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[bushwickbill]

I finally pulled the trigger and bought the new Dewalt 20 Volt Max Premium Hammer drill combo kit.  So I have the hammer drill and the Impact driver.  I have been doing alot of research about cordless drills these last few weeks as my New ridgid 18 Volt X4 Hyper Lith hammer drill is in the shop getting a new chuck.  I Did buy the new 18 volt HC Lith-ion bosch drill/driver which says it has 700 Inch pounds of torque, The DDH181-01.  I was happy with it until I went back to the store and went head to head with Dewalts new 20 Volt hammer drill.
I put in a 7/8 inch ship auger and drilled many holes in a four by four chuck of fur that was damp.  So, Hole after Hole things were tied up when both tools were in first gear.  The dewalt was a little faster as its RPM are almost 200 RPM faster than bosch.  But...Then I threw the Dewalt into second gear for a try, And BAM!!  Like butter, It went threw the 4x4 like nothing?  I was confused to say the least.  So was the Bosch rep who just happened to be there for this little hole drilling contest (was planned by Slegg lumber store rep).  Everybody didn't really have a answer for how is it that dewalts new drill has more torque and SPEED to plow through this 4X4 than the mighty bosch??  I was also able to talk to the Dewalt Rep Via phone call that one of the other Staff called.  I asked him flat out, "How much Torque does this new DCD985 Hammer drill have?"  I got a very lame answer.  He told me that they were now unable to give out that info.  Had something to due with law suits or some crap.  I also asked him how much "Unit watts Out" Did it have, I got a very wrong answer, He said 918.  I asked him are you sure, He stated "I think it has 918".  Well, It clearly says on numerous reviews that it has 535 Unit Watts Out. 
But that is just not good enough for me.  I want the real amount of torque that this shiny new Premium Hammer drill is sporting?

Now, I have had the new Dewalt drill for two days now.  I am a electrician in the middle of a 30 suite reno, So I have been putting this new drill through the same kind of stuff I had been putting the bosch drill (HDD181-01) Through.  And I am a little disappointed with the dewalt drill.   When the Batt is fully charged, The dewalt drill seems unstoppable?  Going through three-four 2X4 studs, 2 2x10 joists with no problem with a 7/8 inch ship auger, Even on speed 2!?  But after about 6-7 holes it seems to lose some pep.  Then it can't go through any studs on speed two, Never mind three-four stacked up??  So whats going on??
I need answers.  And I figure this is the place to post.
The person at Sleggs said I have 90 days to see if I want to stay with the dewalt.  Well, I will say this.  When ?I was using the bosch, With the 7/8 inch ship auger (its just a 18 inch 7/8 auger bit) I was not able to stall it!!  Sure I have to keep it in first gear and its only spinning at 380 RPM's, But it gets through anything?
Alot of you might ask, Well if your drilling so many holes, Why not use a corded drill.  Well in new construction I do.  I will use a core for all day drilling and pulling.  But in reno's, I might drill 2 holes here, Three over there Etc...  So I am trying not to drag out a cord.  So call me crazy, I am just looking for the cordless drill that has the most torque, Period.  If I have to not use a cord, Then great.  If I have to drill through four studs then I want to be able to blast out my cordless drill and get the job done.
I know this is a loing post, But I wanted to get my full point out.  So please any and all advice is wanted. 
Thanx, I hope I can get to the bottom of the mystery Dewalt torque number??? 

[Bingobelle]

Do not use a auger bore. If I understand you correct you are working with electric installations and how the hole look likes on the stud when the drill is coming out does not matter. It is not furniture you are building. Use a spadebits instead since that will stress less on the drill and with that size on the bore you can use 3 gear on that mighty Dewalt drill.

Good luck

[stp_yz]

Hey Bushwickbill, Looks like Bingobelle didn't really answer your question. UWO was "invented" by DeWalt, NO rep (in Canada) was able to give me a formula to calculate UWO. all they say: " it's a very complex calculation that takes in consideration torque, speed and transmission" .
What the f$*#&!!!!
Drilling a 7/8 ship auger bit, just like a self-feed bit, demands alot of torque from a drill. Since Dewalt can't provide a real torque figure to compare it's really hard to answer you. But, keep in mind: High Speed = Low Torque , Low Speed = High Torque. Look for a low rpm cordless drill to do your job.
Right now, the Makita BDF451 at 300 rpm, is the slowest drill on the market. If you want to go with Makita is entirely up to you.
Part of my job, is to test power tools (from any company). and the 20v I've tested didn't slow down after 6-7 holes, it slowed down near the end of battery cycle. I did my test in a 2x8 spruce, with a 2" self-feed bit from Irwin. The Dewalt did 38 holes on avreage (5 times) and it started slowing down after the 35th hole...
Maybe, there's something wrong with your drill??

Hope this helps...

[Bingobelle]

That 451 have a plastic gear change ring and a lot of them broke first year. Then you have to take apart transmission to change that piece. I thought that bdf451 was discontinued due to a lot of mechanical isues.

Anyway, I know I did not answer the question but why are you so determined to have a tourch number? It just a number and say less than you might think in real world application. Better to feel how the machine is in your hand and feel how much workload it is able to take. That xr xrp drill is one of the strongest cordless drills in the world. If you need more torch, power you have to jump up to 36 volt system. A another brand will not help.

And those augerbits, can not se the point with them on a building site.

[zippo]

hi
i am in the uk and i have a dc985 when i bought mine i was told it has 55nm of talk the instruction manual also states this
hope this helps you

[bushwickbill]

thanx all for the replies.  Why do I need a torque number?  I know I should use the drill in the field to really see how it holds up.  Well I did that.  I Used the Bosch for a Bit, Drilled through different depths and old/new wood.  Those old 2x4's seem to be a lot harder to get through.  i mainly want aa torque number so I could compare it to online articles of other drills, And see how it is suppose to stack up.
The using the auger bits is the only solution to nails.  In this reno situation I sometimes, Most of the time I don't have alot of choices were I CAN drill, And almost all the time there is a nail or two, Or three  to go through to finish the hole.  And also, Most of the time I need the length of the 18 inches this particular greenlee nail eater extreme has to even be able to drill due to things in the way or just tight situations to try and get a hole into something.  I agree spade bits are so much faster and less stressful on the motor for sure.  But as soon as you hit one nail you have most likely ruined your nice sharp spade bit. 
When I am doing new construction I use spade bits alot.  Being able to see the whole piece of wood your drilling so spotting nails is easy and you can almost all the time just move your wanted hole over a inch or two to avoid the nail.
So unless you have a nail eater extreme spade bit, Ill have to stick with what works in this less than desirable drilling situation.
I was checking my plumber buddy's leader bits, He says they can handle a nail better than a spade bit, But till you have to either replace them or get them sharpened after about three good nails.  These Greenlee nail eater extreme have replaceable worms and cutters.  So you pay for the auger once, And you can buy a three pack of replacement worms and cutters for cheap.  And each cutter and worm  are good for over 15-20 good nails from my experience using them over the last three months.
And the low RPMS would be the bosch at 700 inch pounds of torque.  I wasn't able to stall that beat, Period.  It chugged along at its almos 380RPMs through whatever I aimed my 18 inches of pure wood drilling mayhem, LOL!
I will keep using this dewalt for a bit to make sure that I didn't make a premature judgments.  Dewalt is a solid company, And their drills are top notch.  I just want the most torque or power I can get for when the going gets tough.  Maybe the bosches low speed beast is what I will have to go back to.
I know milwaukkee has some nice drills.  One of them sports a nice 750 inch pounds, But the 28 Volt lith battery is HUGE!!  In march 2012 Milwaukee will be selling its newest line of cordless drills called, Milwaukee Fuel.  Apparently they are switching to a new Brush less drill.  It is going to be a smaller, Cooler running, Higher torque Motor.  They are saying it will beat anything currently out there when they hit the market.  Only thing is, They themselves have said the newer tech will be pricey at launch.  So prices wont come down till next summer:(  Wonder who is going to crack the 800 inch pounds of torque??

[tooljoe]

I put in a 7/8 inch ship auger and drilled many holes in a four by four chuck of fur that was damp.  So, Hole after Hole things were tied up when both tools were in first gear.  The dewalt was a little faster as its RPM are almost 200 RPM faster than bosch.  But...Then I threw the Dewalt into second gear for a try, And BAM!!

Sure I have to keep it in first gear and its only spinning at 380 RPM's, But it gets through anything?

hmmm... so you are comparing 1st gear in your bosh to 2nd gear in dewalts... I think that is what I am reading.

So how does dewalt compare to your bosh both in first gear and second? IOW, you don't need to actually know the torque number just compare the two... IMO.

the dewalt ends up winning in my book regardless... i mean higher RPMs, is also a hammer drill, plus that 3rd gear... wow.

[bushwickbill]

So now I have had a few more days to play with this dewalts drill.  I have had to leave it in 1 st gear for almost all the holes I have had to drill.  And I am finding, That it does stall a lot easier than I had thought.  I was not able to stall out the bosch at all.  Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to stall these drills.  It happens on its own.  I have found thst this new dewalt hammer drill is faster at drilling no doubt about it.  But for my tasks that I want a cordless drill, It seems to not holding up as I had originally expected.  I would think in new construction with fresh dry wood to drill through it would probably do great.  But doing these reno jobs I am forced to drill through less than Ideal wood at very odd angles, And nails thrown in just for fun. 
And here is the very funny part.  i have gotten so used to using my Cordless drills for drilling that when I had to use my Corded Makita 1/2 inch drill I was very surprised to see that it is having trouble going through some of the material too?  Maybe yes I am asking too much out of a cordless drill.  But on the other hand I am just looking for the drill that has the most power hands down for the material that I have to go through.  So if its bosch or dewalt or milwaukee Who knows who is best.  I have had the chance to use both dewalts top of the line and bosches top of the line offerings.  And it seems that bosch is the more powerful tool.  I will keep using this dewalt drill for a bit longer untill I get a chance to go head to head drilling with milwaukees best drill which has 650 inch pounds of torque.  But again it will be in a store under ideal conditions unlike the job site.
If anybody else has a way to figure out how much torque this drill has (dewalts Premium hammer drill) please feel free to share.
Thanx for all the replies people.

[kjones]

So I have to ask, what are you drilling (hole size)?  I have run these two drills (as well as the other major competition) against the DeWalt, and have yet to see a drill bit size, that a cordless drill should be used for, that the other drills do faster.  So I am curious what application you are doing to create these results.

[bushwickbill]

I am using a 7/8 inch auger bit or 1 inch spade bits too.

[kjones]

I am using a 7/8 inch auger bit or 1 inch spade bits too.

Ok, this does not make any sense.  I regularly use 2 9/16th inch self feeds through the 18v and 20v premium drills, and never have a problem.  A spade bit or auger of that size should not be any issue at all, unless under extreme side load/binding. 

[burlguy]

 Buy the 36v and never complain about torque again. It will spin itself out of your hands if you arent paying attention. I also have the SDS drill, put that one is hammer setting and you can drill through any thing.

[Erngum]

I to was frustrated with the "unit watts out" voodoo.  If you want to know the torque specs for Dewalt drills go to a UK website such as toolstop.co.uk.  Over there they don't use that UWO mess.  You will have to convert from Nm (Newton Meters) to pound inch.  I use an on-line conversion website.  The DC980L:

http://www.toolstop.co.uk/dewalt-dcd980l2-18v-xr-li-ion-premium-3-speed-xrp-drill-driver-2-x-3ah-batteries-p15708

is listed as as having 55Nm or 486.79 inch pounds of torque.  I'm no engineer, but my guess is that DeWalt builds their transmissions to maximize whatever torque the motor produces to perform the work as efficiently as possible.  It obviously works.  I just wish they would just state as much instead of spewing out some cryptic formulated number.  At the end of the day I went with Bosch as the majority of my corded tools are Bosch.  I have been extremely satisfied with the Bosch cordless tools.  The new 20v and 12v DeWalts look really nice though.  But I am already neck deep in 12v Bosch as well.

[anadevi]

A 2 9/16th self feeding bit seems a little much to ask or expect from a cordless. I use a corded drill for anything over 1 1/2.

I agree a 7/8th should not present any problem. I've used 1 1/4 augers with no problem at all.

I am using a 7/8 inch auger bit or 1 inch spade bits too.

Ok, this does not make any sense.  I regularly use 2 9/16th inch self feeds through the 18v and 20v premium drills, and never have a problem.  A spade bit or auger of that size should not be any issue at all, unless under extreme side load/binding. 

[kjones]

A 2 9/16th self feeding bit seems a little much to ask or expect from a cordless. I use a corded drill for anything over 1 1/2.

I agree a 7/8th should not present any problem. I've used 1 1/4 augers with no problem at all.

I am using a 7/8 inch auger bit or 1 inch spade bits too.

Ok, this does not make any sense.  I regularly use 2 9/16th inch self feeds through the 18v and 20v premium drills, and never have a problem.  A spade bit or auger of that size should not be any issue at all, unless under extreme side load/binding. 

That's the point.  The DeWALT's (both 18v and 20v MAX) are more than able to do the 2 9/16th inch bits.  If you are doing a lot of holes, then obviously you will be happier running a cord, but the point is that the cordless versions will in fact do the application quite well.  All that was to say that it sounds odd to me that they are having trouble with such a smaller application unless they are under VERY heavy side load or bind.