Customer Reviews

Makita 6343DWAE 18 Volt 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a huge fan of cordless tools. I use them every day all day long. The 18v Makita is a wonderful tool. "Powerful", is an understatement.They're sooo smooth!( Love those ball bearings )I have had two now for 4 months.They are a direct replacement for 2 18v yellow drills that weren't holding up. I can't dog DeWalt, because they make too many good products. The new makita's are the most durable drills I have ever seen. I've had 35 from all the major manufacturers in the past 5 years.They are kind of heavy to use all day long .However they are lighter than the DeWalt and Milwaukee 18v drills.The new 24v drills are way too heavy for extended use.

THE MAKITA 18v DRILL IS SUPER EASY TO USE. THE NO KEY CHUCK PLUS THE ACCURATE CLUTCH MAKES THIS DRILL A SNAP TO USE. WHAT SETS THIS DRILL APART FROM ITS COMPETITORS IS THE BALANCE. IF YOU USE THIS DRILL ONCE OR TWICE PER WEEK ITS NO BIG DEAL BUT IF THIS IS A MAJOR TOOL IN YOUR ARSENAL THE CONSUMATE BALANCE WILL GO A LONG WAY TO REDUCING FATIGUE AT THE END OF THE DAY. BUY IT AND SEE.

this 18 volt drill has torque to spare. i use this drill all day for electrical work. it is great for 3/4" holes in 2x4's and even up to 1" holes. the balance of the tool is great. the only thing i would change is the outside diameter of the keyless chuck, it is a little too small to get a tight grip when locking the chuck.

I am a home improvement enthusiest and like good quality tools, which is why I love this drill. This drill is by far my favorite tool in my work shop. I spent plenty of time researching tools over the net and this drill really stood out. I find that this drill can pretty much do anything a corded drill can, minus the lengthy nuisance. I haven't run into any situation so far where the drill has stalled, it just has too much torque! I previously owned a 12 volt drill which was the same size, but 2 pounds less. For 2 pounds you sure get a lot more power and durability. I am also very impressed with the life of the battery, it seems like it'll never die! You get a nice assortment of acessories with the drill, like the side handle which helps with the almost over powering torque(thank you Makita!). To finish, I give this drill a high recomendation because it will NEVER let you down.

I've had this drill for about 6 months now, and have yet to find something it can't handle. Drywall, drilling studs, 2 inch holes in microlam beams, sinking masonry anchors, no problems. I went to mix a tub of drywall mud and did not have my usual corded high power 1/2 inch drill, so I thought "what the heck", and chucked the twin paddle mixer into the Makita. Stirred a full bucket of mud like it was mixin' a milkshake. I've never seen a cordless perform like this one. Fast recharge and long run times, at least of half day of heavy use before needing a battery change. Bottom line, just buy it.

Since I wrote my original review of this six months ago. I thought an update would be in order. I really can't believe how well these drills are holding up. Not one failure. They get dropped ,left in the rain, overloaded and just generally abused. I couldn't be happier with them. For more details , see my original review. "beefy"

Last November, I purchased a Makita 18 volt. I used it minimally, as I charged the batteries no more than thirty times. One day, I compared it to a friend's Bosch 24 volt, and as I expected, the Bosch outperformed it. I didn't mind this, however,as the Makita is lighter and has a much better feel. As I was finishing a hole, however, the clutch suddenly broke. I tried drilling another hole, and the same thing happened. I went back to the store I purchased it from, and the manager was nice enough to replace it. Now, I am a little bit leary about straining this tool to the point of lock-up. Overall, I think it was just one bad tool that escaped from the Makita plant, and I am very impressed with the run-time and the power, and would recommend this tool.

I have had this drill for almost two years and have had no problems. I have used it to run a 17" long 1" dia. bit through top plates, and have also mixed a 25lb. bag of tile grout. Felt a little guilty about the tile grout, but the drill ate it up. I did use low speed for both jobs. This drill is also great for concrete anchors. I have drilled 1/2" dia. holes into concrete with ease. This is a nice drill

either this model (6343DWAE) which brings a 18v, 2 amp battery or the (6343DWDE) newer model which brings the 18v, 2.6 amp battery are for me as a kitchen cabinet maker the top choice for off-site installations where there is no electricity and you dont want to be left with a broken drill half way through the job!!

This is the best 18-volt cordless drill, period. As the Amazon review says, this is the cordless drill that contractors consider to be a performance powerhouse. It's built tough to last, and in my opinion, it's also got the best overall combination of weight, power and style. There's nothing this drill can't do as well or better than any other 18-volt cordless.

If you're agonizing over whether to get the 18-volt versus some smaller or lighter model, spend the extra bucks if you can and get this model. It won't disappoint. Better to have more power than less, and same goes with 1/2" versus 3/8". If you're concerned about the weight of 18-volt cordless drills, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the Makita 6343. Because it's perfectly balanced, the drill feels very comfortable in your hand. In my experience, the 6343's weight is simply not an issue.

The 6343 uses quick charge NiMH batteries, which is a very nice feature. NiMH batteries don't have a memory, so you can fully charge them without completely draining them first (though I did have to condition the batteries the first couple times of use). The Makita 6343 may not come with a built-in level like many of the cheaper 18-volt drills do, but that's just an unnecessary frill. The Makita 6343's power and overall quality more than make up for any lack of such frills.

One tidbit of advice: if you don't already have a Sears Craftsman Speed-Lok drill/driver bit set, get one. You can buy an 18-piece set for about $20 on sale. The Speed-Lok system is a real time-saver that works great with the Makita 6343.