Craftsman 28126 6.5 amp Corded 3/8" Pro Rear Handle Drill

Excellent - lots of power and reasonable price August 30, 2011

Great for infrequent users - no worrying about charging batteries after it has set idle for extended period of time.   Plenty of power for the money.  Difficult to control power -- sometimes drill screws in too deep.  Wish it had a built in light.  Good carrying case, but it is too big.  The big case would be ok if it had some useful storage space for a bit case or other accessories.

Chinese Craftsman Drill is a Disappointment July 17, 2011

My disappointments:

1. The drill speed lock switch is WORTHLESS. It only locks on at full speed (yeah good luck at planting that drill bit on wood or metal at 2500 rpm, your bit will wander everywhere)! All the other Craftsman drills I have are 15-25 years old, made in the U.S.A., and have the turn knob in the trigger switch that allows the user to infinitely adjust the lock on speed to any rpm. Even my cheap $12 drill has this feature.

2. The so-called level is out of calibration. Not even close. You can check for square by puttin a builders level up to the chuck (bit holder) face at 90 degrees. The drill I received drills at an upwards angle when it says it's level.

3. It's made in CHINA. It's the first Craftsman drill I ever bought that was not made in the USA. Bummer! If I wanted a Chinese made drill, I would have gone to one of Craftsman's competitors. The 2 plastic body halves are of different red colors! What's up with that ?

4. 2500 rpm ? Who needs 2500 rpm ? 1500 rpm max is all you'll ever need. I'd rather have this 6.5 amp drill max out at 1500 rpm and deliver more usable torque. That's what every driller wants, is that twisting power when using their drill as a screwdriver. 2500 rpm Generates too much heat, especially in metals. Good drill for smoking and destroying your bits. My other 3/8's drills max out at 1200 rpm, while my 1/2 inch drills max out at 550 and 800 rpm. A good quality bit takes all the work off the drill. Use good quality bits and give the bit time to sink into the hole. It needs time to cut and drop into the hole. Cheap quality bits just burn out your drill quickly. By pushing and forcing the bit, you not only destroy the bit, but burn out the bearings and destroy the drill too. Always use low speeds and oil on metals! Have fun.

5. Forget the case. Keep it in a 5 gallon bucket with your bits and a 15-25 ft extension cord. You'll save time and use it more.

6. Power Indicator ? If you're so dumb or blind that you can't remember that you have it plugged in or can't see that it's plugged in, then you're not qualified to use a power tool and should not be drilling.

My Likes:

1. Red Color. I can find it quickly

2. 10 ft. Cuts down on the need of dragging out an extension cord.

3. Keyless chuck. If a 1/16 inch bit slips, wrap a little tape around it or something else. Or unlock the chuck and re-align the bit. But you may have a defective chuck.

Lightweight with plenty of power; Amazing for this price May 23, 2011

I'll preface this by saying that I bought this drill on sale and used my Craftsman Club bonus, so I only paid $40. At that price, it absolutely cannot be beat. I didn't necessarily need this drill since I already have several cordless drills, but it's nice to have a corded one in the event I need more juice or the batteries go out. And like I said, for $40 this is a must-have.

Here's my first impressions after using it this afternoon while doing some different tasks in the garage... The drill is very light considering how much power it has. It doesn't feel any heavier than my Craftsman 19.2V C3 cordless drill and it was very comfortable to hold. The grip is very nicely shaped and the drill has good balance. The drill made very short work of all the drilling/screwing I did this afternoon, though I will caution that driving screws requires a very soft trigger pull or you'll just strip the head. The fact the drill looks wickedly cool is just icing on the cake.

I do have some nit-picks, but they're not annoying enough for me to knock a star off my rating. I would prefer if the directional switch also had a "neutral" center position. I know the drill has a "live-tool" indicator and that's great, but it's just an extra safety thing I'm used to and would prefer to have. I'll also agree with some of the other reviewers that with small drill bits and in harder materials, the bit slips. That's just a drawback of all keyless chuck drills though, so I can't hold that against this one drill. Anything 1/8" and up I haven't had it slip yet and if you have a hex-shank bit it won't slip at all, not matter how small the bit is.

All in all, this is one of my favorite tools and if you can get it on sale, it's a no-brainer.

Powerful, flexible and comfortable in the hand January 25, 2011

I purchased this as a replacement for my 25 year old Craftsman drill that, while powerful, was heavy and had a keyed chuck that wasn't very conducive to working quickly and easily. The grip on the 28126 is ergonomic and comfortable, with a rubberized cover. the trigger delivers only the power you need depending on how much you squeeze it. All in all, this is a great drill, and if it didn't have a keyless chuck, I'd buy two. Plus, the red body is awesome. It looks as good as it performs.