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DeWalt 20V MAX XR 1/2" Drill/Driver DCD800 Reviews

Drills & drivers

96Signal score

31 positive7 mixed6 negative

44reviews
How the signal works
The signal score

A score out of 100 for how well reviewed a product is next to others of its kind. It rises with positive reviews and with how many there are; negative and mixed reviews take points off.

So a handful of glowing reviews can’t beat a product lots of people like. No sponsored placements.

Updated 13 Nov

Check price on Amazon Read 44 reviews

What people mention

Real owner experiences (44)

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Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jul 31, 2026 · summarized

Positive

A $60 bare-tool clearance find a year earlier that has been great for casual DIY use.

Reddit · r/Tools · Jul 18, 2026 · summarized

Mixed

Next to a Milwaukee equivalent it holds up, though the Milwaukee's brake and metal gear selector beat the plastic selector here.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jan 30, 2026 · summarized

Positive

Their drill does not show the poor clutch behavior seen in a review video and would be returned under warranty if it did.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jan 24, 2026 · summarized

Negative

The same loose forward/reverse switch problem showed up on their own unit, and a repair is the open question.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Dec 15, 2025 · summarized

Positive

An awesome drill bought a week earlier, and they grabbed the last two they could find in their whole state.

Reddit · r/Tools · Nov 26, 2025 · summarized

Negative

Brand-new unit makes a grinding-like noise in low gear at low speeds, raising worry about missing factory grease compared with their older drills.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Sep 25, 2025 · summarized

Positive

Capable of handling nearly anything a homeowner would ask of a drill, from their own use.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jun 19, 2025 · summarized

Mixed

Minor complaint that the gear selector lettering wore off very quickly.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jun 16, 2025 · summarized

Mixed

A cheap secondhand unit whose chuck loosens when stopping short, so it is fine but not a sole drill.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jun 16, 2025 · summarized

Positive

A year on all kinds of jobs, and it is the one reached for most among a handful of 20V drills.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jun 15, 2025 · summarized

Mixed

Three years of abuse and it still rips, though the chuck got a bit messed up.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jun 15, 2025 · summarized

Positive

Go-to drill for almost everything, with the chuck and the light singled out as favorite features.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jun 14, 2025 · summarized

Positive

A first compact drill for lighter tasks, bought on its reputation, and it turned out awesome.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jun 14, 2025 · summarized

Positive

Great drill that works perfectly as a dedicated drill next to a rotary hammer and an impact driver.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jun 14, 2025 · summarized

Positive

No complaints over a long stretch of use, though it was later traded in for the hammer-drill version for convenience.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jun 14, 2025 · summarized

Positive

The best drill in the brand lineup for them, with real weight and size savings and enough power for large bits without a hammer function.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jun 14, 2025 · summarized

Positive

Five of them handle deck hidden-fastener clips, adjusting finely enough not to overdrive clips that larger drills snap.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jun 14, 2025 · summarized

Positive

An electrical rough-in on a new house with a spade bit went fast, ripping through everything.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Mar 12, 2025 · summarized

Positive

Favorite everyday DIY pairing with an impact driver and small powerstack batteries; finds the size ideal but thinks it should have shipped with anti-kickback since no side handle fits.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Feb 8, 2025 · summarized

Positive

A Black Friday purchase that turned out rather good, a great drill that leaves them wondering where it has been all their life.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jan 6, 2025 · summarized

Positive

The go-to drill for light projects, with a more powerful hammer drill kept for heavier work.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Nov 20, 2024 · summarized

Positive

A bare-tool pawn shop find that quickly became the daily drill for repairs, with an adjustable work light brighter than a phone flashlight.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Nov 20, 2024 · summarized

Positive

Every day for a couple of years installing cabinets and millwork, and it is absolutely loved.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Nov 17, 2024 · summarized

Positive

Go-to drill for almost every task: quite powerful and compact with no extra weight from a hammer mechanism, only swapping to bigger drills when really needed.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Oct 30, 2024 · summarized

Positive

Owned alongside a bigger hammer drill; the mechanical clutch suits fine work better and the smaller profile is a plus.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Oct 10, 2024 · summarized

Negative

Brand new unit made a ticking noise in both speeds, worst in reverse, even with no load. Decided to take it back to the store for a replacement.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jul 29, 2024 · summarized

Positive

Their go-to drill for work around the house these days, even with four other drills in the collection.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Apr 25, 2024 · summarized

Negative

Kit worked at first, but after a couple of days a grinding gear noise showed up in low speed; return was refused at the store and a service claim was started.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Feb 12, 2024 · summarized

Negative

First tool of the brand, unboxed new; a squeaking, rubbing noise near the chuck and a burnt rubber smell after running made them consider returning it.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Feb 6, 2024 · summarized

Positive

Favorite by far for DIY use after having tried an older Atomic, a Ryobi HP and a Flex hammer drill.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Feb 5, 2024 · summarized

Mixed

Fantastic with a good clutch on occasional work jobs, but a bit too much tool for ordinary home DIY.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Feb 5, 2024 · summarized

Positive

Does not feel too heavy or bulky compared with cheap older drills, and they see it as not too much tool for DIY work.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Feb 5, 2024 · summarized

Positive

Newly bought DIY go-to drill-driver; fairly heavy but not overpowered, and the clutch on its lowest setting drives screws into plastic gently.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Jan 10, 2024 · summarized

Positive

Far stronger than the older 12V drill it replaced, running strip discs on a car floor pan through several batteries without hitching, overheating or stopping.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Dec 1, 2023 · summarized

Positive

A cheap online buy that showed no wobble when tested at work.

Reddit · r/Dewalt · Aug 8, 2023 · summarized

Negative

A new unit that replaced a ten-year-old drill, but the forward/reverse button is loose and mushy and skips past the lock position.

Common questions about DeWalt 20V MAX XR 1/2" Drill/Driver DCD800

Is DeWalt 20V MAX XR 1/2" Drill/Driver DCD800 worth it?

Of the 44 reviews with a clear verdict, 70% are positive, 16% mixed and 14% negative. The praise mentioned most is compact. The most common complaint is cheap feel.

What are the most common complaints about DeWalt 20V MAX XR 1/2" Drill/Driver DCD800?

The complaints reviewers mention most: cheap feel (2 reviews), chuck or bit issues (1 review) and loud (1 review). For example: The same loose forward/reverse switch problem showed up on their own unit, and a repair is the open question.

Where do these DeWalt 20V MAX XR 1/2" Drill/Driver DCD800 reviews come from?

We collected and summarized 44 experiences shared on Reddit, with links to the original sources. Reviews submitted here are checked for spam before they appear. Every review, submitted here or collected, is read as positive, mixed or negative.

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