent
whatever it took to have it rewound instead of scrapping it. (It just
up and quit one day when I was using it - let the magic smoke out)