DEWALT RIght Angle Drill DW120K Review

By Phil Benevides on Electrical, Tool Reviews, Uncategorized

DeWalt Heavy-Duty 1/2″ Reversible Right Angle Drill Kit

By: Phil Benevides

Right out of the box you know this drill is the real deal, besides the primary handle and the 5-position side handle, the tool is composed of heavy duty die-cast metal, which houses the gears of the motor.

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The DEWALT Right Angle Drill DW120K weighs in a just under 10 pounds, but features five threaded positions for an oversized side handle. The machined threading definitely keeps the side handle secure and the multiple positions (two on either side of the chuck and three on the left, right, and top of the housing) make the right angle drill even more flexible since the operator can cater their grip to the most comfortable use for that application.

Whether you’re drilling holes from below on floor joists, drilling through studs for electrical wire, or drilling down through a bottom plate and sub-floor for plumbing this drill can be adjusted to allow you to move quickly and comfortably through your work.

First Impression

As soon as I picked up the DEWALT Right Angle Drill DW120K drill, it just felt too heavy. Keeping comfort in mind, I would opt for a lighter model if I was purchasing this tool to work on floor or ceiling joists positioned above me, keeping this beast over your shoulders doing repetitive drilling could be tiresome.

Makita has a comparable drill that weighs almost two pounds lighter, but overall the drills share very similar features and specifications. The trade-offs are almost negligible, except for about a $50 difference in price, making DeWalt the more affordable option.

Using the DEWALT DW120K

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The drill also has a intuitive forward and reverse switch just above the trigger of the tool. Reversing the drill to quickly back out of acompleted hole is seamless, the switch is easily accessible with your thumb or pointer finger. Also the tool will not allow you to switch from forward to reverse or vice versa when the drill is cranking, ensuring you don’t damage the gears. When the trigger is released you can then switch the tool to the opposite direction.

The DEWALT Right Angle Drill DW120K also has the ability to be adjusted from 400 revolutions per minute (rpm) to 900 rpm by reversing the right angle head of the drill. This process is done simply with an allen wrench and takes just a few minutes.

While your taking this tool apart you can also choose to adjust where the the tool is pivoted before you lock it in place. This gives the operator additional flexibility to maximize comfort, although be careful since the drill will no longer neatly fit in the durable case included with the kit.

Luckily, if you find yourself just not using the right angle that often, or reach for a cordless drill, even on heavy duty jobs, this drill can be modified to revert to a straight drill with again just some simple adjustments with an allen wrench, giving you corded power for your toughest drilling applications.

Room for Improvement

The DEWALT Right Angle Drill DW120K falls short with a lack of a variable speed trigger and slick plastic handle, two aspects that hurt the operators ability to control the tool while performing work. In addition to the heft of the tool, the shortcomings are few. All in all the DEWALT quality construction and performance make this a definite consideration when you’re looking to purchase a heavy duty right angle drill.

The DEWALT-DW120K is available for purchase in the link provided, if you purchase or own this tool we’d love to read your comments below!

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About the author

Phil Benevides

Carpenter / Assistant Editor

Phil is a 28-year old Air Force Veteran who decided to transform his passion for construction and home improvement into a career. Inspired by his Grandfather who built his home from the ground up with his bare hands in Portugal, he received his formal training in Carpentry at the North Bennett Street School in Boston, MA.Phil continues to grow his skills as a carpenter and leader, while exploring new products, methods, and tools!

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