Where I'm coming from:
br /I've owned this Metabo Powermaxx Plus kit for about 6 weeks, and so far am very pleased with it.
br /I do a lot of cabinet work, using smaller caliber screws, often working in tight spaces.
br /I am very familiar with battery powered drills and drivers - I started out using a low cost Black and Decker screwdriver many years ago, and have moved up to Makita, Bosch and Dewalt products in the past few years.
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br /I carefully compared this device to the Bosch PS20 pocket driver and the PS10 i-driver before purchasing. I chose it because it is smaller, lighter and feels better in the hand.
br /The Bosch devices have larger capacity batteries, but in practice I find the Powermaxx has enough power to drive many, many fasteners between charges.
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br /Pros:
br /o ergonomics are excellent. Very light, comfortable, precise speed control, and easy to use forward/reverse switch. Fits in my hand very nicely.
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br /o build quality is excellent. It's hard to adequately explain the fine fit and finish of this device - the magnetic bit holder is so precisely machined that bits make a kind of sucking sound when they are withdrawn, the angle attachment slides on easy with a perfect fit and absolutely no play, and so on.
br /The quality is superior to any other brand of tool I own (Bosch, Makita, Dewalt, ...).
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br /o battery life is very good. I have not tested the endurance by counting screws driven but I have no reason not to believe the claim of hundreds of screws per charge.
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br /o torque control can be set quite low for delicate situations (manual states 4.4 in. lbs.) but ranges up to a respectable 31.0 in. lbs. For max torque you lock out the clutch. The manual says it will do 44 in. lb. "soft" and up to 80 in. lbs. "hard" I think means motor turning and stalled respectively.
br /o If you need still more torque the automatic spindle lock allows you to manually rotate the tool (manual says 133 in. lbs. maximum).
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br /o comes in a nice case (I mostly toss away tool cases, but for now at least I'm keeping this one).
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br /o very compact device, allows it to work in tighter spaces than other drivers. And when things get really tight there is also the angle driver attachment.
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br /Cons:
br /I have no major complaints. However, as good as it is, nothing in this world is perfect and the Powermaxx is no exception, so here are a few minor quibbles:
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br /o battery charging time is just under 2 hrs. Quite respectable, and the 2nd battery makes this easy to live with as I've never used it up before the other one was recharged. However, I've been spoiled by Makita and Bosch which recharge in 1 hr, and 30 minutes respectively.
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br /o gear changer is a little weird (maybe because of the planetary gear mechanism). The manual suggests you should change gears with the motor turning, which is just the opposite of all my other drivers. I've found this works best using a slow speed, and no load. This isn't really a problem, just something a little different from the norm.
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br /o It would be nice if it had a built-in LED light. My Makita impact driver has one, and every now and then I am quite thankfull for it.
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br /o magnetic hex-bit holder is so powerful that I find it difficult to withdraw the shorter one inch bits by hand. I can do it, but it's tough on the fingers - so usually I just grab the bit with my pliers. I have not tried this yet, but I suspect I could wad a thin piece of paper in the bit holder to cure this. Also, bits longer than one inch are no problem to remove by hand.
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br /Other Details:
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br /I haven't used the drill chuck for anything other than a few test holes but it's obviously a sturdy, high quality component just like the rest of this kit. With a 600 rpm top step, drilling was not the primary function I had in mind when I bought this tool.
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br /The Powermaxx is smaller than the product description on this web page says. With the driver tip installed it measures 5-1/2 inches from the tip to the back end. It measures 6 inches from the top of the back end to the bottom of the handle. The thickness of the top part is 1-3/4 inches (motor and clutch mechanism) while the handle thickens to 2-1/4" at the base of the battery. Measuring on the diagonal it's just under 8 inches from the tip of the bit holder to the bottom of the handle/battery.
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br /With the angle driver attached, it measures 7-1/4 inches from the tip to the back end. It's about 1 inch from the driver tip to the back of the head, but this increases to 1-3/8 inches by the time you move back 2 inches from the tip. Suffice it to say the angle driver can fit in some fairly tight spaces. Because the angle driver is fastened to the tool, it takes only one hand to drive screws. Compare this to add-on devices (like the Milwaukee) which require two hands, because they don't fasten to your driver - making them much less useful.
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br /Note that the above measurements are with no hex bit installed - a one inch driver bit adds 1/2" to the overall length.
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br /With the drill chuck installed, and fully extended the device measures just under 7-1/2 inches from the tip to the back end (ie jaws fully closed). With the jaws fully open the measurement is just under 7 inches.
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br /While I have used this driver on up to #10 x 3" screws, that was a tight situation where other tools just would not fit. It's really most appropriate for use on #8 and lower screws. After all, it's only a 6 watt hour tool (4.8v times 1.25 amp hrs). If I'm going to be driving a lot of big and/or long screws I reach for my Makita driver with over 37 watts of power and an impact mechanism that amplifies its driving capabilities.
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br /If you keep your expectations reasonable you'll be very happy with the performance of this finely crafted tool.
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I work as an electronics technician. This drill/driver fulfills the need of working with small screws and bolts.
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br /Pros:
br /light weight, low hand fatigue
br /two speed gearing is faster then any other small cordless drill of similar weight.
br /Right angle adapter
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br /cons:
br /NiCd
br /charger connection may prove vulnerable
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I agree with most of what Joseph C. Mooney in his detailed, positive review.
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br /First, let's set some expectations. Don't expect a drill like this to be as powerful, or to deliver as much torque, as a DeWalt 14.4v cordless drill. If you are going to own only one drill, you might want to have one more powerful drill like the DeWalt, rather than the PowerMaxx. On the other hand, for many simple tasks around the house, this one could be enough, and I suspect many women would like it's small size and weight, which make it very manageable. It's also less expensive than a DeWalt.
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br /I bought this drill for its size and weight. I'm happy with both: it's easy to hold and use, easier than full-size cordless drills. I expected to use it mainly as a screwdriver, and to drill holes sometimes. I never used my DeWalt for things like PC assembly, but I would use this one, just because it's so easy to use.
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br /Tonight I decided to try using it to drive a 3" drywall screw through a 2x4 fir stud and into a very old (read: hardened) ceiling joist in the basement, without drilling a pilot hole. I never expected it to actually do it, but it did! It did not totally bury the screw head, the way the DeWalt would have, but it impressed me that it got the head flush with the wood, which was enough.
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br /The high speed could be a little higher for drilling, but it works. I wish they had supplied a hex bit extender to allow it to get into tight places more easily, but the one I got with my DeWalt quick-change bit set works just fine.
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br /The 90-degree attachment is bound to come in handy some time, allowing me to power-drive a screw or drill a hole in a place my DeWalt would not. Supplying two rechargeable batteries and charger, plus two chucks and he 90-degree attachment, makes it an otherwise complete package: just add drill and driver bits.
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br /Mine can change gears while turned off, unlike Joseph's experience. I have no problems pulling out hex bits from the magnetic chuck with my fingers; maybe they are using a less-powerful magnet now.
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br /It is rare for me to rate anything 5 stars, but I can't find anything so far to take issue with, and it is very handy. I bought mine on special at Rockler for 70$, which seems like a great deal for a drill like this. I will update the review if I have any problems with it.
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br /UPDATE 12/2/2008 The drill does not have sufficient torque to drive Confirmat screws into holes pre-drilled into MDF with the stepped pilot bit. This is not a surprise, since MDF is very dense material, and the screw threads are deep to hold. I had to use my DeWalt drill for this. I am still glad I bought this drill for small jobs.

bought one at rockler for half list price. (about 80$) Waste of money. If I had paid full price I would be much more upset. I also have ryobi lion I bought for less than 30 dollars. Works just as well. I use both for putting screws into red oak with pilot holes.

I received this little tool and immediately began exploring the manual and then checking out it's potential features. I like the way it feels and the dual chuck system is nice. It probably does everything as presented...but...I was dissapointed with the limited power and the slow speeds. If you select "high" (for drilling)you had best be using small drills for it's not going to handle real work. The design concept is great and for limited tasks you may find it acceptable, but in my commercial shop, it is more of a toy. I have used this "toy" for some close, inside, screwing and it did satisfy the task. I had to pre-drill the holes first using the varialble chuck. I have need for a real "work horse" tool like this and if the Germans could just add steriods to this little one, I'd be real happy. I gave this tool only a "three", which may be a little unfair, for it probably meets the design specifications but not my demands. One other thing...the battery charger quit charging after the first charge. The indicator light doesn't come on any more and the batteries are now dead. Their manual states that there is a three year warranty but you have to send it to them. Only problem, where's that address? I purchased it from Amazon and maybe that's a good move...but now I own a dead toy!