Hitachi combi

[brasso1981]

Hitachi DV18DSDL/JJ 18V Cordless li-ion Combi Drill (2 x 5Ah Batteries) this delivered yesterday. Contemplated milwaukee for ages but thought I'd try this at about £100 less. Im very very happy with it. Cant see how the milwaukee fuel could be noticeably better as this had got big power and 5ah batteries

 

[GrahamM]

Got the 4Ah version a while back. Great bit of kit. Plenty tourqe and battery power.

 

[kris]

Not in the know about hitatchi im afraid but i can say that ive never heard any bad reports . They have a smart little radio out aswell.

 

[brasso1981]

Gave it a good work out today on a bathroom install. The torque is unreal. It would send screws straight through the timber if u let it. Hammer is impressive too

 

[Mike Jackson]

I had the 4Ah version. made up with it to start with but at 2 1/2 years old all the smoke came out of the back and it stopped working. 4Ah Milwaukee is lighter and more powerful.

 

[Masood]

4Ah Milwaukee is lighter and more powerful.

Have you compared the 4AH Milwaukee against the 5AH Hitachi?

According to their respective websites, the Hitachi has quite a bit more torque. But those figures will be in lab conditions - I'm interested in real-life experiences...

 

[wetdrip]

Hitachi DV18DSDL/JJ 18V Cordless li-ion Combi Drill (2 x 5Ah Batteries) this delivered yesterday. Contemplated milwaukee for ages but thought I'd try this at about £100 less. Im very very happy with it. Cant see how the milwaukee fuel could be noticeably better as this had got big power and 5ah batteries

Nice that they've put a little youtube video on their sales page.

 

[antdad]

Have you compared the 4AH Milwaukee against the 5AH Hitachi?

According to their respective websites, the Hitachi has quite a bit more torque. But those figures will be in lab conditions - I'm interested in real-life experiences...

Millwaukee FUEL is brushless so the motor should last considerably longer.

 

[AWheating]

A 4ah with a brushless motor should do more work than a 5ah brushed tbh. At the end of the day it comes down to build quality and price, the milwaukee costs a lot more and is maybe better built. I've always like hitachi tools, not convinced there batteries have the best lifespan/cells? But if I was on a budget I'd think the hitachi a very good buy.

 

[morganb]

I've had the combo set for about 4 months. Managed to just burn out the drill on a 4" hole in a vertical stud. It's getting picked up for a warranty repair but will see if they just repair it or try and charge me for 'overworking' it. (it was £300 for both with 2 batteries!)

The drill itself has performed brilliantly before breaking. Whilst the batteries last forever the charging time is a joke. Hitachi say its a 75 minute charge however they can take as long as 100 minutes. (I think new Makita 5ah is 55 minutes?). The impact driver works great and is as good as my previous Makita, although it doesn't feel quite as good quality (may just be my personal preference)

Also the radio is great apart from the old style metal expendable antenna. It has a usb charger and audio input. Only downside for some is it doesn't have digital (in my area that's a bonus).

 

[antdad]

Yeah...charge times are like mpg figures for car manufacturers.

A brushless motor besides being more efficient (less friction & moving parts) requires fairly sophisticated electronics to manage the motor properly and can therefore adjust to the task whereas a brushed motor will always run as fast as it can while in use. As I see it, to compete without making the investment in brushless technology (which is considerable) Hitachi have done the most convenient thing by upping the amp rating of their batteries which will give improved run time. If they've changed little else about the drill I imagine you'll get more cases of motor burnout especially when used at capacity and beyond under heavy load. If you have one of these I'm sure it'll eat up most tasks but under serious and sustained loading I'd take extra care if it's running hot and you want it to last, it's very well priced but there is usually a reason for that.

 

[AWheating]

You will burn out any drill brushed,brushless, whatever if you over work it. As a rule if it's getting hot then it needs a rest or a bigger drill. The down side to the current faze of trying to make every drill smaller means compromise's IMO, normally less life.

 

[brasso1981]

Charge times may be long but the battery will not run out while you are waiting. Would always get corded sds out if i had loads of masonry drilling to do. But for my use its brilliant.

 

[Whyme]

swap ya, Ive got an 18v Milwaukee and the chucks are rubbish.

 

[Ermintrude]

My two are 4 years old and one is having a bit of trouble now. Bit of copper grease and it's off.