It seems like every company has at least a few varieties on the 18volt drill/driver and Craftsman is no exception. The Craftsman C3 (Custom Cordless Combos) 19.2volt drill/driver 11588 (which you can find online for under $100) is an affordable choice for the home renovator.

The 11588 drill/driver features a 1/2 inch keyless chuck and delivers 410 inch-pounds of torque with a two-speed gear box and a 24-position adjustable torque clutch that prevents the over-driving of screws. What I especially liked was that the 11588 C3 drill/driver has an ergonomic, rubber grip handle and handy horizontal and vertical bubble levels to help drive screws in straight. The 11588 also includes a separate phillips head and a straight head bit with onboard bit storage on both sides of the lower handle.

The only thing missing on the 11588 is an LED light. Those handy LED lights are found on almost all cordless tools nowadays so it seems strange that the 11588 drill/driver didn't have one. It is also a bit heavy compared to other drill/drivers but you do have the option of using it with a lithium-ion battery which will help with the weight issue while still keeping the drill well-balanced.

Included with the 11588 drill/driver are two 19.2-volt DieHard NiCad batteries but this drill/driver is in the Craftsman C3 system, which makes it also compatible with the EX Ni-Cad battery, the DieHard full size lithium-ion battery pack 11374 and the compact lithium-ion battery pack 11371. The 11588 comes in a kit with a 1-hour charger, and a durable canvas tool bag.www.sears.com

A few comments found online about the 11588 drill/driver:
"I bought on of these four years ago and love it. I have never had a problem with the batteries or the drill. I have 2 other Dewalt drills I have been trying to give away and can't. Just ordered another one today so I will have 2. I have used and abused this drill over the past four years and have never had it fail me. Have also used it to run a lot of 3 1/2" deck screws with no problem. Drill is a little heavy but at least the batteries are awesome and so is drill."

"Bought this drill in 2003 and used it for everything. From normal everyday uses to mixing mortar and grout for tile floors.(i.e. not exact what a cordless is designed for). And the thing held up great. 6 years of steady and sometimes grueling use before I burned it up yesterday. For $100, I'll be going to get another one very soon."

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