Makita Drill

Give a kid a hammer, and the world turns into a nail. Give me a drill, and suddenly everything needs a hole drilled into it…

After much deliberation (over a period of about 6 months) and the assistance of a generous gift card from a birthday I am finally the owner of a real powertool!

I’ve got a corded drill already, but having to move around with it whilst doing the refurbishment of the house (climbing ladders and going room to room) just isn’t practical. So I purchased a Makita 18V cordless drill to make my life easier.

Picture from the B&Q store page.

I’ve heard good things about both Makita and Dewalt and wasn’t really sure which to get, however I do know someone with some Makita gear already so on their recommendation (and the possibility of borrowing their kit without having to worry about batteries) I went with the Makita.

Before I begin talking about it, a disclaimer: I know nothing about drills or other power tools. I’m the kind of person that does the “lefty loosy righty tighty” rhyme every time I pick up a screwdriver.

So far it’s been great. It’s a solid drill, well weighted, comfortable to hold and packs some power behind it too. Compared to my original corded brandless drill, there are more customisation options as well as better feedback when changing or using the machine. Pulling the trigger or loosening/tightening the bit holder (?) just feels much more responsive. On the old drill there’s a cheap plastic button that slides in and out that changes the rotation direction. It’s placed exactly where the base of my thumb sits. Too far back to effectively press (or not press) whilst holding it, but not far enough away to prevent me from pressing it by naturally holding it. It’s frustrating.

The Makita on the other hand is much better designed. It’s ergonomic, the grip feels nicer, the buttons are much more responsive and are made of a better material – it’s clear when something has been pressed or twisted as you either get a nice click sound or feel some feedback. It’s difficult to press or twist anything by accident because of this.

I have yet to change the batteries whilst using it (it comes with two, the idea being you have one on charge whilst the other is in use) so they’re good enough for me so far. Having two is very useful. There’s also some Makita equipment out there that takes two batteries at one time giving you more power or longevity. Alternatively, having two or more tools available or even on the go without needing to buy a battery every time makes for a more economical solution.

I got a 101 drill bit kit with it too, which has more drill bits in it than I know what to do with. Mine has a few other parts than what the picture on that linked page indicates (such as a level and screwdriver) and I’m looking forward to being able to pull out the right bit for any occasion. Unfortunately, the first bit I pulled out to use (masonry 6.5mm) is slightly bent which is very frustrating. Not enough to cause me any serious issues but I may return it for a replacement.

Overall, very happy with it. It’s made the renovation work much easier and I’m going to be using it much more when it comes to putting furniture together and installing shelving.