Every manufacture has been coming out with their 12V line and Craftsman is no different. However Craftsman does have something very unique which I will touch on in a bit. If your a homeowner and want a drill/driver that is quality and at a fraction of the price, this is a great buy.
I have owned a craftsman 75th anniversary 18V since 2000 and have beat the heck out of it, so I am a huge fan of their products for the homeowner. That’s why when I heard about the new Nextec line, I was very excited. Well I guess it’s not new anymore. I first heard about the new line at the National Hardware Show. The drill/driver is just one of many tools in their 12V line and the model number of this drill is 17585. Being a 12V, its light and only weighs 2.2 lbs. For two pounds, it does pack a powerful punch at 195 in-lbs of torque and will allow the homeowner to do a wide variety of jobs around the house.
The drill has two speeds with the range of 0-400 and 0-1,300. This is powered by a 12V 1.3 ah lithium-ion battery that powers the 3/8″ chuck. There is a work light on the front, that doesn’t do a bad job in darker working conditions. The user can choose from 18 different clutch setting to match the power to the application.
Ok here is the key to this drill, well actually the Nextec line, it’s called the Quickboost. The Quickboost is awesome and has to do with the charger and battery. The charger is sold separately. How many times has this happened to you? Your just about to finish up a job and your battery dies. You go to grab the other battery and yes that one is dead also. You can wait the 30 minutes it takes to charge the batteries or you can put it in Quickboost mode. You place the battery in the charge, press the Quickboost button and in three minutes, you have a 25% charge on your battery. How cool is that? No more waiting around. If you forget about thew Quickboost and walk away, the charge will automatically go into normal charging mode after three minutes.
The drill does have a nice feel to it. Very well balanced and great power. I can not get over the Quickboost charger. Every manufacture should have this. If your a homeowner and looking for a good quality drill to have around the house, take a look at the Craftsman Drill. The price is right and has some good power behind it. The batteries only cost $25, so even if you don’t have the Quickboost, you can stock up on batteries.
