The DEWALT DCD999B FlexVolt Advantage Hammer Drill had promised to be a game-changer, and as a professional in the construction industry, having the “supreme best” hammer drill in my toolkit is more than a luxury, it's a necessity. One particular aspect that filled me with hope was learning from DeWalt that they had finally tackled the long-standing issue of the chuck freezing.
This fix was long overdue, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation as I unboxed this power tool. After unboxing I inspected it and gave it a spin. The balance, ergonomics, and feel of this hammer drill are just so good. I then went to the shop and did some real hard testing to see if I could get the chuck to lock up. I was not able to get the chuck to lock up or malfunction and was VERY impressed by the power and performance of the drill. I did lots of holes in concrete, and then drilled well over a dozen of ½ inch holes (with a ½ inch twist drill bit) all the way through treated 4x4 in about 1.5 seconds a piece. Then I got out a dull 1 inch spade bit and the drill tore all the way through the 4x4 with no hesitation in about 3 seconds!! All these tests were done on speed 3 with a 9AH FlexVolt battery and the drill was able to effortlessly handle it all. I then tried using a 5 inch hole saw. For the hole saw I finally had to put it down to speed 2. The drill still performed beyond expectations, though caution is advised with 5 inch bits due to dangerous kickback. (I seriously hurt my shin and arm myself)
As for features, the work light is worth mentioning! Most drill lights do not do that much, but this light has been VERY helpful. The drill has 3 brightness settings. The first setting is about what you would expect from a normal drill except for the fact that it remains on for 20 seconds after the trigger is released before turning off. The second setting is a little brighter than setting one; it is about as bright as a dim flashlight. It also remains on for 20 seconds after the trigger is released. I usually use it on setting 2. The third setting is very bright and impressive and stays on for 20 MINTUTES after the trigger is released. I have used it on setting 3 to light up the whole jobsite, all by itself!!! Setting 3 is about as bright as a portable work light.
After these demanding tests, the hammer drill swiftly became my favorite in my tool chest. I now use it regularly without any issues or the chuck ever locking up. It is also very durable and tough. I take good care of it but it has fallen more than once and been subjected to jobsite abuse and never had a drop in performance. Its reliability and power have truly impressed me, making it a reliable companion for every project.

I live and work on an active farm and although I don’t use tools often; I do use them hard at times. I had a brushed dewalt hammer drill that I’ve had for at least 5 years and it did well until I decided to drill a 2 inch hole through old concrete with it. Prior to this I’ve never had to drill such a large through concrete with that drill and it burnt it up. The drill still works some but I decided to retire it. I watched some reviews on Dewalts flex volt advantage tools and since I already own and are a big fan of the flex volt advantage 7 and 1/4 inch circular saw; I figured I’d get the drill for all the tough applications I’d use it on. I have had my new flex volt advantage drill for about 2 months now and all it has is power. It easily drilled a 3/8 inch hole through 3/8 thick mild steel. It never gets hot and it has amazing grips on the handle and it drills through the hardwood I use to fix up the barn and stuff like nothing, I also like that it sips juice less than my other drill even though it’s much larger. Also I love the long handle for it, the fact that it can moved any direction is awesome. I look forward to getting many years out of this drill, it was quite the upgrade but it’s worth it.

I love this set. The impact is fantastic. Mine was stolen off of my job site, so I’ve been forced to use my 2016-2017 impact since. It’s still a great drill to this day.

The Hammer drill in this set is easily the strongest battery powered drill I’ve used. If you aren’t ready this thing will take you on a wild ride, especially if you don’t have the handle on it! I’ve mixed up mud, thinset, grout, drilled through concrete, etc. I can mix a full bucket on thinset with this thing which is incredible. I always tell my buddy “don’t let that thing put a whoopin’ on you.” It does exactly what I need it to and some. It will spill that mud so fast it’s not even funny! Eat your Wheaties first or go ahead and think it’s a game and let it toss you around one good time. You can’t beat DEWALT. I don’t care what kind of power tool battle videos are on YouTube. Come get you some.

Dewalt reviews

I was sent the flexvolt advantage hammer drill DCD999 and a 6.0 flexvolt battery as a sample. Overall I am very impressed and can notice an increase in power from a 5.0 20V battery compared to the 6.0 60V flexvolt. I have used this drill to mix several 5 gallon buckets of drywall mud, drill 6” holes in Sheetrock and other small drill tasks such as driving screws and making smaller holes with paddle bits. I usually use my flexvolt mixer to mix mud and concrete but decided to try the flexvolt advantage drill to see how it would mix and it did very well without bogging down at all and could definitely tell a difference in power from my regular brushless 20V drill which would normally struggle some to mix something this thick. The 999 comes with a nice screw on handle which is longer and makes it easier to use compared to the ones that came with the 996 model. It also comes with the standard belt clip too. One thing I wish DeWalt would add to more of their drills is an E-clutch to save your wrist when using large hole saws or mixing, this flexvolt advantage does not have any sort of emergency stop. The overall drill is almost identical to the 20V brushless version physically with a few minor differences, including a slightly wider base where the battery goes and the clutch is a little different. Overall a Very impressive drill and power, definitely recommend getting this drill especially if you are already on the flexvolt battery platform. It is nice to be able to use your 20V batteries for smaller projects but when you need more power you can also use flexvolts and get a boost.