DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit – Lots Of Yellow & Black, Not Much Green

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. Over the years, I’ve accumulated a pretty fair assortment of tools. Drills, multi-tools, saws of every description, hand tools…I’m pretty well set. Having said that, every time I pop in to get a box of drywall screws or a few 2x4s, there’s no way I’m leaving without seeing what’s new in the tool aisle. If you’re looking to kick-start a collection of cordless tools, for yourself or someone else, the Home Depot currently has a DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit (model DCKTS780D1M1) with a pretty useful assortment of tools – and at a pretty amazing price. We’ve got a lot of tools to look at, so put down that copy of The Magnificent Seven, or pause that Blu-Ray of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and let’s see what’s in the box.

So what’s in the box? Here’s the quick and dirty overview of the kit. For your slicing and dicing enjoyment, there’s a 6-1/2” circular saw, a reciprocating saw, and a tool that’s been on my list of favorites for a long time – an oscillating multi-tool. And it’s brushless, no less! For the daily grind, there’s a 5” capacity angle grinder. For those drilling and fastening chores, there’s another of my favorite tools – an impact driver, accompanied by its big brother the hammer drill/driver, also brushless. Which brings us to the final piece of the combo kit – yeah, it’s a flashlight. But it’s a bright one, and hey, you want to be able to see what you’re doing with all those other tools! Now, let’s take a quick look at each member of the DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit

The Oscillating Multi Tool From The DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit

As I mentioned, an oscillating multitool (OMT) has long been on my list of most-useful tools. There’s a wide assortment of blades available, allowing you to do everything from plunge cuts in drywall and hardwood to grout removal or shearing off rusted toilet bolts. They’re amazingly useful for other common chores, like cutting down door jambs to slide flooring underneath. Once you have one, you’ll be amazed at how often you use it.

The DeWalt DCS355 OMT is one of two brushless tools that comes in the DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit. If you’re not familiar with brushless technology, it’s the wave of the future; eliminating the brushes from the motor allows it to run much cooler and more efficiently, increasing power and extending the life of the tool. It’s surprising to see a brushless tool in a kit at this price point.

The tool comes with a couple of blades to get you started, and an adapter so you can use universal-fit blades. The tool-free blade change system is pretty slick, and one of the easiest I’ve seen: Just squeeze a lever, slide the blade into place, and release the lever. Easy peasy. The variable-speed trigger gives you great control over the tool’s speed, and the noise and vibration aren’t bad at all.

Here’s the list of features and specs:

• DeWalt brushless motor delivers up to 57% more run time over brushed
• Quick-Change™ accessory system allows blades and attachments to be changed quickly without wrenches
• Dual-Grip™ variable speed trigger gives users ultimate speed and application control
• Bright LED Light illuminates dark work surfaces for accurate cutting
• Universal accessory adapter for use with most oscillating tool accessory brands
• Oscillating Angle 1.6 °
• Oscillations Per Minute 0-20,000
• Tool Length 11.2 in.
• Tool Weight 2.33 lbs.

The Impact Driver From The DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit

Next up in our exploration of the DeWalt 7 Piece combo kit is another contender from my Favorite Tool category: The DeWalt DCF885 impact driver. It’s another one of those tools where, once you’ve used one, you’ll never be without one again. Resembling a small drill, they pack an incredible amount of torque into a very small package.

How much torque, you ask? The DeWalt DCF885 claims 117 ft/lbs. of torque. To demonstrate what that means in real-world terms, I used it to sink and remove a 6” Timberlok screw into a pressure-treated 4×6. You won’t find too many drill drivers capable of that, but the DeWalt DCF885 impact driver powered through it several times, completely burying it in about six seconds. And that’s why I love impact drivers.

I also took the impact driver from the DeWalt 7 Piece combo kit out for a little pool party. Unfortunately, no swimming was involved; the pool had gotten trashed in a windstorm, and needed to be dismantled. The screws holding the bracing together had been in there for a very long time, and many were rusted and reluctant to move. Using the DeWalt DCF885 impact driver, I was able to remove all of the screws that still had enough of the head left to get a grip. The rest of them got to spend a little quality time with a reciprocating saw. The driver was comfortable to use, easy to control, and saved me a good bit of time on a cold, windy day.

Here’s the list of features and specs for the DeWalt DCF885 impact driver:

• Compact (5.55″ front to back) design fits into tight areas
• 3 LED lights with 20-second delay after trigger release, provide visibility without shadows
• One-handed loading 1/4″ hex chuck accepts 1″ bit tips
• Belt hook included for portability
• Anvil Type Quick Release
• Impacts/Min 0 – 3,200 IPM
• Max Torque (ft-lbs) 117 ft-lbs
• Max Torque (in-lbs) 1400 in-lbs
• No Load Speed 0 – 2,800
• Tool Length 5.55 in
• Tool Weight 2.0 lbs

The Hammer Drill Driver From The DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit

One of the mainstays of any set of tools is a good drill/driver. The compact DeWalt DCD796 fills that niche nicely, and comes with a bonus feature: It’s also a hammer drill. If you’ve ever had to drill into concrete block or a brick wall, you know that unless you have a hammer drill, you won’t get far.

The drill/driver that comes with the DeWalt 7 Piece combo kit is also a brushless tool. This means you’ll be able to work longer without overheating the tool, or killing the battery. I gave the hammer drill/driver a light workout assembling some hardwood window frames using pocket screws. The drill first made all the pockets, then drove home the square-head screws to hold everything together. It was comfortable to use, and was smooth and quiet to use.

And here are the features and specs from DeWalt:

• DEWALT brushless motor delivers up to 57% more run time over brushed
• Compact (7.5″ front to back), lightweight (3.6 lbs.) design fits into tight areas
• High-speed transmission with two speed settings (0-550/0-2,000 RPM) delivers up to 30% faster application speeds
• 3-Mode LED provides lighting in dark or confined spaces up to 20X brighter than previous model
• LED Spotlight Mode features 20-minute shutoff function allowing for extended work time in dark or confined spaces
• Beats/Min: 34,000 bpm in hammer drill mode
• Chuck Type: Metal Ratcheting
• Clutch Settings: 14
• # of Speed Settings: 2
• Tool Length 7.5 in
• Tool Weight 3.6 lbs
• Variable-Speed Trigger

The Grinder From The DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit

I think the addition of a grinder to the DeWalt 7 piece combo kit was a great idea. A grinder is another tool you don’t truly appreciate until you have one. It can be a huge time saver if you have rebar or steel channel to cut, old mortar to clean out of brickwork for re-pointing, or rusty patio furniture or welding slag to clean up with a wire wheel.

The grinder that comes with the kit, the DeWalt DCG412, has been around for a few years, and has great reviews. It has a beast of a motor, and some handy features like tool-free guard adjustment. They also claim tool-free wheel changes, but I sure couldn’t figure out how to do it. If you know, clue us in, please!

The tool comes with a 1/4” metal grinding wheel, and can accept a number of standard 4-1/2” – 5” grinding and cutting wheels, wire wheels, and sanding discs. There’s also a reversible side handle, and a trigger lock, to keep you from cutting or grinding something you didn’t mean to cut or grind. Here’s the lowdown from DeWalt:

• 8,000 rpm motor provides high power for cutting and grinding applications
• Quick-Change™ Wheel Release allows for tool free wheel changes without the need for a wrench
• Tool-free guard allows for quick and easy guard adjustments/positioning
• 2-finger trigger switch with lock-off button for convenient activation and easier gripping
• 2-position side handle offers greater control, comfort and versatility
• No Load Speed 8,000 rpm
• Tool Weight 4.07 lbs.

The Circular Saw From The DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit

Do you occasionally work on a site with limited or no power available? A cordless circular saw lets you sneer, preferably in your finest Mexican accent, “Power? We don’t need no stinking power!” and get right to work anyway. With a 6-1/2” blade, the DeWalt DCS393 circular saw lets you cut 2x4s or other dimensional lumber at a 45° bevel, and material up to 2-1/4” thick at 90°.

It has a comfortable rubber overmold on the handle, and the electric brake stops the blade very quickly when the trigger is released. The saw comes with a 16-tooth carbide-tipped framing blade; the Allen wrench used for blade changes rides very snugly tucked in alongside the back of the handle. Depth and bevel adjustments are fast and easy, and the trigger lock is easy to use.

I used the circular saw from the DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit to make several cuts in an old pressure-treated 4×6. I was surprised – to be honest, I didn’t expect much from the little circular saw, but even with the blade completely buried in the material, it forged right through, with almost no bogging down.

The DeWalt DCS393 isn’t beefy enough to serve as the primary circular saw on a construction site, but that’s not what it’s intended for. It seems to be a pretty capable saw, and should be able to handle a steady diet of dimensional lumber with no problem. The saw should work very nicely for smaller projects, where it would be a pain in the neck to drag out the extension cord. It would also be great to have where access to power is an issue, or where using an extension cord would be awkward or dangerous. It would be perfect for use up on a scaffold, or on a roof trimming sheathing or rafter tails, for example, or building a chicken coop way out in the back yard.

And now for the official specs from DeWalt:

• No-load speed: 3,700 RPM
• Blade diameter: 6-1/2”
• Arbor size: 5/8”
• Depth of cut at 45 degrees: 1-5/8”
• Depth of cut at 90 degrees: 2-1/4”
• Bevel capacity: 50 degrees
• Electric brake
• Weight: 7.2 lbs.

The Reciprocating Saw From The DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit

Another must-have tool for the well-stocked tool crib is a reciprocating saw. I bought my first recip saw many years ago, after my first day of doing renovation demo work without one. They’re huge time and energy savers, and with the right blade can cut through everything from siding and roofing to galvanized pipe and electrical wiring. Which isn’t always a good thing; it’s always wise to know what’s behind the wall BEFORE you squeeze the trigger…

DeWalt chose the DeWalt DCS381 reciprocating saw to include in the DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit. It has a comfortable handle with a rubber overmold, and more rubber on the forward support area. The variable-speed trigger works well to control the tool’s speed, and when you let it go, the electric brake stops the blade immediately. Blade changes are fast and easy; just pull the lever out, pop the blade in or out, and release the lever. The DeWalt DCS381 will accept any standard reciprocating saw blade; none are included in the kit, so grab a few different blades before you head to the register to check out.

Here’s the spec list from DeWalt:

• Tool-free blade change
• Speed: 0 – 3,000 strokes per minute
• Stroke length: 1”
• Electric brake
• Weight: 6.2 lbs.

The Flashlight From The DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit

And what would a combo kit be without a flashlight?! A slightly smaller, darker combo kit, I reckon. The light they chose for the DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit is the DeWalt DCL040. It’s a compact, lightweight unit, that puts out 110 lumens of LED light. It can stand on its own, or hang from a retracting swivel hook on top.

It actually puts out a fairly bright beam, more like a spotlight than a floodlight. The brightness and light pattern aren’t adjustable, but hey, it’s brushless! Thanks to its efficient LED bulb, you’ll get a full day’s light out of it and then some, depending on battery size.

And now for the requisite spec list:

• Bright LED output – 110 Lumens
• Integral hook for hands-free use in multiple placements
• Head rotates 120°
• Low heat output compared to Xenon lights
• Efficient LED bulb improves run-time
• 11 – 25 hours of run-time depending on battery amp hour

But Wait – There’s More!

Having seven shiny new yellow and black cordless tools doesn’t do you much good if there’s no way to power them. Since there was still a little room in the box, they tucked in three batteries and a charger. One of the batteries is a compact DCB203 2.0 Ah model, and the other two are beefier DCB204 4.0 Ah units. That should keep you cutting, grinding and illuminated all day. More importantly, it means you don’t have to keep swapping batteries out when you are using several tools on the job. An on-board status indicator lets you know how much juice is left before you head into the crawlspace, or up the ladder.

The whole shebang comes neatly tucked into a nice wheeled DeWalt Tough System kit box. Of course, after you unpack everything, it will never look that neat again. Unless you’ve got WAY too much time on your hands. Even after everything is out and assembled, though, the tools all fit into the case with a good bit of room to spare, for extra bits, blades, and your lunchtime PBJ sandwich.

All in all, the DeWalt 7 Piece Combo Kit is a pretty sweet deal for the money. Is it a top-end pro kit? Nope – you could easily spend the same amount of money for only one or two high-end tools. For someone getting started in the trades, a serious DIYer, or a handy homeowner, though, this kit could fill a lot of the empty spaces on your tool shelf, with some pretty decent and very useful tools. For added peace of mind, the DeWalt 7 piece combo kit, model DCKTS780D1M1, is backed by a three-year limited warranty, a year of free service, and a 90-day money-back guarantee. So whether you consider seven your lucky number or not, go check out the DeWalt 7 piece combo kit at the Home Depot.

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I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with Home Fixated in sponsored content. As a part of the sponsorship, Home Fixated is receiving compensation for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are our own words. This post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.