Customer Reviews

Hitachi DS10DFL 12-Volt Peak Li-Ion 2-Speed Drill/Driver

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I tried this tool out while I was visiting friends in New England (Ipswich MA to be more precise). It was a pleasant surprise to me. It is compact relatively light weight and with plenty of torque and sufficient speed. I used it for two full days on several tasks without having to recharge the battery. After a few more days using the tool I decided it was worth it for me to buy one for myself. I ordered it online from MA and it was delivered right after I got back to California. I have been using it regularly at home instead of my Makita and more often than my DeWalt. With a paint stirring attachment it can quickly stir one or two gallon cans of paint. I used to use the 14.5 volt DeWalt because it had plenty of torque but was not real fast. The Hitachi has more than enough torque and is much faster, not mention a whole lot lighter.

Pros: good torque, good speed, nice weight and the light is a real plus as well

Cons: Not one that I have found so far.

I will be buying another for gift soon.

Nice tool to own!

In this category of drills, this one is excellent. Not many bells and whistles, very tight and solid operation and construction.

Got this one because of the small size and relatively light drill + battery. Does very well as a small electric screwdriver on the lower range. Quite good on higher range as a drill.

Run time is about average compared to others in this class, but the Li ion batteries charge much faster than NiCd which most competitors have, or they are a good bit larger and heavier. Costs a bit more than the NiCd counterparts, better torque and better for the environment than cheaper NiCd competition.

Major chain home improvement stores have been marking this down $10 recently (Aug2009).

This is my third or fourth drill, and I can honestly say after using this one that the other drills were all crap. This drill is light, yet has plenty of torque and speed. It comes with two batteries, and the charge on a single battery is very sufficient. It also hold a charge between uses, which none of my old drills could seem to do. Don't expect to be drilling endlessly into deep oak or masonry, but for cabinetry and such things, this drill is a dream. It is nice to have something that will put 50 screws into something and also doesn't weigh 10 lbs.

I purchased this drill to replace a 7.2V Makita. I have loved the Makita for years and hated to give it up but this little drill has made my Makita a distant memory. What is perfect about this drill is the weight. I don't need something that will drive screws for hours because I can't last that long anyway. After using it on a kitchen cabinet project, building bird houses, building a gate, and many little jobs around the house I can say it is perfect if you want something that won't wear out your arm and shoulder while you work. I have one small complaint. The chuck has a very slight wobble in it. I thought it might be a problem but that hasn't been the case. I would recommend this to anyone wanting a good lightweight drill. Don't be fooled by the voltage. The average home owner doesn't need 18 or 24 volts of drilling and driving power. Remember, we were at 7.2V and 9.6V not that long ago.

I've owned this drill since May 2010 and so far, I like! It's made (or at least assembled) in China like a lot of tools nowadays, but it's solid and doesn't feel the least bit cheap. And I find it ergonomically excellent; try holding it and I think you'll agree that everything about it just feels right. And perfect for women and those with smaller hands, and anyone who simply doesn't want to carry the weight of a full-size cordless. At 2.2 lbs, it's about half the weight of a full-size. It certainly isn't for building decks or heavy construction work, but for working around the house I prefer this over any larger drill. But I wish it had one or two built-in mini bubble levels like a lot of Craftsman drills do.

On high speed (0-1300 rpm) it has enough torque for most drilling jobs. For drilling larger holes and driving screws, you can manually shift to low (0-300 rpm) which gives less speed but more torque. Its 1300 rpm maximum speed is decently high for drilling small holes. Speaking of which, the 3/8" chuck is fine enough that it can hold 1/32" bits no problem! I often use this for drilling small holes in circuit boards.

Two small lightweight lithium-ion batteries are included (Ni-Cad is unacceptable in 2010) and are rated at 12V peak (fully-charged) and average 10.8V during usage. The included charger takes less than 1 hour to charge each battery. I can't yet comment on long-term battery life since I've only had this drill for a few months but I'll report back later to tell how they're holding up. Careful: as of 2010 Hitachi still has some other models in their lineup which look roughly similar to this one, but are powered by Ni-Cad batteries. Make sure the one you get says lithium-ion.

This little drill is very comfortable to hold and operate.

I suppose for $80 I shouldn't have gigged it 2 stars, but a wobbly chuck doesn't exactly entitle it to the "precision" label that some have applied to it. You'd better start extra slow on a hard surface or it's going to take a walk on you. Those pilot end starting bits help keep things straight.

I tried some other li-ion drills from folks like Dewalt, but the less expensive of the other brands wobbled as well. Ah, Chinese quality!

I didn't try Makita after reading about their li-ion battery charging problems on Amazon in a similar drill.

Now I hope these Hitachi batteries do well, if they don't, I'll be writing an update.

Hi,

I ordered this Hitachi DS10DFL and when I received it, it came with a Phillips # screwdriver bit and a case with 8 other bits and only one battery. The description details that is should come with 2 batteries and a carrying case and no bits.

I called customer service and they said they would send another unit to me, so I said OK but I was not thrilled because it meant a trip to the post office to return the first one after I received the second one. Well the second unit they sent was also incorrect it had the same contents as the first package and only one battery.

I checked both boxes that the drill was packaged in and both have a white lable affixed to it that says "DS10DFL", which is the correct number for this item. But both did not come with the extra battery or the carrying case.

Called customer service again and they were very nice and told me to keep the battery from the second drill they sent me and just to return the rest. I still did not get a carrying case as advertised but I am just happy to get the second battery, it was one of the reasons I ordered in the first place. 92.00 is great price, considering batteries cost 25.00 each.

So don't be surprised if you do not get what you think you will. Seems like this is a "Hitachi" issue with wrong label's on the product box. I mean when Amazon worked picks from warehouse they are picking correct item according to the label so Amazon would not know whats in the box until it is opened by customer and reported to them.

Customer Service said they were going to look into this issue. Love the drill, it is just right for the small jobs around the house.

I've owned this drill for a couple months now and it has worked out great. A little light on power which isn't an issue for me because I have a larger drill for the big jobs but for those looking for this to be the only drill they own you may want something more powerful.

For example I was drilling a 1 inch hole with a new spade bit through 1 inch pine and it made it through but after stopping several times from the bit biting too much and the drill not having enough power.

Pros:

Quality construction
Light Weight
Spare battery

Cons:
Limited use for lighter jobs only (not so much a con but know what you are buying)

I bought this drill at Lowes for around 80 bucks. I bought it mostly for pretty basic home owner tasks and weekend woodworking projects. I do construction work by trade, and Dewalt drills are the standard drill, but I didn't want to spend $200 on something that wasn't going to be used for industrial use.

From a homeowners standpoint, I feel this drill suits all my needs. It's drives screws and drills straight, with very little wobble. It is very light compared to a heavy duty Dewalt. It fits the hand nicely, comfortable. It's balanced very well. Lately I've been having problems drilling screws over 2",even with a pilot hole. That is pretty irritating. But I wasn't expecting this drill to be able to do anything heavy duty to begin with. It's an $80 homeowner drill. The light on it is not that bright or helpful really, as my finger tends to block it, but that's not an issue for me. The batteries do charge up fairly quickly and I haven't had an issue with them dying out fast or anything.

The main reason I bought the Hitachi drill over all other brands, is because for $80 bucks, it comes with a molded plastic case and two batteries and a charger, and it has a 5 year warranty. I think this drill is great, and is worth considering if you're a homeowner and need an inexpensive, not cheap, quality cordless drill. Perfect addition to your shop for budget minded consumers!

If you're looking for a super heavy duty drill that will last a long time and is built like a tank, never lets you down, and you're going to be using it A LOT for a variety of heavy duty tasks, I would consider purchasing a Dewalt.

This product works very well as a drill but is somewhat lacking in power as a driver for anything more than small screws. I am disappointed in the slippage of the clutch mechanism even at its maximum setting. The lithium ion battery holds a charge for a long time which I like very much.