DEWALT DCD805B Review: compact 20V hammer drill that hits hard for its size

I’ve been using DEWALT 20V tools for a while, and I picked up this DCD805B hammer drill as a bare tool to replace an older brushed drill/driver. No batteries in the box, just the tool and a belt hook, which is fine if you’re already in the DEWALT ecosystem. I mainly used it for concrete anchors, Tapcons, and general wood/metal drilling around the house and on a couple of small jobs for friends. So this is coming from actual use, not just running it for 5 minutes on a bench.

The first thing that stood out is the size and weight. It’s not feather‑light, but compared to my older hammer drill it’s noticeably shorter and better balanced. After a weekend of drilling into block walls for shelves and a TV mount, my wrist felt less beat up than usual. It still has some heft, especially with a 5Ah battery, but the balance is decent enough that you can work overhead without cursing every two minutes.

I’ve run it with both a regular 5Ah DCB205 and a compact Powerstack battery. With the 5Ah, it feels like a full‑blown workhorse; with the Powerstack, it becomes more of a handy all‑rounder for tighter spots. In both cases, the drill never felt underpowered. It has more punch than my older DCD796 and you can feel that as soon as you start in hammer mode on concrete or crank a big bit through 2x lumber.

Overall, after a few weeks of random projects, my general feeling is: this is a pretty solid hammer drill for someone who actually uses their tools, not just for hanging a picture twice a year. It’s not perfect, and there are some annoyances (the bare tool price isn’t cheap, and it’s definitely overkill for casual users), but in day‑to‑day use it gets the job done without feeling like a toy.

On the value for money side, this drill sits in that slightly painful but understandable price range. As a bare tool, it’s not cheap, especially if you compare it to big box store house brands or more basic 18V drills. But you’re paying for a brushless, compact hammer drill from a known brand, and you can feel the difference in power and build when you put it next to an entry‑level kit drill.

If you’re already on the DEWALT 20V MAX platform, the value makes more sense. You’re basically upgrading the body without having to buy more batteries and chargers. In that case, going from an older brushed drill or a weaker hammer drill to this one feels like money reasonably well spent, especially if you actually drill into concrete or use bigger bits regularly. The extra power and better LED are things you notice in day‑to‑day work, not just on a spec sheet.

If you’re a casual user who only needs a drill for small home tasks, I’d say this is probably overkill. You could grab a cheaper non‑hammer drill kit with batteries included and be perfectly fine. By the time you buy this bare tool plus at least one decent battery and a charger, the total cost can climb pretty fast. So the value is very dependent on your use case and whether you already have the ecosystem around it.

For light pro use, serious DIYers, or anyone already stocked with DEWALT batteries, I’d call the value pretty solid: you get good performance, decent durability, and a compact form factor that actually helps on real jobs. For a one‑off homeowner purchase with no existing batteries, there are better deals out there that include everything in a kit, even if they’re a bit less powerful.

Design-wise, the DCD805B sticks to the usual yellow/black DEWALT look, but the shape is a bit more compact than older models. The head length is around 7 inches, which doesn’t sound like much on paper, but compared to my older DCD796 you really do get into tighter corners a bit easier. When you’re between studs or under a sink, that half‑inch shorter head is actually noticeable. It’s still a full‑size 1/2" drill though, so don’t expect a tiny 12V feel.

One of the nicer design touches is the 3‑position LED under the chuck. You can tilt it and you have three modes, including a brighter “work light” type mode that stays on for a while (about 20 minutes) if you want it. I used that more than I expected when working in a dim stairwell and inside a closet. It’s not as strong as a dedicated work light, but for a drill LED it’s pretty handy and brighter than the usual token light most drills have.

The grip is fairly comfortable. The rubber overmold has enough texture to keep it from slipping when your hands are a bit sweaty or dusty, but it’s not too aggressive. After a couple hours of drilling Tapcon holes, I didn’t get hotspots on my hand. The forward/reverse switch is big enough and easy to flick with your thumb or index finger, even with gloves. The 1/2" metal ratcheting chuck tightens down well; I didn’t have bits slipping, even in hammer mode on concrete, which is important. The chuck isn’t silky smooth, but it feels solid and functional.

The downside of the design really shows up when you slap a big 5Ah or 6Ah battery on it. Then it starts to feel a bit bottom‑heavy and bulky. With a compact battery, the size and balance feel great. With a big pack, it turns into more of a workhorse that you don’t want to hold overhead all day. So the design is compact at the head, but overall still a full‑size tool, especially depending on the battery you choose.

This tool doesn’t come with a battery, so everything here depends on what you already own. I tested it mainly with a 4Ah pack, a 5Ah DCB205, and a compact Powerstack. On the 5Ah, I was able to drill roughly 30–40 holes in concrete (3/16" to 1/4") plus some random wood drilling before the battery started to sag. I didn’t track every single hole, but for normal home projects and small jobs, one 5Ah battery was enough for a session without swapping.

With the compact Powerstack, the drill feels much nicer in the hand and more balanced, but you obviously get less runtime. I’d use that combo for overhead work, cabinet installs, and lighter drilling. For a full afternoon of masonry work, I’d still grab a 4Ah or 5Ah pack. The good thing is the brushless motor seems efficient; you don’t watch the battery gauge plunge every five minutes like with some older brushed drills.

Charging is the usual DEWALT 20V story: runtime and charge time are more about the battery and charger you have than the drill itself. But from a user point of view, this drill doesn’t feel like a battery hog. Even in hammer mode, it’s reasonable. The LED work light on the 20‑minute mode will eat a bit more battery if you leave it on as a mini work light, but I didn’t find it to be a huge drain in real use. It’s just something to keep in mind if you’re low on juice.

Bottom line: if you already have a couple of decent DEWALT 20V packs, this drill fits in nicely and you’ll be fine. If you only have one small 2Ah battery, you’ll probably get frustrated fast, especially in hammer mode. This thing really shines with at least a 4Ah+ pack. So the battery experience is solid, but how good it feels will depend completely on what you clip onto the base.

From a build quality point of view, the DCD805B feels like a typical mid/high‑range DEWALT tool. There’s a good amount of rubber overmold around impact areas, the housing doesn’t flex or creak when you twist it, and the metal ratcheting chuck gives a sense of sturdiness. I dropped it once from about 4 feet onto a plywood subfloor (battery attached) and it only picked up a small scuff, no cracks or weird noises afterwards.

The chuck in particular feels solid. I’ve had cheaper drills where the chuck starts to loosen up or wobble after a while, especially after a lot of hammer drilling. So far, this one still runs straight and grips bits tightly. I used it with standard hex bits, spade bits, auger bits, and masonry bits, and I never had one spin inside the jaws. For a tool that’s meant to handle hammer mode, that’s important. The gearbox selector and mode ring also click positively into place; they don’t feel mushy.

That said, I haven’t abused it for years yet, so I can’t pretend to know how it will hold up in harsh daily commercial use. But compared to some cheaper brands I’ve used, this feels more trustworthy. The brushless motor should, in theory, last longer and run cooler than a brushed one, and from the heat and smell (or rather lack of burnt smell) after heavy drilling, it seems to be doing its job. I didn’t notice any weird grinding or whining noises that would make me worry.

Overall, in the hand it feels like a tool you can throw in a work truck without babying it. It’s not indestructible, and I’m sure if you drop it off a ladder onto concrete you’ll find its limits, but for normal jobsite and home use, the durability seems solid so far. If something is going to fail down the road, my guess would be switch/trigger or gearbox rather than the housing, but I haven’t seen any red flags yet.

In terms of raw performance, this drill does what it says. I used it mainly for three types of jobs: (1) drilling 3/16" and 1/4" holes into poured concrete and cinder block for Tapcon screws and sleeve anchors, (2) boring 1/2" and 3/4" holes through 2x lumber for cables and bolts, and (3) general screwdriving in wood and some light metal work. In all of those, it handled itself well. It’s not as crazy as a full SDS rotary hammer on concrete, but for a cordless hammer drill it’s pretty solid.

On concrete, in hammer mode with a decent masonry bit, it chews through material at a reasonable pace. I mounted a TV, drilled about 16 holes into a pretty hard basement wall, and it never felt like it was bogging down. You do need to apply steady pressure and let it hammer, but that’s normal. The advertised 34,000 BPM seems believable; you can feel the impacts, and it’s definitely stronger than my older brushed drill. For regular anchors and Tapcons, I didn’t feel the need to grab a corded tool.

In wood, especially in low gear, it has plenty of torque. I used a 3/4" spade bit and an auger bit through stacked 2x lumber and it pulled through fine. If you lean on it too hard in high gear, it will bog or try to twist your wrist, so using the right gear matters. The variable trigger is easy to control for starting holes or driving screws slowly. I also used it to drive 3" construction screws into studs; with the clutch set right, it sinks them cleanly without stripping heads, as long as your bits are in good shape.

I didn’t hit thermal shutdown or any weird protection kicks during my use, even on longer sessions. The motor stays reasonably cool, and you don’t get that burnt smell some cheaper drills give off. Overall, performance is strong for a 20V hammer drill: fast enough on masonry, plenty of torque in wood, and no glaring weakness in normal DIY or light pro work. If you’re doing heavy concrete all day, you’ll want a real rotary hammer, but for mixed tasks this thing holds its own.

The DCD805B is sold as a bare tool, which means: no battery, no charger, no case. In the box I got the drill, a belt hook with a screw, and the usual paperwork. That’s it. If you’re expecting a starter kit, this isn’t it. This model is clearly aimed at people who already have DEWALT 20V MAX batteries lying around. I used mine with 4Ah and 5Ah packs, plus a compact battery for lighter tasks. All worked fine.

On paper, DEWALT advertises up to 2,000 RPM, 34,000 BPM in hammer mode, and more power (they talk about 40% more UWO vs the DCD796B with certain batteries). In practice, you can feel the extra punch when you’re in second gear drilling masonry or pushing larger bits in wood. It doesn’t stall easily as long as you use sharp bits and let the tool work. The 2‑speed gearbox plus variable trigger is straightforward: low gear for torque and control, high gear for speed. Nothing fancy, but it works.

The drill has three main modes on the collar: drill, drive, and hammer. Switching between them is simple and you get the usual clutch settings for driving screws. I used it to sink structural screws into studs, drill 1/2" holes through treated lumber, and then switched to hammer mode for 3/16" and 1/4" holes in concrete for anchors. I never felt like I needed to baby it. It behaves like a proper jobsite drill, not a homeowner toy.

So in terms of presentation, it’s pretty basic: no frills, tool-only, clearly for people who already own DEWALT gear. If you’re just starting out and need batteries and a charger, a kit version might make more sense financially. But if you’re already on 20V MAX and want more power in a compact hammer drill, this one slides right into the lineup without any surprises.