Hitachi KC18DE 18 Volt Combo Kit

by Hitachi

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

All the cordless tools you need packed into a convenient contractor bag best describes Hitachi's new KC18DE. This kit offers the DS18DVB cordless drill, C6DC2 6-1/2" circular saw and the CR18DV reciprocating saw. Hitachi's DS18DVB drill offers a 22 position clutch and electronic feedback control to maintain rpm speed through the toughest material. A scratch free nickel plated base, carbide blade and handy cut light add to the features of the C6DC2 circular saw. The reciprocating saw has a tool-less blade change and rubber comfort grip. This kit comes complete with 2 batteries, charger, flashlight and contractor bag.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 20 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0000EI97J
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: KC18DE
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #642,219 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hitachi Tools Deserve A Closer Look, June 1, 2004

By 

"greendiver9" (Seattle, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hitachi KC18DE 18 Volt Combo Kit (Tools & Home Improvement)

After twenty years of marine construction as a heavy timber dock and pier carpenter and commercial diver I have been pleasantly surprised by Hitachi. I have been a card carrying member of a professional line of tools known by their red boxes and stellar reputation as hard hitting durable tools.I had a kit like this one built by the red box company but was really unhappy with the power and I had to send in two out of four tools due to breaking on the job. I replaced that kit with this hitachi kit and have come to appreciate Hitachi. The previous reviewer apparently failed to read the part in the instructions where it talked about cycling the batteries a couple of times before they will hold a full charge(!) Well I have been using this kit hard and it is one hell of an arsonal. Good battery life and strong enough to feel like a corded tool. The circular saw has a light for the blade that helps and the motor doesn't bog down like most battery powered tools, the recip. also dishes out the power. All-in-all a great kit when you need the power but don't have enough of a job to justify humping the cords to the jobsite!

Thanks to Hitachi!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good tools, weak batteries, February 3, 2005

By 

C. L. Moore "Architectural Millwork company o... (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hitachi KC18DE 18 Volt Combo Kit (Tools & Home Improvement)

These are very good quality tools, like all Hitachi that I own (more than 20) they are built to last. The light on the circular saw is a great extra, even when cutting something in poor light the light on the saw is perfectly located. The drill is only a 3/8" chuck, but has lots of power. The only problem I find with this combo is that the batteries that came with it are 1.2 AH. I got lucky and found a couple of 18 volt Hitachi 3.0 AH batteries at Lowes on clearance for 40 bucks each. With these batteries the tools have more power and run much longer on a charge. Even with the added expense of upgrading the batteries, these tools are worth it to me as they don't have to go back to the service center all the time like some of my DeWalt and Porter Cable tools do.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The circular saw is the star of this combo, August 17, 2004

By 

P. B. SALAMON (Cedar Rapids, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hitachi KC18DE 18 Volt Combo Kit (Tools & Home Improvement)

I have two each of the drill and circular saw. One of the saws I turned into a cordless table saw by building a small table and fence for it. It is really handy to have a small table saw right at the job site for ripping. There is no safe way to rip without a table saw. I couldn't find one of those small corded saws I liked, and even if I did, it would still need a cord. I don't know why some company does not make a cordless table saw.

The saw mounted on the table will rip 2X lumber no problem. It will easily cut 5/4 oak. Using two saws at once (the unmounted one is used for crosscuts) I have never been slowed down by battery life. As soon as the battery I'm using is dead, the one in the charger is recharged. The way to buy batteries for these tools is to buy them as part of a new tool kit. One replacement battery costs about 80% of the DS18DVB drill kit which includes two batteries and a bonus drill!

The drills are a replacement for two DW drills that were stolen. I liked the DW drills just fine, but these Hitachi drills are at least as good, and the Hitachi circular saw is much nicer than the old style (5-3/8") DW. One nit I have about the Hitachi drills is the keyless chucks may slip if you tighten them with bare hands; if I'm wearing gloves, no problem. Hitachi should maybe put something "grippier" like rubber on the chuck.

I don't miss the hammer drill option with these cordless drills. Hammer drilling is a bit beyond the capabilities of a cordless drill, IMHO. Get yourself a corded Milwaukee if you plan to do much hammer drilling at all. That said, these Hitachi drills have enough torque to drive a 4" concrete screw through 2X lumber and into a 75 year old slab, that has been pre-drilled by a Milwaukee HD, of course.

Never used the recip saw, so I can't comment.

UPDATE IN NOVEMBER, 2005

I've been reading a lot of Hitachi reviews that have said the batteries won't hold a charge. I have 10 Hitachi batteries: 3 are the 3AHr NiMH batteries and 7 are the 2AHr NiCads. They all seem to hold a charge just fine. The flashlight in this kit (and other kits) is great for discharging the batteries all the way before recharging. A battery will still light the flashlight quite a while after the battery seems to be "dead" in one of the tools.

I've used the recip saw a few times now and it seems OK. Plenty of power to do the kind of rough, hack it up kinda cuts you make with a recip saw. The blade chuck holds the blades securely yet you can change blades quickly.