Makita 6217DWDE 12-Volt NiMH 3/8-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit

List Price: $266.80 Discount Price: $129.95

Features:

• 12-volt Ni-MH 3/8-inch cordless drill/driver kit and case
• Dual speeds (0-100/0-1,300 rpm); shift-lock drive system for switching from drill to driver; externally accessible brushes
• Rugged plastic body; all-metal gear transmission for smooth, efficient power; dual ball bearings
• Includes 2 batteries, charger, two-headed bit, battery cover, plastic tool case, keyless chuck
• 9-9/16-inches long; 4.4 pounds; 1-year warranty

Accessories:
Bigg Lugg Power Tool Holder Belt Hook	Irwin 3041006 Speedbor Max 6 Piece 1/2-Inch to 1-1/4-Inch Self Feeding Spade Bit Assortment	Makita 784869-A Shorty 3-1/8-Inch Bit Tip Holder with 12 Bit Tip Assortment	Stanley ST-03137 Fast Change 34 Piece Screwdriving Set with Plastic Case	Stanley ST-02151 150 Piece Drill and Drive Bit Set in Plastic Case

Customer Reviews:

It would get five stars except for the batteries... [Posted on 2007-04-17]
I already have this drill set. I ordered another one this week. My first set is working fine, except one of the batteries won't hold or take a charge. So I went online to get a battery and they are $55. I can get the whole set with 2 batteries, another charger and a new drill for $129. Doesn't make much sense to replace one battery under those circumstances.

So now I will have a spare drill, two chargers and three batteries.

As for the drill, it is rock-solid. It is easy to use and I haven't found anything it can't handle. I recommend it. But keep in mind if you have a battery die on you, it is just cheaper in the long run to buy a new drill.

Name Brand you can't beat [Posted on 2007-09-07]
Plain and simple, for a cordless drill, Makita is the brand to use. This is my 3rd over the years and it was the batteries that gave out before the drill. No complaints with Makita or Amazon! Ordered and received with no problems.

Professional Grade, Maybe TOO Good... [Posted on 2007-11-24]
I've had mine for 7 years now. I just put it on ebay, having just bought a new Ryobi 18V lithium kit.

When I first bought it, I was getting into woodworking, and a cordless drill is indisposable in woodworking. I was convinced I would wear out a consumer grade tool. Well, I used the HELL out of this little Makita. It never missed a beat.

12V is enough for 90% of what I did. The only thing that made it balk was drilling inch-and-a-half holes in oak with a spade bit. Spade bits are actually made for high speed, and at high speed, this 12V drill just didn't have the guts. Some of the big, long lag screws als slowed it down, even in the slow range. But now there are cordless impact drivers for that kind of stuff.

For drilling holes in wood & steel, driving screws and about 90% of the other household & woodworking stuff, this little drill is all you need. Going with a higher voltage usually just gets you more weight and costs more money.

Some people who are looking for this will be upgrading from the low-end Ryobi stuff or even (gasp) Black & Decker or Skil. This is a clear step up. You can feel the quality everywhere. From the user-changable motor brushes to the top-notch trigger switch, to the perfectly fitting hard case to the switch-mode charger. They didn't pull any punches.

If I like it so much, why did I just put mine on ebay? Because of the one fault: NiMH and NiCd batteries don't hold a charge if you don't use them for long periods of time. The charger on mine (7 years old) doesn't keep the battery topped off. They may have changed this by now. But when I needed my drill the other day, I grabbed it, grabbed the battery fresh out of the charger, and the !#$% was dead. That was the last straw for me. (and the reason I deducted one star)

If you can remember to put the battery on the charger an hour prior to doing the job, you will be extremely happy with this kit. I can't remember to do that though.

I downgraded in quality and went to Ryobi to get their lithium package. Their One+ system just has so many useful tools besides the drill & impact driver. Maybe not useful to a contractor, but useful to me. (MP3 capable radio, chainsaw, fan, dustbuster vac...)

We'll see how it goes. Throughout my ownership of this Makita kit, I never once felt like I was pushing the limits. The quality was the best I've experienced, slightly better than Bosch and DeWalt, and about tied with Milwaukee. (Milwaukee is maybe just a pinch better)

Very nice, high quality [Posted on 2007-12-18]
This is the second cordless drill I've owned, and it's very impressive. I particularly like that it slows down immediately upon releasing the trigger and that it sits upright on its battery pack base. I was aware before I bought it that Makita is one of the top brands of power tools, and I can see why - first class all the way (although I would prefer for it to be held securely in place in the case). I would recommend it with no reservations.

Makita 12Volt Cordless Drill [Posted on 2007-12-18]
Ordered the drill and received about a week later. In brand new condition. This was all after I had attempted to purchase just one battery for 93.50 at a local Lowe's store and would have taken about 2 weeks to get.

Have charged up both batteries and used the new drill motor to make sure everything works. Everything works as advertised!!

Brad in Lancaster, CA

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