.Update: 4/3/2013 I have been using this drill now for about 3 1/2 years (granted not every day) and on many demanding and lengthy projects such as refurbishing 2 old houses, two large decks, 1/4 mile of lattice fencing, etc., etc..... Still going strong and the batteries still hold a decent charge.
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My rating of five stars is actually a solid four stars in order to help make up for the undeserved two-star rating, which one reviewer gave.
I did a lot of research before buying this drill. It is well balanced, easy to control, and will drive just about any screw into anything and do it for a long, long time on each battery. It is a powerhouse with more torque (460 lbs.) for the buck than any other drill in its class. I have found that, for me, two 1.5 amp-hour batteries are better than one 3.0 amp-hour battery (which is available) in that the smaller battery is much lighter; and if you are working with the drill all day long, you will appreciate not having to carry around the extra weight. The 1.5 ah battery charges in less than half an hour (not in 15 minutes as claimed), so you are always ready to go.
However, there are a few minor cons: 1) No drill bit holder (You can install one yourself...I prefer a magnet.) 2) The kit comes with a useless flashlight, not even l.e.d. It would have been better to have added a few doo-dads to the drill, such as a level, instead of wasting the money on a flashlight. 3) No battery meter. 4) Comes with a belt holder, which is very sturdy; but I wouldn't trust what one might hang it on to...and then there is always the possibility of drilling a hole in your leg. I removed it. 5) The case for the kit measures 16" x 18" x 4" and would do justice as designer luggage or as an overnight airline carry-on ...another waste; and when was the last time you lugged around (or even kept) your work drill in its case? However, it is recyclable. 6) The charging light on the bare-bones charger is recessed in the top of the charger and can only be viewed by looking down on it. The charger also has a rather cryptic light readout.
With all these complaints, I wouldn't trade it for any of the other 9 drills (for under $200) I tried out. Why? It outperformed every one of them.
For the past two weeks, we have been reconstructing a small country house. I included the Hitachi and a good corded drill (just in case)in my tool kit. So far, I have yet to plug in the corded drill.
Positives: light weight, small for tight spaces, ergonomic, lithium ion batteries, ease of drill bit lock-up in the chuck, LED work light, and a very nice carrying case.
Minus(?). My only concern is to echo a previous review...I had no idea when I bought the tool that it is the only one Hitachi makes at this time with this battery design. It is new. Though lithium ion batteries last a long time and they have no charge "memory," at some point (1,000 charge cycles or so) they need to be replaced. It would be more comforting if the battery was universal to the product line.
One more thing...why the flashlight? The carrying case could be made smaller without it.
Buy Hitachi DS18DSAL 18-Volt 1/2-Inch Drill/Driver Now
Had to buy a new drill in the middle of putting up 5 tiers, 4 sections, warehouse wood shelving. The Dewalt 14.4v, which I liked, went up in smokes after 5 yrs. Bought this Hitachi without any research, and was not disappoint. This drill is very compact and light, lighter than my 12v Dewalt. The battery came out of the box already charged, ready to go, which I appreciated cause I didn't have time to wait for initial charge-up. Each 1.5A lit-ion battery lasted about the same as a Ni-Cad, but much lighter and slimmer. Recharged takes 15-20 minutes. At 460in-lb, it easily drives 2 1/4 screws and sometimes 3in ones I was using, and 2 1/2 masonry screws pre-drilled. Was initially very skeptical of the belt hook but turned out to be a very convenient feature and didn't drop the drill through a lot of movement up and down the ladder. The led light gives a good added feature to work under low lighting conditions like under the shelves.The extra flashlight is something I don't plan to use and seems a useless extra that could be taken out of the package to save buyers money. The case is ridiculously big. I had to put out a little more money for a bag to carry the drill and charger.
The green color and the stupid design on the drill make the drill look like a toy, but the performance is far from being one. I highly recommend this drill for extensive use. It lessen the wrist fatigue with its light weight and gives you very good driving power.
Read Best Reviews of Hitachi DS18DSAL 18-Volt 1/2-Inch Drill/Driver Here
I have owned this drill for over one year and am very pleased with its compact size and torque. I have drilled 3/4" holes through some tough 2" X 10" joists and loved the torque. My problem is with the batteries, I have had one fail in less then 5 months. If you have read other reviews on other sites you would see that this is a common problem. Because of the batteries I had to give the package only three stars and at that I thought I had been quite generous.Want Hitachi DS18DSAL 18-Volt 1/2-Inch Drill/Driver Discount?
I bought this for woodworking. It is replacing a Milwaukee of similar size and specs. My Milwaukee batteries only lasted two years, but this is apparently average for Litium Ion. And, as everyone also knows, you can by the whole kit for a little more than two batteries cost. I will probably buy two more batteries for the Milwaukee later so I can have two drills. Hey, a man cannot have too many tools!This Hitachi is similar to the Milwaukee. Only time will tell about build quality. I've learned through the years that a little flex here or there in a tool does not necessarily mean it won't last. This drill has a little more flex than the Makita or Milwaukee, but it still seems well-made. What I like about this drill (as with the Milwaukee and similar Makita) is the compact size. I am a woodworker and often must put screws in tight places (cabinets). This drill/driver has great power to weight/size ratio. I checked out all the brands and this one is the shortest 18V from front to back and top to bottom. Another important feature for a a serious woodworker is a smoothly funstioning ratchet. This one is consistent and smooth. The chuck also works very well.
I totally agree with what others said about the light and case. Skip the light, make the case smaller and put a bit holder on the drill.
About the charger: I've had several different brands of drills and never really needed all the fancy indicators. A light for charging and one for charged is all I need. It would be nice, as one reviewer stated, if the light was on the front so you could tell at a distance when it's charged. On my Milwaukee, I thought I would use the battery level indicator, but I never actually used it. In the real world, you use the battery until it dies and then swap out. One time I press the cute little indicator button and said to myself, "Oh, cute, the battery's half dead." Then I just went on using it. I suppose it would be nice to tell which of the batteries was charged when they are taken out of the case, but I don't use my drill like that.
People who do serious drilling shouldn't buy a small drill then complain about how it underperforms. That's why they make bigger models. It cracks me up when reviewers talk about drilling a bajillion holes in concrete and yet they bought a compact drill!
This drill works great for what it is designed: Woodworking and small to medium size projects. And, there is enough torque to do the occasional heavy drilling. I think there's plenty of power to build a deck with this as long as you have a corded hammer drill for any super heavy work.
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