Purchased in 2000
Strengths: This cordless drill was part of a combo kit that also includes a circular saw, a charger and a flashlight. All of the tools are well made and have served me satisfactorily. Strengths have been their durability and reliability.
Weaknesses: The one downside is that the batteries gradually became weaker, and eventually stopped retaining a charge. The cost of replacement batteries was also very high, which made me think twice before paying 50% the cost of the entire original kit just to replace the two batteries.
I visited the local Home Depot seeking batteries and learned that their giant "Ridgid" cordless toolset came not only with a full complement of cordless tools (drill, driver, circ saw, recip saw, flashlight, and charger), but also a lifetime warranty THAT INCLUDED THE BATTERIES! That was sufficient to get me moving....I purchased the new set and never looked back. :-)
What You Wanted to Know Before You Bought It: How long the batteries would last, and how expensive they'd be to replace.
What Would You Tell the Maker of This Tool: I'd suggest that they clone the Ridgid warranty that's lifetime and includes batteries! Also that they look at auto-shift feature that some others have decided to add.