Customer Reviews

Makita 6337DWDE 14.4-Volt NI-MH 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought one of these to replace a defunct Craftsman "Professional" cordless drill I received a few years ago as a gift. When the Craftsman's batteries finally died and would no longer take a charge, I decided to buy a better drill rather than sink almost one hundred beans in two new Craftsman NiCd batteries.

The difference is night and day.

The Makita is incredibly comfortable to hold. The NiMH batteries are long-lasting and, so far, have none of the problems the Craftsman's NiCds did. (The NiMH technology makes for longer lasting batteries generally, both in use per charge cycle and total number of useful charge cycles. NiCd is garbage.)

The clutch system works great, as does the two-speed transmission. The torque on this thing is monstrous for a cordless. I don't find the ability to "lock out" the clutch particularly useful, but it certainly doesn't hurt anything.

The chuck works really well. Nice keyless. In all, this is a great drill. I've used it on numerous projects and it always does what I ask of it. And it feels like it is going to last for a long, long time.

Nice job, Makita.

I owned a Makita 12v for several years and used it constantly, often drilling holes in hardwood and concrete. I invested money in replacement batteries, motor brushes, and even a new gear box to keep it going. Then the hi/lo speed gears finally gave out so that i could only use low speed. Even that I dealt with for almost two years. Finally i bought this 14.4v model and could not be happier. No other manufacturer even comes close to the Makita's ergonomics and weight balance. However...

The hi/lo switch again, only this time after 1 month, not 5 years! Luckilly i bought it at Home Depot and promptly returned the item. That was in August and since then I've returned two more. I just can't give up on this awsome drill! So, now i'm babying my fourth one. Be very careful how you switch back and forth between hi and low speed. I use this drill all day, every day, so maybe you won't have this problem. Just be aware. Good luck!

Purchased 14.4 vt. model 6333D in Feb. 2000. It is tough and versitile. I have a Black and Decker Firestorm also, and when useing the B&D, I often go grab the Makita. The drill has been wet four or five times. After five years one battery pack went out, so I opened it up and found evidence there has been water inside. One cell corroded. The other pack is strong. My spouse works for B&D and gets employee pricing, but I'll stick with Makita.

This is a quality product. Ergonomics, weight, and power make it useful for just about every job around the house or shop. The battery life is incredible. I've hung sheetrock, taken down ceiling fans, screwed down flashing & roofing paper, removed faceplates, and replaced rain gutters on a single charge with no problems.

Used it to build a kiosk in a mall that needs to be screwed together as well as about 15 holes drilled (1.5" spade bit) into formica/particle, and sometimes 2 walls thick. Worked perfect. I usually use a corded drill for the holes (and hole saw bits) but didn't have it at the time. Really came through in a pinch and the Metal Hydrides are great. Lots of torque and power (16 clutch settings).

The chuck has worked great for me. I like the all metal construction and bits seem to center up if I face the drill upright and jiggle it a little. I made the mistake of tightening down a bit with the clutch locked and burned my hand. I put on a glove if I want to wrench down tight on a drill or bit but I've never HAD to.

The forward/reverse button is easily switched one-handed (the "above-trigger" levers I find annoying), the drill is ambidextrous, and the rubber grip feels good. I have a medium hand size but it looks like it scales well. The switch isn't too stiff and variable speeds are easily achieved as you squeeze, even for delicate work like switchplates.

The drill is easily cleaned. After hanging sheetrock, it looks brand new after a quick wipe down.

I only have one very small gripe. I would like to carry common items in the case with the drill but since the walls do not go from top to bottom, everything drops to the bottom making a big mess.

I have no regrets about buying this drill. Quality is always my first concern. I still have an old 9v from back in the day - and the other mfg's drills just didn't seem to have the same feel. If I'm unsure about a tool, I always buy "up", hoping my skills/projects will improve to the point where the best is needed. With a Milwaukee corded, a hand drill, and this unit; I'm set for quite some time. Although, the 18v is also priced pretty well if you need that extra power and don't mind the weight. Either way - it's a great product.

Makita's 14.4 Volt Cordless Drill delivers long term power with excellent torque in a variable speed tool. It is considerably heavier than the old 9.6 Volt cordless I have but it is well balanced and fits the hand well. My only complaint, which is minor, is that Makita could do a bit better in the case that holds the drill, two batteries and charger. Plastic is okay, but at least stabilize the items inside. All-in-all a quality Makita tool.

Will mix 50LB of thinset on a battery charge in low gear. Nice balance. Will drill 38 1 inch holes in a 2 x 4 in high gear on a charge using a spade bit. Tried a 12V dewalt, got 24 holes and had to use low gear, way too slow IMHO, the 12V also had trouble with large deck screws. The Makita drives 4" deck screws into pressure treated in high gear. Nice balance, plus came with a pretty good tool belt, Home depot package deal at $178. Western tool had them for $181 with the work light (xtra $35 landed cost on ebay typical for light), I should have bought it there but...too late. Noticably lighter than an 18V, I like the balance, but an 18V gets you more powerful tool options.

This Makita is fantastic. It is reversable with ease and feels great in the hand. The really big plus on this system is the Nickel Metal Hydride batteries that are used in this model. They are the reason I chose the Makita in this model. They last a long time and recharge fast. The best part about them is that you don't have to be concerned about the timing of the charging unlike nickel cad's which are a real bear to manage (if you want the most from your battery life and performance). I looked at some of the other major manufacturers, but decided on Makita because of top shelf quality and absolutely because of these Nickel Metal Hydride batteries used in this system (I did not see these style of batteries in the competitions products). You can charge them at any time in their use cycle quickly and without worry. With the charger supplied, you don't even need to be concerned about overcharging the batteries. It's impossible to overcharge the batteries even if you leave them in for hours longer than the normal one hour charge time necessary to recharge them fully. It also has lights that display if the battery needs to be charged, when it's charging, when charging is complete, and even if the battery is no longer good (you'll probably never see this situation).

This drill has two speed ranges. The switch to change from low to high and back is located ot the top of the drill. I will say that the only inconvenience I have found with the drill is that this this speed switch is mechanical in nature and recessed with not a lot of switch to grab onto. This makes it a little difficult to toggle.

Other than that everything else is great. It has a fantastic amount of power to tackle any around the house and most professional tasks (within design parameters for a hand held drill/driver). It is very comfortable to use. It is heavier than cheaper and less capable drills, but you have to expect slightly more weight for the power and heavy duty quality you get from Makita.

For any drill/driver system, I would recommend one of those quick change systems on the market. They let you switch from drill bit to screw driver to socket driver effortlessly without the need to constantly lock and unlock the chuck (this saves you tremendous time and effort).

I bought this Makita here at Amazon at a great unbeatable price with free shipping saving me over one third the cost of buying it in-town. So if you are considering a good quality drill at a very reasonable price and one that you will probably never have to replace, look no further.

This is a solid unit in typical Makita form. The NMH batteries are superior to Ni Cad batteries and a main selling feature to me. The only issue I have is the stiffness of the 2 speed selector., if your hands are not really dry it is a real struggle to change speeds. I would recommend this drill to anyone and it has a solid keyless chuck as well. Overall a solid no nonsense unit that has an electronic brake that is super.

I am a contractor and use my tools hard. I have found this particular drill driver to be exceptionally good. The balance is exceptional and the relatively light weight is no problem over a long day. I am impressed with the battery run time and relatively quick charge. This is the 3rd 6337 I have owned (I work my tools hard) and probably not the last. This particular drill was reconditioned and it looks and performs as if it was straight from the factory.
I would recommend this drill to anyone.

Makita, in my opinion makes some of the best power tools around and this drill is no different. It is one of the most well-balanced cordless drills I have ever used, it weighs more like a 12 volt than a 14.4 volt drill. The 1/2" ratcheting chuck works great, it even holds onto 1/16" bits without the bit falling out. You can't beat the run time of the NIMH batteries, much better than the older NiCads. The only feature I didn't like was the case. It seems to be a universal (one size fits all) size, so the contents in the case tend to move around alot and the clasps are made of plastic not metal. I will still give the Makita 5 stars, because I am rating the performance of the drill, batteries, and charger, the case is just an added accessory.