Makita impact driver choices?

[Jeremy Harris]

My ancient Makita drill/driver is dying, and I've been meaning to replace it for years.  It's the only non-lithium tool I have, and has lasted well, but now the gearbox is in its death throes.

 

A joiner friend swears by his Makita impact driver (not sure which model, and he's away at the moment so I can't check).  I already have a couple of Makita chargers and nine or ten 18V lithium battery packs, plus several other 18V Makita tools, so I only really need to buy a bare machine.

 

I'm struggling to find out whether the brushless model is really worth the extra over the brushed version.  My old drill/driver was brushed, and has done all I ever asked from it, so my inclination is to save a bit and just get the brushed one.  However, I have sometimes wanted a bit more torque, and have a job coming up where I'll need to drive lots of long stainless screws into some oak railway sleepers, so the extra torque from the brushless version may be useful.  Having said that, even the brushed impact driver has a heck of a lot more torque than my old drill-driver and there doesn't seem much to choose between the two when it comes to justifying the difference in price.

 

It seems my choices are:

 

DTD153Z brushless, 170 Nm, at ~£85

 

DTD152Z brushed, 165 Nm, at ~£62

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dpmiller]

brushless. So much smoother...

[Onoff]

Very happy with my 152Z bought bare.

 

Most upset though that my BHP451 drill has just gone intermittent. Hoping it's just brushes.

 

EDIT: Hooray! BHP451 drill was just brushes. Needed a 3rd drill today so dug out my trusty old Makita 12V 6223D with its clone NiMH batteries. Surprisingly torquey if slow compared to the two 18V LXTs.

Edited August 1, 2019 by Onoff

[wozza]

If you want the 152,  its £52.50  with free delivery from Amazon - see here

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Makita-DTD152Z-Impact-driver-160Nm/dp/B01861LGA2/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Makita+DTD153Z&qid=1563834723&s=diy&sr=1-5

Edited July 22, 2019 by wozza

[Oz07]

I've got the 154 impact. Has been back for few repairs under warranty. Not sure if that means reliability is questionable?

[Miek]

9 hours ago, JSHarris said:

 

I'll need to drive lots of long stainless screws into some oak railway sleepers, so the extra torque from the brushless version may be useful

 

 

 

 

 

I'd go brushless myself, the control is smoother. in my experience stainless screws are soft and will shear if driven too hard, it seems far better to pilot them properly, especially in hardwoods. 

[PeterW]

9 hours ago, JSHarris said:

drive lots of long stainless screws into some oak railway sleepers

 

I use the Timberlok screws for this but use a corded SDS drill as neither my impact or other driver gets them more than 2/3rds in. 

 

Happy with my 152 - it’s been heavily used and still going strong. 

[Miek]

19 minutes ago, PeterW said:

 

I use the Timberlok screws for this but use a corded SDS drill as neither my impact or other driver gets them more than 2/3rds in. 

 

Happy with my 152 - it’s been heavily used and still going strong. 

Stainless timbalok? Not seen them in SS before. 

[H F]

I purchased an Einhell brushless impact driver this year. Transformed my diy world. 

 

My my question is what is the difference between brushless and brushed?

[Jeremy Harris]

Thanks all, I think I'll probably spend the extra and get the brushless one, just for the better control.

 

I've already fitted half a dozen oak sleepers with stainless timberlok screws, and they went in OK by hand (hard going, though, and I did pilot drill first).

[PeterW]

27 minutes ago, Miek said:

Stainless timbalok? Not seen them in SS before. 

 

I checked with FastenMaster a few years back and the standard black are fine - I’ve had some in for 10 years and they are still holding well. 

[Jeremy Harris]

I can check later, but I think the stainless ones I have are made by Timco.  They look just like timberloks, though, with a hex head.

[mvincentd]

57 minutes ago, Miek said:

er. in my experience stainless screws are soft and will shear if driven too hard,

I’ve found this too and so don’t use my 152 with then, preferring controllable slow speed drill driver

[Ed Davies]

I have the DTD152Z. Not had it for long and only used it for moderate sized screws into softwood so not a good test for you purposes but quite happy with it. It's very compact.

 

If you're getting a separate replacement drill I'd suggest the DHP481 rather than the DHP453. The 481 is much beefier and feels more controllable. I had a 453 which I burned out doing something silly (drilling concrete - finished that job with an SDS drill), got another 453 as a replacement then decided I wanted a heavier one as well, not least because having a pair would be good for pilot holes and screws without changing bits all the time, so got the 481. Not actually used them in that combination much and now I have the impact driver as well I doubt I will so the replacement 453 has been a bit of waste.

[jack]

I've had and periodically abused a Makita DTD129Z brushless for about five years (possibly a precursor to the brushless model you mention above, but it's so hard to tell with Makita's bewildering array of overlapping products).

 

It's probably my favourite tool.

[Jeremy Harris]

I've got a couple of 18V Makita drills that are still doing fine, a fairly old BDF452 and a newer DHP453 (not as well made as the older one, IMHO).  The old Makita drill/driver that is on it's last legs is a NiCd one, that never had that much grunt, but was handy because it's relatively small.  The small size of the impact driver is one of the attractions, and having good low speed control would be nice.  I find that having both a drill and a separate driver to hand is a lot easier than faffing around swapping drill bits for the screwdriver bit holder.

[jack]

2 hours ago, Ed Davies said:

If you're getting a separate replacement drill I'd suggest the DHP481 rather than the DHP453. The 481 is much beefier and feels more controllable. I had a 453 which I burned out doing something silly (drilling concrete - finished that job with an SDS drill), got another 453 as a replacement then decided I wanted a heavier one as well, not least because having a pair would be good for pilot holes and screws without changing bits all the time, so got the 481. Not actually used them in that combination much and now I have the impact driver as well I doubt I will so the replacement 453 has been a bit of waste.

 

I have the DHP481 too. Apart from being a little heavy if you have to do a lot drilling, or drilling at awkward angles, it's an absolute beast.

[Carrerahill]

16 hours ago, JSHarris said:

My ancient Makita drill/driver is dying, and I've been meaning to replace it for years.  It's the only non-lithium tool I have, and has lasted well, but now the gearbox is in its death throes.

 

A joiner friend swears by his Makita impact driver (not sure which model, and he's away at the moment so I can't check).  I already have a couple of Makita chargers and nine or ten 18V lithium battery packs, plus several other 18V Makita tools, so I only really need to buy a bare machine.

 

I'm struggling to find out whether the brushless model is really worth the extra over the brushed version.  My old drill/driver was brushed, and has done all I ever asked from it, so my inclination is to save a bit and just get the brushed one.  However, I have sometimes wanted a bit more torque, and have a job coming up where I'll need to drive lots of long stainless screws into some oak railway sleepers, so the extra torque from the brushless version may be useful.  Having said that, even the brushed impact driver has a heck of a lot more torque than my old drill-driver and there doesn't seem much to choose between the two when it comes to justifying the difference in price.

 

It seems my choices are:

 

DTD153Z brushless, 170 Nm, at ~£85

 

DTD152Z brushed, 165 Nm, at ~£62

 

I am sure it is the 153Z I have, certainly a BL motor version. Really nice bit of kit. Use it almost everyday on my build and weekends, battery lasts seriously long - I also have a Mak drill and 1/2" impact driver all using the same 18V battery - I am always very pleased with their kit.

[Jeremy Harris]

2 minutes ago, Carrerahill said:

I am sure it is the 153Z I have, certainly a BL motor version. Really nice bit of kit. Use it almost everyday on my build and weekends, battery lasts seriously long - I also have a Mak drill and 1/2" impact driver all using the same 18V battery - I am always very pleased with their kit.

 

Thanks, I'm also very impressed with Makita kit.  I won a Makita tool chest years ago, and since then have stuck with the brand.  The current tally of Makita cordless tools is:

 

36 V lawn mower (takes two 18 V packs)

 

Three cordless drills (one is the dying NiCd drill/driver, the others are 18 V ones)

 

A circular saw (brilliant bit of kit, but eats batteries)

 

Hedge trimmer

 

Strimmer

 

Nine or ten 18 V battery packs, some old 3 Ah ones, some 4 Ah ones

 

I also have a double battery charger plus a single battery charger, so can charge three battery packs at once

 

Plus a tiny high speed Makita mains drill (used to use a lot it when I was building aeroplanes, ideal for rivet holes), and a 4" mains mini grinder.  Did have a big Makita grinder but gave it away as I never really used it.

 

Looks like I'm a bit of a Makita junkie, reading the above...

[Carrerahill]

1 minute ago, JSHarris said:

 

Thanks, I'm also very impressed with Makita kit.  I won a Makita tool chest years ago, and since then have stuck with the brand.  The current tally of Makita cordless tools is:

 

36 V lawn mower (takes two 18 V packs)

 

Three cordless drills (one is the dying NiCd drill/driver, the others are 18 V ones)

 

A circular saw (brilliant bit of kit, but eats batteries)

 

Hedge trimmer

 

Strimmer

 

Nine or ten 18 V battery packs, some old 3 Ah ones, some 4 Ah ones

 

I also have a double battery charger plus a single battery charger, so can charge three battery packs at once

 

Plus a tiny high speed Makita mains drill (used to use a lot it when I was building aeroplanes, ideal for rivet holes), and a 4" mains mini grinder.  Did have a big Makita grinder but gave it away as I never really used it.

 

Looks like I'm a bit of a Makita junkie, reading the above...

I quite like everything looking the same! I was a Bosch man but I ended up going Mak a few years ago. I still have my corded Bosch angle grinders, 4 1/2" and 9" and a 18V drill that gets used often. But most other stuff is now Makita. 

 

 

 

[Ed Davies]

While we're on the subject, I bought two Vanon BL1840 Makita-clone batteries the other day.

 

Plan A had been to get a 5Ah genuine Makita battery to extend my collection but at the same time I got a Makita 36V lawn mower (Flymo let out the magic smoke and I really wanted a cordless mower - managing the cable on the Flymo made doing the sloping lawn here's a pain) so a pair of new batteries seemed in order. I balked a bit at buying two new Makita batteries so thought I'd give the clones a try, though with some serious trepidation. Both the lawn mower and the batteries were through Amazon.

 

I did the first quarter of the lawn with the Vanon batteries until they ran out (brand new, arrived charged, topped up in seconds in my charger). Then I put in my two Makita 4Ah batteries (bought 2015)  and did almost all of the rest of the lawn. By that time the first of the Vanon batteries had fully recharged so I put it in with my Makita 3Ah battery (bought 2014) to do the last little strip of the lawn and the entrance track down the side. The Vanon battery ran out first.

 

Conclusion: for all I know the Vanon might actually be 4Ah but that's a smaller 4Ah than the 3Ah provided by a relatively old Makita battery.

Edited July 23, 2019 by Ed Davies
Typo

[willbish]

42 minutes ago, Ed Davies said:

While we're on the subject, I bought two Vanon BL1840 Makita-clone batteries the other day.

 

Plan A had been to get a 5Ah genuine Makita battery to extend my collection but at the same time I got a Makita 36V lawn mower (Flymo let out the magic smoke and I really wanted a cordless mower - managing the cable on the Flymo made doing the sloping lawn here's a pain) so a pair of new batteries seemed in order. I balked a bit at buying two new Makita batteries so thought I'd give the clones a try, though with some serious trepidation. Both the lawn mower and the batteries were through Amazon.

 

I did the first quarter of the lawn with the Vanon batteries until they ran out (brand new, arrived charged, topped up in seconds in my charger). Then I put in my two Makita 4Ah batteries (bought 2015)  and did almost all of the rest of the lawn. By that time the first of the Vanon batteries had fully recharged so I put it in with my Makita 3Ah battery (bought 2014) to do the last little strip of the lawn and the entrance track down the side. The Vanon battery ran out first.

 

Conclusion: for all I know the Vanon might actually be 4Ah but that's a smaller 4Ah than the 3Ah provided by a relatively old Makita battery.

 

I also purchased a pair of Vanon Makita-clones not so long ago. Only a hunch, but I think they are comparable to the genuine Makita batteries I have which are about 2 years old.