Makita BHP451 LXT 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Hammer Driver-Drill

Review

BHP451Did you ever pick up a tool and it just feels right? That’s this drill. It sits properly in the palm of your hand, and has perfect balance-whether horizontal or vertical. This is a rare thing, and when you drive 1,000 deck screws with it you really appreciate the intelligent engineering that went into it. Oh sure it has the ability to knock out 25,000 hammer blows per minute at 1,700 rpm- but with the integrated electric brake you can just as easily drive drywall screws while sinking the screw head precisely where you want it. I’ve used it to drill in the concrete foundation of the house to anchor a toilet (making it much less of the thrill ride it used to be, thank you), and it did the job effortlessly. The drill is covered with a rubberized finish (Makita blue, of course), and when you sit it down it stays put, surviving the occasional bump that would send a lesser tool flying off the bathroom vanity and onto the floor.

There’s an integrated belt clip by the battery- and of course it can be easily removed or switched to the other side. It’s very easy to hang without looking on your belt, pocket or toolbelt, which has come in handy time and time again when I was convinced I needed three hands to get that sheet of drywall up. It also has a light, which I was sure was just a cheesy addon, but I’ve learned that you can actually see the screw head when you’re upside down in the cabinet without holding a flashlight in your teeth.

And then there’s the chuck. Growing up I lost a lot of chuck keys- much to Dad’s great annoyance. There’s no key! The chuck jaws ratchet down on the bit- no additional tools necessary. The side grip twists on and off effortlessly, and the depth rod makes repeated precision drilling a snap. The battery and charging system are computerized- it actually knows which battery is which and how to charge it to get the maximum life out of the already phenomenally long lived lithium ion cells. Take a look at Makita’s flyer for more details on that. If you want to save some money and are considering an impact driver, take a look at Makita LXT202 BHP451 18 Volt Hammer Drill & BTD140 18 Volt Impact Driver Lithium-Ion Combo Kit- the impact driver is rock solid, and the battery on one can serve as a backup for the other in a pinch.

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Makita’s 16-inch Power Cutter (DPC8112) earned the 2007 Innovative Product Award

Makita’s 16-inch Power Cutter (DPC8112) earned the 2007 Innovative Product Award from Rental Equipment Register Magazine. Makita took the award in the Cutting/Drilling category.
See full story here.

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Makita BTD140 LXT 18 Volt Lithium-Ion Impact Driver Kit

Review

Makita BTD140 LXT 18 Volt Lithium-Ion Impact Driver KitI’m very particular about my tools. I learned this lesson two ways, the first from my father. You see I was eight I was building a doghouse and I left a couple of screw drivers and a handsaw outside. It rained- the saw rusted. When Dad saw what had happened, rather than yell, he took me aside and explained that if you buy good quality tools, and take care of them, they’ll take care of you (I also cleaned the rust off the saw with WD-40, which was less a less philosophical but memorable approach). Fast forward ten years, and I’m in the driveway working on getting a stubborn lugnut loose. I crank down hard on the “discount” socket I’m using, and it splits up the side. As the load was released, I slammed my knuckles into the concrete. Once again a more practical lesson about the value of good, well maintained tools.

I’ve had this particular impact driver for almost two years. The magic of an impact driver over a regular power screwdriver is there’s hammering action (over 3,000 times a minute!) that delivers the torque directly to the fastener you’re driving. Simply put, you do not have to “bear down” on the tool to make it drive. I have routinely used it to drive 3″ screws into studs, and there was one spectacular demonstration when I used it to drive lag bolts into anchors in cinder blocks during a custom closet build. It is perfectly balanced and light, at only 3 pounds. There’s over 1,200 foot pounds of torque, so this is more than adequate for the vast majority of household, and probably quite a few professional tasks as well. There’s a solid electronic brake, when you let off the trigger it stops at once- no more overtightened screws. A little sidenote here, like everything, it pays to use quality fasteners matched to the job at hand. I’ve snapped the heads off cheap concrete anchors when they caught and stopped turning- the fastener quit well before the tool did. It comes with two batteries, what a great idea! There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a job and having the battery die. Speaking of which, I get about 2-3 hours of solid heavy use out of one charge- for the occasional shelf project/light use I’ve gone as long as 3 months. The batteries are smart- they communicate with the charger, and you can have a full charge in about an hour- it even monitors their temperature during charging and kicks on a fan as necessary.

When my oldest friend got his masters degree, I agonized for weeks looking for something suitable to give him, that was more than just a plaque on the wall. I decided on the Makita, and he has been absolutely delighted with it ever since, it’s the tool he most uses (and led to a “re-gifting” of much less powerful power screwdriver). I’ve never been disappointed with the driver, I don’t think you will be either!

Specifications

  • 1/4″ Hex shank
  • No Load RPM: 0-2,300
  • Impacts/Min.(IPM): 0-3,200
  • Torque (in.-lbs.): 1,280
  • Watt Hours: 54.0
  • Battery (Ah): 3.0 (Li-Ion)
  • Length: 5-3/4″
  • Net Weight (lbs. w/battery):3.3
  • You can read the manual here.

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Welcome to Just Makita

Just Makita is a website where you can come and find reviews on Makita tools, as well as shop and even pick up some bargins from auction. One rule- Just Makita!

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