Customer Reviews

Hitachi DS14DL 14.4-Volt Lithium Ion Cordless Drill

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

 

 

I have not had an opportunity to use the drill on any large projects that would test the 3AH batteries full capacity, but the drill has been fantastic for the smaller projects that I have taken on. Great balance, raw torque to who laid the chunk, torque control that is surgical grade, high AH Lith Ion batteries and the four range speed control make the DS14DL the perfect choice for private or professional use. And the work light, I thought it would be more of a gimmick, boy was I wrong! The work light is the third hand we all have been looking for. I did a lot of leg-work in selecting this drill and I am 100% satisfied with the DS14DL.

This is the first cordless drill that I have purchased and didn't have to throw away my old one. Thanks to battery interchangability I can keep my old drill, cordless circular saw and work light. This drill is unbelievably powerful for 14.4 Volts, has a locking one-hand chuck and the batteries seem to last forever, even on my old drill which doesn't have the power saving feature this one has. No negatives yet - none expected. Even without previous Hitachi tools needing fresh batteries, I would highly recommend this drill or the similar DV14DL Hammer Drill.

I bought this drill because I was very tired of having Nicad batteries slowly fade away. The lithium batteries really do last longer, and seem to retain the torque longer into each long discharge cycle. They recharge in just a few hours, and with two batteries you don't have to wait. This is a great drill. The torque is high, especially for the weight. The work light can be very useful.

Minor disadvantages - Don't count on the manual to explain things well. It's fairly easy to accidentally turn on the work light, and since this is powered by small batteries inside the work light they can run down pretty fast. The drill's surface material gets dirty easily and is hard to clean. The latch on the case falls off easily when open.

Although Hitachi's web site claims a 10 year warranty on lithium tools, the warranty is listed here as 5 years, and that's what is stated on the warranty card.

I got this to replace a venerable old Porter Cable 12V. Its old NiCd batteries had finally given up the ghost. I read a lot of reviews and came to the conclusion that there are probably a lot of good drills out there, so I decided to find one with a plenty of power, a good feature set, and LONG-LASTING BATTERIES. The batteries with this drill are 3-amp-hour. The smaller batteries that come with many drills are about half that size, meaning that they last about half as long before running out of juice.

I'm a homeowner, not a pro, so I needed something for mostly small jobs, but the occasional bigger project. I don't need hammer function. Many of the smaller drills didn't have the power I wanted, but many of the 18V and higher models were heavier than I wanted, or were outside my price range. This drill fits my needs perfectly. Build quality is good and it's not too heavy (thanks to the Li-Ion batteries). It has loads of power for its size and the batteries last a long time. I don't notice any chuck wobble. The ratcheting chuck tightens easily with one hand and holds bits securely. The trigger and all switches are easy to operate. Contrary to one internet review, I did not find the LOW-HIGH switch difficult to move.

One feature that I REALLY like is the charger. It takes about 45 minutes to charge a battery from dead to full, and it has a built-in cooling fan. Many other brands include rapid chargers that work in about 15 minutes or less, but I don't trust them. The faster you charge a battery, the more heat you generate, and too much heat can kill a battery. So I really like that Hitachi took a more reasonable approach. The charge here is fast, but not too fast, and the fan helps to keep the batteries cooler and in good condition. It's safer for the batteries and will help them last longer, meaning that I don't have to spend a load of money on replacements any time soon. Who wants to spend money on new batteries for a drill? Not me.

I have owned this drill for about six months now. I have to admit that I have not heavily stressed the drill yet but it clearly has a great deal of power for a cordless drill. I have not been disappointed that I did not buy an 18 volter as this (14.4v) drill does the job with less weight and at a lower price. The battery life is adequate but thought they might last a little longer between charges.