Customer Reviews

Hitachi DS18DL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion 1/2-Inch Cordless Driver Drill

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have purchased several brands of battery powered drills for installing electrical lines in new construction, so I tend to use my cordless drills more than most. This Hitachi is hands down the best I've ever used. Not only the superior torque, but the battery life is incredible. My Pan/Dew/Craft and Mil drills were all 'good' but suffered from some sort of problem. This thing chews through wood like its made of butter - the Lith/Ion batteries are incredible. the light on the side really works well also. The looks are a little "toy" oriented - reminds me of my Kid's Transformer toys, but the performance is unsurpassed.

I have to tell any and all of you that this is by far the best drill on the market. I have had numerous cordless drills over the years and the Hitachi is the one that I keep going back to. It is definitely more money than other brands/models, but if what you're looking for is a drill that won't let you down, this is it. I have a small cabinet shop, and all of my 10 employees use these drills day in and day out. Great battery life, lightweight, and plenty of power. I wouldn't waste your money on anything else.

I'm constantly remodeling houses, and bought this drill based on the great reviews from other Amazon buyers. It is a fantastic drill, better than any I've ever used (and I've used many brands). I don't even mind the color of the drill. Highly recommend you buy this if you've got serious work to do and need a reliable, sturdy drill.

I purchased this drill and its smaller cousin a while ago. Both sit within easy reach of my woodworking bench. I use the DS18DL for boring holes in hardwood with large forstner bits, as well as general drilling and screw driving tasks in hardwood.

This beast is very fast and very powerful. It is rated at 570 in lbs, and you will need the auxilliary handle when you push the tool that hard! That is enough torque to drive lag screws or bore 3" holes without missing a beat. This is simply the most powerful cordless drill I have ever used. It is very light and easy to handle for a drill of its capability. The batteries have excellent life, and weigh far less than comparable ni-cads.

You will love this tool.

Update at 6 weeks: I just finished using this drill to drive a few hundred 3" wood screws on an outdoor project. I am astonished at the level of performance. I changed the battery only twice during the project. It was just as if I was using a corded drill in terms of power and speed.

I really need to go on a bit about the chuck too. This drill has a genuine Jacobs chuck. Combined with the automatic spindle lock, this high quality chuck is a breeze to tighten and loosen. It is big enough to wrap my entire hand around for serious tightening. This chuck just doesn't slip when tghtened properly.

Again - you will love this tool.

I've bought two of these....or rather I bought one...and the first one was awful. The clutch broke, the side light broke, the balance was poor and the gearing was rough. Thing is- I went to return it after the drill completely lost any torque (it just slipped and clicked under the slightest resistance) and I saw that they had redesigned it. Turns out Hitachi had too many problems...or just didn't finish their design on the the first run. The remake is much much better. I think this might explain why some people have had the problems they've mentioned.

Either way, shame on Hitachi for putting out such a terrible first edition. It should have never seen the market. That said, their redesign is really what a good drill should be and their warranty is one of the best. I ended up exchanging for the updated version mostly out of brand curiosity and because I didn't like the other options. It is a fine drill and I would rate it higher except for my disappointment in the first version I bought. Balance is good and you can tell they've addressed the gearing failure. The batteries were excellent on both models.

Hope this helps anyone considering this drill.

This is a fantastic product. use this constantly all around and for a drill with the power and battery life this has, it is pretty lightweight. My father had bought a competing drill for similar money with less power and it is heavier than this one. As soon as he used my Hitachi, he was wishing he had waited. The batteries charge extremely quickly. I don't know why hitachi makes this thing look like a freakish Wally the Green Monster or something out of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode and the charger is a little noisy due to an internal fan in the charger. If you don't care about carrying around a green drill with lightning bolts on it, or a little noise coming from your battery charger, I would strongly recommend it.

Good performing drill. It lives up to it's advertised claims. The only drawback that I've experienced is that when I use it for screwing cement board, the chuck frequently loses it's grip on the bit.

I raise Shiitake gourmet mushrooms.... which are raised on logs, which are fresh cut, then have holes drilled in them, to inoculate with the spaun. This is done on the backside of my sixty acres, a long ways from power. The first day I drilled 570 holes, and didn't have to go to the house to recharge my two batteries. How about that !! These LiIon batteries are definitely the way to go... great drill, lots of power/torque... The best one I've ever owned, for sure.....

I'm just a home tinkerer, but this is a fantastic drill - lots of power, very durable, etc. My first project was running speaker wire outside, which involved drilling through masonry, wood, and metal siding, and the drill took it all in stride - and I even dropped it once. A friend uses these in a commercial setting, and he recommended it to me. The only drawback is that it looks like a toy.

I bought this drill about 6 months ago and have used it for all types of jobs. It is durable, very powerful, and responsive. The hook and light are nice bennies, but the torque on this drill is the best. Battery power is solid, I went 4 hours on a charge during continuous use. Batteries also recharge super quick - even 5 minutes on the charger juices the battery pretty good. Get it, you won't regret it.

--Update, June 2009--
I have continued to use the drill for many projects, with total satisfaction. There are a few things you may find useful to know: 1) the numbering on the adjustable drill speed dial have rubbed off - this has not been a problem for me because I have learned the settings that get the job done, but if you care about it, it could be a negative for you; 2) I got the Hitachi hammer drill / impact driver combo kit - it comes with the new lithim ion batteries, which are much lighter than the nickel ones that came with this drill. Everything is backwards compatible, so I have started using the lithium batteries with this drill - AWESOME. And 3) the keyless chuck has dropped my bit on occasion. This does not happen often, but is still bothersome when it does. Now you know. I still rate the drill a 5 of 5. It is a great tool for the price.