Hitachi DV18DL reviews
Well done Hitachi.
helpful for 11 of 11 people
I am a remodeler. I have had this drill for about two months, and use it all the time. I had a panasonic 15.6V before and was very happy with it, but it was time for a new drill. I switched to the Hitachi because it was Lithium-Ion, had 570 inch pounds of torque (versus 390 on the Panasonic), the Hitachi Ni-Cad version was very well rated, and I wanted to have one that I could have interchangable batteries between my drill and my Impact driver. (Panasonic doesnt make a 15.6 Impact driver)
The drill body itself is fairly heavy, I guess they needed it to get that much power out of it. The battery weighs almost nothing. It seems like it should be top heavy, but it has very good balance. It balances standing up very well, and feels good in your hand. Overall it weighs 4.9 pounds, just more than the 15.6V. Well done.
Power is good, speed is excellent, hammer drill works well, and I am happy to have switched to Lithium batteries.
1/13/2007
Disappointing.
helpful for 3 of 7 people
I purchased this hammer drill based on favorable reviews at Amazon and favorable reviews of similar models in Consumer Reports. However, after less than 1 hour of total use, the selectors for hi/lo speed and hammer/drill only have become stiff and require excessive force to operate. This tool, which is made in China, does not seem adequate for professional use and should not be advertised as a "professional" tool.
6/2/2007
This is the one!!!
Totaly awesome drilldriver. All the functions on it are very useful. I like that it has a low and high speed switch and a power selector switch which lets you lower the power used when dealing with lighter jobs to save energy. If you're looking at a drill driver that competes with Milwaukee, this is it.
5/10/2007
Better Buy
This is my fifth Hitachi cordless tool. I work in a major hardware retailer and see the returned tools prior to being accepted. The Hitachi tools have a good track record and have specs/performance that that make them a better buy. The batteries are consistently better in the lithiun-ion area. No recalls.
The one thing I will watch for while continuing to use this tool is to use the attchment handle in high torque situations. I took back two of these at work where the contractor used only the handle to control the torque and the handle cracked. They both admitted to used oversized bits at the time the handle cracked. Although a little heavier that a standard 1/2 inch drill the hammer drill has the higher torgue for deck screws and the option of clicking on the hammer drill when sinking extra large screws or lag bolts.
I've been very pleased with the performance and like the five year warranty that you easily register on line. Good perfomance at a good price make it a homeowner best buy and should be seriouly looked at by a discerning contractor.
5/26/2009
MYTOOLPLACE beware
I have heard this is an excellent drill. If the price from mytoolplace looks too good it probably is. I purchased this drill for what looked like a great price from mytoolplace. The purchase went through and an estimated delivery date was shown on my e-mail. I even called the site and talked to customer service to check on what was included in the price, and they confirmed it. The next day I recieved an e-mail saying my order had been cancelled because they were out of stock. I checked on their site and it was still in stock but for a higher price. They must have made a mistake on the listing. They found their mistake and instead of telling me the truth they lied and said they were out of stock. Amazon would not back me up on this because mytoolplace is an outside seller. I would be careful on dealing with them because who knows what else they might lie about. In my book they practice bad business, and I will not purchase anything more from them. Maybe not even amazon.
3/28/2008
Excellent but charger gives it overall mediocre appeal
Well balanced and plenty of power. It is excellent for drilling in light concrete and bricks.
LED colour is dark yellow so no much help out of it. I wonder howmuch white LED would cost ... a penny more?
Charger is unreasonably huge, I mean outrageously bulky. I opened it to adjust it for European 230V since out of the box it doesn't handle 230V. I don't see any intelligent microchip inside or oversized ferrites to justify that bulkiness ... so much empty space inside. Hitachi, please give us decent charger at 1/4 size of this double-brick.
I gave it 4/5 only because of the charger.
4/25/2009
An excellent tool
An excellent tool to use for pros. I use it around the house. But it is a professional tool: very powerful and the 2nd battery comes right on time when the first one has dried out.
All that it was said about it it is true. It is the tool you need for doing a professional job.
I bought it used, for about 120 dollars, and I think I made a great deal.
1/6/2009
GREAT power/light weight
I just got this drill last week, and it's awesome! The power and performance is amazing considering the weight which cuts down on fatigue considerably. This drill has plenty of power, and the belt clip is great for ladder work. The charger has a built in fan to keep the battery cool while charging, and they charge in no time.
Hitachi seems to be focusing on making tools lighter. I also have a Hitachi framing air nailer, and it's the lightest I've held. This may not be a big deal if you only use these tools for short periods, but after several hours, most would be less productive with heavier tools. Very impressed.
12/9/2007
Stay away from Hitachi
Have one, case broke on first use and now the chuck is stripped . Only used a few times around the house. I will not buy Hitachi again.
7/10/2009
Go Green!
Let's get the visual appearance out of the way first, shall we? Not everyone is going to like the high tech look of this tool (although I personally happen to love it). If you look at other Japanese power tool manufacturers such as Makita and Panasonic you'll see they are also using similar styling cues albeit in more subdued colors. It seems like Hitachi has started a trend and the others are following.
So with that out of the way let's get to the important stuff. This is one "monster" of a hammer drill. It has an incredible amount of power and should be able to tackle the toughest jobs. The motor housing and chuck are angled back from the handle and battery giving this tool an excellent balance. The grip feels "just right" and the forward/reverse/lock selector is easy to reach as is the power/savings switch. By the way that switch does nothing more than limit the trigger from being pulled all the way when it's in savings mode. It should be noted that while Hitachi advertises this tool as having four speeds, some may disagree with that specification. It has a two speed transmission via a high/low switch on top of the housing like most other drills but the other two "speeds" come from limiting the trigger and not from additional gears in the transmission. DeWalt for instance offers a true three speed transmission in their XRP models although many owners of those tools will readily admit that the third speed isn't necessary. The fact that the Hitachi is not a "true" four speed model doesn't bother me at all but I thought this should be pointed out in detail so that prospective buyers can make a fully informed purchase decision.
Speaking of DeWalt, I was considering buying their new Lithium Ion (Nano Technology) 18 volt hammer drill instead of the Hitachi. I went to the "Blue" home center store that sells both so I could compare them side by side. I have to admit they both feel great in the hand and DeWalt's offering probably has a little more power but it was priced at a whopping $120.00 more than the Hitachi and didn't even have an on-board LED work light. I'll admit that at first I thought the LED work light was a gimmick but you'll be surprised how much you come to appreciate it once you have a few tools with them. I was also concerned about the latest DeWalt reviews. It seems their quality control is slipping a bit.
So I went with Hitachi and I'm very glad I that did. This hammer drill is everything I've wanted and more. The clutch ring operates smoothly and the settings are very useful throughout the entire range. The hammer mode is smooth to engage and doesn't have that nasty vibration that some other tools exhibit. The easy-to-replace brushes are an excellent feature as well. Dremel has had this feature on their rotary tools for decades now. It's about time that the full-size tool manufacturers caught on. On the top of the drill is the high/low transmission selector which is easy to operate and makes a very obvious difference in rotational speed.
Getting back to that LED work light I mentioned above, Hitachi has taken a different approach than other manufacturers. The light is located near the bottom of the tool and can be adjusted in 5 different positions! Also unique, it doesn't use the tools main battery; it has its own set of regular disposable batteries that powers it. To conserve those batteries Hitachi has a small circuit within the work light that turns it off automatically after 15 minutes. I wish the LED was white instead of yellow but that's a minor complaint. It still does an excellent job of lighting the work area and the low placement near the bottom of the tool eliminates the shadows cast by the chuck and whatever bits are in it.
The carrying case is very nicely made of tough plastic and has several compartments that neatly hold the drill, the battery charger, the second battery (included), the auxiliary handle, the instruction manual and warrantee card. The only accessory that comes with the tool is a double ended screwdriver bit and that stores neatly on the tool just above the battery. There is room in the case for other bits and accessories if you wish to store them in there.
The battery charger is extremely well thought out and will charge anything from a 7.2 volt all the way to an 18 volt battery in NiCd, NiMH or Lithium Ion formulas. The unit is fan cooled. A small duct at the top of the unit mates with another duct in the battery when inserted. This allows air to be circulated inside the battery housing during charging. This is very effective! Yes, it's a little noisy but considering how fast the batteries charge and the fact that they are being cooled while charging, I'm more than willing to put up with a little extra noise.
Finally, let me address the issue of power tools being made in China. It's difficult to find tools that aren't made in China these days. Even Bosch and Hilti who used to produce their tools in Switzerland have now gone to China for the production of their latest offerings. DeWalt is made in Mexico. That's about as close to the USA as it gets anymore. My own experience with Chinese production is that it depends on who is designing the product and who brokering the manufacturing. It seems that the Japanese can get a better product out of China than us Americans or the Europeans. I need not remind you that the Japanese and Chinese are TWO VERY DIFFERENT CULTURES and should never be directly compared with one another but they do reside in the same part of the world and perhaps that lends itself to a better working relationship. Whatever your opinion regarding Chinese made products, the Hitachi DV18DL is a very well made tool and should be strongly considered by anyone in the market for a professional grade 18 volt cordless hammer drill.
1/20/2008
A great system
I bought this system with the old style batteries, it's so much better with the new Lithium-Ion batteries. The new batteries interchange with the old.
8/17/2009
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