Makita XPH012 18V LXT® Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2” Hammer Driver-Drill Kit (3.0Ah)

After a reasonable amount of research online, I decided on this little power tool. Having sworn I'd never ever buy a cordless drill again after an experience with a pathetic Black & Decker specimen which I'd bought for $40, I settled on this tool to install a railing system in my garage. My primary requirements were quality, price, and hammer drill function as I was fastening garage organizer rails to concrete. The B&D drill, when pushed, would probably last about 20 mins, but then it would take about 5 hours to recharge. This little tool was the antithesis of my previous experience - you get what you pay for. It's a beast! I brutalized this drill for a solid 2-3 hours at a time - both drilling holes and tightening screw anchors. Eventually you could feel the tool start to take strain, but the battery would charge in about 25 minutes - incredible! You can probably tell I'm a weekend warrior and no tradesman. You will probably find more impressive tools in the Boche and Dewalt ranges, but I challenge you to find them at this price point - $99 at time of purchase. It's great that it comes in a really functional case. I have to say initially that I thought I'd made a blunder with this tool, as I was having problems drilling holes into the concrete in hammer function. I'd thought maybe it was under-powered at 3.0Ah. Some of the comparative Boche and Dewalt tools are 7.0Ah (twice the price though, and no case). My solution was to buy a corded hammer drill (7.0Ah). I used it for approximately 1 minute then packed it up and sent it back. The reason - with my garage door down, the sound was absolutely deafening, plus it didn't show any improvement in functionality. The culprit I discovered was the drill bits - they would only last about one or two holes. Ultimately, I spent a fortune in drill bits - must have used about 45. Luckily I have a tech savvy neighbor (a Toolmaker) - who sharpened some for me and saved me having to buy more. All-in-all, this drill worked liked a Trojan. Makita, I am a new fan - very impressed. Lesson learned - buy quality, even for home DIY - you'll only need to buy the right tool once (hopefully).

I'm generally a big fan of the Makita battery tools, going back to the 12V days. I prefer tools with brushless motors, but this package is almost too good of a deal to pass up, since the battery by itself costs the same as this whole package. It appears this may be a loss leader item intended to help shepherd people into using the LXT 18V stuff. In my case, their strategy worked perfectly as I now own several other Makita LXT tools which I wouldn't have purchased as they usually do not come with a battery included. (I'm very happy with those tools as well - a circular saw and a chain saw). The drill itself has been working great, although I haven't needed the hammer drive much. The LED light is great but sometimes is shadowed by the drill itself, especially with a short bit. The variable speed is to die for, and the 1/2" chuck means you can use adult drill bits. The case is very nice, especially given that drills always need a lot of extra parts that you don't know you need until you get there. I've had no problems with the charger or 3Ah battery at all so far. My only very minor quibble might be that the direction switch is a little too easy to hit by accident. But other than that I find it light, well built, easy to use, and an awesome replacement for my 20 year old corded drill.

great drill. replaces my old Ryobi that i had for the last 3 years. the three in one functions are great, and makes this drill very versatile. the LED light is a nice touch to keep the work area well lit. the charger works great, with easy to read charge status - if you just need to drive a couple screws, and dont want to wait for a whole charge, this charger will tell you when the battery can be removed without damage due to under charge. makita also puts on an handy belt clip on most of their drills, including this one. all adjustments are easily made - drive direction, drive speed (its a 2 speed), drive mode (hammer, drill, drive), and the desired torque limit. the included case is also a nice to have. out of the four drills i have ever owned, none have had a perfectly true rotation - there has always been a little wobble in the head - including this one. this drill seems to be a little week with the dead stop torque, but once its spinning its pretty powerful and will drive most fasteners and material with ease. purchase made dec 2014.