Customer Reviews

Hitachi KC18DHL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion 2-Tool Combo Kit

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a contractor. I use cordless screwguns every day in my work. I have used Makita, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Ryobi, and now Hitachi screwguns and drivers. I have had these Hitachi tools for just over a week, and have found that the manufacturer has incorporated the best features of all the above drivers. First of all, the battery slides into the handle horizontally as opposed to vertically. This eliminates the post on the top of the battery, which makes the grip more ergonomic. It also makes the battery connection more secure, as the plastic clips aren't holding the weight of the battery in. There's nothing more frustrating than breaking one or both of those clips and having to tape a battery in place to hold it. That's never going to happen with the new Hitachi system. And speaking of weight, these guns are much lighter than all my old cordless tools, partially due to the lithium ion battery. When carrying a tool all day, the weight becomes an issue, whether it's in your hand or on your belt. The batteries also have much more staying power, and charge faster than the old technology. I spend much less time switching out batteries than I used to. There is ample torque in both drivers, as well. I typically drive 3 inch screws all day, and so far, am changing batteries only once per day. The case is large enough (and compartmentalized) to allow me to carry drivers and drill bits inside, so they're always handy. The included flashlight is handy, and is quite bright and maneuverable with it's swivel head. The hooks on the drivers are a real plus. They're metal, not plastic, which allows me to trust them more when working in high places. They also are movable to either side, allowing convenient use for left or right handed folks. The impact driver is a real wrist saver, as torque is not an issue when driving lag bolts. Overall, I'm quite pleased with this purchase. As time goes on, if something changes with what I've written here, I'll update my review.

I'm also quite pleased with my experience in dealing with Amazon. Their customer service is everything I would want, shipping is quick and comprehensive, and the prices I get from Amazon are usually the best around. I also appreciate Amazon's good communication...tracking is provided right from their website. I don't have to go to the shipper's website and enter the tracking number. I will continue to shop with Amazon whenever possible.

Even if you don't consider yourself a real DIY person, you will definitely appreciate a set like this. I was a believer in screwdrivers for years, thinking that forearm and wrist strength were to be esteemed above convenience and speed. Well, I have since been re-educated away from my (erroneous) assumption that powered drivers were for wussies. Granted you will still need a manual screwdriver for some minor things, but I have bought this set and have never looked back since, it's phenomenal!! (if you need more control, there is also the high/low setting on both machines). A cordless drill and driver is ideal, and this one has plenty of power for most, if not all of the average or even semi-pro users. A few points to note:

1. There is no battery indicator and these Li-ion batteries give you full juice until they are dry, so avoid surprises and check your voltage with a meter (and recharge if necessary) before you start a big job. The good thing with Li's is that you don't have to wait until they die before you charge them since they don't have "memory" like the old NiCad's that would shortchange you if you did that.

2. Don't even bother with an adapter chuck for the driver, it's not practical to drill with a driver, the drill is for drilling (without the clutch of course). This is one of the big advantages for me, you can drill pilots and drive screws without switching bits back and forth, can't see why I would want to install a chuck to put in a drill bit and then have to change it to drive a screw, then change it back to drill again. The driver will also go to impact if it senses more resistance (opposite to the torque clutch on the drill which slips on resistance to avoid overdriving), so if you are drilling a hard substance, the bit will slow down and impact while turning a very small angle, not exactly what you want for drilling, at that point you actually want more speed, not less, plus you can break a bit due to the impacting action.

3. Sometimes after using the slip clutch setting, the knob is difficult to set back to drill mode. If this happens try setting the clutch back to 1, holding the chuck while pressing the trigger (on forward speed) and allowing it to slip again, this usually "frees up" the mechanism. Don't know why that happens, but it should not put you off from buying such a great kit, it's a minor glitch to work around.

4. For a more serious user, this may not be the "be-all-and-end-all" kit, consider also having a high powered, high speed, corded hammer drill for certain uses, e.g. drilling concrete. You don't want to shorten the life of your cordless set by using it for more than it was designed to do. These beauties will last a lifetime if you use them properly, I hate to hear users buy a medium duty home user tool and then complain that it can't do industrial work.

All things considered, for the price, if you regularly do things at home or have a small business, this set will work very nicely. With a ten year warranty, don't think twice if you can afford it.

I bought this 6/24/2010 at Lowes PM'd to Frys for $198.99. Early this week I actually purchased the DeWalt 2 piece 18v li-ion kit (impact and driver drill) for 279+tax. I heard the reviews about DeWalt declining in quality but given my old tools I felt I needed to buy DeWalt first. Well when I came home opened up the box to find that the high/low torque switch was broken on the DeWalt driver. I immediately returned the set and had full intentions of replacing it with another DeWalt kit. Unfortunately or luckily my local lowes did not have the same DeWalt set instock. I decided to browse around when I caught notice that Hitachi had a similar set (this very kit i'm giving review on) for even cheaper than the DeWalt. Skeptical about this product, hitachi is known for other things but not tools, I decided to go home and look it up on the internet. Hit or miss reviews, comparing this to many other brands, dewalt, bosch, makita, etc. A link came up to Frys for 198.99 I printed ad and got Lowes to PM it. Anyways I do not want to drag this review out but dang these are nice, I completed my shelving in my garage and put together a very expensive bbq smoker. The trigger on the drill is so similar to my hilti I was so surprised, the li-ion DeWalt driver jumped off the pull of the trigger similar to cheaper brands. On top of all the great things about these tools performance this kit comes with 10yr warranty! Nothing comes close! It feels nice to know that if these break 9yrs from now I can get it repaired for free under warranty.

My favorite battery set. Was worried about the smaller batteries, but they provide plently of power. Amazingly light weight. LED light on the tools is surprisingly helpful. Liked it so much I ended up getting a second set as a gift for a contractor friend. Highly recommended.

I'm kicking myself for not getting an impact driver sooner. I install cabinets and the driver sinks 3" screws with ease. I did a lot of research on different brands. Then when Lowe's put this combo on sale for $199.00, it was a no brainer. Both the driver and drill have the LED light which is nice. They are lightweight and have a comfortable fit in your hand. The belt clips are handy as well. The batteries hold a charge longer than I expected. The only downside is the carrying case is rather large (approx. 19"x18").

I am a building maitenance electrician and use dewalt at work very heavy but dependable drills . I purchased these for home and will know get them for work ,, I love the drills, I have had them for 6 weeks now remodeled my kitchen and dinning room,,they are light weight and powerful, the batteries charge in 20 min, 1/2" chuck on the drill has been usefull , accurate cluch also for drywall counter sink..the impact driver has been the biggest help, over 1000 2" screws in my floor on 1 charge, everyone who does anykind of construction work should have one of these ,,they are not like the Ni-Cad battery where they slowly die these work with full power and then there dead without warning not a problem just different. ergonomics and balance vey good,, they do need to add a integrated bit holder for at least a few bits ,, very happy with price and tool I will buy Hitachi again... Dave

I needed a new drill as my old Black & Decker 18v was slowly disintegrating - it was the quick-change kind where you pull out the chuck to reveal the hex chuck inside. Great idea, not durable. With all the Li-Ion tools out there, it was time to ditch Ni-Cad once and for all - yeah!

On a whim I picked up a DeWalt 12v drill/impact driver comboDEWALT DCK211S2 12-Volt Max Drill/Driver / Impact Driver Combo Kit, got it home, and built some deck furniture. While it worked, it just felt like a toy. The drill struggled in Mahogany, like it needed more oomph. The impact driver didn't have a clutch, and was ALWAYS impacting. Noisy as heck. I loved the weight and size, though, but it had to go.

After spending WAY too much time staring at all the options, I found this Hitachi set, and I have to say, I'm a happy guy.

Pros:

+ Tool case, while not metal, is still nicer than a bag. Also, you can store the drills with the batteries attached *AND* bits still in place. Nice!

+ Size, weight - I'm into proper Ergonomics, and these fit in my hands great. Weight is about a pound more than the compact DeWalt, but still well balanced. Being able to stand on the battery is also crucial, otherwise my bits are always landing on dirt, rocks, etc.

+ The light isn't a wimpy LED light! Not that I plan on using it, and I like the IDEA of LED and all that, but they just aren't bright enough for outdoor work. Occasionally I use my LED headlight, but these tired eyes need Lumens!

+ The impact driver has a proper clutch! This means it won't start getting noisy until the last few threads. And when it's impacting, it's not horribly noisy, and mercifully quick.

+ Price!

+ Amazon! I got it delivered at 9:30am on a Saturday just in time to use, shipped in a day as promised. Dang!

Cons:

- No place to put tool bits! WTH!? I'll live, but that's a bummer.

- LED light on both drills is distracting and casts a shadow. Maybe as a ring it'd be OK, but 1 light, useless.

- Green can get lost among your tools. DeWalt's yellow is nice there.

- Wish you could turn off impact driving completely, but I've only seen that on a 14.4v Bosch, which is twice the price of this combo!

I purchased through Recon Sales directly since they did not offer the cheaper Grade "C" reconditioned on Amazon. I am very pleased. The kit included everything as if new, including the bit set and manuals which were not expected. I would rate the condition at about 8.5 out of 10, just showing minor scuffs in a couple of spots. Everything is functioning fine after the first use. Very impressed with the condition and quality of these tools at such and amazing price, for just a c-note this kit could not be passed up. I would highly recommend Recon Sales for any used Hitachi products.

As far as the performance of the tools, I can't complain. Light weight, powerful, and compact. The belt hooks are a lovely addition and because of the compact size, you can actually clip the driver to your belt and still maneuver in tight quarters. The LCD light at the tip is also nice when working in a dark corner or underneath your working surface. Great value for the money and Hitachi has a great warranty program. I have own a Hitachi reciprocating saw, and all my pneumatic nail guns are manufactured by them as well. Never had any trouble from anything made by them.

Good set for the money. I bought mine a Loews and had to pay more. Don't think Amazon had it at the time.

If you use all the tools quite a bit, I would recommend buying a couple more of the batteries.

This is a good set for a DIY. The drill and the driver are nice and light weight and the

case even has plenty of room for quite a few bits and a couple of extra batteries, if you get the 1.5AH ones.

I really like the impact driver and have used it quite a bit. You can even change out spark plugs on a Chevy Colorado with it. Works nice for that as well as driving screws.

Check around on battery prices, I found mine new on E-bay cheaper than Amazon. I was a little

disappointed at this since I like to buy from Amazon.

Wish I would have waited a while to purchase this set, but I needed it at the time.

I had to pay $229 at Loews.

Definitely take advantage of the mail in rebate for the extra battery if that rebate is still available.

Batteries aren't cheap.

So far, the only reason for the 4 star rating was that at the time I purchased this set, was that the set was out and for sale before the batteries were.

This drill set rocks. Perfectly balanced and not nose heavy like my old big "D". Flashlight was a lot brighter than expected. Amazon was to high though, picked it up at a box store for under 200 and they gave me a 12 volt drill to go with it. I was amazed that Amazon was so much out of line with their price.