18v Cordless Drills

- Keep the 18V Makita Li-ion cordless drill?
Hi guys. I have just bought a new Makita 18V Li-ion cordless impact drill - for an arm and a leg. I decided fork out for something that will last me for years (with sensible battery rotation) for regular trade use. I haven't use it yet. My local hardware shop is having a Dewalt sale soon, where I could take it back for an 18V 3Ah (NiCd) impact hammer drill. Is anyone in a position to directly compare the two? Is there a difference in performance and/or build quality? There's almost no feedback out there on the new Li-ion Mak's, and certainly no comparisons with other brands, like Dewalt. Cheers.

A Makita has always been considered the cadilac of tools but because of price has seen limited production. The dewalt because of price and durability has been virtually adopted as the tool of choice for the construction industry. i currently own 2 14v cordless Dewalt;s and they have stood up to a 12 foot drop from a roof, installing over 10 lbs of 3" deck screws without a problem. My Makita cordless 18v i got for x-mas still sits in its box. Didnt really care for the fit in my hand for large projects and heavy use.

- I am looking to buy an cordless impact drill or driver. Any suggestions?
Im not sure what the difference is between a drill and a driver. I do basic drilling into wood and metal, sometime steel. Any suggestions? I was looking at the Mikita 10.8 or the Mikita 18V

A You will not need the impact feature unless you will be "drilling" concrete from time-to-time. Also look at the price and availability of second and of replacement rechargeable batteries which do not last "forever". After the initial purchase you may find that in a couple years or so a new battery can cost as much as a new drill.