Best Makita cordless drill for home use

How to choose a Makita screwdriver?

This tool is very much in demand both in the professional sphere and among home craftsmen. In everyday life, when they say “screwdriver” they usually mean “drill-driver”, but in fact they are different tools.

The screwdriver is designed only to work with fasteners. As a rule, this tool has a chuck with a depth stop (for working with drywall) or a quick-action, spring-loaded chuck for bits.

The power tool has a built-in mechanism that stops the rotation of the chuck at the moment when the resistance of this rotation reaches its maximum. Also, many screwdrivers are triggered by pressing down on the screw, the trigger button no longer needs to be pressed. This makes working with fasteners much easier and saves time.

Screwdrivers are lighter and more mobile than drills, and if you do not need the drill function should choose a screwdriver. This tool is very much in demand among those who work with drywall.

As you have already understood, you can also drill holes with a screwdriver. Below we will consider this tool in more detail.

Criteria for choosing a Makita screwdriver drill:

• motor type;
• torque;
• rotation speed;
• chuck;
• size, weight, ergonomics;
• power type;
• capacity, voltage and type of battery;
• additional options;
• delivery set.

Engine type of the Makita screwdriver drill:

• brush type;
• brushless.

Brush motors have passed the test of time. But despite all their advantages, they also have a number of disadvantages. Brushes wear out quickly enough, while working there are often sparks in the place of contact of the brushes with the armature, a lot of heat is released. Power consumption is much higher than that of brushless.

Brushless motors do not have the disadvantages of their opponents. They are smaller for the same power, emit less heat, do not “spark” during operation, have no wearing parts. You can read more about brushless motors in a separate article.

If you can choose between a brush and a brushless motor, you should undoubtedly choose a brushless one.

Torque Makita cordless drill

The torque determines the application of the tool. A screwdriver is a fairly versatile tool that can both drive a screw and drill a hole.

It is measured in N*m (Newton*meter) The higher the torque, the more force the tool can overcome and therefore the more powerful it is.

The torque is determined by the power of the tool which depends on the motor and the battery. The documentation on the tool usually indicates the maximum possible diameter and length of the screw. The torque of a household screwdriver has an average value of 10 to 30 N/m. This is enough to handle most of the required tasks. A professional screwdriver may have a torque rating of 100 N/m or more.

The ratio of torque to screw diameter

• With a maximum screw diameter of 6 mm, the torque is 10 Nm for constructional soft materials (softwood, plasterboard, etc.) and 25 Nm for constructional rigid materials (hardwood, structural steel, etc.)
• With a maximum screw diameter of 7 mm a maximum speed of 11 Nm for soft materials and 27 Nm for hard materials
• With a maximum screw diameter of 8 mm, the torque of the drill when working with soft construction materials is 15 Nm, and with rigid materials when screwing – 30 Nm.

A very important feature of a good screwdriver is the ability to adjust the torque. This clutch allows you to adjust the torque and thereby select the force with which you want the tool to work, if you do not calculate the force of the tool, you can break the screw heads. That’s why the adjustment clutch with 20 or more adjustment steps is designed for such purposes. The higher the setting, the more force the tool has to work with.

Rotation Speed

Rotation speed indicates the number of revolutions of the working tool per unit of time. It should be noted that for ordinary work with screws and self-tapping screws, a speed of 450-550 rpm or even less is quite enough. If the screwdriver drill is used for drilling, then this requires a speed of 1000 rpm.

This is a relatively small speed, because, for example, the speed of a grinder can reach a rate of 11000 rpm.

Often, the speed of a screwdriver is controlled by the force of the “trigger” button. But some tools have a 2 or 3-speed gear that is switched with a special toggle switch.

Chuck

The screwdriver can be equipped with a single sleeve quick-action chuck or a double sleeve chuck.

In the case of the two-coupling chuck, in order to install the tool, you need to clamp it and tighten. You have to rotate the ring with one hand and hold the chuck with the other. This is not very comfortable.

Most power tools now come with a single-frame quick-change chuck. You don’t have to hold the chuck to clamp the drill bit. This convenience is achieved by locking the spindle. When the spindle is running, the lock is inactive. But as soon as the electric motor stops, the lock is activated. It is no longer possible to turn the spindle manually. This makes changing the drill bit much easier. It is enough to insert the tool into the chuck and tighten it.

Despite the fact that this chuck design makes the screwdriver universal in use, at the same time, the chuck can interfere with the work. Because of the dimensions of the tool increase. To solve this problem, manufacturers equip models with a quick-release chuck. This allows you to quickly remove the chuck by moving the ring in the back and install the bits.

Dimensions, weight, ergonomics

When a person chooses a screwdriver for domestic use, it does not always pay attention to these parameters. Of course, if we use the screwdriver a couple of times a month, they are not critical. But if the tool will be used practically every day for several hours, such criteria as weight and ergonomics are extremely important.

The sharper the angle between the handle and the working part, the faster you will rub your blister and the faster your hand will get tired during use. If it is not critical for short-term use, it is a very significant problem for long-term use.

The heavier the tool, the easier it will be to drive screws into hard surfaces. But the hand gets tired much faster. A small tool is more convenient for use in hard-to-reach places, the hand does not get tired as fast, but we lose power. Makita also makes specialized tools for hard-to-reach places, such as angle drills and screwdrivers.

Makita cordless drill power type

Drills and screwdrivers can be powered from the mains or from the battery.

It makes sense to use a corded screwdriver if the work is done in a permanent work area with access to the mains. However, cordless screwdrivers are more in demand because of the advantages. They are mobile, the power cord does not get tangled underfoot, there is no need to have mains power at the place of work.

Let’s take a closer look at what batteries there are and how they differ.

Battery capacity, voltage, and type

Battery type

• Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries are an outdated type of battery, which are being abandoned by major manufacturers in favor of higher quality batteries.
• Nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries are also an obsolete type, with little advantage over NiCd, and are also becoming a thing of the past.
• Lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion) are a new type of battery that is heavily used in modern cordless tools. It is the best type of battery available today. The price is well justified by the long service life. Also, thanks to interchangeability you can save money. For example, you can buy a cordless screwdriver complete with a battery and a cordless drill without a battery and use them alternately.

Operating voltage

The higher the voltage of the battery, the higher the maximum torque of the tool. The minimum battery voltage is 9.6V, such batteries are used in screwdrivers or cordless screwdrivers. Next are the 10.8V, 12V, 14.4V, 18V, and 24V batteries. 24V batteries are serious enough and are already used in cordless screwdrivers or rotary hammers. The maximum voltage is 36 volts, but such batteries are rarely used, because higher than 36 volts are already dangerous to humans, and explosion hazards are higher.

Battery capacity

The battery capacity is measured in Ampere*hour (Ah) and the operating time of the tool depends on it. The minimum capacity is from 1.5 Ah to 3 Ah. Of course, it is difficult to say exactly how long the tool will run on a single charge. There are a lot of factors that affect the running time, including load on the tool, ambient temperature, and more. Definitely, the greater the capacity, the longer the operating time from one charge, but with the capacity increases and weight. Most drills-drivers work 3-4 hours from one charge at average load and charge in less than an hour (many Makita drills-drivers are charged in 22 minutes with a modern charger DC18RC). Making a choice in the direction of the battery with a large capacity you will need to work with a lot of weight during work time. Therefore it makes more sense to charge a battery with a smaller capacity during a break. Of course, if you want to get fit without going to the gym, the high-capacity battery is definitely the right choice.

Shock Mode

Impact mode allows you to increase torque many times over, which greatly expands the capabilities of the tool for both drilling and screw driving.

Locking chuck

This chuck has a special locking feature that prevents it from unscrewing during operation. This option is very useful when working with the tool at high torques.

LED light

Quite often we find ourselves needing to tighten a screw or drill a hole in a place where the room light does not reach. To work with a flashlight at full stretch is, to put it mildly, inconvenient. This light greatly simplifies such tasks.

Battery Charge Indicator

It is very useful for any rechargeable device. It prevents you from having to run out of power at the most inopportune moment. Knowing your battery level makes it much easier to plan your work.

Extra handle

For a powerful screwdriver drill, an extra handle is a must. You get an extra stop when drilling hard surfaces, without which it is extremely difficult and inconvenient to drill.

Package Contents

Included with the screwdriver drill is usually a carrying case. The manufacturer Makita has a more complete package. For example, the Makita BDF458RFJ cordless drill also includes 2 BL1830 batteries, a charger, a quick-action chuck, a #2 nozzle, a side handle and a Makpac carrying case. By purchasing a tool with two batteries in the kit, you can increase your run time by alternating between batteries. Also, thanks to the interchangeability of lithium-ion batteries in Makita tools, you can save money by buying the tool without the included battery.

Bottom line

A screwdriver drill is a very in-demand tool in both professional and domestic applications. Remember when choosing the main criterion is the type of work and the tasks that you put before the tool. When constantly working with drywall constructions is enough to buy a screwdriver, which is much lighter and more mobile. When working with harder materials and larger screw diameters, it is better to choose a screwdriver, which can, if necessary, pre-drill a hole under the screw.

The versatility of the tool is a definite plus, but if there is a constant need to hammer nails, it is not worth buying an ax.