Review of Makita 18 Volt Sub-Compact Drill Set

This Sub-Compact Drill combo kit is the perfect example of how we are well past the days of having to sacrifice power for size. If you are considering buying a drill and impact kit I would encourage you to consider this set from Makita.

Makita Sub-Compact tools are the most compact and lightest weight in the 18V category, so you’ll get 12V handling with the compatibility of all of their 18V cordless tool system.

Let’s start with the drill. As the name implies, this drill is compact and very lightweight. I found for the majority of the work I get into around the house, the compact size and light weight is optimal at only 2.8 lbs rather than a large full size drill. Makita did well with this design making it very easy to handle and it will not wear you down after a day of working with it.

The chuck is a “house brand” Makita chuck with 3 steel jaws and a ratchet mechanism. The ratcheting mechanism feels very solid and has not given me any issues with bits backing out.

The clutch system performs exactly as it should and offers 20 different setting for driving screws. If you have never used this feature when driving screws, it certainly helps to prevent driving the screw in too far.

Something that stands out to me with both of these tools is the design of the trigger and direction button. I know it may sound like a minute detail, but I’ve seen other manufacturers miss the mark here. The trigger is nice and progressive and varies the speed of the motor as you would expect and has a light pull to it. The “forward/reverse” switch is well out of the way when gripping the trigger, which is important. I’ve seen several drills that have the direction switch placed “too low” on the drill body where it stands a good chance of accidentally getting pressed with your thumb or index finger.

Lastly, both the impact driver and the drill feature a “center” position for the direction switch. This will ensure your drill doesn’t accidentally run the entire time it rides to the job site in your tool bag because you set it in a crowded tool bag, trigger first. Lol…..been there, done that.

Of course, the quality carries through on the impact driver as well. The impact driver actually has a setting switch on the battery to assist with the force applied to your work. The three settings are hard, soft, and auto. This is mainly used to help with driving in screws and preventing strip out or cam out of the driver bit. The auto mode works really well for long screws, such as deck screws, because it slowly brings on max power potential after the screw has started in the material then progressively becomes more difficult to drive in. This setting will detect that increase in load then automatically apply more impact blows per minute making it easier to drive in the screw when you need the power the most.

Ultimately I think this is a really well thought out drill and impact driver combo kit that would satisfy nearly all home projects and even some light/medium contractor work. The new lithium batteries are very light and hold a charge for wayyy longer than the older models did. Makita also provided a nice little battery level light on the back so you can quikly see what your charge level is and these batteries will work on ALL of their 18 volt LXT products.

If you’re in the market for a medium duty combo kit, consider this set as a serious front runner. Feel free to follow this link below to learn more about the drill set at through the Home Depot: Makita 18 volt LXT Sub-Compact Kit

This review is sponsored by The Home Depot through their ProSpective campaign. 

 

 

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