Long story short, I got the 4 piece set for $155 that is 18V NiCd, but because of Lower's mistake in internet order, they had to give me the Li Ion batteries instead. So I got it very good price. I bought the close quarter drill for $69 and they even take 10% off for their mistake!!! I love the close quarter drill. It's the only one I know of that has two speed like drill driver, and has a LED light also. I looked at the more expensive Milwaukee, Dewalt and Makita already, they don't have that. Also it has very good control on low speed. I use it like a regular drill driver. I calculate, even if I return the 4 piece kit set and just buy the two Li Ion battery and the charger, I would have to pay the same. Now I get the saw saw and circular saw. So I think I can put up with the bad drill driver!!! Question is whether Porter Cable measure up to the big brand? I had a lot of Dewalt, they're a piece of Chip ( as in S!!!). The battery all burned from just one earth quake retrofit project. I since bought a set of Ryobi that worked really well and lasted for 3 earthquake retrofits. But the problem the new set of batteries I bought are all bad. So now I am trying out other brands. I can truely say the Ryobi set out lasted the Dewalt.

Hey Nate I forgot to answer your question directly. I think the cordless trimmer is very useful. Even it is 18V, it would be a looooot lighter than the gas engine trimmer. You are talking about 12 lbs. I don't know whether the battery ones will ever trim as fast as the gas but for finishing touch, it is very very useful. I just planted a Hollywood Juniper and trim as a pom pom tree ( few poofs of green at the end of the branch ). It is going to be hard to swing the big gas trimmer around to trim this. Also I am planting 10 of the Boxwood at the back and going to shape it as a round ball of about 24" diameter. That you need a light short electric trimmer also. I don't think my low voltage Craftsman can do it. I need something of a 18V with about 12" to 16" blade. Make it less than 6 to 7 lbs. That would be perfect. Of cause, the lighter the better. Still interchangable blade will be very useful. I never run out of battery yet. YOu can never have one trimmer fit all. YOu always have to have a gas for fast trimming and the small one for touch up. Don't think you can get the speed with a battery trimmer. Corded trimmer is absolutely out of the question.

Not sure how old your husband is, but the older I get, the more I appreciate my 12v LI cordless drill! I have the Hitachi and I love it. I also have an 18v Bosch that is much heavier, but also makes both my shoulder and elbow problems flare up much quicker. For fast jobs where I'm not holding the drill above my head or at odd angles, the heavier drill is fine. But, I'd much rather reach for my smaller drill. So far, I've completely remodeled my house, built a fence, deck, done drywall- all with my 12v drill. I have 3 batteries and when I'm working one is always ready in the charger. The smaller drill has adjustable settings, so I can put together stuff from IKEA without stripping screws. The 18v has way too much power, and would surely strip those. I also have an electric screwdriver that I could use for simpler things, but prefer the feel of the drill. I think it's a very personal thing, have him try them out buy holding them at the store. And remember, most of the displays don't include the heavy part- the battery- so make sure to take that into consideration. And always buy the best brand you can. The first drill I bought was a Black & Decker, and it has been charged maybe twice in the 6 years I've had it. I prefer quality tools- and that one isn't.

There are different tools with different names and different powers. There is a "Drill/driver" which has a chuck of various sizes you noted (the 3/8 vs 1/2). You can use most anything with these if the bit fits. 1/2 chuck can fit larger bits. There is a "screwdriver" which has a 1/4 hex chuck which requires different drill bits with that hex connection. 12v is never as powerful as 18v if the battery technology is the same. New lithium battery tools if you compare 12v to 18v, the 18v has more power always. Now if you were comparing a new 12v lithium to an old 18v standard battery, the 12v may be similar. On that same note, the 12v tools are always lighter so fatigue while using is less. The tool is smaller and the battery is smaller. If you get into doing a lot of projects, it might not hurt to get both an 18v set and a 12v set. There are a lot of tools in the M12 line as well. Consider brand before you buy so you can get the tools you want and use the same batteries. Other useful info you didnt ask for: Brushless tools are always more powerful due to it being a different type of electric motor that is more efficient and converts more energy into driving force, also uses less battery. Hammer drill has a few uses, but it is limited to simple things like tile. It is not designed to really work well with concrete. Might be able to do a few holes but not many. If you need to do concrete work, you need a rotary hammer. I burned up multiple hammer drill bits and didnt get much done with the hammer drill. Returned that and got the rotary hammer and it goes through concrete like butter. Bits last a lot longer also. The difference is a hammer drill just vibrates the bit a little, where as the rotary hammer actually puts hammer force into the bit, and they require special bits that slide on the shank either SDS plus or SDS max. If you need a powerful drill for wood or mixing, look for a spade handle drill. These are always low speed high torque drills. Good for drilling large holes in wood. Also used to mix mortar in buckets. I actually use mine often to jack up my vehicle at home.