Customer Reviews

Makita BDF452 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Driver-Drill Kit

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have this kit along with the Makita BDF452HW kit and love them both to pieces. Both are solid performers in every sense of the word and are very light as well. I have worked the crap out of both of them and they just keep asking for more. You simply cannot go wrong with either of these drills.

That being said the only difference between this kit (BDF452) and the BDF452HW is the color(white vs blue), the plastic grip around the chuck, and the batteries. The BDF452HW includes 1.5 ampere hour batteries, where this kit includes the 3.0ah batteries, offering twice the runtime. If you can deal with a shorter, but still surprisingly good, runtime, you can save about $100 and go with the BDF452HW.

Either way, expect a great tool that should last for many years to come.

(PS- There were those who had battery issues, but apparently Makita has worked them out, as I have 8 Makita LiOn power tools for over a year and have had no issues whatsoever with battery longevity.)

Makita has a reputation of building some of the best power tools. This driver/drill won't disappoint. The torque is impressive. The tool is very well balanced to allow you to apply massive amounts of torque very accurately. It's even easy to use left-handed in tight spaces.

The over-torque clutch adjustment works great, and provides a non-clutched "drill" mode. It's surprising how much faster you can work when you don't have to think about sinking your screw heads too deep.

The nifty LED light on the front is a nice touch (no more chewing on a mini maglite in dark spaces). It turns on automatically during use, and slowly fades out a few seconds after you've stopped the drill.

I just finished a project that required about 150 3-inch deck screws. I pre-drilled every top board, and drove the screws into the bottom board (with the help of a Bosch Clic Change adapter--highly recommended), and the drill performed perfectly. The battery life is amazing.

The included charger is rather impressive on its own. It can recharge a wide range of Makita batteries, and provides a lot of features to extend the effective lifetime of your lithium-ion batteries. (If you haven't done so already, do yourself a favor, and read up on how to take care of lithium-ion cells.)

I was a little worried about runout (I've used expensive drills in the past with terrible runout--bad enough to drill ovals in metal). When I first got the drill, I spun a few jobber drill bits at various speeds with the drill resting on a bench. I couldn't see any runout on mine (I didn't have a dial indicator handy, though). In real-world use, I saw more runout from the cheap, hex-shank drill bits I was using in my chuck adapter than the drill's chuck (the way it should be). My last drill couldn't claim the same level of precision.

I fully intend on buying more LXT-series tools as the need arises.

It seems like a lot of established tool manufacturers are currently banking on their brand recognition and selling poorer-quality tools every year. It's good to see one outfit that refuses to lower the bar just to keep their nearsighted share holders happy.

I have been using this drill for a while now and am extremely impressed! The feel, functionality, power, and battery life is far superior to all of the drills I have used. The battery seems to last for a very long time and charges quickly. The drill has an excellent ratcheting chuck and grips the bits well with no slippage. It is very powerful but compact to fit in tight spaces. I believe I have found the finest drill on the market, it is the Makita BDF452!

This is a really great drill. Powerful and much lighter than my old Makita 18v drill. Charges up fast. Nice belt clip built in. I do wish they would have left the little phillips/ slotted bit holder that was built in on the old Makita 18v drill. I guess on this new one you have to buy it as an extra, it must clip on I guess. They got a bit cheap on that feature, which I feel is very handy. All in all though it's still a great tool.

I am DIYer and take on everything from basement finishing to roof rebuilding. I build decks for neighbors and remodel kitchens for friends and their friends. I demand a lot from my tools and tend to do lot's of research when buying them. I replaced a Panasonic 6450 with this drill. The Panasonic was an awesome drill and it's replacement was to have a very high bar to clear. I can say this drill sets a new standard. It has performed to the same level as the Panasonic, but it is both lighter and shorter, (the two features that influenced my decision) The batteries charge quicker, but this is just an observation since I never ran into the problem of having both batteries out of juice with the Panasonic. The next battery was always waiting before I could run the out the other. Nothing has stood out to dislike with the Makita, and based on my experience with Makita and the drill so far I give it full marks.

Wow this drill has major power. Light weight and the battery last forever. I used it to drill a 5/8 inch by 18 inch long hole through my maple tree. the tree split and I inserted a 1/2 Inch threaded rod to hold it together.

I rarely leave reviews - but, I thought this might help folks making a purchase decision. In March 2011, I purchased two Makita cordless drills for use in my small business - we build furniture and mirrors for a living. I was replacing a Ryobi system that had done well - but, was at the point that the battery system wasn't sustainable. I did my research - Makita was the best brand name and had the best reviews of the drivers I reviewed. So, I purchased the BDF452 - expecting 2 or 3 years of hard use and no issues.

What I discovered was a bit different than my expectations. I have owned the drill for 6 months and I now must repair it or replace it. There were 3 main issues with the equipment:
1) Chuck ... right out of the box - the chuck did not grip the bits tightly enough. The result was a lot of dropped or loose bits and it didn't seem to matter what type of bit fitting I was using. I thought maybe I had damaged the chuck somehow - but, its made of hardened steel and there should be no way for me to damage the chuck. So, I now believe there is a manufacturing defect alignment issue.
2) Speed change switch ... after about 4 months of use (2 hours a day) a new problem showed up. When I changed from low to high or vice versa ... and engaged the drive switch - I would intermittently hear a grinding sound and a pause before the gears engaged. I believe the root of this issue is that the gears and switch placement are out of synch and their is an alignment issue.
3) Drive switch not working ... and then - just a few weeks ago - a new problem. This neat little problem is that the motor drive may or may not operate when you squeeze the drive switch. Eventually it will - but, you may finish 1/2 of a drill and then have the motor stop driving and you may have to squeeze the trigger 4 or 5 times before the motor reengages and completes the drill. Obviously, there is a short in the switch somewhere.

Bottom line ... I suspect I happened to get a "lemon" relative to the overall positive feedback on this driver. However ... where there's one lemon, there are others. The real killer is that although the issues I describe will be addressed under the warranty - the reality is the, as a professional, I can not afford the lost time to wait on the repair. I live in Memphis and the best lead time I could get on a repair was 2 weeks. So, what do I do for 2 weeks? Not to mention the lost time and money taking the tool to the repair site (15 miles away) and picking it up. So a warranty to me is essentially irrelevant - reliability is king. I would forego features and give ground on original purchase price in favor of reliability. The tool needs to work everytime you pick it up for several years to satisfy me. I now have to purchase a back-up driver ... and the question is - why should it be a Makita? My plan is to move away from Makita. My first experience with Mikata - my last experience with Mikata.