Product Description

Panasonic EY6432GQKW 15.6-Volt NiMH 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit 

Originally posted this review in January 2005; updated in February 2011. 

Power. The Panasonic's 390 inch pounds is sufficient for most drilling and driving applications. However, putting things in perspective, my DeWalt DW235G 1/2" Heavy Duty 7.8 Amp corded drill has much more torque; so don't buy a cordless drill thinking you will have the "most powerful" tool. 

Chuck. Terrific one-handed keyless chuck will tightly hold any bit, from tiny 1/16 inch round bits to 1/2 inch bits. Very quick to change out bits, even with one hand. My Panasonic chuck wobbles a tad and sometimes the shaft turns 1/2 revolution or so when trying to tighten the chuck, before it locks in place. (One Panasonic reviewer said "It is difficult to center small bits in the chuck"; probably a result of the chuck being open too far -- simply close-up the chuck more before inserting the bit.) Terrific electric brake. Release the trigger and the chuck stops instantly. 

Weight. I can use it all day without arm fatigue. Heavier drills can be uncomfortable to use overhead for any length of time, and I'm 6/4 260 lbs. 

Size. Relatively small for a powerful drill - e.g., it's shorter and 1/3 lighter than my Milwaukee V28 hammer drill/driver. Consequently, the Panasonic can be used in tight spots where larger drills won't even fit. 

Run-time. Excellent run time due to the excellent NiMH batteries and their high amp-hour rating. When not in use it maintains a charge longer than any NiCad tool. On big jobs, keep the spare Panasonic battery in the charger so it will be ready when needed. On a construction job when the Panasonic is used frequently, a battery discharges about once a day. On rare days, I change out batteries twice. The battery does not get hot sitting in the charger for hours (or even days). 

Battery life. Batteries began to noticeably deteriorate in 4.5 to 5 years of serious use. At the 6 year mark, my drills are still usable, but run-rime is ½ of what it was, power is less, and the charge only lasts a few days. (By comparison, the NiCAD batteries on my Bosch 18v drill died after 39 months.) At this rate of decline, by 7 years, the batteries will probably be dead, and it will be time for a new tool. With two new batteries costing 3/4 as much as a new tool/batteries/charger/case, it's more cost effective to get a new tool at that point. 

Clutch. Offers a wide range of choices, from a few pounds of torque for small screws, to drilling a large hole. The "lock" position bypasses the clutch to provide maximum torque. It's pretty easy to snap a screw and/or phillips bit by over-torquing. 

Charge time. About 30-40 minutes. However, this isn't important if the spare battery is kept fully charged, because run time is far longer than charge time. 

Ergonomics. Fits my [large] hand well, has no sharp spots, nothing pinches my fingers and the grip is comfortable. The reverse switch is perfectly logical. 

Speed control. Excellent, going smoothly from a dead stop to full speed. (One reviewer that had a problem with his Panasonic speed control probably had a defective switch.) Release the trigger and it stops instantly. 

Gearbox. No problems with either of my Panasonic drills, so the gears must be steel. (One reviewer said the motor was turning but not the chuck; my guess is he had the speed selector set between high and low.) Steel gears are important to me ever since my Porter Cable 14.4 v drill stripped its nylon gears after two years. 

Noise. The Panasonic whines a little, as though its gears are really tight. So what; it is not annoying. 

Auxiliary handle. The Panasonic does not come with such a handle, probably because it is not sufficiently powerful to need one. E.g., the Milwaukee V28 hammer/drill is much more powerful (it's also huge and more costly), has a side handle that's useful when working with large bits that can bind and stop instantly. I.e., that handle could save your wrist from a nasty sprain if the drill continued turning before you could release the trigger. 
Tool case. Case is molded plastic, has metal latches, and fits the tool just fine. 
Reliability. Couldn't be better. I've used my two Panasonics on a 2-year total home renovation, finishing a basement, and other large construction projects, without a single problem of any kind. 

Summary: 
Outstanding tool.

Shear power. At 390in./lbs. of torque I have been having trouble trying not to shear the heads off of galvanized screws (pre-drilled w/countersink). I've tried both speeds, and all of the clutch settings. This has forced me to drive screws 7/8 of the way home and finish off the deal by hand.

I just finished using this Panasonic to drill 3/4" x 2 3/8" deep holes into a hardwood workbench for bench dogs. The Panasonic maintains constant speed under strain, and while getting hot, it did not overheat. The only reason I would need to stop was to let the fostner bit cool down.

The 3.5 amp NiMH batteries are A+++++. The kit comes with two, so you always have one in the ready. One charge lasts a full day under heavy use. The drill is well balanced and has good ergonomics. The electronic brake stops on a dime. This can't be good for the brushes, but no problems so far. I like the weight of this drill, it is substantial but not too heavy.

The best feature of all - SMALL DRILL BITS WILL NOT SPIN IN THE CHUCK. WOW

I will probably dedicate the 15.6 volt to drilling and buy the Panasonic 12 volt cordless for driving screws. The 15.6 easily overpowers cheaply made screws. Highly recommended!!

I'd been waiting for years for the perfect overall drill to come into my workshop. I have a brother that sells power tools for a living and he told me about this Panasonic drill that he liked better than all the rest of the pack. The couple of selling points he had was the high torque at ANY SPEED... pull the trigger a bit to turn a screw in slowly even when the going gets tough... and the almost never-ending power supply of 3.5 Amp hours... that's enough power to run a halogen light for 75 minutes! I recently put in an entire subfloor on one charge, the battery just doesn't quit. Note of caution: the chuck has an anti-loosen mechanism that while loosening or tightening makes a pretty loud whine... or ratchteting click when hand turning.. but it pays off.. my bits never loosen while on my milwaukee it happens any time i bump the chuck while loosening screws.

I lucked out in the timing of my purchase.. they just came out with the 3.5AH battery.. it uses squared off battery cells to get more juice in almost the same space as the 3.0AH batteries that have cylindrical battery cells.

I've used the bosch 24V which has 25% more torque.. a monster.. but this drill will put 4" screws into hardwood w/o thinking about it so it has gobbs of torque yet is still a very nice small size.. it fits no problem between two studs to drill holes for wiring and i've used it to bore 2 1/2" holes in cabinets.

I bought the lantern and a spare battery and it's extremely convenient to have a constant portable light source that will last 5-6 hours straight with no dimming whatsoever (light just shuts off when battery is low).

Summary: impossible to beat this drill for overall use... get the new 12V impact if you want light and high power mostly for screw driving... get the 15.6 if you want the best general purpose drill made.

I waffled between this unit, with it's 3.0 amp-hour NiMH batteries, and the model with 3.5 amp-hour units. It turns out that this drill is about 1/2 pound lighter than the other, a smart trade-off because you're only losing 15% of run-time. The weight difference is seen in the user's manual, not on Amazon's erroneous description. 

Buying anything heavier than this drill would be a big mistake for me. At work, we have a Porter-Cable 19.2 drill that is an absolute beast. We need all the torque we can get at work, because we regularly use it to drill through steel. But you get fatigued immediately with this clumsy, bulky drill. As a woodworker, I sometimes use my drill-driver for hours on end- and having a light drill is absolutely mandatory. At 15.6 volts and with it's two-speed gearbox, this Panasonic has more than enough torque. 
This drill is also very compact- more so than my cheapie Black and Decker 12 volt drill. That helps me get into tight corners. 
The chuck is high quality and easy to use. 
I added a Bosch Clic-change quick-release chuck and driver set for rapid changing between my countersinking drills and my drivers. 
Paired together, this is quite an effective, powerful, lightweight and efficient drilling system.

I'm a weekend warrior but use my Panasonic cordless drill nearly every week. I've had if for more than a year. It works very well. Battery life is excellent, I will ALWAYS try to buy NiMH batteries in the future. They are far superior to NiCd batteries. (Battery life is such that I rarely have to change batteries on a weekend project. There is no "memory effect" on the batteries so I don't worry about fully discharging a battery before recharging it.) The drill itself works great. The one hand keyless chuck is very easy to use. The clutch works well. Two speeds, fast for drilling, slower for driving screws are appropriate. Size/weight/power/controls are perfect for me. (I'm an average size guy.) If I had it to do over, I would have purchased the Drill/Driver combination with the circular saw. Saw is not available w/o batteries & charger like other brands. If it were, I'd buy it in a second! Are you listening Panasonic/Amazon?

I don't understand why Panasonic doesn't push these tools. They're the best you can buy. After seven years of overloading it, I finally burnt up the 12V I had at work and bought this...
The tool: This just feels right in your hand, it doesn't tug your wrist. The chuck is much better than my old one as it ratchets in both directions. The chuck on my old tool would loosen up when I was breaking and extracting a bunch of sheet metal screws. I never ate a clutch, unlike the DeWalts our construction division bought. We'll see how this one holds up with the extra power (I've only had it for a few months). When I get into sheet metal on our equipment, I appreciate a light tool, I'm getting old. This tool weighs more than a 12V, but I can do the repetitious work without fatigue. With the higher voltage tools I need 2 hands after a while. I have a 12V at home that I DID buy from Amazon (model EY6407NQKW) xlnt. 
I'm a heavy equipment mechanic/power generation technician and fully expect my 15.6 to last to my retirement in 4 yrs.
jd

I have owned the 15.6V, 3.0Amp Panasonic for about 5 years. The NiHi batteries still hold a charge all day with a lot of use. I went ahead and purchased the newer 3.5Amp model and the first thing I noticed was that it was heavier. I was not looking to increase the weight as I have to hold it above my head all day. I weighed the batteries and there is about 5oz. difference. If that is not a problem (it's still very light at 4.4lbs) then you will not be disappointed with this drill.

This is the best cordless drill I have ever used. Yes, I have used the newest Bosch and Milwaukee cordless drills. They don't compare. The Milwaukee, although a little more powerful, is too heavy and cumbersome to use. The Bosch is also heavier and the clutch action isn't very good. Forget the DeWalts. They used to be good drills but now their drills are junk. They have nothing but clutch and chuck problems. We wasted so much money on DeWalts! So irritating.

I like that the Panasonic is both light and powerful. Small enough to use in tight locations. The charging system is also excellent. The clutch has good action and has a good range of torque settings. The chuck is strong and holds onto drill bits tight.

The battery is the best part of the drill. I don't think I have used any cordless drill that can outlast this drill. I've seen many consumer magazines drool over how many more holes or screws this thing can drive. I was skeptical until I used it. Last twice as long as most. I don't even know why it comes with a second battery. One battery usually last more than a few (hard) days.

I have done over 30 years in the remodeling trades. I have always preferred compact drills to larger ones. I have used many of the different cordless drill models; mostly because the batteries wear out and it is always cheaper to get a new drill with two batteries than it is to get two replacement batteries. I have had this drill for nearly a year now and the batteries are still working. The drill itself is light, powerful, and it has a precise feel to it that pleases me. It compares favorably to many of the 18 volt drills I have used but it is lighter and smaller. I should mention that I have never owned or used a cordless drill that I didn't like, but that being said, this is my favorite to date.

I have used cordless drills in my trade for over 20 years. I started out with the early Mikitas, progressed to Skill "Top Guns" (late '80s), Milwaukee, Dewalt, Bousch, Porter Cable, and finally the new Dewalt XRPs. I normally have 3 to 4 cordless drills on the truck at all times. Last spring, I bought this Panasonic, due to the reviews I read on this site. After an intensive season of hard use, I am convinced that this is the best cordless on the market. We drive 1/4" lags and self drilling screws all day long. The Panasonic batteries outlast my XRPs by 4 to 1. This Panasonic is more powerful, better balanced, and weights a heck of a lot less. My remaining XRPs will be retired this spring, and replaced with Panasonics.