Customer Reviews

Makita 6213DWBLE 3/8-Inch 12 Volt Drill/Driver Kit with Flashlight

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's a great tool. Seems to deliver plenty of variable power and the batteries last plenty of time. (I'm surprised by the earlier reviewers experience.) I went to 2 different Home Depot's and both salesmen recommended the Makita. Another friend was endeared to DeWalt, but admitted that most salesmen he talked to also recommended the Makita. The main reason is that it's easier to change the gears, or something like that. But you'll probably have no problems, as it's an obviously well made tool with all of the important features. Consumer Reports also rated it high. I'm certainly no tool expert, yet this tool is great for the do-it-yourselfer doing odd jobs around the house. The main dilemma is whether 9.6 volts is enough, or 12 or 14.4. Also, I wish the tool would have a lower profile (i.e. able to get into smaller areas), but that problem is endemic among all other tools in its class.

Creme de la Creme of Cordless Screwdriver/Drills. Balance and weight at optimum. Higher voltage products seem clubby. Infinite speed control. Especially low speed for starting fasteners & drill bits accurately. Has the high speed for small bits and drywall fasteners. Batteries really have a lot of punch, and recharge quickly. The flash light makes all others obsolete. It has a Buzillion foot lumburts for the foggiest mid-life eyeballs. It actually stands up and STAYS where you piont it. A third hand for sure!

Makita has taken a step in the right direction with their new generation of drill, namely the contoured comfort and balance. There is a big "HOWEVER" to take notice of. I've owned one of these drills for well over a year and use it extensively on a daily basis. Problem 1: The new batteries just don't live up to their reputation. Their charge is short lived and when it drains ,man does it go fast.____Problem 2: The torque setting switch on the top of the drill grows weak after some usage, allowing it to fall out of it's setting and causing clutch slippage. I've witnessed this on at least three of these style drills. NO GOOD!________Problem 3:And lastly for the drill, the chuck shaft gets loose and sloppy after it gets a few miles on it. Makita needs some further development on this item to make it worthy of their old style drills. And not to forget the flashlight, it's not bad and my only gripe is the fact that after awhile the adjustable pivot head gets loose allowing the electrical contacts inside to intermittently "not contact" causing the light to cut on and off. For infrequent use this set is an okay buy with a good price, but if you want a drill for frequent usage look elsewhere.

Hey, If you've read any of my reviews you know I'm a huge Makita fan. This may be a biased review. If this bothers you, skip it. There is no better 12v drill available right now for any price. This pup has all the torque anyone can resonably expect from such a lightweight package. It has the BIGGEST motor on the market , which is supported by a beautiful set of ball bearings.Take any other brand apart and you will find cheap bushings.The transmission is sooo smooth. The whole thing is very quiet. Very nice when you are driving or drilling next to your ear. The feel of the handle and the balance of the whole package is perfect. Now I read on other reviews that a few have had gear slippage with their drills. I bet Makita fixed them free even if they were in service over a year. They did mine. Even though I was driving 8" x1/2"lag screws on a deck when they gave out.( clearly a job for an impact wrench) I've had gears go out on every brand of cordless drill made. Often under much more forgiving circumstances than that. Everyone else makes you pay for the repair. Makita stands behind their products even beyond the first year. Besides this I have two 14.4v drills three 18v drills and two circular saws and the 18v miter saw from Makita. They are all used heavily by many workers. This is the only mechanical failure I've had with them.I also had a charger fry from using it on a cheap generator. Makita gave me a new one even though it was two years old. The light is exceptional. Very bright and easily aimed at any angle. I don't know what we did before cordless work lights . The Nimh batteries are great. They last longer between charges and you don't have to take them to a disposal facility when you're done with them. I highly recommend this kit from the best manufacturer of power tools in the world.

This drill has all the power to do it all. I've been using the Makita for 4 years now. It's my favorite tool. It has a battery that never seems to quit and enough power to drill through any material. It also works great as a cordless sqrew driver.

I bought the 12 volt a year ago and have used it pretty heavily working on our 90 year old Victorian House. While it's a pretty handy driver, as a drill it doesn't have much muscle. I already had to have it serviced (took two weeks) because the high speed setting broke and the chuck was slipping while the gears made a screeching/ grinding noise. It has started making that noise again (after only a month), so I am giving it the heave ho and upgrading to a 14.4 Hopefully that will be a better tool. Otherwise it's no more Makitas for me.

One word- Stamina! This tool gets close to daily use, being ran 5 days a week. It may be turning a 1 1/2 - 4 1/2 " Reaming tool, driving 3/4" #8 to 4 1/2 #14 screws, or drilling holes all over! I've owned this tool for just under a year, and it has not skiped a beat. I'm pleased with the battery life, it's on par with others in use at the shop. It's well balanced, and great for screwing/drilling overhead. It comes home with me on the weekends for the home projects. Overall, a great value! I was skeptical at first about the Flashlight, I never thought I would use it. Wrong! Think of it as a cordless trouble light...Great for on-sight work, comes along in the case too! Remeber, this is a tool....treat it will respect...read the manual...you CAN break it if you don't use it properly. Luckily, I have yet to have a problem even with a little "Misuse". (newer makitas speed selection must be made when it is OFF, and not running, unlike older models. The Manual warns of this. :) Alas, we have 6 Makita drivers at my shop that are around 10-15 years old, with new batteries of course, that run and work like new. That's my 2 cents.

Though most home fixits could probably suffice with a 9.6v drill, Makita's managed to balance the power and weight in this unit nicely. Easy to use, with a keyless chuck and smoothly delivered power. The added flashlight unit, which sits firmly atop the extra rechargeable battery is a bigger plus than you might expect. Its neck can be bent to focus the light where you're working, handy for basement, closet or any other tight work space.

I have been completely satisfied with this product. I have used it daily on the job, working in adverse conditions (rain, cold, heat, any combo of them) for over 6 years. Started with the standard batteries and bought a 2nd drill with the new ni mh batteries 18 months ago. All batteries still work great. Both chargers still work great. (even though the older charger won't charge the newer batteries). One drill was even dropped into a full hot tub without lasting problems. I find the 12v driver to be light enough for extended use and still powerfull enough to drive long screws. If you are only doing occaisional work, the 14.4v may suit you better. Thanks to a thief, I am going to be purchasing another cordless soon, and it will be a Makita 12v.

Years ago I bought a 12 volt DeWalt, when that was the highest voltage available. I used and abused it for a long time with never a complaint; last summer, while building a fence for my sister's dog, it gave up the ghost. Sis wanted to buy me a new one; I didn't want to waste her money, and because my hands aren't large I thought the 12 volt NiMH system would be a good bet. It wasn't.

The drill was comfortable, well-balanced, and appropriately sized for my hands, but 1) the chuck is failing fast, 2) the batteries don't last any better than the old DeWalt's (despite being Nickel Metal Hydride), and 3) it actually seems to have slightly LESS torque than the DeWalt did when it was newer. [It] seemed a poor bargain indeed. The flashlight is well designed, with detents to hold the head in useful positions, but all of the tall types of flashlights are a bit prone to tip over when the surface isn't fairly level. The Panasonic lantern is squat, avoiding that problem (I got a Panasonic for Christmas and the Makita is now relegated to drilling pilot holes).