It’s that time of year for wish lists, and what we at Consumer Reports often wish for is the chance to squeeze in a product that missed our own deadlines for testing. This happened with our recent cordless-drill tests, when Lowe’s announced this fall it was adding 18-volt cordless and corded power tools (photo right) to its Kobalt line.

Formerly comprising solely hand tools, the line now includes a cordless drill/driver, LED worklight, and corded reciprocating and circular saws. Had our testers gone back to run the Kobalt drill through our exhaustive tests, we might not have gotten our snow-blower Ratings online in time for you to shop.

At $149, the 18V Cordless Lithium-Ion Drill Driver, model 325808, looks comparable to the general-use drill/drivers in our latest Ratings. It has a ½-inch keyless chuck, two speed ranges, and a 24-position torque. There’s a built-in LED light, and the lithium-ion battery (the drill comes with two) has a gauge that displays charge status. The included charger works with Kobalt nickel-cadmium as well as lithium-ion batteries. Lowe’s also offers “hassle-free” guarantees, subject to the usual exclusions such as improper use, unauthorized repairs or alterations, and neglect. For the drill, it’s five years; for the battery and charger, it’s three years.

Lowe’s would not disclose the manufacturer of the drill, so we can’t offer even a vague guess on the product’s speed, power, and run and charge times. But you can bet we’ll assess those, along with its handling and noise levels, once we get it in our labs for testing.