Armed with their Japanese excellence, the best Makita drills are quite popular amongst both home DIY enthusiasts and industry pros – and for a good reason! The Makita drills are still pretty affordable despite their excellent performance, available in a ton of designs with exceptional features to suit every drilling need.
Makita makes some excellent drills, period! In fact, they are all SO very good; it can be a tough bother to find the best “one” for you – till now, at least. Look below for our reviews on five of the best Makita Drills to buy today
So yeah, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started;
Best Makita Drills In 2020 – You Can’t Go Wrong With Makita!
While Makita is most known for their general purpose drills and accessories, they do offer a broader range of specialized drills to meet all sorts of drilling needs. This includes super small drills customized to be used in the niche, tiny spaces, and superiorly powerful SDS rotary hammers and demolition drills; they also now offer tons of drill combo kits, which may include impact drivers, circular saws, or routers in addition to drills.
Their cordless options, too, are pretty good these days. In fact, we ourselves have few of these now in our studio, serving as benchmarks. The point is, whatever your drilling needs are, Makita has a solution for it.
Best Makita Drills Review – Worth Buying Today!
From corded to cordless, impact drills to regular, here are 5 of the best Makita drills to better satisfy all your drilling needs;
#1 Makita XT269T
18V LXT Brushless Drill driver
A popular choice, the Makita XT269T tool kit gives you two brushless power tools for drilling, driving, and fastening. The included Makita driver drill has a 2-speed motor, and the variable speed performance can deliver up to 1500 PPI torque. Together they are more than enough to meet almost all pro & DIY needs. The motors are brushless, so they are pretty quiet and are pretty reliable.
The patented Makita 18V batteries have an excellent backup & also have fast charging support, meaning less time charging and more time working.
To improve efficiency and performance, the motor is tuned electronically to deliver the right amount of power depending on the needs, extending runtime by almost 50%. The tool also runs pretty coolly, even with longer usage.
Pros
- Comes with both a power drill and an impact driver
- High torque brushless motor with dual speeds for sustained, reliable performance
- Long-lasting 18V battery + fast charging
- AI-controlled motor
- Comes within a neat carry case
Cons
- Extensive use of plastic in construction
- Large charging dock
#2 Makita XFD13
18V 1/2″ Brushless Drill Driver
If you’re under a budget and don’t mind settling for just the power tool, the XFD13 best Makita drills are definitely the one for you. Ergonomically created with textured rubber grips for handling, a brushless, dual-speed motor runs the show here. With no load speeds in between, the tool delivers up to 440 lbs of torque, which is decent enough to suit most casual drilling needs.
The tool runs relatively runs cool, and since the weight distribution is good, it’s perfect for one-handed use. The size itself is pretty portable as well.
Fuelling everything, it draws power from Makita’s own 18V LXT batteries with fast charging support for good measure. Runtime-wise, it’s pretty decent. Do note that you need to buy everything separately – the charger, cells, case, drill bits, etc.
Pros
- Excellent ergonomics
- Capable dual-speed brushless motor delivering 440 lbs of torque
- Works with almost all 18V LXT batteries
- Very portable
- Comes with a 3-year warranty
Cons
- A bare tool option (you need to buy charger, battery, accessories all separately)
- Not ideal for pro-grade jobs
#3 Makita XFD12R
Brushless Cordless Driver-Drill Kit
Right off the bat, the XFD12R range of best Makita drills can offer up to 530 lbs of torque, thanks to the electrically optimized brushless motor inside. You get the dual-speed with trigger control for precision drilling and fastening. And since the motor is brushless, it runs pretty cool and offers the device an exceptional life span. This is a tool that’s built to last.
The sturdy, all-metal build is complimented nicely with the rubberized grip for amazing handling and control. The tool also comes with a 3-year warranty for extra protection.
With this Makita drill too, you get their usual fast-charge enabled 18V LXT battery. Whets interesting, however, is that they now have offered a sturdier case, instead of a bag, to store & take the device around easily.
Pros
- Offers up to a whopping 530 lbs of torque
- An electronically optimized brushless motor offers ample power depending exactly per the needs
- Vastly superior all-metal build quality with rubber grips
- 3-year warranty
- Comes with a neat carry “hard” case
Cons
- The reverse rotation switch is awkwardly positioned
- A bit on the pricey side
#4 Makita XPH07TB
Hammer Drill Kit
Sometimes, you just need sheer brute force to get the job done. The Makita “XPH07TB” delivers just that in plenty. With a whopping 1090 LBS of torque at its disposal, these hammer drills have a maximum BPM of 31500, which is plenty enough to make quick work of even the hardest masonry materials, even granite.
To keep this power in perfect check, the device further has a “grippy” handle on the side. This, coupled with the lightweight frame and ergonomic design, makes this tool a pleasure to use.
Battery-wise, we get the usual 18V LXT battery, which can fully charge under 45 minutes with the included fast charger. Interestingly, the device didn’t get overheated even with continuous usage, unlike many of its competitors.
Pros
- Extremely high powered hammer drill set up – offers up to 1090lbs of torque + a maximum 31500 BPM rate
- Incredibly lightweight with dual grippy handles for easy control
- Built-in overloading/heating guard
- Fast charging battery – 0 to 100 in 45 minutes
- Handy carry case
Cons
- No dedicated anti-recoil tech to reduce arm fatigue
- Pretty expensive
#5 Makita XFD11R1B
Driver-Drill Kit (2.0Ah) with 35 Pc ImpactX Driver Bit Set
Last on our best Makita drills review; we have the XFD11R1B drill kit – a top value for money offering that, besides the drill, comes with a 35 piece bit set. Compact and ergonomic, this mighty outstanding drill has a brushless motor inside that delivers up to 350lbs of torque for easy drilling & fastening.
The convenient keyless chuck allows easy swapping of drill bits on the go, and this, coupled with the electric brake, makes this tool a versatile beast on the work table. The ergonomic grip further makes this tool easy to use.
With a fast-charging time of fewer than 25 minutes, the 18V LXT battery ensures that you spend more time & less plugged in. Being XPT (extreme protection tech) enabled, the device is dust, spark & water-resistant too.
Pros
- Good value for money – get a full drill set with a complete 35 drill bit set
- Capable brushless motor offering 350lbs of torque
- Keyless chuck for easy bit swap
- Fast charge supported (full charge under 25 minutes) 18V battery set
- Water, dust resistant
Cons
- The fast charging only works with the included charging dock
- A bit too heavy
Makita drills are highly versatile, even between their own ranks. To ensure you find the right one for you, here are some things to consider;
1) Corded or Cordless
Unless you want the larger SDS drills, the Makita drills are available in both corded and cordless models. Naturally, the former offers more power; however, the cordless units do have the upper hand when it comes to portability.
Do note that while still weak, the Makita cordless drills are still powerful enough to meet most DIY, everyday needs – pick accordingly.
2) Drill Motor Type
Makita drills come with both brushed and brushless motors. The former is originally designed for the corded types, and they are the LEAST Expensive of the two. That said, they do wear out much quicker than brushless ones.
While much expensive, the brushless motors offer a far longer lifespan, and they also have the added perk of being extra power efficient. All best Makita drills come in both 12 and 18 volts power/battery capacity – again, pick accordingly.
3) Other Extra Features
Compared with others, Makita drills have always been feature-packed. LED light arrays are standard on almost all Makita models. Dual speed units are better, and some units also have clutches to adjust the drill power precisely
Some models also offer depth gauges for drilling, and a few others offer a side handle for extra grip & stability for heavy-duty drilling.
1) I do a lot of professional work – will Makita drills suit my needs?
Indeed, Makita will serve you well. Their drills are built to the highest quality and are highly proven to be very durable. They have numerous features to suit any drilling needs, as their power is unmatched for the price.
2) Are Makita drills easy to charge?
Yes, of course. In fact, Makita claims that their batteries charge 30% faster than all their competitors, with an average charge time of 10 minutes per Amp hour. For example, a 2A cell takes around 20 minutes to charge, with 6A in an hour.
The best Makita drills also typically have truly stellar battery life. On a full charge, you can easily get a day’s worth of use consistently.
3) How much would I need to pay for them?
The cheapest best Makita drills start from as low as $85, and this affordability continues with their entire drill set range. If you want the whole kit, say a drill, charger, battery, a case, and a few accessories, you can get it for $400 or less.
Best Makita Drills Review – The Conclusion
Professional tradesmen need tools that are dependable as well as powerful, and of course, Makita provides that without fail. Their drills especially are so amazing, as they offer top performance without breaking the bank.
Every single one of the best Makita drills we have reviewed above has proven to be the best among its category. They have the excellent build quality, offer tons of extra perks, so on and so forth… Honestly, it’s almost impossible to go wrong with any of them. To find the one for you, use the best Makita drills buying guide presented above.
Besides their excellent drills, Makita also offers multi-tools, grinders, sanders, saws, power wrenches, and a lot more. Do check them out too
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