Another vote for DeWalt, I've had the 18 volt drill/circular saw combo for 12 years, and last year the batteries went belly up and figured it was time to buy new batteries. I had to rethink that idea when I found out the batteries cost $80 each. I looked around slickdeals.net and found a link to Amazon for a refurbished kit consisting of the newer (much stronger) drill two batteries, case, and holster for $90! I junped on that offer and am very happy I did. The new drill is a step up and the batteries are 18 volt XR (extended run time). A couple of times a year I volunteer with a group called Dallas Ramp building wheelchair ramps for the homebound and get a chance to compare lots of tools, Impact drivers are the new cool tools for driving screws and bolts, but my DeWalt can keep pace with most of what I've seen. I've read about the welder trick and kept my dead batteries to maybe try it some day but thus far I've been to 'smart' to try it. I also read that the two things you can do to prolong the life of your batteries is to recharge them in a cool place, and to take them off the charger after re-charging and let them come to temp. for 10 minutes before put them to work, don't know if it helps but it's now my standard procedure.