makita lxt 18v

Overall Rating: ( 16 reviews )

1. Posted: Aug 1 2008

   Couldn't be happier. First time cordless impact user. Will not go without again. Makita is definitely the forrunner in 18 volt lithium-ion. Already had the cordless drill, so I new it was good. Now I have 2 drills & 1 impact with flashlight. Highly recommend.

2. Posted: Jul 26 2008

   Great balance and plenty of power. Charger instructions to change tunes or mute when charge completed said "unplug battery and reconnect within 5 seconds". Only works if battery is rapidly removed and reconnected within 2 seconds. Took two chargers from Amazon to figure this out. Makita's instructions get a 1. Amazon's customer service gets a 10.

3. Posted: Jul 25 2008

   After working alongside our contractor in a recent renovation on the house, and enduring his sniggering diss at my Old School corded Makita electric drill, I decided to follow his lead and step up to the Makita impact driver. I ordered it separately, then realized I could have the driver AND the drill in a set for just a few dollars more. (Sent back the driver; ordered the combo.) If you have never used an impact driver, they are amazing. For running in, say, deck or drywall screws it is a miracle cure. With my regular old drill I would have to seriously push while driving in the screw, hoping to keep the bit from camming out and ruining the phillips head about a 1/4" shy of being driven home. The impact driver makes the same clattering sound as it drives in the screw, but it's doing absolutely no harm to the screw head. You have to see it to believe it--like butta! I love the drill, too. It has a very good clutch: set it to drill, as such, with no slippage; or set a very low slip point to put in hinge screws without stripping out the soft pine doorframe--and any setting in between. The lamp is, in my experience, real close to useless. It came with two bulbs, one of them installed. The first one blew out in about 5 seconds. Second one is okay, but I could not find the same bulbs at Home Depot. I'll keep looking, but if this is some hard to come by specialty bulb, what's the point? I would just as soon have had the kit at a reduced package price, minus the lamp.

See all reviews...

Overall Rating: ( 14 reviews )

1. Posted: Jan 7 2008

   Makita LXT401 given as a Christmas present. Son is very happy.

2. Posted: Nov 6 2007

   FANTASTIC
   READY TO WORK RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. THE BEST QUALITY TOOL. THE LIGHT REALLY HELPS.
   

3. Posted: Nov 1 2007

   my new combo kit
   -Circular saw (model BSS610) - Very lightweight. The instructions showed a dust nozzle accessory that you could hook up to a vacuum but we couldn't find it in our box. I guess you had to purchase it separately? The blade guard on the saw appears to be metal, but is in fact silver-colored plastic.n-Reciprocating saw (model BJR182)- Again lightweight, but the power button seems to have more 'play' than I'd like to see in a tool.npower drill (model BHP452)- Was nicely balanced with an LED light.n-Impact Driver (model BTD140)- Driver bits were not included in the package. I guess those need to be purchased separately. The Impact Driver has a plastic casing around the chuck which is useful for protecting cabinet wood and such when you are working inside cabinets and small areas that you don't want scratched. Also, the LED light is useful for those small, unlit areas as well.n-Optimum Charger (model DC18SC) - Charges the Lithium Ion batteries in 30-45 minutes (beeps when it's ready). The combo kit comes with 2 LXT 18v Li-Ion batteries.n-Flashlight (model BML185)- Can be adjusted from 90-180 degrees but that adjusting mechanism wasn't tight and didn't seem like it would work for long before breaking. It's also a halogen bulb - it would be nice if it was an LED instead.nA very cool heavy duty suitcase with accessory pockets and wheels. I would use this bag when I travel. I bet it would fit right in the overhead bin on the airplane. And, it would fit my ski boots and just enough clothes for a ski weekend away. Ahhh, snow season is coming soon ! ! !n-All in all, the tools are lightweight and quiet. BUT - for the money you pay, Makita should have thrown in a few more accessories like the dust nozzle for the saw and at least one Impact Driver Bit
   

See all reviews...