Yesterday, in response to our post on Father’s Day 2016 tool brand promos, Matt mentioned a deal on Dewalt’s 20V Max cordless brushless drill and impact driver set.
I took a look, and while a good deal, it’s one that warrants more discussion and consideration that you might think.
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Matt wrote:
A different type of deal, Lowes is clearing out the older Dewalt brushless kits (I think you mentioned this would happen) The DCK281C2 brushless drill and impact kit is now the same price as their standard brushed drill and impact combo at $199 thru 6/1.
After looking into the deal, I discovered this it’s for the DCK281C2 combo at Home Depot, which is not quite the same as the DCK281D2 combo kit at Amazon, which was on sale last month in a one-day deal. Definitely look at that deal of the day post for greater discussion of the combo.
They’re not clearancing out the kit; that Home Depot kit looks to be a “special buy” meant to sell at the lower $199 price.
Dewalt originally bundled their 20V Max XR brushless tools with 2.0Ah batteries. The C2 part of the model number means that special buy kit comes with 1.5Ah batteries. The D2 part of the regular kit model number means it comes with 2.0Ah batteries.
That HD kit is a good buy, but you’re not quite getting the same thing as with the D2 kit.
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The choice is $250 (after $20 discount) for the regular kit, or $199 for the kit with lesser batteries. The Special Buy kit definitely offers good value at $199.
OR, what I would do, is buy the new brushless combo kit, DCK283D2, for $259 – $20 promo = $239 final price. That’s what I would do unless on a strict $200 budget.
Yes, it’s $40 more than the HD deal, but you get the latest tools and 2 higher capacity battery packs.
Here is more on those 2nd generation Dewalt compact brushless drill & impact driver.
Buy Now(2nd Gen Compact Cordless Kit Deal)
Buy Now(HD Deal)
Buy Now(1st Gen Kit)
Amazon is offering a $20 off $100 discount on Dewalt orders right now, with both 1st gen and 2nd gen cordless combo kits eligible. The 2nd gen kit isn’t available for immediate shipping, but you can order now and it’ll be shipped once Amazon receives more stock.
I would not be surprised if Amazon offered the 1st gen brushless drill and impact driver combo kit for $199 again as a one-day-only promo. There’s no guarantee that they will, but it’s something I would bet on.
But, to be safe, if a new Dewalt brushless combo kit is on your shopping list, perhaps focus your decision on whether the $199 kit, or $239 kit (after $20 savings), with the updated tools and higher capacity batteries, is best for your needs, wants, and budget.
Toolpig
These second generation tools are really nice! They are a nice step up from the previous set. The extra power is really there! The drill work light is very bright for a single LED. The drill became my favorite drill for a few weeks until the 12v Brushless Makita came out. Now it is my second favorite??
The impact has a much improved nose on it now. It fits in tighter spots while retaining the 3 LED lighting. The removal of the horrible one handed bit change button is the best thing they could have done ever.
Matt J
I confess I couldn’t resist the C2 kit, I’ve been itching to upgrade from some older hitachi 12v since I was down to my last battery. Other than the slim battery packs I’m pretty thrilled with it so far.
Corey
I’d second recommending this kit to anyone. Two of my apprentices just picked it up on my recommendation(also probably due to my owning a bunch of batteries on this platform). I own both tools, upgraded from both predecessors, and despite my absolute love of the dcf895’s chuck I have to admit that the 887 is a noticeable power upgrade. Chose the 791 in lieu of expanding into 12v, and picked up the 996 to bridge the gap between the 791 and my hole hawg for augers and the dch273 for big boy masonry . Could not be more satisfied with the spread.