Customer Reviews

Makita DA4031 10 Amp 1/2-Inch Angle Drill

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'd made due with my 3/8" drill in the past and borrowed whenever I needed larger, but I knew that wouldn't cut it for this summer's project. The time had come to bite the bullet and invest in a substantial heavy-duty drill. I'm happy to report that the project is nearly complete and the DA4031 has delivered in spades. I chose the Makita over the DeWalt Timberwolf and Milwaukee HoleHawg because of the added power (10 amps) and features. The Makita's spade handle adjusts 90 degrees to any position with an Allen wrench that is stored cleverly in the handle. The auxiliary rubber-grip pipe handle screws into either side. Best of all, the switch handle rotates a full 90 degrees in either direction at the press of a button. These combined features make the drill comfortable to hold in any position. That's good, because at 12 pounds, this is a serious piece of equipment...

Now back to the project. In building my deck, I affixed the ledger board to the house with twelve ½" x 10" galvanized lag screws (3.5" of ledger board, 2.5" of wallboard, 10" of sill beam). I pre-drilled each hole to depth with the DA4031, then (using a ½" drive socket adapter) turned each lag screw in flush (final tighten by hand). These were done one after another, on a hot day, with no sign at all of fade from the drill. The final tighten required a ½" x 18" breaker bar, so I know turning the lags in was no cakewalk! I then used a ½" x 12" self-feed auger bit to drill sixteen holes through 9" of lumber for the lag bolts on the cantilever support. The DA4031 has also drilled all the holes for my railing support posts. Final verdict? Nothing on this project came close to stressing this drill. I couldn't be more pleased with the quality of construction, ergonomics, or power. I will probably never come close to using this drill to its full potential, but I like having a quality tool with more than enough power to get any job done. The DA4031 has both these bases well covered.

amazon was great,great price and quick shipping...the drill is wonderful.having owned and used the hole hawg in the past,this ones better.im a plumbtrician so i need to drill holes from a half inch to five and a half inch diameter on a daily basis.i use my inch and an eight 18" naileater and even in southern yellow pine it hardly bogs the drill down.use sharp bits and be sure to read the directions for bracing the drill.it will hurt you quickly.....

I've been using this drill for a few weeks and my only regret is that I waited so long to buy one. This was purchased to replace another angle drill I had been using (yellow and black) that didn't perform to my expectations, when it finally died I went with the Makita. It's not the least expensive, but I've always had good experiences with Makita products in the past, so the choice was easy.
I've been boring holes in treated lumber, studs, joists, glue lam beams, ect.. with a self feeding bits, and this drill powers through with no problems. Only downfall is the Allen key holder that is built into the grab handle, the wrench tends to fall out sometimes, this didn't keep me from giving it 5 stars, I just leave the key in the case.

based on price ...performance....features...this tool is a best buy in the category of commercial quality plumbing-electrical specialty drills

I used to have one of these, and it was the greatest thing ever. Unstoppable, even with a six inch hole saw on it, but balance, leverage and a clutch so I never got hurt.

My first one was stolen a while back, and these are rather pricey, so I made do for a while with a monster Porter Cable triple gear reduction drill that I already had (they don't seem to make it any more, maybe because they last forever so people only bought one for a lifetime - it is similar to this:Makita 6013BR 6.3-Amp 1/2-Inch Drill with Top Handle) also unstoppable, but not the right tool for the job - not designed for drilling joists, not designed for tight spaces and no clutch. After spraining my wrist and bruising my hand (simultaneously!), I decided that re-investing in the right tool was less expensive and less painful than going to the doctor.

I have used Timberwolves, Hole Hawgs, etc, but this one does the best job and is the least likely to injure you. Did I mention it is unstoppable? Did I mention the great plastic suitcase that comes with it, so you can carry it and some bits? Did i mention that the handle end of the body rotates (and locks in position) and the D-handle swivels (and locks in position)or can be removed?