Rethinking my Makita system after 15 years

I’ve been frequenting the Tool Guy’d site for years and I just discovered this forum. Very happy about that. I’d be thankful if you guys can help me. I bought a Makita combo deal about 15 years ago. I think that was the early days of Lithium Ion. The combo included a hammer drill (BHP451) circular saw (BSS610) impact driver (BTD140). I added a compact drill/driver combo over the years and a couple flash lights. Everything has been great and I’ve been happy with the Makita’s. As far as usage, I’m a homeowner/heavy DIY guy. I have replaced the chuck on the BHP451 a couple times. Now that drill is really on it’s last legs. It’s a 3-speed. First I lost 3rd gear, now 2nd. And now one of my batteries died so I think it’s time.

I was looking at Makita’s website and was going to pull the trigger on an XPH07 hammer drill to replace mine. Then I thought: maybe I should just look for a regular drill since the hammer function doesn’t get used much. That’s where I ran into problems. I can not figure out which 18V brushless, li-ion, drill is considered Makita’s top model. Can you guys shed some light on that? And I’m also starting to wonder if now would be a good time to jump ship and try a new family (but that may open a can of worms here). Anyway, if someone can tell me which 18V brushless drill is Makita’s current (2018) top of the line, I would very much appreciate it. Thank you very much.

1 Like

Maybe answering my own question but I’d like some confirmation if anyone knows for sure: is it the XFD07Z? I see reviews going back over 4 years on this drill. Seems a little long in the tooth!

I can’t answer your question, but wanted to comment about changing families. I’ve been with Makita as my main top of the line brand and recently got a great deal on their track saw. That thing is sweet! It cuts like butter. Surprising power for a cordless saw. The charger charges very fast, and since I already have some 4 volt batteries it’s practical. I have the cordless router, too.

Now, you may not want a tracksaw, but if you are thinking of switching families, you should do some projections of other tools that you might want. Dream a little. Then see which line has what you want, cost, etc. May or may not be Makita.

I’m curious about your question, too. I have the subcompact drill and driver which were pretty new, but not what you need.

Track saw is interesting but I already have a table saw so I don’t think I’d get much use out of it. Cordless router is a different story though. I’d like to have one. I have considered going over to Dewalt because I’ve used their cordless tools and they seem nice. Another reason is my Makita hammer-drill, the one that’s dead/dying, is a three speed drill. I always liked that feature. The new Makita drills are 2 speed whereas the Dewalt is 3 speed. However, when I was researching, the 2 speed Makita is actually faster than the Dewalt so I don’t think the number of gears is a reason to switch. Frankly, it seems to me that you almost can’t lose with the top manufacturers. I suppose I should stick with Makita. I don’t understand why Makita makes it so difficult to understand which model is their best. It’s almost like they don’t want you to know!

You are correct that the XFD07 is the top of the line. It is on the older side, but still competes. All metal gearbox and chuck can be seen as pros and cons. Durable, yes. But it’s almost 2lbs heavier than the next model down. It’s also quite large, Being 1-3/8in longer than the next model down. IMHO, it’s like your hammer drill. If you really needed a hammer function, you’d get a real hammer drill. The XFD is most likely overkill for the majority of tasks. It’s main advantage is being able to drill large holes.

You probably want to consider the XFD12Z. It’s lighter (by 2lbs), Shorter (by 1-3/8in), and newer. It has half the torque though. Again, not really a problem for what I expect you’re going to do with it.

Thanks, good to know. Although, I think I’ve already convinced myself to at least get the bare-tool hammer drill. People seem to knock the hammer function of those drills but my old BHP451 saved my bacon a few times. It’s heaviest use was drilling out holes for Tapcons on my basement remod. I probably drilled two dozen holes in the concrete. As long as I had a sharp bit, it did the job. It kept me from buying/renting a “real” hammer drill for 15 years. So it has value! I’ll take a look at the XFD12Z as my light duty. I may pull the trigger on that router right away too. I guess I’m signing up for another decade or so of Makita.

If you wait till the holidays on the router you may see some good deals. The router itself is only $129, but the plunge base kit is $319, which is overkill if you already have the charger and batteries. The cordless router fits the accessories to the corded router, which are multiple. The plunge base alone is about $80, so about $210 if bought separately, rather than $319. If you use the $20 off holiday coupon, you can use it for each one if you order them separately, assuming they are both on the list.

The batteries I have are the same age as my tools. So I have three 3.0Ah batteries and they’re all about 15 years old. I had a fourth one die on me recently. So perhaps they’re all reaching the end. I’ll need to pay attention to sales like you point out. I’ve never been disappointed with run-time on my 3.0 batteries. So maybe I can save some money by sticking with them (rather than going with 4.0 or 5.0). I can wait for the best deals on 3.0’s and bare tools.

Come to think of it, buying that router kit might be the right play. If the plunge base is $80 separately (and I do want that), then $319 for the router, base, and two batteries isn’t a bad deal. Like I said, I need to update my battery scene.

And if the charger is a new fast charge type. The older chargers weren’t too slow, but the new ones are really quick. I like the Makita chargers a lot compared to any others I’ve had/have. (Ryobi, Ridgid, Bosch 12v).