Customer Reviews

Bare-Tool Makita BTL061Z 18-Volt LXT Angle Impact Driver (Tool Only, No Battery)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have the excellent, highly recommended light-weight LXT set with drill and impact drivers, and wanted a tool for close quarters. I chose this impact over the drill model as I like the fast (unfeelable) tapping that more easily drives screws and removes them. Be aware the other right angle drill has a manual chuck that needs a key handy and this unit only has the hex configuration with collet, so the owner needs the type of pop-in hex bits for drills and screw types most common today, which are superior and not hard to find (requires no re-tightening like the collet type). Very comfortable, nice light that shines where you are working, easy to use, very small head design, fits in small places, well balanced and great name for quality tools. I find I use it most of the time; comes with a handy belt hanger.

I highly recommended this tool and it is nice to use the same battery as the LXT series (comes with no battery or charger). Instead of having a variety of drills and batteries to re-charge and keep track of, this goes well with the LXT series and keeps it simple. It is a very nice addition to my tools for the DIY'er that I am, and likely great for a professional as it feels very well made and has a low profile for tight spaces.

Purchased this item recently, and used it to drive a variety of exterior/interior screws as well as to drill into wood. Very pleased with its performance and capabilities. Compared to other manufacturers' right angle offerings, this unit may be the best choice for a lot of people.

I needed to do some work in areas with very little overhead clearance, and was not relishing the thought of using either of my two angle adapters/converters to do the job (I have a variable-angle as well as a fixed 90-degree drill adapter). Both adapters are keyed (chucked), are very cumbersome when attached to a drill (requiring two hands to position), and the thought of using either contraption to drive screws without slipping and marring the work surface isn't pleasant.

When the Makita BTL061 arrived, I was pleased with its build quality, which is solid and bulletproof. The head casing is made of metal, and can rotate and lock at various positions (although then the trigger and led light will no longer be inline with the driver head). The unit will accept either the 1.5 or the 3.00 AH lithium ion battery packs (not all tools in the LXT series will accept both). The led light, which stays lit for ~10 seconds after trigger release, comes in very handy when you're working in dark corners or recessed areas. The unit was made in Japan, and came with a belt holder and one short double ended Phillips drive bit.

The business end is very compact, compared to the other right angle drill/drivers I've seen, and certainly more compact than my angle adapters. With appropriate low-clearance bits, this will allow the user to squeeze into much tighter spaces. Torque control is manual, but it's very controllable with the variable-speed trigger. Although it isn't rated to 1,300 in. lb. as my straight impact driver (also a Makita) this unit provided more than enough power to drive whatever fasteners I needed. In fact, the unit was so strong that it sheared off the head of a screw when I inadvertently hit a hardened burl in the wood (I had to core out the snapped screw, but that's another story).

Unless you anticipate doing way more drilling than driving, I'd recommend buying this unit rather than a right angle drill. With hexed drill bits, you can easily drill with this unit. It may not appear to be as precise but if you anchor the bit into the material slightly and start slowly you'll get the exact same results as with a dedicated drill. Conversely, if you try to drive a screw with a drill instead of an impact driver, you'll be prone to slippage/stripping, and you'll be extending more force and effort to get the job done. In other words, this impact driver will be more versatile than a plain drill/driver. I wish I had purchased the BTL061 right away rather than wasted $60+ on my two adapters (which I don't see using again).

In summary, the BTL061 is a very well built, versatile tool which I can recommend without any reservations. It really proves its worth in those instances where you need its right angle form factor, and I've used it in place of my normal impact driver at other times.

I recently did a large project in my house and had received this unit for X-mas.

One of the larger parts of my project involved getting about 1000 screws into tight places with precision and consistent torque. This tool really delivered great results.

I looked at other 90-degree converters for regular drills and there was just too much bulk added from a standard drill. Also, if you read carefully, most 90-degree add-ons are not rated for high torque so they may crack after heavy use.

The build quality of this unit is fantastic. It's built like a tank.

The unit accepts regular sized bits and that means quick bit changes are a snap.

The only thing I wish it came with was a snap-on chuck so I could put drill bit on it easily. I do have some hex-slotted drill bits which I can use in a pinch.

I love the new Makita 18 line of tools. I bought this one never appreciating how good it was going to be. It is an outstanding tool, that has more power than I ever expected. It can get into some real tight areas and has plenty of power. The variable speed control is really good if you want to baby something in that is sensative to torque, and on the other hand it has plenty of guts for the higher torque applications.
Brian

i have only used this tool for a short time but i am very surprised at the power the tool has. i am in a lot of tight spaces where a regular impact won't cut it. this tool will run self cutting screws with no problem and tighten and loosen 5/16" bolts with no problem. i bought the bare tool (had lots of batteries) at a pretty good price. it has the punch.

I love this thing! the combo of right angle & impactor rules. Ok, you'll need to have the click in drill bits when you need to drill in tight spaces, so go get the snappy set that has regular bits w/ chucks & collars, and drill away. When putting fasteners in tight spots, you usually can't get very good leverage to keep pressure as you drive either, and that's were the impactor rules.
It seems well made, and I've been happy w/ the other lxt tools too.

I own a lot of makita 18 volt tools the 18 volt angle inpact is my favorite just got it i am a mecanic and i use it in the place of an air ratchet workes great and gets in tight places and with the inpact on it it has great power there batterys are the best i got two batterys with my first purchase four years ago and there still going strong many others wont last even a year there products are some of the best in there industry i use my makita tools every day they are made for heavy duty use would highly recommend this product love my makitas.

It's a really excellent product. Compare its torque rating with other right-angle drivers/drills, even with ones that aren't right angle. Very powerful.

Notes about bits: Bit sets for impact drivers often have bits that are too short to lock into place in the driver - so short that if you put them into the driver their business end is inside the collar, not outside where it can interact with a screw (On an impact driver like this there's no 3-clawed chuck. You just pull the collar out a little, drop the bit in, and release the collar, which locks the bit into place) - so bit sets come with a magnetic coupler/adapter, giving you two choices - waste the tight right-angle this driver gives you by using a long adapter or don't use the adapter and deal with the bit constantly falling out.

Double-ended bits are often long enough to lock into place with little wasted length, and that's what I use just to turn a wood screw in pine, but I'm not sure they're going to stand up to really heavy use. So I think the best bet would be to find a slightly longer set of bits. The depth at which the bit snaps into place is just over 3/4 of an inch, so I think 1-inch long bits would be perfect.

Maybe 6 of the bits in the "Milwaukee 48-32-4401 Shockwave Driver Bit Set, 29-Piece" would work, but of course they don't have any flat head bits.

It works as well as the regular impact drivers but in tight spaces. Didn't think I would use this but have used it several times when installing recessed lights between studs and in other tight spaces.

I love this tool! Got it to finish up a deck with some tight spots for screws. Not a nail in this deck or a fastener visible from above. It drills and drives where nothing else would work. It's one of my favorites now.