Hitachi DB3DL 3.6-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Screwdriver
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Hitachi DB3DL 3.6-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Screwdriver
Customer Review: Best tool
Summary: 5 Stars
I use this tool daily in my home repair business. Very strong and last long. Extremely versital. Totally recommend it over the other name brand drivers.Customer Review: Better than your drill for screwdriving because you'll actually use it
Summary: 5 Stars
There's plenty of helpful reviews on here already, but I thought I'd try to help out prospective buyers by clearly answering the two main questions I had as a fairly serious DIYer when I was considering this purchase:
1. Is the Hitachi driver really necessary if you already have a cordless drill/driver that you're happy with?
2. Why pick this one instead of its direct competitors?
Answer to Q1: We all know that you can use a drill as a screwdriver quite well, and for larger projects with lots of big wood screws, a 9.6 or 12 volt cordless drill is still the weapon of choice. But there are countless situations where the drill is just too big and hard to control or just plain inconvenient to get out or carry. For example, most people would opt for a hand screwdriver over a drill/driver to work with the screws that fasten the interior trim of a car (this is what I did until I got the Hitachi). The beauty of the this tool is that it's about the same size as a medium hand screwdriver, the only difference being that the Hitachi is about 1.5" in diameter for most of its length while a regular screwdriver is that wide only at its handle. Thus, this tool is really no more difficult to store, transport, and use than a manual screwdriver. Now you have a power tool that - because of the lithium-ion batteries that hold their charge while not being used - is truly no more inconvenient to set up and use than a basic hand tool. And due to the awesome automatic spindle lock feature, you can use the Hitachi as a manual screwdriver, except that you have the option to use the pistol grip as well as the straight configuration. I often use it manually to break lose really tight screws or to do the final tightening to ensure that I don't over-torque things (yes, it has a clutch for this and it works well, but sometimes I just like to feel by hand how tight things are). In short, this tool can do everything a manual screwdriver can do - including being convenient to set up and carry so that you'll actually want to use it for just about everything - while allowing you to get things done much faster.
Answer to Q2: There are numerous power screwdrivers, but since what seems to me to make this item a worthy purchase in addition to a regular cordless drill/driver is its comparable convenience to a manual screwdriver, I'll to compare it to other items of comparable convenience. So, things like the DeWalt DW920K-2 Heavy Duty 7.2-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless Screwdriver and the popular Bosch PS20-2 Litheon 10.8-Volt Lithium-Ion Pocket Driver With 2 Batteries are ruled out because they aren't really any more convenient than the much more versatile Makita 6260DWPE 9.6-Volt 3/8-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit. But two products that are quite similar in convenience are theBlack & Decker AS600 6-Volt Alkaline Battery Cordless Screwdriver and the Dremel 1120-01 120V 7.2V Cordless Screwdriver, and it's a tough choice among these and the Hitachi.
The Black and Decker has only 20 in-lbs of torque and only spins at 180 rpm, but it is very cheap and can be used manually just like the Hitachi. If you figure in the price of rechargeable batteries, it isn't quite so cheap, but still much cheaper. The Hitachi, however, is lithium-ion and has a 200 rpm speed for torquey driving and 600rpm that allows for drilling of pilot holes (up to about 3/8" if you push it), and two grip configurations. To me, these features and the build quality make it worth quite a bit of a premium over the B&D - enough to where I'd pay about fifty bucks for it (which I did). If I had to pay seventy, I would have looked long and hard at the B&D.
The Dremel driver is similarly priced to the Hitachi (though cheaper if you get it as part of the Dremel 1130-01 120V 7.2V Screwdriver / Stylus Combo). It appears to offer comparable torque in a much smaller package (The description does not give a spec in in-lbs but says it can drive 3" #10 screws into pine without a pilot, which is about what the Hitachi is capable of). It also has the spindle lock feature so that it can be used manually and a variable speed trigger unlike the Hitachi, though it lacks a clutch and contains only an integral battery. To me, the Dremel driver almost seems too small, and I just prefer the Hitachi's manual screwdriver feel. But it really is a close call. I can definitely see how the Dremel's size could be a decisive advantage in many situations.
Your mileage may vary according to your own preferences, but hopefully this gives you a better idea of what to expect no matter which choice you make.
Customer Review: Beware - Weak Clutch
Summary: 1 Stars
The clutch on my unit stripped the first time I used it. I had it set at maximum and was driving a 1.5 inch screw into pine with a pilot hole - very disappointing. I have used Hitachi tools in the past and loved them (their router is the best). This one needs a little more work from Hitachi to meet the quality level of their other tools.Customer Review: Bob
Summary: 5 Stars
I found this to be a very handy light-weight tool. Seems like I'm always
removing or replacing screws and nuts, and this tool is ideal. I also like
that the bit is locked in (won't loosen and release when reverse is used)
I like that you can make it a straight shaft so
you can just put in in your back pocket (I have a farm and I need a screw-
driver for various tasks when I'm in the field).
Customer Review: Buy it.
Summary: 5 Stars
Need a power drill that you can just grab and use? We all need a second power drill to either pre-drill a hole, or just screw something in. I put audio racks together that need a lot of screwing and unscrewing. This tool is perfect.
It comes will two Li ion batteries, the charger, and a hard plastic case. I keep the charger and the case in the cabinet, and throw the batteries and the tool in my work bag.
Just buy it. Great quality.