Customer Reviews

Hitachi FDV16VB2 5 Amp 5/8-Inch Hammer Drill

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

 

 

Since I have a lot of little jobs around the house this easy to handle light and durable piece of machinery is just the thing I need. The first instinct is to buy a powerful tool but this being a second drill I decided some thing light and easy to use is just what I really need. The drill is quite powerful for its size/weight and its variable speed can be used for driving. The drill would warrant a 5 star rating if it wasn't for the variable speed trigger, which is not as smooth when trying to variate the speed, but with regular use I've learned to feather the trigger for driving screws.

If you read the other reviews about this drill you'll see complaints about burning out, etc. This is not a heavy duty contractor type tool. It is great for heavy duty homeowner use where the duty cycle is fairly short. It is specifically NOT for mixing drywall mud or thinset. This is hard on any drill not designed for this task. It is NOT for drilling holes in concrete where you have to do this continually over a sustained period of time for over a half hour. One guy said he burned out a 5/16" drill using this in concrete. Well, this has a variable speed to drill at an appropriate speed in concrete and if you use a good quality bit it works just fine. And be aware that the "5/8" inch means the drilling capacity in concrete NOT the chuck size which is 1/2". Treat this tool well and use it for it's intended use and it will perform well.

I've had this drill for two weeks and it does the job fine for me (around the house). It drills through wood and plastic with no problem what-so-ever (maybe the guy who had the drill die while drilling through a 2x4 had a defective product). It eats concrete block with no problem (A friend and I have drilled maybe 20 holes in block) and I even used it on poured concrete. It took maybe 10-15 seconds to drill an 1 1/2 inch deep hole, but I wasn't expecting anything better.

One of the best tips I've heard re: power tools is to let the tool work for you. I didn't "get into it" and apply all 210 lbs of me into the drill. ON the concrete, relax, put it on a low setting, and apply modest pressure. The tool, the bit and you will benefit.

Overall, for around the house and for the money, this drill is perfect.

I bought one, tried to drill a 5/16" hole (half the rated capacity) in concrete with a new masonry bit and smoked the bit. The drill is too fast, even on it's lowest speed to effectively drill holes in concrete, maybe concrete blocks, but not concrete. I took it back 20 minutes after trying to use it. I have other Hitachi products that I am happy with, but not this one. If you want a hammer drill, keep looking, this isn't one...

I bought this drill to replace a 3/8" Skil that was 20 years old. I used it for thinset and grout mix it smelled like it was burning but, worked fine no problems. I then used it to drill 1" holes in poured concrete. It lasted for only 8 holes the bits kept coming out of the drill no matter how hard I tightened the chuck. Then on the 8th hole it started smoking and died (brushes are shot). This is labeled a heavy duty hammer drill. I think not. I don't suggest this for anyone who uses a drill alot.

I have had the drill for a couple of years. I think it is really great and have never had any of the negative experiences listed in these other reviews. I find the slow setting quite slow. I find the high setting quite fast. My nephew and I installed about 30 rock climbing holds using tapcon screws and this drill. It worked absolutely great, and we were trying to do it with two other, much less expensive drills before that. Since then, I have drilled into masonry several times without issue. I have had it break a few screws when I have tried to put them into particularly hard stone, but the drill has always been fine. I haven't had it break a tapcon - those screws are worth the extra you pay, they are great! As of right now, I have owned about five different drills in my life and this is the best one for building, cutting holes, and driving screws or drilling holes into masonry. I haven't used a lot of high-end drills, so I cannot compare this to a Bosch or the like, but I am not disappointed at all with the product. Maybe some of these people got defective ones. If that were the case, I would suggest they do an exchange, because the one that I have works very well. One point, this drill uses a chuck key to tighten the bits, it is corded. I don't use it as my primary drill, I have a cordless drill that I use for everyday tasks, including as an electric screw-driver. I break out this drill when I am building something, cutting something thick or tough, or doing anything with masonry.

After reading through the reviews, this hammer drill has mixed reviews. I didn't order mine off amazon as I needed one ASAP and was able to pick one up at my local Lowes for $59. I have had the non hammer version of this drill(D13VF)for about 5 years now and it is lower speed and more suited for mixing morter, thinset, grout, etc. which was what I bought it for at the time. I have tried using this drill in concrete and was not very successful. I knew with the recent project(4" dryer vent and 4" vent fan penetrations through brick) I needed a hammer drill. I chose to use this hammer drill and 1/2" bit around the diameter of the hole and chisel the rest. Time consuming, yes. An SDS would have been nicer/easier, but I couldn't justify the cost and for the price of this hammer drill + bits, still cheaper than the rental place down the street and I have another drill in my arsenal. I used this drill concurrently for several hours drilling 26 1/2" holes twice and this drill didn't flinch or bog down at all. In fact, the Bosch bit wore out after the first penetration (~26 total 1/2" holes in brick). I went back and bought several of the cheaper and shorter Skill brand masonry bits and kept on drilling. I was suprised that the cheaper skill bit actually chewed through the brick quicker than the more expensive Bosch bit(about the 1/4 of the price). Anyways, the point is, use the drill for what it was intended for and you won't have any issues; no this is not a commercial grade, but it is not a piece of junk either and can have a duty cycle longer than a few minutes like some have suggested. I used this hammer drill 3+ hours straight and it never complained(excepton of me taking a few minutes to chug gatorade every so often); excellent bang for your buck.

I bought this drill at Lowe's and drilled 30 holes in my concrete foundation and it cut threw like butter.I like the depth gauge and the fact that it is a normal drill also.Why buy two separate drills when this does the job of both.This has been a great drill just don't cheap out on the correct bits and blame the drill!

If you have to drill in brick, and you are wondering if you need a hammer drill, the answer is yes. You might find this drill on discount at Lowe's. But Amazon is always great.

Installed a range hood (6" hole) through red brick with Bosch hammer bit , chisel and this. The control and speed were excellent for me.

I bought this drill new last year at Home Depot and used it to drill holes for 24,
3/16" Tapcon screws in concrete. By the time I got to the 24th hole it smelled like it was burning, the bearing was shot, leaking oil and the shaft was wobbling. Unfortunately, I could not find my receipt and they refused to take it back. If you buy this hammer drill make sure to hold on to your receipt because you will need it.