Makita Ion Lithium XLT's

[blazinzuk]

Fuel=brushless. I think they also have a more advanced computer setup with the battery that probably improves performance a bit. I think they're probably the best performing ones out there right now, but the price is generally ridiculous.

The 18 volt cordless drill I bought was 199.99 with 3 batteries. Not to ridiculous at all.

The 1/2 impact I want to get is cheaper as a bare tool then the dewalt and makita ones, about 20 buck more as a complete set.

So not really that ridiculous at all.

I know I sound like an advertisement for these but they are awesome. Built 2 decks ( helped build) everyone loved that little Milwaukee. Asking me to leave it so they could use it when I had to roll home.

 

[Stomis]

The 18 volt cordless drill I bought was 199.99 with 3 batteries. Not to ridiculous at all.

The 1/2 impact I want to get is cheaper as a bare tool then the dewalt and makita ones, about 20 buck more as a complete set.

So not really that ridiculous at all.

I know I sound like an advertisement for these but they are awesome. Built 2 decks ( helped build) everyone loved that little Milwaukee. Asking me to leave it so they could use it when I had to roll home.

Yep Im gonna be gettng some milwaukee stuff for sure. I want their 12v line. Ill keep the 18v makita stuff for larger tools. Im gonna get a FUEL drill, impact driver, impact gun, 3/8 ratchet, and right angle drill. Figure the smaller compact stuff will be good for trail repairs and keeping in the truck.

 

[ryoken]

just read some more on the charger/radio deal.. apparently b@d, maker of dewalt, have a patent on a charger and radio in one tool..

thus why the others can't do that.. on the other hand, i've been reading how the makita radio, tho not a charger, is excellent when it comes to actually BEING A RADIO...

definitely wanna go try some out this weekend from all 3 brands...

 

[79rustyk10]

Alot of guys I work with have Milwaukee 12 and 18V stuff. I like it. Ive used Makita Lithium ion drills, and they are good equipment. Honestly I dont think you could really go bad with any of the three.

I have an 18V XRP Dewalt and their 12V litium ion drill/impact kit. I LOVE all of them, not one issue with any of them.

I will say that cold weather will drain the litium ion batteries to some extent, something to think about if its gonna get left in your truck, or if your garage isnt heated in the winter time.

 

[ryoken]

i had heard that.. i suppose i will want/need to bring the bats in at night, as they will be subject to cold here.. it just seems that is where they are headed.. latest and greatest and all that.. which is what i want, the most current, high tech, good longevity system out.. gonna get in, might as well get in on the best system... tho as you pointed out, they all sound relatively comparable...

they all have a huge variety of tools and expandability options.. makita has 12, 18 and maybe some 36 down the road.. milwaukeee has the 12, 18 and 28 systems.. dewalt the 18's and 20.... eeny, meany, miney.....

 

[4X4HIGH]

I've been wanting a Dewalt radio/charger for awhile and maybe now is the time to buy since I see Amazon has the DC011 for $99

 

[ryoken]

well, after looking thru all 3 lines, Makita just took a huge edge for me due to a certain tool selection... they are the only one that makes a die grinder... pretty critical tool in my profession....

tho they don't have the vid stick and IR gun type tools that dewalt and milwaukee have... dewalt and milwaukee also have these 2 neat saws.. look like they could be useful in the boats, cutting hose, bulkheads, etc....

whereas makita's only small saw option is this smaller 12v system...

actually, that dewalt is their smaller system too...


and that's a major factor in this decision is the use of 1 battery thruout my tools..


and of the 1/2 impacts, the milwaukee and it's specs, appear to be best... they also have more brushless tools at this time than the other 2 .. but their 1/2 drill has some crappy reviews..

but the straight die grinder is winning it for makita at this point.. WAY too valuable of a tool for me to ignore...

 

[COCHEV]

I have about every brand of tool in my truck. I go with who ever makes the best of what I like. I have the new Milwaukee 18 drills and I don't think they are as good as the makitas. Plus the new makitas charge in like a half hour.

As for chord less tools in general I really only like the drills. Even those get annoying to recharge . The saws are weak for all but little stuff. Any serious work cycle needs should be plugged in to power or air IMO.

 

[ryoken]

tho I often have access to AC power, and run MANY corded tools, keep in mind, I'm a boat mechanic.. cordless is invaluable.. air, tho i do run the portable for certain things, including occasionally air tools, it's not a convenient solution...

impacts and drill/bit drivers are the most used... but saws, die grinders, etc all have alot of uses too in a boat..

 

[Stomis]

tho I often have access to AC power, and run MANY corded tools, keep in mind, I'm a boat mechanic.. cordless is invaluable.. air, tho i do run the portable for certain things, including occasionally air tools, it's not a convenient solution...

impacts and drill/bit drivers are the most used... but saws, die grinders, etc all have alot of uses too in a boat..

Milwaukee is also the only company with an electric ratchet and has the most reasonably priced right angle drill.

 

[dhcomp]

Milwaukee is also the only company with an electric ratchet and has the most reasonably priced right angle drill.

Curious, what good does an electric ratchet do when you have an impact?

I bought a 3/8" drive air ratchet, and used it like twice....even before i had cordless impact stuff.

I just don't really see the point. It can either take the force behind a cordless impact, or it needs to be driven by hand. Air or electric ratchets seem to fill that non-existent middle ground.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Curious, what good does an electric ratchet do when you have an impact?

I bought a 3/8" drive air ratchet, and used it like twice....even before i had cordless impact stuff.

I just don't really see the point. It can either take the force behind a cordless impact, or it needs to be driven by hand. Air or electric ratchets seem to fill that non-existent middle ground.

I can say the only time I used my air ratchet was when my impact wouldn't fit in the space I needed to tighten a bolt and didn't want to tighten it by hand with either a wrench or standard ratchet.

 

[ryoken]

Curious, what good does an electric ratchet do when you have an impact?

I bought a 3/8" drive air ratchet, and used it like twice....even before i had cordless impact stuff.

I just don't really see the point. It can either take the force behind a cordless impact, or it needs to be driven by hand. Air or electric ratchets seem to fill that non-existent middle ground.

ah, the young and impatient..

because you don't always want a fastener spinning at mach 3 when it's getting assembled.. you can throw in the right angle aspect of it too...

i used to use my 3/8 air ratchet fairly frequently assembling motors... for either non-torque critical components or running in fasteners before a final torque.. but we used em the most in the body shop, heavy use, 1/4" for dash work and 3/8 for body panel install, fenders, doors, etc... you'd NEVER use an impact for that kinda work... the only thing we used an impact for was to remove tires...

technically, an impact is just about the wrong tool for any final value assembly work, unless set up for it... all fasteners have a proper torque, all.. some, more critical than others... and an impact is generally an unknown torque entity for most depending on model, air supply, etc... do I use one in many apps, sure... but 90% of it is ripping down motors... I'd never use an impact assembling ANYTHING on an engine.. are MANY MANY mechanics using them in situations when they shouldn't be? absolutely..

 

[bigjbear]

Curious, what good does an electric ratchet do when you have an impact?

I bought a 3/8" drive air ratchet, and used it like twice....even before i had cordless impact stuff.

I just don't really see the point. It can either take the force behind a cordless impact, or it needs to be driven by hand. Air or electric ratchets seem to fill that non-existent middle ground.

I use the cordless 1/4" drive ratchet very regularly. Any time we are doing mods it gets a work out. But aircraft a filled with #10 hex head fasteners so YMMV. Cordless drills and impacts get a workout, too. We almost never use anything corded, and dragging an air hose to the top of a vertical stabilizer is a PIA, so cordless is it.

To Royken's point. One other thing, besides a cordless ratchet, we use that people never think of are torque limiting screw guns. Installing fasteners with an impact is a good way to become a pharia in my line of work.

 

[ryoken]

torque limiting screw guns. Installing fasteners with an impact is a good way to become a pharia in my line of work.

yeah, i lived by mine with the boats for a long time... tho i did smoke the snappy drill once, when it worked it was flawless, clutch, power, etc...

and I concur.. I have to live with my repairs year after year... only screwing myself.. my boss does that sh*t, without power tools!

I call it his "waterboy" moments.. ya know "grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"... always gets a laugh, guys a horse... ya go to take it apart and go "dude the fastener calls for 60 lb's of torque, not tighten it till your purple with veins popping in your forehead!"

 

[Stomis]

Curious, what good does an electric ratchet do when you have an impact?

I bought a 3/8" drive air ratchet, and used it like twice....even before i had cordless impact stuff.

I just don't really see the point. It can either take the force behind a cordless impact, or it needs to be driven by hand. Air or electric ratchets seem to fill that non-existent middle ground.

These guys didnt say anything I didnt agree with. Think of all the stuff on the side or front of a motor that you cant get an impact inline with the bolt because theres a fender, radiator, steering linkage etc in the way. And as Ryoken said my main reason for wanting one is to run fasteners on or off before final torquing. Plus with a ratchet when you reach its top torque you can hold the trigger down and use it as a wrench and actually feel how tight you are.

 

[ryoken]

BTW253Z
Makita 3/8'' Cordless Impact Wrench (Bare Tool Only)
Free Battery Offer $148.00




BTW450Z
Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion 1/2'' Cordless Impact Wrench (Bare Tool)
Free Battery Offer $162.00




DC18RA
Makita LXT Lithium-Ion optimum charging system
Free Shipping $69.99

LXDG01Z
Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/4'' Die Grinder (Tool Only)
Free Battery Offer $148.99



LXFD01Z
Makita 18V Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2'' Driver-Drill (Bare Tool Only)
Free Battery Offer $96.99

BDA350
Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 3/8''' Angle Drill (Bare Tool Only)
Free Battery Offer $148.00


BGA452Z
Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Cut-Off/Angle Grinder Kit Model BGA452 (Bare Tool Only)
Free Battery Offer $96.00


BJR181Z
Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Recipro Saw Model BJR181 (Bare Tool Only)
Free Battery Offer $148.00




BMR100W
Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless FM/AM Job Site Radio Model BMR100W
Free Battery Offer $96.99

LXLM04
Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless L.E.D. Flashlight (Tool Only) LXLM04
Free Shipping $59.99

Subtotal $1,179.89






$1200 and that would get me 4 batteries free...

 

[ryoken]

or for 1300, i can add 2 bats to it for a total of 6 bats and 9 tools.. that'd be a pretty sick setup..

 

[Stomis]

Thats a good deal on the grinder. They want $300 with a battery and charger, idk how that adds up...

Any interest in my makita ****? Im thinking about ditching it. Everything works like new except the drill could use brushes. I have a sawzall, 2 speed drill, hex impact driver, drill, charger and 1 bat.

 

[ryoken]

which impact driver is it, model # ? I'm really looking hard at their new brushless one..