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Go Green!

Let’s get the visual appearance out of the way first, shall we? Not everyone is going to like the high tech look of this tool (although I personally happen to love it). If you look at other Japanese power tool manufacturers such as Makita and Panasonic you’ll see they are also using similar styling cues albeit in more subdued colors. It seems like Hitachi has started a trend and the others are following.

So with that out of the way let’s get to the important stuff. This is one “monster” of a hammer drill. It has an incredible amount of power and should be able to tackle the toughest jobs. The motor housing and chuck are angled back from the handle and battery giving this tool an excellent balance. The grip feels “just right” and the forward/reverse/lock selector is easy to reach as is the power/savings switch. By the way that switch does nothing more than limit the trigger from being pulled all the way when it’s in savings mode. It should be noted that while Hitachi advertises this tool as having four speeds, some may disagree with that specification. It has a two speed transmission via a high/low switch on top of the housing like most other drills but the other two “speeds” come from limiting the trigger and not from additional gears in the transmission. DeWalt for instance offers a true three speed transmission in their XRP models although many owners of those tools will readily admit that the third speed isn’t necessary. The fact that the Hitachi is not a “true” four speed model doesn’t bother me at all but I thought this should be pointed out in detail so that prospective buyers can make a fully informed purchase decision.

Speaking of DeWalt, I was considering buying their new Lithium Ion (Nano Technology) 18 volt hammer drill instead of the Hitachi. I went to the “Blue” home center store that sells both so I could compare them side by side. I have to admit they both feel great in the hand and DeWalt’s offering probably has a little more power but it was priced at a whopping $120.00 more than the Hitachi and didn’t even have an on-board LED work light. I’ll admit that at first I thought the LED work light was a gimmick but you’ll be surprised how much you come to appreciate it once you have a few tools with them. I was also concerned about the latest DeWalt reviews. It seems their quality control is slipping a bit.

So I went with Hitachi and I’m very glad I that did. This hammer drill is everything I’ve wanted and more. The clutch ring operates smoothly and the settings are very useful throughout the entire range. The hammer mode is smooth to engage and doesn’t have that nasty vibration that some other tools exhibit. The easy-to-replace brushes are an excellent feature as well. Dremel has had this feature on their rotary tools for decades now. It’s about time that the full-size tool manufacturers caught on. On the top of the drill is the high/low transmission selector which is easy to operate and makes a very obvious difference in rotational speed.

Getting back to that LED work light I mentioned above, Hitachi has taken a different approach than other manufacturers. The light is located near the bottom of the tool and can be adjusted in 5 different positions! Also unique, it doesn’t use the tools main battery; it has its own set of regular disposable batteries that powers it. To conserve those batteries Hitachi has a small circuit within the work light that turns it off automatically after 15 minutes. I wish the LED was white instead of yellow but that’s a minor complaint. It still does an excellent job of lighting the work area and the low placement near the bottom of the tool eliminates the shadows cast by the chuck and whatever bits are in it.

The carrying case is very nicely made of tough plastic and has several compartments that neatly hold the drill, the battery charger, the second battery (included), the auxiliary handle, the instruction manual and warrantee card. The only accessory that comes with the tool is a double ended screwdriver bit and that stores neatly on the tool just above the battery. There is room in the case for other bits and accessories if you wish to store them in there.

The battery charger is extremely well thought out and will charge anything from a 7.2 volt all the way to an 18 volt battery in NiCd, NiMH or Lithium Ion formulas. The unit is fan cooled. A small duct at the top of the unit mates with another duct in the battery when inserted. This allows air to be circulated inside the battery housing during charging. This is very effective! Yes, it’s a little noisy but considering how fast the batteries charge and the fact that they are being cooled while charging, I’m more than willing to put up with a little extra noise.

Finally, let me address the issue of power tools being made in China. It’s difficult to find tools that aren’t made in China these days. Even Bosch and Hilti who used to produce their tools in Switzerland have now gone to China for the production of their latest offerings. DeWalt is made in Mexico. That’s about as close to the USA as it gets anymore. My own experience with Chinese production is that it depends on who is designing the product and who brokering the manufacturing. It seems that the Japanese can get a better product out of China than us Americans or the Europeans. I need not remind you that the Japanese and Chinese are TWO VERY DIFFERENT CULTURES and should never be directly compared with one another but they do reside in the same part of the world and perhaps that lends itself to a better working relationship. Whatever your opinion regarding Chinese made products, the Hitachi DV18DL is a very well made tool and should be strongly considered by anyone in the market for a professional grade 18 volt cordless hammer drill.

Update (5/19/2012): This item is currently on sale here for the lowest price I’ve seen.

The featured review for this product, Hitachi DV18DL 18-volt Lithium-Ion 1/2-inch Cordless Hammer Drill Tools & Hardware, was written by IT Guru.

The average rating for this item is 4.7 out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.