Customer Reviews

Hitachi DS14DVF3 14.4-volt Ni-Cad 3/8-inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I install cabinets for a living. I use cordless drills all day long, every day. After trying several brands, i have found that most are similar. The best attribute to the hitachi is the price. When the batteries are worn out, it is cheaper to buy a new drill(with 2 batteries and a charger) than to replace other brands batteries. I own three 14.4 volt drills, and one 12 volt impact driver. The impact driver lacks power.

I own a lot of Hitachi power tools and like them all - until this drill came along. The battery doesn't last and is only powerful enough to place long screws in wood for 3 or 4 screws. My twelve year old Dewalt 12V is stronger and lasts longer (i bought the Hitachi because the price of it was about that of a new DeWalt battery - should have clued me in).

I do love the way it handles. If you need a drill for around the home that is not used extensively this may be a great buy. If you are a heavy user don't do this to yourself.

If you do any sort of construction at all stay away from this drill. I do aluminum work and this drill is definitely not up to snuff. It overheats and burns out after light screw running and the battery charge doesn't last more than 20 min. It is nice and small though and would be an ok drill for around the house light duty work.

I've had this drill for over a year and I've purchased a second so I'll have two drills for big jobs. It has great battery life and exceptional torque for a 14.4V battery. The charger also charges a battery in about 20 minutes.

It's not an industrial drill for framing a house but it can build a fence and re-drywall an entire room without any problems (two jobs I've done with this drill).

It's unreasonable to complain about it not working if you drop it from 8 feet.

Oh, consumer reports also rates this a best buy.

I expected more from hitachi! Coming from a carperter of 18 years, this tool will not make it in the field with me. I use it in the shop and around the house. I do like the drill itself and the flash-light is great. If you put charge on the battery for your next use, it will be dead less that 2 days in a nice warm shop. I can leave my makita in the truck for weeks in 20 degree weather an it will be ready to go when you need it.

This drill has plenty of power for any job. I used it to go through 2 2x4's as I needed to run some electrical wire for a transfer switch. It went through the studs easily and the compact design made it lighter and easier to handle. I wasn't using a paddle bit but a hole saw so the drill has the power. I have a Craftsman cordless drill that is larger and heavier that wasn't able to handle the job. This drill comes with 2 gear settings low and high which also made the job easier. I really like the flashlight as it has a flat base and the adjustable head allowed me to point the light where I needed it. While I didn't have to charge the batteries after this use having a 30 minute charger means I will never be without power.

I have used Makita and Hitachi in the 14.4V power range. The Makita is by far a better drill, but the Hitachi is lighter and easier to use. The Hitachi is an ok drill for the money, but it doesn't like rough handling. If you drop it, even from short heights you can expect major damage. I have already thrown one drill away due to internal damage from dropping it from my tool belt, but I kept the batteries for the other drills. I also purchased a "reconditioned" 14.4V Hitachi from Amazon, but found the drill to be of very poor quality out of the box, the reversing switch didn't fully engage without forcing it. It also wasn't the same drill or the same quality as the ones I purchased "new" from Amazon, but they had the same part number. "Reconditioned" must mean "product rejected by quality control at factory" in Japanese!

Ok, all you "low raters"...you can't buy a $70 dollar drill and then complain that it doesn't perform like a $200 drill! That's like complaining that your Chevy Cobalt isn't as fast as a Ferrari.

I do woodworking projects on the weekends, and I have multiple drills for multiple uses. My other drills are Porter Cable and Craftsman. I find myself grabbing this one for more uses than I bought it for just because it feels so good in my hand. It has good power for the voltage, a decent chuck, and decent battery life. It also has a nice weight to it, not too heavy not too light. The charger charges the battery in around a half hour.

The light is good as well. It has an adjustable lamp on it for all the various angles you may need it in. The case is nice as well.

All said this is a great drill for the money. Would definitly recommend!

the only fault i've found so far, (and this our 6th hitachi driver in the shop, we use them each and every day) is that it is so ugly..... and i can't blame my partners for making fun of it, come on hitachi, you can do better than this. we own multiple hitachi compound miter saws, belt sanders, drill motors, planer/jointers, etc., the green was always......well, hitachi green.......but now throwing on all of that black. back to the design team please. g. cheadle

When this Hitachi cordless drill popped up today on Amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day I was quick to snap it up. This will be my 3rd identical drill and my current two are still going strong. I couldn't pass up the chance to get another one of these great cordless drills with 2 more batteries for less than the price of the batteries alone.

These drill have plenty of torque, last a long time on a charge, and the batteries recharge really fast. The flashlight is also a very useful accessory. Though, I have never used it as a flashlight, it is fantastic to drain the batteries down to zero charge every 4th of 5th time to refresh the ni-cad batteries. Ni-cad batteries develop a "memory" when they are charged repeatedly without being drained. Eventually, the charge won't last much past the normal use time. Draining the batteries occasionally refreshes them.