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HITACHI DS10DFL2 12V Cordless Li-Ion Driver Drill

2K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  coxhaus 
#1 · (Edited)
I have been working on my kitchen cabinets for 5 weeks now. I love my old Dewalt 18v drill/driver but it is just too big to work inside my kitchen cabinets. I looked around and found a Hitachi 12v drill/driver at CPO outlet for $59 refurbished. I have used it for several weeks now and it seems to work around kitchen cabinets well. It is a lot lighter weight than my 18v rig. I like it. I still use my Dewalt 18v for pocket holes but putting in drawer slides, hinges, etc the Hitachi 12v works real well. It seemed like most of the other guys 12v tools were a $100 or more.
 
#2 ·
I've had mine since way back when (they were originally sold as a 10v drill, hence the name) and I absolutely love it. I have the impact driver, the drill, and the sawzall. The sawzall sees most of it's use as a pruning saw, but it comes in handy.

They are so light that you can drive screws all day and not really notice it. The 14v nicad version it replaced was a heavy beast. They go on sale regularly at lowes, keep an eye out for them. If anything, 2 extra batteries for $59....
 
#8 ·
I bought the 12 volt Bosch drill and driver and I hate the drill. The chuck keeps letting drill bits fall out. I have some nice bits that I don't want hitting the floor. I did buy another chuck and it does the same thing.
 
#6 ·
I have 3 Hitachi routers and a 23gauge Hitachi air operated pin nailer and I'm happy with all of them. When I realized it was time to go with a new drill a Milwaukee 18v brushless drill and impact set were on sale. The brushless tools are lighter than the old brush style are but of course I paid way more than you did Lee. But if someone wants the extra power in a smaller size and lighter weight then the new brushless tools are probably what you are looking for.
 
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#10 · (Edited)
Chuck is the new brushless Milwaukee 18v drill as light as the little Hitachi? I have my arm hanging through drawer openings to drill and screw the drawer slides in. I need something small and light.

Someone on this site is having issues with the Milwaukee 18v drills on this site. They seem to have a circuit issue where it burns out. So I really have not been looking at the Milwaukee products.

I still use my Dewalt 18v for the big stuff and I don't plan on getting rid of it. It seems to big and heavy for cabinet work to me.
 
#11 ·
I had a circuit board burn out in the drill and it took 3 months to get parts. I wasn't happy about that. The new board is fine. The drill has a 5 yr warranty and the serial number has the year in it so it wasn't a problem that I couldn't find the receipt for it at the time.

The bare drill is 2.8 lbs. I don't know how that compares with the Hitachi. It's also fairly short at just under 7". The impact that came in the set is even shorter. This drill has the most positive chuck on it I've ever used in keyless. It doesn't loosen off and it won't let go.

My son in law has the 12 volt Milwaukee Fuel. It's lighter and still has good power. It came with one battery that fits in the handle like the old Makita 7.2 and I think 9v did. It's really light and compact with it for power. It would be ideal for light to medium work in tight spaces.
 
#13 ·
Lee, I was not happy about how long it was down waiting for the part and I left complaints on their website about it and never got a single response so for now I give their CS a zero. But is a good drill and I've had a few keyless chucks and this one is the best by far. I guy I worked for had a corded DeWalt with a keyless chuck and it wouldn't stay tight like someone else complained about their Bosch.

Milwaukee has a pretty good reputation and it's generally well earned. Lots of tradesmen use them because they are workhorses. I have a 1/2 corded Milwaukee that's fairly old and it runs like a Swiss sewing machine. Since I bought the drill and impact set I bought a 12" Milwaukee slider and that sucker is absolutely deadly accurate and came that way from the factory. Milwaukee was always a fair bit more money years ago so I never bought them but the prices have been coming down a bit lately (the slider was $400 Canadian) and so fa, except for the downtime with the drill, I've been pretty happy with them.
 
#14 ·
I started with the Milwaukee
fuel 18v Impact and drill when it was on sale + an extra battery. Greast grest tools. Batteries last a long time and have plenty of power. I also got their multi-tool. Going to build my cordless stuff around it. I think the hedge trimmer is next, if I can find one this winter.
 
#16 ·
I have several old Milwaukee USA made tools which have never given me any trouble. I have a compound miter saw and a corded drill that I have had for many many years. I have a few Milwaukee 28v tools like a couple of sawzalls and a few other 28v tools. So I like Milwaukee tools. I don't know about the new tools but it sounds like they are good too.
 
#17 ·
Update.

I just handled a 12 volt Milwaukee drill at Home Depot. It is bigger and heavier than a 12 volt Hitachi. The handle is much larger around and I think the chuck is bigger than the Hitachi drill. The Milwaukee seems more like a small 18v drill in size and weight to me. I think the Milwaukee is a stronger drill than the Hitachi drill. The Makita seemed to be about the same size as the Hitachi drill. I like the narrow handle on the Hitachi and Makita better for working on cabinet drawer slides when you have to get into the drawer pockets and work. The cost for the Milwaukee was much higher than the Hitachi and seemed to be close to the 18 volt Milwaukee in price. I think I would buy the 18 volt Milwaukee instead which is a lot lighter than my old 18v Dewalt.
 
#19 ·
I have been using the 12v Dewalts for several years with no issues. Light is right. Gotta keep my installer happy! :surprise::grin::grin::grin:>:)
 

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