Makita 6347DWDEX1 18 Volt 1/2-Inch MForce Driver-Drill Kit with Heavy Duty Tool Belt and Bags

I wish I never needed to write this review. I am a professional stairbuilder and I have been making a living at woodworking for the past 35+ years now. You can say that I'm a fan of Makita tools. I think the Makita 10 & 12" sliding miter saws are the best on the market. With that said, here's the 'skinny' on the 18 volt Makita cordless drill.

I bought my Makita 18 volt 13 months ago. It replaced a DeWalt that took a fumble off a ladder.... but that was a 'good riddens' type of deal as far as I'm concerned. The Makita was the perfect ticket for me as far as cordless drills went. It wasn't too heavy, had plenty of power and the batteries lasted a long time and charged quickly. The main use of this drill in my business would be driving screws.... all day long most of the time.

My partner liked my drill and he bought one 2 monthes after I did. He loved his also. About 3 months ago, my partner notice that his Makita drill started to 'SLIP' from time to time. We...Read more

I've read the other reviews, and YES there is a problem with the gearbox on the earlier produced drills. I have 3 of these drills, and one in three has the failed gearbox, and I blew out a switch in another one. Big deal. Get used to it, switches and batteries ALLWAYS fail on cordless tools. So this means I spend $35-40 for a gearbox, ONCE. The replacement gearboxes don't appear to have the problem of "stripping". I use me drills everyday and I BEAT THE S**T out of them ! No problems. So like everything else in life, it's all a matter of perspective. Personally, unless the drill explodes in my hand , My money goes to Makita. It has for over 25 years. I'm writing this review just for the sake of putting a different light on things for folks. Power tools fail, switches break, gearboxes explode, batteries die, etc.. It's part of life, EVERYTHING breaks!
Written by a regular guy who just happens to use power tools everyday to make a living, day in - day out. IF a tool is junk, I'm...Read more

This is one of the Best Drills I have ever used...HEAVY DUTY...WELL BALANCED...STONG MOTOR....AWSOME BATTERIES...and to top it off...AMAZON HAD THE BEST DEAL in town on this model.
For $174.99...I got the 18V Mforce Drill,Case,Charger,2 batteries, a $75.00 Tool Belt, $40.00 Work Gloves, a $20.00 coupon on my next Makita purchase.

WHAT A DEAL....I highly recommend this drill to any Professional or DIY GUY.