Hitachi DS18DMR Cordless Drill Review
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 OK. I?ll admit it - I am a tool junkie. Yes I have done everything that can be done to a house myself but my wife thinks that I do the work just so I can buy more tools. Yes, I have made some poor investments like the nail gun for installing hardwood floors (used only once on a small kitchen floor job), but if I need, I will have it.
Of all my tools, I have always considered my cordless drill, the most useful tool. Pulling power cords all over the house including the roof and the yard is too inefficient for me. Over the years, I have bought Porter, Mikita, Dewalt and I have a pile of them since they only last about 2-4 years before the batteries are worthless. I have had 2 stolen and broken (just plain wore out) a Dewalt. The plastic gears striped. I usually buy the high end since I am so power hungry and I have used Dewalt 18 volt systems for the last few years. They have tons of torque, enough to pop the head off any screw and I like the locking chuck since it makes it easy to change tools.
My new baby is a Hitachi DS18DMR . It is very similar to the top-of-the-line Dewalt but does everything better. It uses lithium-ion power cells, not NiCads. This means the drill is lighter, has more endurance (3aH) and has no memory (the power capacity is not reduced every time you use it).
The second major feature is the well-designed belt hook. Even without a tool belt, I just hook it on my pants and it stays there without falling on the ground. This is soooo handy when you are working on a ladder.
The third cool feature is the automatic high-intensity LED tool light. It is located on the belt clip and it can be aimed. It turns on and off automatically so it does not drain the battery. It also have a manual on-off. In several emergencies, I used as a flashlight since I could not find my regular light.
Another feature that is superior to the Dewalts I have owned for years is the placement of the reverse switch and the force require to change it are much better on the Hitachi. I can easily switch back and forth without slipping out of the screw head or have to use both hands.
The final feature is the comfortable grip and cool molded parts, It feels good in my hand and looks good too. I highly recommend it. View more articles about Tool Selection and Usage. The information on this site is provided for reference only and is provided "AS IS", "AS AVAILABLE" with no guarantee of accuracy. Information comes with no warranties, express or implied. Use the information from this site at your own risk. See our disclaimer for more details. |