Makita Sub-Compact Drill/Driver and Impact

Talk about reinventing the drill/driver and the impact, Makita did just that with their new Sub -Compact tools.  Now before you jump on my case and say these aren’t the most powerful 18V drill/driver and impacts on the market, that isn’t what Makita is going for with these two new tools.  Let’s face it, most of the time you don’t use a drill/driver or impact to it’s fullest extent and you don’t need all that power.  So with that said, why carry all the extra weight around with you all day?  Why fight the added power and the added weight when you are working?  When you read about each one below, you will see these tools have an incredible amount of power in such a small tool.  Here is why I think this is such a leap forward, the size and the battery.  How many of you have an 18V and a 12V?  You want an 18V tool because of a huge line of tools in the 18V line.  However, there are plenty of times you want the smaller 12V because you want the smaller weight or you are trying to get into tight spots.  With the new Makita Sub-compact, you get the best of both worlds and you only have to invest in one battery platform.  How nice is it to be able to carry around one battery line and a single charger?  This tool will still allow a normal user to get about 90% of the work done.  Are these going to mix concrete?  No, that’s when you break out the Makita XPH07Z.  Just swap batteries and you’re set to go.  In fact, we love these two new tools so much, they won a TIA award for 2016.

Makita Sub-Compact Drill XFD11ZB

Once you pick this tool up, you will understand why I feel this is the drill to own.  The drill is lightweight and feels great in your hands.  The drill is only 6-3/8″ long and remember this is an 18V, pretty impressive.  As far as weight, the tool only weighs 2.8 lbs and that is with a battery.  This is even lighter than some 12V tools on the market.  Makita designed this drill with a brushless motor that delivers 350 in/lbs of torque which is enough power for a variety of applications.  As with other drills, you can select the speed on the top of the drill.  There is a low and high which gives you between 0-500 & 0-1,700 RPM.  You can easily control it with the variable speed trigger.  The drill also has 2 LED lights to help in the darker areas.  Here is a very cool feature that Makita designed into this drill.  The electronically controlled motor matches the rpm and torque to the changes in your application.  So no more slowing down when things get tough.

Makita Sub-Compact Impact XDT15ZB

The impact is equally as impressive as the drill.  The impact is also built around a brushless motor and offers 1,240 in/lbs of torque.  As with the drill, the impact is extremely lightweight and small, even smaller and lighter than some 12V tools on the market.  The impact is 5-5/16″ long and weighs 2.6 lbs with a battery.  On the base of the tool you can control the settings from 0-1,300/0-3,000 RPM & 0-1,600/0-3,900 IPM.  One cool feature with this impact is the A-mode or assist mode.  The A-Mode helps eliminate screw cam-out and cross threading by driving at low speed until tightening begins.  Once the impact senses the screw is close to being set, it will slow down and allow you more control.  As with the drill, this also has two LED lights.

Bottomline, if you are looking for a compact drill/driver and impact, the Makita is the way to go.  Makita did an awesome job at designing the drill/driver and impact.  Having a powerful drill and impact that allows you to run off their 18V line, but also smaller and lighter than some 12V tools.  Next time you are at your local hardware store, pick these up and give them a try.  Trust me, you will be equally as impressed as I am.  This is just another reason you should take a close look at Makita and their huge line of 18V tools.  Check out the reviews on Amazon