Accessories

Excellent drill, especially for the price.
I bought this drill based on the ergonomics. I picked up and held every drill at the store and this one has perfect ergonomics. The handle is very comfortable and it appears to be perfectly balanced, the weight is perfect, feels light but well made. This drill is the most comfortable to hold by far of any drill I have seen or tested and I looked at every brand in several stores.

The drill has a lot of torque and the clutch is great. I use it as a cordless screwdriver most of the time and a drill on occasion. Most chuck less drills have a hard time holding the bits, but you can use the DeWalt drill bits that have a hexagonal base and it solves the problem completely.

The batteries last a long time and charge in about 30 minutes. It comes with two so you can charge one while using the other. They won't charge until they cool down however (the charger will not charge a hot battery).

If you need a longer run time, you can get NiMH or Li-Ion batteries in anywhere from 1.5Ah to 3.0Ah that fit this drill. If you go with either of those however, you will need a new charger since the supplied charger is only for Ni-Cad batteries. The UC18YRL is a universal charger that can charge all 3 types of batteries.

You can also buy the DS18DFL package which appears to be the same drill with Li-Ion batteries but without a flashlight. For some reason the Li-Ion drill is rated about 6% less torque of 374in/lbs vs this one is 400 in/lbs, although I doubt anyone could tell the difference.

The flashlight is bright and lasts a long time, I use it all the time. The light comes with a spare lamp inside if you unscrew the cover. I had a hard time finding replacement lamps for the light for a while, but then found out the Makita ML180 lamps work perfectly as a replacement so I just pick those up at a local Makita dealer.

I have dropped both the flashlight and the drill onto a concrete floor about several times and both survived without damage except killing the flashlight bulb if the light was on.

I bought two kits I use in two locations and this set has been great in every way. The batteries are getting old so I'll replace them with NiMH or Li-Ion and get the universal charger.

All rechargeable batteries self discharge so if you charge it and store it, it will be dead when you need it. If you use it only occasionally, it is best to store the batteries with a low charge or near empty, not fully charged to extend their lifetime.

When you replace them, you can recycle them at most hardware stores or any Radioshack will accept them. Don't throw them out, the Cadmium is toxic and like all rechargeable batteries, they should be disposed of properly.

Green Dragon Drill
I purchased new for $75 plus a free battery totaling 3 batts. I am glad I got the third one since the 1.4 amp batts do not last long. Hitachi makes higher amperage batts, and I would suggest purchasing them for those who use the unit extensively. The drill is well balanced and well made with plenty of power.

Handy Little Drill
I've owned one of these sets for roughly 5 months and am absolutley pleased with its performance. I'm the Maintenance Supervisor of the multi-use building where I work so I have used this drill on dozens of occasions for a variety of purposes.

This drill is very comfortable to use and is relable in its' performance. The battery life is usually sufficient to get the job completed, but on a more lengthy task which may require changing batteries they charge quickly enough that I always have a fully charged battery ready for use.

When I first got the drill I did have a slight problem with the bits coming loose but that was mostly caused by my not adequately tightening the chuck. That's not an uncommon problem with keyless chucks, I've experienced that with other drills.

The only negative comment I might have would be more of a personal feeling than a comment about this tools performance. I just don't feel this drill has the power to tackle a real tough job, such as drilling through metal or sheet steel more than about 1/16"; I use my heavier duty drill for those real tough projects. That one is also a Hitachi product and I believe their top of the line drill powered with Lithium Ion batteries, however it is a rather expensive tool.

Overall, this a great little drill. I have no qualms in giving it a 5 Star recommendtaion for anyone looking for a dependable drill at a reasonable price for use around the home, in the home workshop or even on the job site.

[...]

nice drill
this was an upgrade to my old 13.2 volt firestorm which died recently. Definatly can tell the extra torque, and the speed of recharge is great too. The included light really comes in handy too, and it's BRIGHT! I named mine Drillzilla because the colors remind me of Godzilla

Good drill
I like this drill because it feels great in my hand and is very comfortable to use. The grip is great. I hate the keyless chuck. On certain bits, I just can't seem to get the chuck tight and it will come loose during the job. I have dewalt drills that don't have this problem. The batteries with this drill are horrible. They don't last long at all. Hitachi makes a another battery that fits this drill that last a lot longer. Overall a decent drill.