Makita Range

[Jfp]

Looking at starting again with my makita stuff as my old drills and that have had it, they run the old battery type and its time for an upgrade.

Was recommended this website to get them from but i wasnt aware that the range was so big?! [emoji15][emoji15]

http://www.fastfix.co.uk/index.html

How do you go about deciding what you want? There all relatively similar but all different at the same time! For a start off i just want a drill and impact driver, anyone got any model recommendations or ideas? Thanks!!

 

[Kidds]

http://www.fastfix.co.uk/makita/Makita-BHP456RFWX-18v-LXT-Anniversary-Combi-Drill.html

Had one of these for a while and happy with it.
18v LXT range seems to be current favourite

 

[Shovelhands]

I have a fair bit of makita gear now, it is addictive!

Started with a 6 piece kit iirc, with 3ha batts

Now have more bits than I can count, and a good mix of 3,4 & 5ah batts

I am now trying to get any new kit with Brushless motors, not every tool is available Brushless, or really necessary, but the drills, impact drivers, saws & grinders are just incredible in brushless form. The standard brushed motor kit is still good, don't get me wrong, I've got lots that's been no trouble and taken some stick! But the brushless is just so much better!

Last drill I got was the top spec brushless, it's just incredible, compact but like using a mains drill!

I find it a great system, with a huge range, as you've discovered, and I am very happy that I went the makita route. Only issues I have had is a few of my first 3ah batts have died, and unfortunately had to replace them as I still have a few of my first bits of kit that only accept 3ah batts, but all new kit should accept all battery sizes now.

Look carefully at the drills in particular, specs and performance varies with price, the deals that the likes of screwfix have, are usually not high spec machines.

Most recent purchases have been from FFX, but have also used Toolstop in the past, just depends who's the most competitive at the time

 

[Jfp]

Thanks! I like the idea of the stackable boxes that you can get with them all and once you've got setup, buying body only bits doesn't seem quite as bad! Just a nightmare looking through them all to find one!!

 

[Lincs Lass]

If you can afford to ,,try to buy the tools with the batteries ,you can never have too many batteries.
Makita also make a twin point charger have also seen a 4 point charger but it was abit pricey.
Go for the 4 and 5 ah kits

 

[trev7530]

I agree, I use hitachi stuff.
But you can't have enough battery's, and the amp the better!

 

[S J H]

If you can afford to ,,try to buy the tools with the batteries ,you can never have too many batteries.
Makita also make a twin point charger have also seen a 4 point charger but it was abit pricey.
Go for the 4 and 5 ah kits

It was cheaper to buy 2 single chargers when I looked.

I've just had some batteries changed, 4ah, that went dead just after a year. I had a fight, but they did change them in the end. Still feel a bit sour towards Makita though.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Ive still got some 3ah ,they refuse to die.
anything I get now though will have the 5ah,,the 6 would be even better but not how much they are

 

[trev7530]

Hitachi had a bad batch of batteries, but dealer changed under warranty no problem, they were 4 amp.

 

[David.]

Have had Makita and been very disappointed with battery life.
It seems to be a recurring theme, and I'll buy something else next time..

 

[Shovelhands]

Have had Makita and been very disappointed with battery life.
It seems to be a recurring theme, and I'll buy something else next time..

Do you mean battery life as in how long they last during use or as in how long they last until faulty ? The only ones I've had go wrong are 3ah, and I didn't think they'd had that much use, but hard to prove that , I think the batteries generally last well in use, but it really depends on the tool they are on and how your using it. The brushless tools are kinder on batteries.

 

[Shovelhands]

Thanks! I like the idea of the stackable boxes that you can get with them all and once you've got setup, buying body only bits doesn't seem quite as bad! Just a nightmare looking through them all to find one!!

I tend to buy the drill kits , inc an impact driver, with a couple of batteries, they seem to work out good value that way, then the more specialist and unusual tools in body only, some are only available body only, however the last saw I got is a twin batt, 36v, and I got that with a pair of batteries as it was on a good deal.

 

[General-Lee]

How do you go about deciding what you want?

Type Milwaukee into a search engine!

Only joking dad has Makita and is good, try here bought a few bits from these.

http://www.westwardbuildingservices.com/Products/001a0007

 

[zyklon]

What about a Makita cordless grinder? Always a case were your in a situation when a cordless grinder would get you out.

Nuisance having to get a lead out.

 

[Shovelhands]

What about a Makita cordless grinder? Always a case were your in a situation when a cordless grinder would get you out.

Nuisance having to get a lead out.

Go for the brushless grinder, that's a tool that really benefits from a brushless motor! I've got a standard one also, and that loves a battery, they don't last long on it, and it lacks power, but still mighty handy when you need it, the brushless is like using a mains grinder.
Downside of my old one is it only takes 3ah batts, possibly a standard motor grinder witha 5ah batt would be better, but why buy one of those now the brushless are available!

 

[hoggs]

theres a small tab on the older tools that you can cut off so that you can put 4 or 5 ah batterys on the older tool.
i did my grinder 12months ago and its never missed a beat with the bigger batterys.

 

[David.]

@hoggs .Do the new batteries still charge OK in the old 3ah battery's charging dock?
My problem was that the 3ah batteries never lasted long when operating the grinder, even gently with slitting discs, AND were knackered at about 13mths old just out of guarantee. Not happy at all.

 

[Lincs Lass]

The 5 will charge in my older 3 charger ,,as long as the battery has a star mark on it

 

[David.]

Just ordered one so will find out soon enough

 

[Poorbuthappy]

+1 for ffx
+1 for brushless.
I've had my original 18v drill for 9/10 years and it and it's 2x 3ah batteries are still going strong. Newer stuff I've bought has been brushless.