Includes 12V Cordless 3/8" Driver-Drill - 6011DWE2-R, Plastic Tool Case - 824401-6
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Not bad if the price is right. Comment: As an owner of one of these drills, for $80 this drill is OK. This stick battery Makita is an old workhorse design. However, it is also old. It was old when the last reviews were written in '01. It's really old now. I think these came out originally around 1990.
So it's old. That doesn't mater if the thing still works. Well it does and based on power and specs it competes nicely again most other 12V drills for the same money. It's torque rating is better than many but still less than the 350 in-lb a late model DeWalt 12V drill (which costs more). The drill does have two speeds, two batteries and a quick charger, etc. It also has a well earned history of taking a beating and lasting for years.
However, it's also clear that when this drill was new people hadn't figured out "the best" way to do things yet.
There is a reason why almost all drills have the T handle vs the older pistol grip. The gear box speed selector is a rotary knob that should be twisted while running the motor. The clutch has only 5 settings (probably all we really need anyway). The trigger is actuated with your middle finger. The minimum speed seems a good bit faster than many newer drills (guessing around 60-80 RPM in low gear vs more like 10 for my newer drills). The forward/reverse switch is on the back vs near the trigger. Finally that long battery makes the drill very tall. It's harder to use in tight spaces and can not stand up like many newer drills.
Still, for $80 most of what you will get is compromised. A $80 Sears drill won't be any more powerful, will have few additional good features. However, it doesn't have the long history of reliable service (probably almost 20 years on the market now). So it's a trade off. If you really need day in and out reliability, spend more and get a newer design with reliability and a modern design. If you don't need it, get something like the Sears drill which really is a nicer drill to use. At least that's how I see it for the $80 asking price.
Customer Rating: Summary: Oldie But Goodie Comment: Yes, this is an older tool. I have had mine for what must be about ten years. For six of those years I have abused/dropped/thrown it almost daily. I ran into another older guy on a job last month who had the same one. Like me, he had been waiting for it to die so he could justify buying a new, bigger, sexier gun. Like me, he had been waiting for years. The damn thing is indestructable. Like a lot of Makita chargers, this one can be suspect, and I had to replace one. The best thing I have found is that with everyone going to 18+ volts, they are happy to give me their old 9 and 12 volt batteries. I have about 6 now. Some are tired, but I am NEVER without a juiced battery. Drives 3" screws fine, I attach a lot of 2x4's to hardwood floors, no big problem. If you consistently need more than 9 volts, you should probably use a corded tool anyway. The balance is not a problem if you use a holster, but it won't sit upright on the floor which is sometimes useful. It should be cheaper, this is the same price I paid when it was the new kid on the block. Not sure I would reccommend it over some of the great new guns, but if you are "hard on tools" and can pick one up cheap, you'll learn to love it. Customer Rating: Summary: Drill is Getting Old Comment: I loved this drill when it came out, but it is outclassed by the newer Makita t-handle 12 and 14 volt drills. The newer drills have nicer chucks, chargers, batteries, and balance. I also like the more compact size of the newer drills.
