After being announced a year ago, Hitachi’s super powerful next-gen brushless hammer drill has made its way to the USA.
The new Hitachi brushless hammer drill will be available as part of a 2x 6.0Ah battery kit (DV18DBL2), and as a bare tool (DS18DBL2P4).
Update: NX pointed out in the comments that the bare tool currently available is a drill/driver and NOT a hammer drill.
It delivers a whopping 1205 in-lbs of max torque, and has a Reactive Force Control to help protect users from kickback. The Reactive Force Control is also said to help protect the battery and tool motor.
It has an all-metal ratcheting chuck, with carbide inserts to help reduce bit slippage.
Hitachi describes the new drill as being the most powerful *torque and fastest* application speed in its class, as of December 2015. I don’t think we’ve seen any new high powered drills since then that could top this one’s 1205 in-lbs max rating.
Big power means a large auxiliary handle. (Here’s why.)
- 1205 in-lbs max torque
- Large double-molded clutch dial is easy to grip and read
- 22+1 clutch settings
- 204mm (8.03″) length
- 0-500 and 0-2100 RPM (no load)
- 0-31,500 BPM (hammer mode)
- Weighs 5.5 lbs with high capacity battery, 5.1 lbs with compact battery
- Belt clip
The kit comes with (2) 6.0Ah battery packs, a charger (the slow 90 minute charger), and a carrying case.
* I have also seen a weight spec of 4.9 lbs with high capacity battery pack. The figures above were from a Hitachi fact sheet, the lightest weight from a product page. Perhaps the lightest weight is for the drill without aux handle.
Price: $400 for the kit, $160 for the bare tool
Buy Now(Hammer Drill Kit via Amazon)
Buy Now(Bare Tool – Drill/Driver)
It appears that the bare tool is just a drill/driver and not a hammer drill.
First Thoughts
Everything about this drill looks good, except for the charger that’s included in the kit. Hitachi has come out with a fast charger (UC18YSL3, $60 via Amazon), but going by the product description for the kit, it comes with the slow charger, UC18YFSL.
Raise your hand if you’d rather have a 90 minute charging time for the included 6.0Ah battery packs – each. Now raise your hand if a 38 minute charging time sounds better.
I suppose they really wanted to keep the price point below $400. The bare tool is $160, the batteries are $135 each, and the fast charger is $60. The slower standard charger has been around for a while, so perhaps its costs have come down below the $52 or so it sells for.
In any case, $160 + ($135 x 2) = $430. Plus a charger and plus a case. Yes, I can see why they bundled the standard charger with the kit instead of the new fast charger.
That one complaint about the charger aside, this is one powerful drill. *Thumbs up* to the anti-kickback controls, and *thumbs up* at the user-friendly-seeming features, such as the adjustable clutch dial.
Its max speeds are decent too.
1205 in-lbs is a lot of torque. That’s a hair over 100 ft-lbs. Even with the Reactive Force Control, I’d be hesitant to use this drill without its auxiliary handle, except when working with smaller drill bit and screw sizes.