Panasonic drill - bummer

[Peter Pedisich]

This past weekend my slightly more than 1 year old Panasonic 12v drill was knocked off of a 4' high ledge and I think it must have fallen on the bit and bent the shaft or chuck because when I drive a screw it wobbles and rotates the screw around.
This drill had become on of my favorite tool purchases in years due to it's perfect size, great chuck and precise operation and absolutely remarkable battery life. Really, battery life on this drill is on another planet compared to my 12 year old DeWalt 12v, did I say another planet? another universe, actually.
But my tough-as-nails old faithful DeWalt has been dropped from a 8' high ladder more times than I care to admit. It's been rained on, stepped on, dropped right onto a bit in the chuck and never a problem. My respect for it is such that despite it's disappointing battery performance I'll keep it forever.
So I'll bring the Panasonic to my local service center this week and hope it's not too much to fix.
I should have known when I purchased it I said to myself "seems a bit less tank-like than the DW" but bought it anyway.

Anybody else have a similar experience?

Pete

[Bob Marino]

Pete,

Panasonic makes a very good drill, it may or may not be as robust or "tank-like" as your Dewalt, but it just could be that it landed on the wrong place at the wrong time.

Bob

[Jason Roehl]

You might consider having those DW batteries rebuilt. Twelve year old rechargeable batteries would be questionable at best. Ten new NiCd sub-C cells per 12V pack should do the trick. If you've put it through all that and it's still running, that seems to me like that would be well-spent money. I'm just about to the same place with a 14.4V Porter-Cable drill that's been been through about everything except a war. The batteries still work, but don't last quite as long as they used to.

[Peter Pedisich]

Bob - yeah It's been a great drill and I hope it can be fixed for half the price of a new one. I actually debated using my Festool rebates to get the CDD on closeout but I see it tops out at 1100 rpm and I prefer 1500 or higher for c-sinking and drilling on wood. The C12 goes to 1500! but I recently got a 200 gallon heating oil delivery and I'm still smarting from that one.

Anybody have good feedback on the Festool C12?

Jason, actually both of the batterys are replacements and an improvement but still not quite enough.

[Wes Bischel]

Pete,
Bummer on the Panasonic. I guess "I hate that when it happens" won't help much. I'm sure yours isn't the first bent shaft the service center has seen.

I'm surprised the rebuilt batteries on the Dewalt didn't perform better. My old Craftsman drills drive better than new when I got a pair of batteries rebuilt.

Good luck on the fix - and stay warm!

Wes