Hitachi DS18DL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion 1/2-Inch Cordless Driver Drill
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Hitachi DS18DL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion 1/2-Inch Cordless Driver Drill
Customer Review: The drill is fine
Summary: 4 Stars
This is quite a drill and is better than any that I've had before. Very powerful and the charger is excellent and not some cheap add-on item. The only complaint is it arrived with the carrying case missing a hinge pin which was easy to ad-hoc fix.Customer Review: The good and the bad.
Summary: 4 Stars
Excellent price for this very powerful Lithium-ion drill which gets the the 4 star rating. There are several fine feature, however, there are some serious problems.
Positives: This drill has a very comfortable grip and has plenty of power for even the most difficult job. The chuck is easy to tighten and the bit never loosened while in use. The power was maintained for the duration of a charge. The power level was much greater and the duration of a charge was at least 50%-100% longer than my 18 volt Nic-cad powered Porter-Cable.
Negatives: The drill, even with the variable speed, is very abrupt in stopping and starting which, if you aren't prepared for, can be very uncomfortable for your arthritic wrist. There is a disconcerting thud in the motor when power is removeded abruptly which is also uncomfortable.
The drill is very well balance for active drilling, however, the drill is front heavy and when set on its base it easily tips forward which can damage a fine drill bit.
Although not a real problem, the power loss is suprisingly abrupt and unexpected when the battery runs out. It can leave you with a buried drill bit which will require either removing the drill from the bit or trying to change the battery without bending the bit.
Overall I would rate this drill much better than my Ni-cad Porter Cable for power, bit grip and handle comfort. It is far far inferior to my 14.4 volt DeWalt relative to smoothness of operation. I suspect the new DeWalt Lilthium ion will be a better overall drill, however, much more expensive.
Customer Review: Very Dissapointing Tool
Summary: 1 Stars
I can not recommend this cordless driver drill. I inspected the drill upon arrival and noticed that without a bit in the chuck it appeared to have excessive runout (A.K.A. wobble). I inspected it with various drill bits and driver bits and saw the same thing. I then tested the drill with a runout gauge and measured the same problem.
I reported the problem to Amazon, asked for a replacement and promptly received a new drill. This arrived even before I returned the original. Kudos to Amazon for their return/replacement policies.
The second drill arrived in exactly the same condition as the first. Based on this experience I returned both for a refund. I have since purchased a Milwaukee 0824-24. My initial impression (not based on extensive use) is that the Milwaukee is superior in almost all respects. The clutch adjustment on the Hitachi is cumbersome and does not "click" into the detents smoothly. The Milwaukee is very smooth in this adjustment. It also has a separate adjustment for changing from driver to drill to hammer drill without changing the clutch setting. In fairness, I would prefer the lighter weight of the Hitachi, however I have read that the weight is due to use of metal gears in the Milwaukee rather than plastic in the Hitachi. I also like the belt clip light on the Hitachi. While both drills use a Jacobs chuck, the Milwaukee uses a higher grade chuck.
I have owned a commercial cabinet shop and now use drills for home projects. I only accept "pro-quality" tools. This tool absolutely DOES NOT quality as "pro-level". With all the other choices available, I also recommend that homeowners/hobbyists make a choice other than the Hitachi. While not intimately familiar, Makita seems to have some good choices in their new line-up. If you don't need lithium-ion, Porter-Cable makes excellent Ni-Cad based cordless drills.
Customer Review: Wow
Summary: 5 Stars
This has to be one of the best working drills I have ever used. I am used to the yellow brand and I always thought that there was no reason to buy anything else, well I was wrong. The drill works well and is light for its size. The led light is handy when working at dusk or in your own shadow. I love the charger and the fan that keeps the battery cool during charging, what a great idea. The chuck is metal not a cheap plastic. My only dissappointment has been the case, it was missing a hinge pin when I received it. It was an easy fix, no big deal. This is a drill for those of you who want products that will work for the 100th project your doing not just the first few. But quality comes with a price but thank god for amazon!Customer Review: You have to get this
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm just a home tinkerer, but this is a fantastic drill - lots of power, very durable, etc. My first project was running speaker wire outside, which involved drilling through masonry, wood, and metal siding, and the drill took it all in stride - and I even dropped it once. A friend uses these in a commercial setting, and he recommended it to me. The only drawback is that it looks like a toy.