Well I did it. I pulled the trigger and purchased a Panasonic 18 volt hammer drill driver.
I ended up getting it from Amazon for $279 (the cheapest I saw was $275) mainly because I have bought stuff from them before and never had any problems.
I swear I spent more time making this decision than I did for the car I drive! I must admit I feel like a kid anticipating Christmas waiting for it to arrive - I need to get out more!
Thanks to all who offered advice and I will post at a later date and let you know what I think of my new toy - I mean tool.
