DeWalt 20V MAX XR 3-Speed Hammer Drill with TOOL CONNECT

The short version

I put the DC997 through a week of mixed concrete anchoring, timber framing, and general service work. It’s a compact, very strong 20V hammer drill with a ratcheting 1/2-in chuck, a genuinely useful side handle, and three mechanical speeds. The Bluetooth features aren’t gimmicky: setup is quick, inventory/location data is reliable within Bluetooth limitations, and the ability to tailor modes and LED behavior is a real workflow improvement. It’s also heavier than basic drills, and the “disable when out of range” option needs thoughtful setup. As a bare tool, budget for batteries and a charger.

Build and ergonomics

Out of the box, the DC997 feels dense in a good way. Bare weight is about 4.3 lb, and with a 5Ah pack it lands in the “all-day capable, not ultralight” category. The 7.9-in length helps it fit between studs and under sink decks where longer hammer drills struggle. The 360° side handle is stout and easy to clock precisely where you want it—use it for masonry and big-hole work.

Grip shape is classic yellow-and-black: slightly palm-filling with aggressive overmold. Balance with a compact 2Ah pack is nose-heavy; with a 5Ah or 6Ah pack it sits neutral and resists wrist fatigue better over long sessions. The metal ratcheting chuck has carbide inserts; it bites on smooth-shank bits and stays put under hammer vibration.

Speed, power, and drilling performance

DeWalt rates this platform at 820 UWO, and it shows. In framing lumber, I ran 1-1/2-in self-feed bits cleanly in first gear, and stepped down to aggressive augers without stalling. Second gear is the sweet spot for hole saws up to about 2 in and for most lag work. My sample spins just about 2,000 RPM no-load in third gear—fast enough for clean twist-bit drilling in steel and pop-riveting prep.

The variable-speed trigger is easy to feather for starts, and the three-speed gearbox lets you target torque or speed without fighting the trigger. Bind-up control is well tuned; it snaps the motor off decisively if a bit locks, which has saved my wrist more than once when a self-feed grabbed a knot.

Hammer drilling in concrete

In hammer mode, the DC997 hits up to 38,250 BPM and does not feel underpowered. I sank several 3/8-in wedge anchors in old, aggregate-heavy slab using quality carbide bits. Holes were straight, dust cleared well, and I didn’t have to lean hard to maintain progress. It’s not SDS-plus fast in hard concrete, but for a 1/2-in chuck hammer drill, it’s brisk and confidence-inspiring.

The side handle is essential here; torque reaction is real when a bit bites an aggregate chip. Vibration is present but controlled—no excessive buzzing in the grip, and the tool remains steerable on vertical pours and overhead drilling.

Clutch, control, and LED

One quirk: the clutch range is tighter than on typical homeowner drills. It’s workable for cabinetry hardware and light fastening, but I reached for impact drivers for long screws and anything where repeatable clutch slip matters. The drill/hammer selector is positive and doesn’t drift under vibration.

The integrated LED is better than average. Brightness and afterglow are adjustable, so I set a long delay in crawlspaces to use it as a mini work light, and shortened it on the bench to save battery. The beam is focused low on the chuck nose; it illuminates the work area well with minimal shadowing.

Tool Connect setup and value

Pairing took under a minute: press and hold the foot-mounted pair button for 3–5 seconds until the blue LED pulses, then connect in the app. From there, I named the tool, assigned it to a jobsite, and set up three programmable modes plus the default Home mode. I configured Mode 1 as low gear with a long LED delay for spade-bit rough-ins, Mode 2 as mid gear with hammer disabled for metal work, and Mode 3 as high gear with a short LED delay for general drilling. Switching modes on-tool is quick, and it genuinely cut down on fiddling with gear changes and light settings.

Inventory and “Last Seen” worked as promised: I could see which phone last saw the tool and when, and the web portal made asset lists and user assignments painless. Important caveat: this is Bluetooth, not GPS. Location updates happen when the drill is within range of a paired device. It’s excellent for keeping tabs across vans, jobs, and crew members, but it won’t breadcrumb across a city on its own.

“Disable when out of range” is powerful and should be used thoughtfully. When enabled, if the tool leaves range of an authorized device, it becomes inoperable. That’s great for loss prevention; just be sure your phone isn’t dead and your settings account for normal handoffs between crew. I prefer using alerts on some jobs and full disable on higher-risk sites.

Diagnostics are a sleeper feature I like: coin cell status, tool temperature, trigger count, and cumulative runtime show up in the app. It helped me spot an overheating pattern while mixing mortar, and it’s useful for maintenance intervals in a shared fleet.

Battery life and runtime

Brushless efficiency and smart gearing keep runtime competitive. With a 5Ah pack in hammer mode, I got a comfortable number of 3/8-in x 2-1/2-in holes in cured slab before swapping; in carpentry, a single pack carried a day of mixed pilot holes, hole saws, and a smattering of fasteners. The tool’s own coin cell only powers the connectivity module and lasts a long time; the app flags when it’s getting low.

Downsides and nitpicks

• Weight: Fully kitted with a 5Ah battery, it’s not the lightest in class. If your day is mostly overhead work, you’ll feel it.
• Clutch range: Fewer clutch steps than many drills. Fine for pro users who default to impacts for fastening, less ideal if you expect one tool to do everything.
• Bluetooth limits: “Last Seen” is only as good as the phones/tablets near it. It’s excellent for shops and fleets, less magical for lone users who don’t keep the app running.
• Out-of-range disable: A lifesaver or a headache, depending on your settings. Test it before rolling it out on a live job.
• Bare tool: No battery, charger, or case included—plan your purchase accordingly.

Reliability and service

The chuck has stayed true and slip-free under hammer vibration. Bind-up control triggers predictably. I haven’t seen thermal throttling except during extended heavy mixing—exactly where you’d expect it. Warranty is the typical 3-year limited, and the ecosystem support is strong if you’re already invested in 20V packs.

Who it’s for

• Pros and managers who care about asset tracking, user/jobsite assignment, and basic theft deterrence.
• Trades that split time between masonry anchors and general drilling: remodelers, service electricians, commercial facilities teams.
• Anyone who wants to program distinct modes for different tasks and stop reconfiguring the drill all day.

If you neither need inventory control nor care about custom modes, a non-connected XR hammer drill will save money and a few ounces.

Recommendation

I recommend the DC997 for pros who want a compact, high-torque hammer drill with meaningful connected features. It drills concrete confidently, drives big bits without drama, and the combination of programmable modes, diagnostics, and inventory/Last Seen adds real value in the field. The caveats—weight, a modest clutch range, and the need to manage the out-of-range setting—are easy to live with if you pair it with an impact driver and take two minutes to set up your modes properly. If you’re a DIYer or a solo user on a tight budget, the non-connected version makes more sense. For everyone else, this is a capable workhorse with smart extras that improve the day-to-day.