If you’re a DIYer, a homeowner, or just like having a quality drill available should the need arise, the DeWalt DCD777C2 cordless drill makes a fantastic option. It’s compact, lightweight, ergonomic, and powerful – owing in large part to its well-engineered brushless motor.
Weighing in at just 2.5 pounds, the drill feels deceptively light when you pick it up, but don’t be fooled, it still generates an impressive amount of torque. Both drilling and driving jobs feel nearly effortless, and even heavy-duty jobs like driving lag bolts and drilling with a hole saw bit were no challenge.
DeWalt’s excellent brushless motor is the real hero here, cutting down on weight significantly when compared to similar brushed models. It also increases efficiency and allows the drill to perform admirably despite its meager 1.5 Ah batteries.
Let’s take a closer look at the DeWalt DCD777C2 cordless drill, see how it performs in a variety of tasks, and examine how it stacks up against the competition.
Pro’s
- Powerful brushless motor.
- Lightweight, compact, and ergonomic.
- Excellent driving performance, good drilling performance.
- Reasonably priced.
Con’s
- Batteries on the smaller side.
- Plastic chuck.
- Mediocre battery life.
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First Impressions
The first that struck me about this drill is how good it feels in hand. The ergonomics are excellent, and installing or removing the battery feels smooth and natural. Weighing 2.5 pounds, the drill feels featherlight, and if you didn’t know better you might think it was a toy rather than a real drill.
If you’re coming from using a drill with a traditional brushed motor, you’ll be presently surprised by the overall reduction in weight and size. The fit and finish are excellent, and the trigger, clutch lever, and LED drill light are all typical DeWalt quality.
The drill comes with 2 x 1.5Ah batteries, which are some of the smallest ones Dewalt produces. They’re very light, have a slim profile, and pack enough capacity for most DIY projects and household tasks. A compact battery charger and soft carrying case also come bundled, so you’re getting a pretty solid value for your dollar.
You’ll also notice the chuck is made out of plastic rather than metal. This generally isn’t what you want to see in a heavy-duty drill, but the plastic is tough and will hold up well for general DIY use.
Specs
- Tool length: 52”
- Weight: 5 lbs. without battery
- Chuck size: ½”
- No-load speed: 0-500 / 0-1,750
- Torque: 500 in-lb
- Voltage: 20 volts
Key Features
Let’s take a look at some of the key features of the DeWalt DWE575 cordless drill, and see how it performs at some typical DIY tasks.
Drilling
The drill performs well for the majority of drilling tasks, has enough torque to handle more demanding tasks like cutting holes with hole saw bits, and in my usage had very few hang-ups or stalls even when pushing it to the limit.
The 500 inch-pound motor provides enough power for just about any typical drilling task, so there’s no need to baby this drill. Keep in mind that the limiting factor for this drill kit is without a doubt its batteries, so if you wanted to use it as a daily driver in a professional setting, replacing the including batteries with larger ones is always an option.
One minor issue I’ve found when using the drill is the reverse button. It occasionally gets pressed without you trying to depress it, which takes a little getting used to in order to avoid.
Driving
While the drill performed admirably at drilling tasks, driving is where it really shines in my experience. Driving just about any type of fastener you can think of is butter smooth, and with a two-speed transmission and 15 different clutch settings, finding the ideal amount of torque is simple and intuitive.
Driving 3 ½ inch deck screws into decks and fencing felt fantastic, with the perfect combination of power and control. The trigger and motor give you highly precise control, so overtightening is easy to avoid.
The drill also had no problems driving heavy-duty fasteners, with 3/8” lag bolts driving into 4 x 4 lumber without any hangups or stalls.
Brushless Motor
As mentioned previously, the drill’s brushless motor is one of its key characteristics. The brushless design allows the drill to be significantly lighter and more compact than a drill with a brushed motor, but this comes with its own set of tradeoffs.
Brushless motors are more efficient and use less battery charge than equivalent brushed motors, which means they can get away with smaller batteries. Brushless motors also have no brushes to wear out over time, although you’re unlikely to wear out the brushes unless you’re a pro user.
On the other hand, brushless drills tend to cost more than their brushed counterparts. The electronics needed to power the motor adds to the overall cost, although this is becoming cheaper over time as manufacturers perfect the process.
Batteries & Charger
One of the drill’s weaker points is the included batteries. At 1.5Ah, they’re on the smaller side when compared with the competition, which means they’re not ideal if you’re looking for a drill for heavy-duty professional tier use. The batteries also don’t come with a battery light indicator, so you won’t be able to tell how much juice is left until it dies.
On the plus side, the charger is quick and efficient and recharges the battery to full in about an hour.
Other Features
There are several other features to look at when considering this drill.
The LED light located under the chuck is useful and gives off good illumination. It turns off after 20 seconds and is bright enough to use in dimly lit areas without extra lighting.
The included soft case is another strong point. It’s well-made and large enough to fit the drill, both batteries, the charger, and a small drill bit kit plus a few extra small to medium-sized tools.
Price
One of the drill kit’s strong points is its value. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better performing drill kit at this price point, especially one with two batteries and this level of build quality.
DeWalt’s priced the drill competitively, making it a great choice for both homeowners and DIYers. It’s not much more expensive than similar prosumer branded drills, so shelling out a few extra bucks for this drill makes sense.
It also would make an excellent backup drill for contractors, carpenters, and other pro users, especially if you’ve already got other DeWalt 20V Max tools in the lineup.
Wrap Up
To wrap things up, the DeWalt DCD777C2 cordless drill makes a great all-around drill and performed admirably in a variety of drilling and driving tasks. Its brushless motor makes it relatively compact and lightweight, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a compact drill that still delivers the power of a larger brushed motor drill.
It’s also an excellent value, so you’ll be getting an excellent bang for your buck.
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