A cordless drill is a drill that has a battery on it which makes it very portable. In many cases the batteries can have different capacities and the low capacity batteries may be lighter but the charge wont last as long.
Not all cordless drills are created equal and there are many different models even within one manufacturers range. It is important to know what you want to use the drill for before rushing out to get one.
When buying cordless tools it is prudent to choose a manufacturer with a good range of tools so that you can then use a small number of batteries that are interchangeable between all of the tools.
Here we review the Makita DHP458Z 18V cordless hammer drill.
(MORE: Best Cordless Drills)
What's Included When You Buy the Makita DHP458Z 18V Cordless Hammer Drill?
The Makita DHP458Z themselves will often be sold ‘naked’ or 'body only', which means that the battery and charger are not included. If you are starting your tool collection then look out for starter packs that will usually include a drill (and possibly another tool as well) with a charger and a battery or two.
Product Specifications
- 13mm all metal keyless chuck
- 2 speed all metal gearbox.
- 4 pole brushed motor.
- No load speed 2000 RPM
- Hammer 3000 blows per minute.
- XPT technology to prevent dust and moisture ingress
- LED lights to aid working in darker areas.
- Battery charge indicator on the battery grip.
- Compatible with the Makita LXT batteries from 1.5Ah to 6Ah
Modes and Speeds
The Makita DHP458Z has a brushed motor and a 2 speed metal gearbox selectable via a slide switch on the top of the drill. The speeds can be further controlled via the finger trigger. It has three operating modes for standard high speed drilling in metal and wood, hammer for masonry drilling and ‘driving’ for screwing in screws. There is also a 19 point torque clutch that prevents the over tightening of screws or the drill snagging and twisting out of your hand. The drill modes and clutch settings are adjusted via an easily accessible rotating ring behind the chuck.
Additional Features
The Makita DHP458Z has a robust metal keyless chuck, as well as a handle base with a battery charge indicator that has 4 led lights that show the amount of charge left in the battery at the push of a button.
There is also the facility to use a clamp on grip handle (included with the drill) for two handed operation and added stability.
The drill also has a metal clip on the bottom, so you can hang it on your belt or work trousers pocket. It is a little bit big and heavy to carry around hooked to your pocket for prolonged periods but it is very convenient for when you need to put it down and you are up a ladder.
The all-metal, keyless chuck was of particular note, as many plastic chucks require constant retightening. The safety clutch works well which prevents the drill spinning out of your hand if the drill snags when using cutters such as a hole saw.
The length of time the battery will last before needing to be recharged will very much depend on the capacity of the battery and the load of the work you are doing. When using 5Ah batteries on site, for example, one battery will usually last most of the day on site unless drilling larger holes through joist sized timbers. The drill is compatible with the Makita 18 volt LXT lithium ion range of batteries so will easily fit into a system of tools that all use the same batteries.
This particular drill is now very good value. The DHP458Z used to be the flagship drill in the range until the introduction of the Makita DHP481Z brushless drill, which means that there are some great deals to be had.
