Customer Reviews

Bare-Tool Hitachi WH18DL 18-Volt Li-Ion Cordless Impact Driver (Tool Only, No Battery)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I originally purchased this driver on the internet as a combo set along with a compact drill and 2 1.5 batteries. Only having 1 battery in each tool with no spares was very inconvenient in jobs such as fence work where you needed both the drill and driver. The batteries would too quickly lose power and I ordered 2 3.0 batteries from Amazon. They work great and last much longer with more power, still working today.
We moved and I'm doing the interior of my newly constructed barn,including treated wood for stalls. The impact driver plastic trigger soon broke. I then used the drill as a backup. After 2 attempts to drive 3" screws with the drill, the clutch grinded and slipped and the drill too was useless.
To repair the driver, a complete new switch assembly must be purchased for $54, so buying a new $100+ tool is a better option. Couldn't find the receipt nor hadn't registered the product. Amazon customer service was great and went back through all my Amazon purchases, so I had not purchased from them. Since I had purchased a Hitachi saw in the meantime, I was stuck with Hitachi.
Bought a new bare tool from Amazon and immediately registered the tool with Hitachi. The impact driver has worked well several months under regular use driving 2 1/2" screws.
Points.
1. Use 3.0 batteries for anything other than hobby use.
2. The 10 year warranty was a big consideration. Register the product immediately. I considered the Dewalt XRP, but not for $329 and a 2 year warranty.
3. Buy the bigger Hitachi drill, DS18DL, as a backup in case the driver breaks. So far, it's a rugged drill.
4. Please take the time and write a review. Amazon reviews have helped me tremendously.

After running the gamut of cordless tool usages for 30 years, I've Finally Arrived! Let's see, from drills of 3.6, 7.2, 12, 14.4, 15.6, 18 and 19.2 Volts, only the C19.2 had meet most of my drilling-driving needs. I added the impact driver to my 19.2V collection some years ago...performed okay. However, there always were power issues dealing with run times and battery storage of my NiMH batteries. I've been holding out and watching the new battery technologies develop, especially the Lithium-Ion systems. Consistent Drilling Torques, Long Lasting Shelf Life Power, Quick Charging, High Current Output, Longer Life Cycles and Lower Weight really makes the Li-Ions desirable, for Pros or the Homeowner. I decided to take the plunge and outfit my shop cordless tool selections with this new battery technology.

I researched all of the newest cordless Li-Ion products on the market and found the HITACHI 18V 3.0 Ah HXP tool systems to be unbeatable in most categories. They cost less then most of the other professional brands of great cordless tools. I actually picked up this Hitachi WH18DL Impact Driver in a 2-piece combo set (with Drill, Charger & 2-3.0 Ah HXP Batteries) here on Amazon, a Great Value compared to an individual purchase.

I've not been disappointed! You can look up specs and read other reviews, but I can safely say that this Cordless Hitachi Impact is Absolutely SOLID in use! The Hitachi WH18DL Driver-Impact has a huge amount of torque (1330in.\lbs.) and feels and works well in my hands. It sinks larger and greater length screws and lag bolts than even my corded drills (all professional), but with a Lot More in the way of control, less fatigue, greater power and convenience! Because of the applied impact torque, stripped out phillips heads are a thing of the past and wrist fatigue I experienced with regular drills is nonexistent!

The 3.0Ah Li-Ion batteries give the impact plenty of run time, allowing me to tackle all of my DIY projects. Plus, Hitachi now offers a LIFETIME Cordless Li-Ion HXP Tool Warranty...Can't beat that!!

Overall, these are the most powerful, well built, quiet and ergonomic cordless tools I have ever come across! The Hitachi 18V 3Ah HXP tool system is Very Close to the Power and Torque of my pro corded tools, but with a Lot More in the way of Convenience (No Cords)! These Hitachi cordless tools are No Slouches and can hold their own against any of the other pro competition. I've also been well pleased with my 18V Drill-Driver, Circular Saw and Reciprocating Saw cordless tools from Hitachi!! All feel great and work as well in my hands as any of the top corded power tools I own. When I'm pushing large wood screws or 3"+ lag bolts, this high powered-high torque Hitachi Impact Driver is my Go-To, No Sweat Handy Man!!

This is my fourth set of cordless tools. As a plumber who uses and bought the Hitachi 4 tool kit at Costco and then added the grinder and this impact driver to the kit separately. The impact driver is just as good as the other main brands like Makita & Dewalt. I even bought the cheaper Ryobi impact driver and it worked fine but the Hitachi is a bit tougher. I tighten 60lb. torque no-hub bands on cast-iron pipe and the power save feature which reduces the torque significantly gives just about the right torque without stripping out the band. Full power mode on the impact will on occasion strip these bands. My fellow plumbers with other brand impacts like
Dewalt and Makita strip bands from time to time because they have trouble guessing the torque exactly. The drill/driver hardly gets used by us plumbers anymore since the impact has come on the scene and the Hitachi is my favorite so far. The tools are more reasonably priced to me and Lithium-ion batteries work just fine. I won't buy Dewalt anymore because they are overpriced and don't even have a lithium-ion battery to my knowledge. They do have the best ni-cads though. Try the Hitachi and you won't be disappointed and it is very light too. Good luck.

At the price that I purchased this item for, I was able to buy a 12 drawer, 3 section, rolling tool chest with ball bearing sliding drawers, versus the price I would pay from a retail store. Drill works fine, and the packaging was factory direct. Will buy again from this vendor.

Purchased because I all ready have 3 Hitachi batteries from there 18 Volt Hammer Drill. This drill performs better then expected its lite and well balanced even with the batteries installed. The drill has more then enough power and very good speed control I used it to install plastic electrical outlet cover plates with out cracking them and then drill in 3/8 X 3 lag bolt.

I purchased the Hitachi WH18DL impact driver to go along with my existing 18V Hitachi cordless set. I've been very impressed with other tools and they haven't failed me. They have proven themselves through a complete kitchen remodel and rebuilding a large deck. I've only used the impact driver a few times however i can already tell this impact driver will be a welcome addition to my kit. I've used other brand impact drivers Milwaukee and Makita both Li-Ion and the Hitachi seems to have more power. The impact driver has a good feel, it seems a little larger than others but that might be due to 3.0 Ah Li-Ion battery.

I like that it has a storage for two bits and a light and integrated belt hook. I'll update the review after i use the tool on a upcoming project.

Dropping the tool from the ladder was definately my fault. However, I have dropped numerous power tools from this ladder yet this has been most disappointing of all. I am a Makita fan but purchased this tool since I had spare batteries... Makita tools are much durable and cost about the same.

Earlier, I purchase a Hitachi 18 volt li-ion cordless driver drill. I needed something with a little more power and I purchased the perfect partner for my workshop in the Hitachi WH18DL 18-Volt Li-Ion Cordless Impact Driver (Tool Only). The 18-Volt Li-Ion batteries were interchangable on both tools and convienent. Great workshop tools to have in your workshop with a lot of power and reliability to get your projects done.

This is my first impact driver. I got a bare tool since I already had a Hitachi drill with two batteries. I got it to rebuild my deck and my project went much faster.

It can drive anything. I even use it for wheel bolts on my car with a socket adapter or with a 1 1/2" auger drill in wood. It can drive an auger bit a lot faster than the regular drill. When I really drive it, the overload cuts out, but that is what is supposed to do.

The one downside is the tool is a bit heavy, but lighter than the regular drill.

Since I own a number of other Hitachi 18V tools, I thought I would get this impact driver without the battery & charger. It's about a third of the cost, and since I am just a light user, I thought that I would just use my existing 1.5Ah batteries, since they are also smaller & lighter. Well, even with fresh batteries, the product would stall near the end of a run, and run out of power in just a few minutes (I have the driver on the Power setting).

That's when I noticed a label on the front of the driver, near where the battery plugs in: "WARNING - Use only with battery EBM1830". This is the Hitachi 3.0Ah Lithium Battery. The product was designed to use this!

The 1.5Ah batteries worked fine on my other drills, but this one was different. It wants and needs power! I ordered the 3Ah battery here on Amazon Hitachi 326241 EBM1830 18-Volt Lithium-Ion 3.0 Ah HXP Battery and the driver now works fantastically, and lasts for plenty of time. I can't believe I waited so long to own a tool like this, which make construction jobs SO MUCH EASIER! Total weight of the driver and battery is a fairly hefty 4 pounds (remember, I'm not in the construction biz, so it seems heavy), but with so much power and torque, it's no problem. Besides, the driver would probably weigh another pound if you used the equivalent Ni-Cads instead of lithium's.

Couldn't be happier with the purchase. Just make sure you use the larger, 3.0Ah battery!