Bare drills are not a bad way to go if you already have one of the manufacturer's kits with a compatible charger and don't like to use a hard shell case to carry your drill around. The full size batteries are not cheap but you can buy just what you need. We learned our lesson and would never buy the Makita "reconditioned" drills but the bare-tools are good buy.
I like the overall feel and fit of the full size Makita drills and for hammer action having the depth control rod intergrated into the handle is really a cool design. The depth rod is something provided on some of the Bosch hammer drills but none of the ones from Milwaukee or DeWalt. The side handle has the best design of any drill. The side handle can be anywhere around the drill head (like the DeWalt design and unlike Milwaukee and Ridgid) and it is easy to tighten for a snug fit that won't slip and yet is easy to loosen and adjust. Most of the time I find that the 90 degree straight out position of the side handle provides the least control over the drill so I like the Makita and DeWalt approach where I can place it so it will do the most good depending upon the situation.
Makita batteries charge very fast but are supposed to have a half-hour minimum cool down time. You can ignore this but as the Makita have a short 1-year warranty on their batteries I prefer to wait the extra time and hope to have longer battery life.
Unlike older Makita drills I have this one has vent holes in the back that are easy to accidentally cover with your second hand as when trying to help a bi-metal hole saw make its way through a board. Why Makita took a good design and changed it to this is a mystery but something to watch when using the drill.
The clutch action is smooth and changing from low to high range takes little effort. Important with the Makita gearbox not to overdrive it by using it in its high speed setting on tough drilling tasks. Lots of problems with Makita gearboxes failing and it is partly the design of the gearbox and partly the misuse of the tool by people not will to drive the drill at 450 RPM.
You can do yourself and your drill a favor by using efficient hole cutters and the larger the hole you are cutting the greater the advantages. We use the Blue Boar stucco hole cutters and their large gullet carbide hole cutters and not only save a lot of time, we get many more holes from each battery and we don't beat the drills up nearly as much - and did I mention we save a lot of time.
For most hole cutting operations the larger hole cutters work best at around 1000 RPM where there is more momentum when the tips strike something hard. Very few drills have a gearing selection for this speed range but if you want the best performance these drills make a big difference. The Makita's top out at 1500 RPM compared to 1700-2100 for competitors drills. Where this makes a difference is when we are drilling through metal, though we benefit even more by using cobalt drills instead of high speed steel ones.
Excellent example of the new generation of high performance hole cutters are the Blue Boar carbide hole saws from Hole Pro. Highly recommended. Their motto is Built For Speed and it is no exaggeration.
BLUE BOAR TUH14 - 14 Piece Super Duty Tungsten Carbide Hole Saw kit - 2-3/8"Cut Depth. Cut 10x as fast and use 1/40th battery charge. Cordless Drills can cut holes 3x as large as with bi-metal hole saws. Deep side gullets for fast plug removal
Two thirds of the problems I see people having with their hand drills comes from using them incorrectly or with the wrong hole cutters or drill bits. Drill manufacturers with their universally skimpy manuals don't help either and they really should provide some guidance on how to get the most out of their tools. It would help their customers and most likely reduce the amount of warranty repairs they have to handle as well.
(5 customers reviews)Customers Rating=4.5 / 5.0
More Detail For
Bare Tool Makita BHP454Z 18 Volt LXT Lithium Ion Cordless 1 2 Inch Hammer Driver Drill Tool Only No Battery - Makita-built 4-pole motor delivers 560 in.lbs. of Max Torque, with a variable 2-speed all metal transmission (0-400 / 0-1,700 RPM) for a wide range of applications
- Compact, ergonomic design at only 9-9/16 inches long; weighs just 4.9 lbs.
- Features such as the Shift-Lock drive system to quickly shift between modes, 2 built-in L.E.D. lights illuminate the work area, and a rugged tool belt clip
- Makita LXT Lithium-Ion battery and Energy Star rated 30-Minute Rapid Optimum Charger produces 430% total lifetime work with 2.5X more cycles
- 3-year warranty on tool
