The battery lifetime on the DeWalt stuff seems to vary considerably. The first cordless drill that I ever owned is a 12v DeWalt. The original 2 batteries are over 10 years old now and are still as strong as when they were new. My 18v DeWalt batteries are not as good, but the ones that have died on me were over 4 years old when they gave out. If the lifetime of the battery is a major factor in the purchase decision, then the Rigid drills deserve consideration also as Rigid will replace the batteries when they go bad under their lifetime service agreement.