there has been lots of hype over these tools since there release last year, but these tools lack quite a bit in design from what they are promoted to be. these 36 volt tools are powerful, but at what cost? a cordless 36 volt drill is just too heavy to use all day long. if you buy a complete set of 36 volt tools, you will still need a lighter weight cordless for all day use. i can see buying the "sawzall" or recip saw, the rotary hammer drill and the circular saw. these tools work best with more power and the added weight is an acceptable trade-off. they are no heavier than corded models.
br /the power for this recip saw is less than what i had expected. when you turn it on, it has tons of power with lots of vibration, but when you start a cut, the power decreases and slows during the cut, giving you 18 volt power. i tried doing a plunge cut with this recip saw and it stalled in the middle of the cut. i have a hilti 24volt 2.0 amp-hour recip saw and it kicks booty compared to this 36 volt.
br /what i like best about this drill is the ratcheting chuck that never lets go a your drill bit, never, even when drilling large diameter holes in wood, steel and especially not in concrete. i wish every cordless tool had this chuck. the drill can be used for drilling large diameter holes and the like that other cordless can't even get close to. if you have lots of applications where cords can't get to, then this tool may be for you. i don't know if it's worth getting just to have the latest thing. replacement batteries range in price from 170.00 to 200.00 each.
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br /something else disturbing is that dewalt is being sued because of copyright infringement of the lithium-ion technology. i don't know if they stole the technology or if it's just too similar to that created by a university.
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br /lithium-ion is definitely the future in cordless; more power, less weight. i hope dewalt comes out with an 18 volt lithium-ion line soon.

No complaints on the tools...the drill is a bit large and heavy for using as a screw gun all day, but thats what the 18V,14.4V or impact driver is for. This drill will easily take large hole saws and self-feed bits, very powerful. Haven't used the saw too much but it is powerful and the 4-way blade clamp is a nice idea. HOWEVER...one of the 2 batteries in the kit was dead right out of the brand new box. Turned the battery over and sure enough: "Made in China", a $600 cordless kit should not have batteries made in China. This just goes along with the trend I hear from many people in the construction industry that DeWalt's quality is steadily going down. DeWalt is shipping me a new battery free of charge, customer service people there are very helpful -- so hopefully this one will work. Not real happy that I have to go through this with a $600 tool kit from the "leading" manufacturer. I have bought ONLY DeWalt cordless for many years, but this will definitely make me think twice about buying DeWalt cordless again.

i bought this kit, and the guy before must have been a little guy, i used the hammer drill and a porter cable 19.2 volt to deck screws for deck replacement. we charged the porter cable 5 times to 1/2 of the dewalt battery, great power out of any drill, compared to milwaukee 28 volt kind of close but the dewalt has way more power. the reciprocating saw is like a corded saw, lots of power! nothing bad and fast charges. is a bigger drill but bigger drills have more size, the ones built strong. hope this helps or email me at erickeating33@yahoo.com questions before you buy one. I love it! cedar rapids iowa

This is not for a homeowner who wants to dink around on a weekend drawer fixing project. This is SERIOUS POWER for heavy duty industrial jobsites. As an electrician, I use this power all day everyday with 18"x1" or 1-1/8" Ship Auger bits through 2x4's and 2x6's. It can take the beating day in and day out without fail like no other tool I've found in cordless. The li-ion battery makes the equivellant weight of ni-cad in half the voltage. Perhaps that negative reviewer may want to try an 18 volt li-ion to better handle the weight issue, but still wants power.