Makita BDF452 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Driver-Drill KitMakita BDF452 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Driver-Drill Kit
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- Makita-built 4-pole motor delivers 450-Inch-Pound of max torque, with a variable 2-speed all-metal transmission (0-400/0-1,500 RPM) that for a wide range of applications
- Compact, ergonomic design at only 8-Inch long; weighs just 4.1-Pound
- Designed with convenient features such as a built-in L.E.D. light to illuminate the work area and pound and a rugged tool belt clip
- Makita LXT lithium-ion battery and energy star rated 30-Minute rapid optimum charger produces 430-Percent total lifetime work with 2.5X more cycles
- 3-Year warranty on tool; 1-Year warranty on batteries and charger
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The BDF452 features a Makita-built four-pole maximum torque motor that delivers 450 in.lbs. of Max Torque and 285 in.lbs. of PTI Torque in a compact size. The BDF452 has a two-speed all-metal transmission that delivers 0-400 RPM in low speed and 0-1,500 RPM in high for a wide range of drilling and driving applications.
Ergonomic Design in a Compact Size
The BDF452 weighs only 4.1 pounds with a more compact design at eight inches long, and an ergonomic shape that fits like a glove for reduced operator fatigue. The BDF452 is also equipped with a built in L.E.D. light that illuminates the work area for more efficient work.
Versatile Design for a Range of Applications
The BDF452 is perfect for a range of driving and drilling into wood and steel, and can be utilized in many different areas such as HVAC, electrical, plumbing, electrical, remodeling, woodworking, and more. The combination of power and performance in a compact size makes the BDF452 ideal for any pro contractor who requires a best-in-class engineered compact cordless driver-drill. The BDF452 is just another example of Makita's commitment to innovative technology and best in class engineering.
About Makita's 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Tool Series
As one of the pioneers driving the cordless tool revolution, Makita changed the game with its breakthrough 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Series. Three years after its debut, Makita's LXT Series has grown from seven to over 35 tools, providing a wide range of cordless solutions for professional tradesmen. Makita also added 18V Compact Lithium-Ion for cordless power in a more compact size. Makita's 18V Lithium-Ion batteries and ENERGY STAR rated Optimum Charging System provide several benefits over old battery technology. When compared to traditional 18V Ni-Cd batteries, Makita's 18V Lithium-Ion batteries have 40% less weight, longer run time, and five-times lower self-discharge to keep cells active and ready to use at any time.
Makita's 18V Lithium-Ion battery delivers 2,000 cycles--2.5X more than Ni-Cd. In addition, built-in shock absorbing features help protect the battery, and sixteen firm-holding contact terminals deliver constant high power. During the charging process, a built-in memory chip in the battery communicates with the Optimum Charger for a more efficient charge, extending the battery life. Makita's Optimum Charger is also faster: it will charge an 18V LXT Lithium-Ion battery in just 30 minutes, and an 18V Compact Lithium-Ion battery in only 15 minutes. Makita also offers a Rapid Automotive Charger for 18V LXT and 18V Compact Lithium-Ion batteries that plugs into 12V DC sockets equipped in most automobiles and trucks for added mobility. Makita's growing line of LXT cordless tool solutions features a wide range of industrial-quality power tools, including driver-drills, impact drivers, impact wrenches, saws, grinders, screwguns, rotary hammers, and more. The LXT Series also offers a jobsite radio, rechargeable flashlights, and several different combo kits.
About Makita
Makita is a worldwide manufacturer of industrial quality power tools and offers a wide range of industrial accessories. Makita applies leading-edge innovation to engineer power tools that are more compact and energy efficient, yet deliver industrial strength power and results. Makita U.S.A., Inc. is located in La Mirada, California, and operates an extensive distribution network located throughout the U.S. For more information, please call 800/4-MAKITA (800/462-5482) or visit makitatools.com. Makita is Best in Class Engineering.
Warranty
Every Makita Lithium-Ion tool is backed by Makita's 3-Year Warranty that covers repair due to defects in materials or workmanship up to three years from the date of original purchase. Makita Lithium-Ion batteries and chargers have a limited 1-year warranty. Please see makitatools.com for complete details.
What's in the Box
Makita BDF452 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Driver Drill, two 18V LXT Lithium-Ion batteries, 30-Minute Rapid Optimum Charger, tool belt clip, and tool case.
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- Tools & Hardware: 0 pages
- Publisher: Makita
- Label: Makita
- Studio: Makita
- Average Customer Review: based on 5 reviews
- Sales Rank in Tools: #27873
This is true even with the amazing Blue Boar high performance hole cutters we are now using unless we go slower than we would like to not overload the Makita. The drill has a good 450 RPM low range setting so the problem is with the overload protection of the lithium battery. The high speed RPM is 1500 which is not bad but it is noticeably slower than the 2000 RPM setting of other drills I have when I am drilling into metal. I have learned to grab another drill when I need to make a lot of holes in metal where the higher RPM makes a big difference.
The charger will recharge the battery quickly but Makita also says in the charger manual to leave the charged battery on the charger for an additional 30-60 minutes to give it time to cool off. From this I would gather that the charger is charging the lithium battery too quickly for Makita to warn against immediately starting to drill with the recharged battery.
The drill chuck is very smooth and it is easy to make adjustments. There is no side handle which puts this drill in the medium duty class for me. I use the side handle to control the drill and without it I find myself putting my second hand on the back of the drill to steady it and when I do this I cover the cooling vent holes for the motor. I have a 10 year old Makita NiCad drill and with it the vents were on the sides so I did not have to worry about covering them with my hand. Changing this design was not a good move on Makita's part.
I was having to make a lot of 2-1/2 inch holes in stucco siding and was using one of the Blue Boar TCT stucco bits to cut holes through the stucco, the metal lath, and the plywood sheets and started off using the Makita. I got more than 30 holes per battery charge which is pretty good. The 2-1/2" hole size was just outside the max size hole saw guide from Makita but the drill did not struggle.
BLUE BOAR 2-1/2" (64mm) Stucco-Brick & Wood Tungsten Carbide Tipped TCT Hole Saw with M16 Thread, requires mounting shank with M16 Thread and 10mm carbide pilot bit
I had a job where I was installing new decking and that was a good test of the Makita BDF452. It did not have the reserve power of the DeWalt DCD940 drill that I used to finish the job. I was driving 3 inch screws through pressure treated timbers that had a lot of moisture so I was not terribly surprised that the Makita was not providing as much power to the screw as the DeWalt but it did show how the 450 rating drills do not have just a little less power than the 550 to 650 rated drills but instead a lot less power when the going got tough.
DEWALT DCD940KX 18-Volt 1/2-Inch XRP Drill/Driver
To get the most out of this drill if you buy it be sure to use the gearbox and gear down for hard to drill or drive situations and the drill will last a lot longer. Most likely a lot of the complaints about gear box failure are from people who left the drill in its high speed setting and in effect abused the drill. The new generation of tungsten carbide hole cutters like the ones made by Blue Boar also will make the work go faster and help your drill and its batteries last longer. I stopped using high speed steel drill bits many years ago and switched to cobalt bits that make holes ten times as fast. I recently learned to do the same with large hole saws and have switched from the bi-metal hole saws to the tungsten carbide ones with large side slots for the same dramatic improvement in performance.
That being said the only difference between this kit (BDF452) and the BDF452HW is the color(white vs blue), the plastic grip around the chuck, and the batteries. The BDF452HW includes 1.5 ampere hour batteries, where this kit includes the 3.0ah batteries, offering twice the runtime. If you can deal with a shorter, but still surprisingly good, runtime, you can save about $100 and go with the BDF452HW.
Either way, expect a great tool that should last for many years to come.
(PS- There were those who had battery issues, but apparently Makita has worked them out, as I have 8 Makita LiOn power tools for over a year and have had no issues whatsoever with battery longevity.)
There is a very human tendency to personalize a purchase decision and identify with a product whether it is a make of car or a brand of soft drink or a power tool. I hear people say that Makita is the best or Milwaukee or DeWalt and I know they are not really credible as they have limited experience and a closed mind.
Makita definitely makes a good lightweight cordless drill but so do Ridgid, Milwaukee, Hitachi, and DeWalt. If you have a bunch of DeWalt or Makita batteries around and need a new power tool it makes perfect sense to stay with that manufacturer everything else being equal. But I have found big differences in real drill power and in chuck and gearbox performance between different brands and different models and Makita comes up in the middle of the pack with better performance and value from the drill kits made by DeWalt (DC760) and Milwaukee (2602).
The Makita chuck is not very good at gripping a hole cutter where there is any amount of vibration. The Makita positioning of the forward and reverse lever is too low and it is very easy to switch out of forward while depressing the trigger of the drill. This is not the case with the compact drills from Hitachi, Milwaukee, or DeWalt that I own and use, only the baby Makita BDF452. If you have small hands and never wear gloves this may not be a problem.
Makita batteries are charged quicker than most by the Makita charger but Makita also recommends in their charger guide that the batteries stay on the charger for an extra 30-60 minutes to cool down so total time is the same or longer than with other manufacturers' lithium-ion batteries.
The advantage of this version of the Makita BDF452 over the white model is the use of full size Makita batteries. This adds weight but also makes it possible to get the full power potential out of the drill. The 1.5 Ah batteries from Makita provide less than half the torque from the drill motor and quickly drain when cutting hard materials. This may not matter to you but it is something to consider before you buy as replacing the batteries from the white Makita kit is expensive.
Makita has a 1 year warranty on the batteries compared to 2 years with DeWalt. At the current price for replacement batteries any drill that is going to be used heavily will be cheaper to operate with the DeWalt drills and lithium-ion batteries.
As this is a 5 year old model it also has the 5 year old carry case that has lots of room for spare items but is pretty marginal at holding the batteries, even the half-size versions. Not a big deal but if you put a new Milwaukee drill case side by side with the Makita you will see that Milwaukee puts a lot more thought into the details (like the position of the forward-reverse switch).
For ultimate power I recommend the DeWalt DC760 18 volt drill that has lithium ion batteries that provide 20 volts of power. For a drill that performs well in every aspect I would not hesitate to buy the Milwaukee 2602 with the full size batteries so long as I did not care about possible shorter battery life and compatibility issues with new batteries in the future.
Regardless of which drill you buy the performance will be greatly improved if you keep the battery full charged after each use and are sure to use modern hole cutters and toss your bi-metal hole saws.
BLUE BOAR 2" (51mm) Super Duty Universal TCT 2-1/4" deep tungsten carbide hole saw cuts more materials faster than any other hole saw. Hard RA 90-91 carbide teeth for faster cutting and longer life, ultra deep side gullets for faster plug removal
Bosch HTC275 2-3/4-Inch 70mm TCHS Hole Saw