andyavast":2gv367wd said:
My Panasonic battery driver has given up after two and a half years of heavy use, so I'm in the market for a new one. Money is no object as I use my cordless every day. I use it for a little drilling/counter-boring/counter-sinking and lots of screw driving.
Currently I am looking at offerings from Festool, Hilti and Panasonic but have heard good things about the new lithium ion offerings from Makita.
I would very much appreciate any advice on this matter.
cheers.
Andy.
Andy,
I assume that the panasonic drill itself has "died" rather than just the batteries that have failed?
If thats the case, and its just the motor then it may be worth a repair. If its the gearbox then I don`t know if its worth a repair.
I have a 15.6V Panasonic drill driver. 3.5Amp hours version and it worked hard for about 3 years then the motor died...So I bought a Makita 18V LXT Lithium Ion , one of the specials, the black and silver ones in an ally case.....
A few points here:
The panasonic 15.6V motor from a Panasonic dealer works out at about £28:00.So I bought one, found a Torx driver to undo the body shell and soldered in the leads of the new motor. Drill fixed......
The makita chuck is nowhere near as good as the panasonic, it slips, not badly because overall its a good quality chuck, but not as good as the Panasonic
Power:
Not much to choose between them , although the Makita has the edge on sustained heavy duty usage sessions because of the Li-ion batteries.
Functions:
The Makita has Impact mode, which is great for masonry drill work, but the Panasonic is no slouch either in its hammer mode.
Makita has the edge here but its a moot point really, both cope well in this respect.
Forward reverse button.....
For me, the Panasonic wins here. Slight awkwardness with the Makits, not much in it but enough to call a judgement
Speed selector( Speeds, 1 & 2)
The Panasonic wins hands down, just slots in and stays.Flicks easily to the other setting .
The Makita switch is not as positive, nor does it feel as robust or positive in use. Far worse is the fact that it often slips out of a speed or gear setting, losing drive and making an awful internal racket which cannot be doing it any good. Not enough to warrant a return, but not as bullet proof as the Panasonic.
Ergonomics. The Panasonic becomes an extension of your arm, whilst the Makita is a comfortable drill to use. Weight for both or either is not an issue for me, both fine in this respect, balance is good with both as well
Battery load /unload
The panasonic is not the easiest battery to disengage, but locks in tight in service.
The Makita battery loads and unloads easily.
Both have "smart" chargers, but the Makita recharges the quickest, although you get plenty of warning when the Panasonic is getting below par so lots of time to charge up another battery anyway.
Gimmicks?
The Panasonic does not really have anything I would call a gimmick, unless you count the spare bit holder hidden away in the battery housing
( I bet most owners do not even know its there ! )
The Makita has an LED "worklight" that does not actually shine where you wish to drill, the light is obscured/deflected by the drill contours, so at best this is a waste, albeit minuscule, of battery resources.
Overall toughness:
Hard to quantify without a test to destruction, but I feel the Panasonic will outlast the Makita.
Would I buy either of them again?
Yes, I would buy the Panasonic, especially a Li-Ion version of the same drill. but I would not but the Makita drill again, not because I didlike Makits, I don`t I have lots of excellent Makita kit, including 9.6v and 12 v drill drivers, drywall screwdrivers, sanders and an excellent metal cased Makita jigsaw, but as for a workhorse cordless its the Panasonic for me
I would not want a DeWalt, various reasons, a Hilti might be good, industrial background and pedigree?
The Festool of course will be a lot more expensive, and perhaps not such good value because of the high price even though it will probably be at least as adequate as the Makits, Panasonic, Hiliti etc.
Good luck with whatever you get !