18v Cordless Drills

- Need opinion on cordless drills. Keep the Dewalt or return it?
It's time for me to seriously upgrade from a Black & Decker 7.2V(Target) drill to a new one with more power,speed,etc. I'll be using the drill for basic things such as putting up blinds to maybe down the road doing a deck,kitchen,sheetrock,etc. By know means am I going to build a house with it but I do want a drill that will be able to handle small to large projects. I'm looking for something that is lightweight as well. I picked up a Dewalt 18V (DW959K2)from Lowes on sale for $119. It turns out that it's some sort of model that Lowes doesn't even carry now. I don't know if it's an older model or what. It doesn't have a rubber grip like the current Dewalts leading me to believe that it may not be comfortable after extended usage. So my dilemma: Do I return it and check out one of the newer XRP Dewalts like the 14.4 or reg 18V(same as mine with grip?) or should I check out something newer like the Makita Lithium-ion 3.5 lps 18v,Panasonic 15.6 (3.5 NI-MH) or other brands? Help.

A Personaly I would keep the one that you have. The XRP is $299 and way overkill for the typical DIYer. I have an 18-voly Ryobi-no padded grip and use it alot and it is comfortable and not fatiguing to use. I am just thinking of the price for feature trade you really do not get an extra $170 worth of features in my opinion with XRP. As for the NiMH batterry type..they may run longer between charges but that is about it-I get about 8 hours out of the Ryobi NiCADs

- Best cordless drill/driver on the market?
I'm in the market for a cordless drill/driver. I would like to get one that is of superb quality and has as many applications as possible. For example, I would like it to have a built-in level for both vertical and horizontal drilling. I wouldn't mind it having a light for use in dark places (e.g attic & basement). Also, I think an optional hammer feature may come in handy from time to time but isn't absolutely necessary. I would prefer something well balanced with a comfortable grip. I'm not a professional contractor, but I am in the process of fixing up a house so the drill will see moderate use is the future. I've read that when it comes to battery technology Lithium Ion is the way to go for a nice balance between power, weight, and longevity - or holding charge. I think an 18v Lithium Ion would be nice but am not dead set against considering something else - perhaps 14.4v. I've looked at Makita, Milwaukee, and DeWalt. They all seem to make a nice product. Online searches say Panasonic makes a good one as well as Bosch. I'm torn. Any help from personal experience or even anecdotal is much appreciated. Please offer your opinion regardless of price. Again, I desire a drill that has many of the above features and such a comprehensive drill/driver will have extreme value for me in the years to come whatever the price. Thanks in advance.

A milwaukee be far would be the best choice. Get a hammer drill with lithium ion batteries. At least 18 volt. I have had them all. Now hers the question, usisng it on a construction site? top dollar drill will probably get stolen. Ridgid is better than makita and dewault and bosch.