Put down that wimpy drill and pick up one of these beasts to get the job done fast. Regular drivers and drills struggle to sink fasteners in masonry. Avoid burning out your motor by using the right amount of power for the job. Check out these three hammerdrill kits from Makita to see which one is the best for you. Hint: you might be surprised.
Makita LXPH01 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Hammer Driver-Drill Kit
First off, let’s save you some time. Each one of these drills is exactly the same. The only differences are the model numbers and how many batteries come in each kit. There, now you really only have two choices instead of three.
Between the LXPH01 and the XPH01 kits there is no difference whatsoever except for the part number. Makita upgraded their lineup in 2014 with new batteries and changed model names to match.
With that said, let’s get down to what makes these kits worth having. Like we mentioned, a hammer drill is essential for working in masonry because a regular driver/drill will take a long time or else burn out drilling and driving in stone. If you plan to sink fasteners in tough materials, you want a tool that won’t just spin—it will also pound them home. Turn the dial to the hammer setting and you’ll see how much faster you’ll finish the job. It puts out up to 6000bpm (blows-per-minute) in low gear and up to 22,500bpm in high gear. But remember you don’t need to turn on the hammer function if you’re doing delicate work.
The LXPH01 has a two-speed all-metaltransmission. Its rotational speed in low gear ranges up to 400rpm, while high gear spins up to 1500rpm. Just press the variable-speed trigger to control how fast you go once you select high or low. You can also control how much power you use by choosing one of the 16 clutch settings.
With 480 inch-pounds of torque, Makita’s LXPH01 also works great as a regular drill for wood and metal. It can handle up to ½” bits in metal and 1-1/2” bits in wood. Since it has a ½” chuck, it’s compatible with a wide range of accessories like sanding pads and hole saws.
The drill itself weighs only 4 pounds and measures 8-1/8” long. With the battery mounted, it can stand on its foot independent of other support. The handle has a pleasant ergonomic design so the drill’s weight is evenly balanced unlike a corded pistol-grip drill.
Makita also placed an LED work light just above the trigger under the chuck. It turns on when you press the trigger and turns off a few seconds after you release it. The light runs off the same battery that the drill uses.
The batteries included in the LXPH01 kit are 18-volt LXT lithium-ion packs compatible with Makita’s other LXT tools. They have a capacity of 3.0Ah, which is really the minimum you’ll want when working a big job with the hammer function engaged. Because they are Li-Ion, you can use them in freezing temperatures and top them off on the charger whenever you want. They don’t have memory effect so you won’t reduce their capacity.
The charger included in the kit is the DC18RC. That’s actually important because both this charger and the batteries have Makita’s Star Protection Computer Controls. This protects the battery packs from overheating, over-discharging, and burning out under heavy use. This is an essential feature to keep your lithium-ion batteries working at top capacity for as long as possible. Just to fill you in on the difference between Makita and the competition: Makita warrants their batteries for 3 years instead of just 1 because this Star Protection actually works.
Li-Ion batteries don’t deal well with too much heat. This charger won’t refill them until they have cooled down enough, and it even has a fan to help the process along. One tip: don’t leave your battery packs in a hot vehicle if you don’t want to buy new ones right away.
One last note about the battery packs: given ideal temperatures, they recharge in only half an hour. This is amazing for a 3.0Ah capacity battery.
More features of the Makita LXPH01 kit
- Makita offers a 3-year warranty on the drill, batteries, and charger
- Kit includes the drill, two battery packs, a tool belt clip, and a hard plastic tool case
Makita XPH01 18V Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Hammer Driver-Drill Kit
Like we said, this is the exact same drill as the LXPH01 described in detail above. The only difference is the model number. The change was made in 2014 to call it the XPH01 so as to match the new Makita lineup numbering.
You may notice that the charger is a different color. It’s still the same DC18RC with the Star Protection Computer Controls against burnout and over-discharge. The two 3.0Ah 18-volt battery packs are part of the LXT collection compatible with many Makita cordless tools.
Either way, choose this kit or the one above, it’s all the same. If you happen to only need one battery pack, check out the kit below.
More features of the Makita XPH01 kit
- Makita offers a 3-year warranty on the drill, batteries, and charger
- Kit includes the drill, two battery packs, a tool belt clip, and a hard plastic tool case
Makita XPH012 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Hammer Driver-Drill Kit with One Battery
Don’t be deceived. Although this kit is named the XPH012, it comes with only one battery pack, not two. Other than that, the tool, battery, and charger are all the same as the other two kits described above. Even the case is the same. Only the tool belt clip may vary from the photo.
So now you have a decision to make. Would you like one battery pack or two? Take a look at the recommendation section below to fine-tune your decision.
More features of the Makita XPH012 kit
- Makita offers a 3-year warranty on the drill, batteries, and charger
- Kit includes the drill, one battery pack, a tool belt clip, and a hard plastic tool case
Recommendation
The tools are the same in each kit, as are the cases, the chargers, and the batteries. The only decision you need to make is whether you need one battery pack or two.
If you already have Makita 18-volt LXT batteries, you may find that the XPH012 kit will save you quite a bit of money. It only contains one battery pack.
If you prefer to have two batteries, get either the LXPH01 kit or the XPH01 kit. Look to see if one has a lower price. You already know they’re the same, so you’ll be ready to catch a good deal.
Click here to purchase Makita lxph01 on Amazon.com!
Click here to purchase Makita XPH01 on Amazon.com!
Click here to purchase Makita XPH012 on Amazon.com!