I'm a lead carpenter for a residential remodeler. I've owned 11 cordless drills over the years (currently I have 4) and this Makita is not only the best of the bunch, by far, it may be the best power tool I own. I've had it for about a month now and I've used it everyday. I have a complete compliment of "quick disconnect" bits so I also use this driver as a drill. I've drilled holes in concrete and block using masonry bits and it will easily countersink Tap-cons. I thought the little work light was a gimmicky thing but I have to admit, its a big help in tight dark places, I've even used it as a flashlight. For the size, weight, price, quality, power, etc, etc, you can't beat this drill/driver. The batteries charge in about 15 minutes but they last for days so with 2 batteries, you'll never be without a charged battery. The tool came with a soft square carrying case, kind of looks like a cooler. Since I hate wearing a tool belt rig, this case is great, if you remove the charger, this case will hold a bunch of standard handtools as well as the drill.
This is a great product, I highly recommend it.
*Update>> Its been just over a year and I have to say this drill is as good as the day I got it. In the last few months I purchased the combo kit, the drill and impact driver. I was curious to see if the first one I bought was still as strong as the brand new one. I see no difference. I am still more impressed with these drills/drivers than any tool I own....and its about time Makita sends me some free stuff for the gushing reviews. Seriously tho, you won't be disappointed. Makita BTD142HW 18-Volt Compact Lithium-Ion Cordless Impact Driver Kit
This thing is an absolute monster! I have been remodeling an older home for the past year. Before I went to Home Depot the other day and noticed this little wonder bundled with the 18v Makita drill, I was using a cheapo cordless and a corded skil to do all my drilling. The corded drill is about 15-20 years old, but was doing a good job still, but I got sick of dragging a cord around, so I pulled the trigger on this Makita set, and I must say I'm glad I did. I would have never considered getting just an Impact Driver, and to be honest, I have never really looked at one before the other day. This thing will drive screws into anything you can find, and if you need to bury screw heads so the surface is flush, you can do it with ease, WITHOUT striping the threads! This driver will also pull those buried screws right out of the wood without breaking a sweat. The design fits in the hand perfect, and the tool is well balanced. The lithium-Ion battery cuts down on the weight of the tool, so you can work all day and your wrist won't even mind.
As I said before, I picked up this tool and the 18v lithium Ion drill at Home Depot for $270 dollars, which I thought was a heck of a deal considering each of those tools run at about 200 a piece.
My only minor minor complaint was that they didn't give me any bits for the drill or the driver like I thought they would have, but that can be overlooked considering how well this tool works.
A+, Thanks Makita
I do a number of projects through our house and some woodworking. By far the most frequently used tool is a cordless drill/driver. I own an 18V with a traditional battery; a good performer but heavy and slightly unbalanced in the hand. A 14.4 volt with traditional battery which became much less used after the purchase of the 18 volt but still saw some use on short duration projects simply because it is lighter than the 18V, and DeWalt 7.2V "stick-style" used for smaller and/or more delicate projects. Over the past year, on DIY programs and in tool reviews, I had been noticing more attention given to impact drivers for everyday use in a broad variety of applications and projects. Especially in driving screws. Since this is a lot of what I use my drill/drivers for, my interest was piqued by the general consensus that the impact drivers were more efficient and less prone to the bit skipping out of the screw heads. This prompted my quest for yet another new tool for the arsenal. I hit the shelves of the local stores and checked out the current crop.
From the very first time I picked up this one I was in love. You see, I have been cursed with wide palms and short fingers and not a single power tool I have ever held or used truly felt comfortable in my hand. Mind you, I could still get a firm grip and it was never a safety problem, but especially with a heavier tool like my 18V, on longer projects I inevitably ended up with fatigue and a lingering ache in my wrist. When I wrapped my hand around this baby I had to have it. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have never had a tool feel so natural and balanced in my hand! The store I first encountered this at was my local Home Depot and they also had the previous generation which was identical in spec, shape and size with the exception of color and the fact it came with 3.0Ah batteries instead of the 1.5 in this kit (and if I'm not mistaken the charger on this one is slightly more advanced). I liked the weight and balance on this one better and with the 15 minute charge time I was willing to sacrifice the run time for the lighter weight and better balance.
After a month of use I am extremely happy with the performance and my purchase. It does an impressive job of driving screws of all types and sizes. Significantly better than anything else I have used and the benefit of the Lithium-Ion holding its charge while sitting on the shelf is very handy. I will still lug along my 18V or 14.4V when pilot holes are necessary but in tandem with this only for the convenience of not having to change bits, and I also still use the DeWalt for tight spots and more delicate tasks.
If you need the longer run time, I would recommend getting the previous generation model. My only regret is that just today here on the Amazon site I saw the kit with the accompanying drill for just about the same price as this kit. At the time I purchased this, that combo kit was $70 more and i opted to save the bucks. Otherwise I have absolutely have no regrets about my purchase. - Impact Driver - Great Tool - 18v - Lithium-ion'
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