Dewalt OR Makita

[Bushwacker]

For years ive been using my Makita Combi and Impact driver although since hearing about Dewalts 4 AMP kit and the new hard wearing designs of their latest products what would you advise?

I know Dewalt was/is mainly a DIY brand (no offence as im sure a majority have one) this is why im unsure. Makita have yet to produce their 4 AMP which im sure will be very costly. Ive done a little research and found you can pick up a Dewalts SDS, Impact Driver and Combi for around £400! Not seen any unbiased reviews yet.

I should also add a large amount of my work is site work very little domestic.

Im after your opinions, suggestions or facts you may know. Thanks

 

[Barry98]

dewalt all the way

 

[Gas]

You can get cheap versions of each make, you can't compare a £400 Makita against a £99 Dewalt and vice (Dewalt) versa (Makita)

As a professional, you are going to need to spend more than a DIYer as a matter of rule.

Loads of decent drills out now, Panasonic, Hilti, Snap-on, Hitachi, Metabo etc I would go to a local tool shop and try them out

 

[Gas]

Just to add, the Makita batteries, although only 3Ah, charge in 22 minutes from flat, versus over an hour for the Dewalts

 

[mutley racers]

True, but, dewalt say that, your battery will never doe out before the other one has charged. No matter what application you are using it for

 

[Ermintrude]

Milwaukee all day long. Warranty is better than Hilti. Not obscenely priced either. Have hovers, recip, bandsaw, jigsaw, sds and drivers. All off same battery. I have had hackzall replaced foc twice. Once it got dropped in headder tank , other time due to abuse, cutting out 4" on a school and case got squashed it still ripped through tube . They come with m18 3ah as standard but 4ah avail. Hoover is wet and dry without filter change.

 

[AlexGas]

DeWalt - it's yellow! Would have Makita too though. Nothing wrong with Makita.

 

[Gas]

True, but, dewalt say that, your battery will never die out before the other one has charged. No matter what application you are using it for

Not true, i'm running SDS, impact driver, 2 lamps, circular saw and a hoover off three batteries just fine with 22 min recharge, i would need another 2 or 3 batteries if the charge time was over an hour, this is a huge additional outlay, more weight, more battery management = pain in the harris

 

[Ermintrude]

Triggers in dewalt pack up as well. Charger not covered by warranty either!

 

[Bushwacker]

For the main bits of kit im looking as in my OP.
SDS, Impact, Combi

Dewalt 4AMP - £430

Makita 3 AMP - £400

When Makita's 4 AMP come out we'll probably be looking between £500-£600? I'm not tight but not a fan of parting with money lol

 

[Atouchofgas]

Metabo cordless drill with 5.2amp coming in at £310

 

[mutley racers]

Metabo cordless drill with 5.2amp coming in at £310

But is this a combi hammer drill? Most of their stuff is just for carpentry

 

[Atouchofgas]

Yes, got one myself and its had 2.5 years worth of abuse so far. Here's a link for a combo set http://www.dm-tools.co.uk/product.php/section/10203/sn/METLTX25

 

[Ermintrude]

3 years collect and replace warranty. Non of the take back to shop rubbish u get with yellow black and decker (default) battery covered, charger covered . 18v hacksall or bandsaw make easy work of flooring, copper, black iron sds drill 22mm 1000mm bit no probs.

 

[Reg Man]

I started out with Makita back in the late 70's, I still have all those power tools today and they still all work accept for the rechargeable drill which finally packed up last year. My son has gone Dewalt and they seem to be a good product. I will come back to you in 30 years and tell you if the Dewalt's still going strong.

 

[Gas]

3 years collect and replace warranty. Non of the take back to shop rubbish u get with yellow black and decker (default) battery covered, charger covered . 18v hacksall or bandsaw make easy work of flooring, copper, black iron sds drill 22mm 1000mm bit no probs.

That is better than Makita then, they do not cover the battery after the first year, the tool itself is covered for 3.

I don't even bother with a combi drill any more, SDS and impact driver are the perfect pair, but the manufactures haven't caught on yet.

Have you seen the new brushless stuff, TS have knocked £50 off the impact driver, sexy looking tool aswell

 

[LPC]

Dewalt all the way. Makitas are for chippies and people who don't know any better.

 

[Gas]

Dewalt all the way. Makitas are for chippies and people who don't know any better.

What are you basing that on though? If we take the £300 models and do a spec comparison, the Dewalt looks pretty rubbish, 3 times longer charge, Max Torque 55Nm compared to Makita's 88Nm, poor trigger, lower drilling capacity, the list goes on.

Spec for spec (combi), in similar price bracket, Dewalt is worse than; Bosch, Panasonic, Milwaukee, Makita, Metabo, Hitachi, if anything, not buying one shows you know better :smilewinkgrin:

 

[Reltub]

Every1 is going to have different views here and tbh there is not much different between most of them, people views are always based on experience and if you've had a bad experience it sticks with you I personally have got a full dewalt xr 3amp kit which I love. I have had the Makita kits before and had nothing but trouble and I don't think they are as powerful as dewalt but again that's my experience. I do have a Makita 240v sds drill and think its great. I've had a 110v Makita core drill burn out on me so I wouldn't get 1 again. Have also used matabo and would never recommend them it spent more time being repaired. I know people that have had very expensive Bosch kits and have nothing but trouble. Best thing to do is get what you can get the best deal for.

The rest is pot luck in my opinion.

 

[LPC]

What are you basing that on though? If we take the £300 models and do a spec comparison, the Dewalt looks pretty rubbish, 3 times longer charge, Max Torque 55Nm compared to Makita's 88Nm, poor trigger, lower drilling capacity, the list goes on.

Spec for spec (combi), in similar price bracket, Dewalt is worse than; Bosch, Panasonic, Milwaukee, Makita, Metabo, Hitachi, if anything, not buying one shows you know better :smilewinkgrin:

I've never looked at paper specs. And I can't remember the last time I took my Dewalt combi off the number 3 setting (highest speed, lowest torque).

What I do know is that the guy who originally trained me had Makita tools and Dewalt tools originally, only the Dewalt tools are left and he's had them for years, and they're still going. I have all Dewalt, and they've been dropped, abused, left in the rain, run until they smoke and they're still going strong like the day I bought them. People I know who swears by Makita (mainly chippies) seem to always be buying new ones and when they use my Dewalt, they always say how they prefer the Dewalts but they're stuck with Makita because of some odd brand loyalty (and investment in batteries).

 

[Ermintrude]

Makita is a kitchen fitters plaything. Real joiners used to use dewalt, but on sites ( offices schools ect, contract jobs ) go into bait room or Subbies offices , few dewalt, mostly Hilti, occasionally a ryobi - not for long as the lads just collecting his marching orders.

Drills are bit like hammers. Estwing original everyone copies. I am a milwakiee convert but defo think the expensive dewalt is better than makita. But we buy screwfix 5kg sds drills now instead of Hilti TE 76 as its less than 10% o cost and its got a 3 year full warranty abuse and return!

 

[Bunker]

I had Dewalt for years and years, I'm not a Hitachi convert.

 

[Ermintrude]

I had Dewalt for years and years, I'm not a Hitachi convert.

Hitachi used to be really expensive and good quality in about 1998. Aeg, metabo, dewalt, they all sell outs. Makita been cheap since screwfix first listed them 1994???

 

[Howsie]

Makita is a kitchen fitters plaything. Real joiners used to use dewalt, but on sites ( offices schools ect, contract jobs ) go into bait room or Subbies offices , few dewalt, mostly Hilti, occasionally a ryobi - not for long as the lads just collecting his marching orders.

Drills are bit like hammers. Estwing original everyone copies. I am a milwakiee convert but defo think the expensive dewalt is better than makita. But we buy screwfix 5kg sds drills now instead of Hilti TE 76 as its less than 10% o cost and its got a 3 year full warranty abuse and return!

I think you'll find they use Festool or Mafell.

 

[AWheating]

ive just got rid of most of my makita 18v lion stuff and replaced with dewalt. im happy that i swapped. dewalt are as diy as bosch, milwaukee, and most other brands. each company has a diy range, semi profession and heavey duty range/models. You get what you pay for.

as for a combi drill, ive never used one on hammer, dont know why they bother with them tbh.

All the manufacturers make very good tools overall and you wont go wrong tbh with most of the major makes. If your going to compare different brands then you need to compare the same spec tool and then you cant really beat trying before you buy. Some manufacturers over state the power and max drill sizes, some under state.

charge times only really come into your thinking if you dont have many batteries, no need to worry about the difference between 22mins or an hour if you have enough batteries. when i used my m28 kit every day i had 9 batts, never run out of juice

 

[mutley racers]

Yes, got one myself and its had 2.5 years worth of abuse so far. Here's a link for a combo set Metabo Ltx2 Sb18ltx & Ssd18lt Twin Pack + 2 X 5.2ah Lithium-ion Batteries, Charger & Metaloc Case, METLTX25 at D&M Tools

I love D&M TOOLS!!!! Have shop right next to me. And I see I was mistaken, a combi I see

 

[Ermintrude]

I think you'll find they use Festool or Mafell.

Mafell, that's nearly cabinet maker quality tools! Not seen many site joiners with that much money! All seem to have makita rip snorters tho, strangely so do speedy hire?

 

[Dickie]

I've Makita 18v Li-ion kit. It's a bit dated now but clone batteries are only £40 & they charge in about 20min as said. If you want grunt, just bring the corded out the van, never runs out & cheaper than battery tools.

 

[Killy Bing]

Personally i have milwaukee cordless 18v and 12v tools and hilti corded.
A work mate has makita, sure it takes a beating but for example the sds and circular lacks the grunt when it comes down to it.

dewalts new xr range has banged them up a notch in quality and power.
however my work mate who has it has had a ton of trouble with warrentys.

no issues on my milwaukee or hilti stuff when ive had it repaired.
not that they are easily broken or unreliable!!

i just might do silly things to them......

keep a look out for the new milwaukee fuel tools coming out in the next few months.

the new circular saw is an absolute beast of a tool.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I don't use th but have been told Panasonic !!!

 

[Howsie]

Mafell, that's nearly cabinet maker quality tools! Not seen many site joiners with that much money! All seem to have makita rip snorters tho, strangely so do speedy hire?

LOL horses for courses.

 

[Mickplumb]

Makita does it for me