Bosch 10.8v VS Makita 10.8v Drill? Which one?

[owsnap]

I'm after an early xmas gift for my Dad who's an Electrician, looking for a small/very compact unit which still got plenty of power, he got some very old makita 14.4v makita ni-cad drill ,not sure what kind of power that one has but certainly nothing good..

He just needs it for light tasks and for putting holes in to junction boxes and stuff like that,nothing really that hardcore and needs something very compact which can fit in to places, is very lightweight and has a nice light.

So I have been looking at the bosch 10.8v stuff
http://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/bosch-g ... -body-only
£37 for it sounds very sweet deal as well,

I dismissed makita before as they had very little torque ratings, but I saw they now have new drills which have more or less the same ratings as for the bosch + I found very nice blackfriday deal for a drill/impact driver, battery,charger,box for just £108
http://www.powertools2u.co.uk/Black-Fri ... er-Kit.htm

however at least from the online images those tools look rather large and not as compact as the bosch ones?


I have never seen either of the tools in flesh so I have no idea about their actual sizes or which one is more compact, however I saw that at some forums people said that the bosch 10.8v stuff is kinda cheaply made and the makita is much more durable, and after prelonged use the bosch has worn more than the makita stuff. but that was just some stuff I saw at one place, so who knows...


Maybe anyone have tried both of the brand tools and can comment on which one is better? I'm slightly leaning towards the bosch only because of the nicer form factor, but I would like to buy something that will last him for a while as well and will be a better tool overall..

 

[Woodmonkey]

I have that makita set. I don't use the drill/driver much as it is quite weedy, but the impact driver is superb. I use it all day every day for fitting bedrooms, it's the perfect tool for this as it's nice and light, feels great in the hand and will get at least a days work on one charge. If it broke tomorrow I would buy another in a heart beat.

 

[timbo614]

I just posted in that "other dewalt thingy type thread where you are possibly no longer welcome" that I have the 10.8V Makita kit. I'm only a DIYer now but I was on the tools years ago. They do pack a good punch for 10.8v kit they are light and the ergonomics are superb. Disclaimer: I'm a Makita fan boy

 

[timbo614]

I just looked at your second link - that is a genuine bargain at £108 - I paid £144 at Screwfix live with supposed 10% discount.

 

[TFrench]

For that price I'd go for the makita. I have the bosch set and really rate it though. Definately get a set with an impact driver if possible - I use mine more than the drill!

 

[petermillard]

I also have the Bosch and have been very happy with it. I went Bosch not Makita as at the time they had a wider range of tools that fit the battery, and that range has expanded since then. The Bosch you link to above (btw in case you hadn't realised, it's a bare tool I.e. no battery or charger at £37...) is a combi - I have one and it's very handy for light work, and nice and compact.

Haven't seen the Makita 'slide-on' 10.8v in the flesh, but the impression I get is that they're bigger than the old-style range.

And just for balance, I don't use an impact driver at all.

Cheers, Pete

 

[gmgmgm]

I had this choice earlier in the year and chose the Makita 10.8V. Both are good, and I think I chose the Makita twin-pack because it was a couple of pounds cheaper than the Bosch on a certain day- not much in it. £108 is a stunning price.

The 10.8v drill does everything my older de Walt 18v NiCD drill could do. Impressive. And the impact driver is great.

 

[Aden30mm]

I bought the Makita 10.8V twin pack, never had an impact driver before, but using it while installing a corrugated steel roof it was faultless, didn't have to even recharge the battery. It wins on the weight and size when dangling in the eves. However, as I said I never had an impact driver so I have nothing to compare it with.

Would I buy it again , yes sir.

 

[Bodgers]

Dewalt 10.8 set. Official refurbs are often on eBay and they are basically new. They have the best feel and trigger control of any of the 10.8s IMO. Good battery life too...

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[Woodmonkey]

Dewalt 10.8 set. Official refurbs are often on eBay and they are basically new. They have the best feel and trigger control of any of the 10.8s IMO. Good battery life too...

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Careful, he doesn't like dewalt...

 

[skipdiver]

I have the Dewalt 10.8v set of drill driver and impact driver. It was given to me by a guy i used to subby to after a mammoth shopfitting job in which i had to screw miles of battens to the walls to carry MDF sheet. He loaned me it to use one day and three months later i was still using it as the job came to an end, so he said you may as well keep it now. I've never bought Dewalt stuff before, for no particular reason but i would get one of these sets again. Surprisingly light and powerful. Two years on it gets daily use in my workshop.

 

[MMUK]

I dismissed makita before as they had very little torque ratings

:?: The original 10.8v Makita were more powerful than the Bosch Blue in testing and the batteries lasted much longer.

FWIW, I've had both and much prefer the Makita. Much better balance and battery life is near twice that of the Bosch. The grip is more comfortable too, the Bosch has a strange shape to the pistol grip that I find uncomfortable.

I've tried the new Makita 10.8v with slide batteries and they are even better again. I've found nothing else to touch them in terms of performance yet. I'll be adding them to my tool collection in the near future.

 

[Eric The Viking]

At the OP: You're not really comparing apples with apples - that Makita kit has higher energy-capacity batteries and thus, if it can pass higher current, will have more power available as torque. That said, I compared my smaller Bosch 10.8V kit (slightly older drill-driver: no percussion) with the Makita equivalent belonging to a friend. (the batteries are identical, just with different covers so they can't be interchanged).

I think the Makita kit (white or pink) 10.8V stuff is better made: it's certainly heavier and there's less slop in the drill's shaft. That's the most annoying thing about my Bosch - when I first got it I had to change my drilling style, and I find I go to the pillar drill a lot more, simply because I can't use the Bosch 10.8v drill for detail work as I used to with earlier generations.

I completely agree about the Bosch impact driver (with a hex socket rather than a chuck): it's excellent, and battery life is better than with the drill for similar tasks. It's not subtle though - you have to be certain you have the bit engaged properly before squeezing the trigger, as it's easy to damage bit and screw instantly!

If I was buying again, I'd seriously consider the Makita as I think they are better made. That said, I"ve had the Bosh set (drill/driver, impact driver and multi-tool) for about five or six years now, with periods of intensive DIY use, and the batteries are still good (1.3AH, so quite small by recent standards). I have no experience of the Makita ones that take (same voltage) bigger energy-capacity battery packs. Bosch now also do bigger energy-capacity batteries too, with the same cells inside as the Makita ones, but which fit the smaller designs of tools (like mine).

FWIW, I stripped and regreased the oscillating gearbox of the multi-tool a year or so ago. It's quite well made, but new grease improved the battery life a bit and reduced the amount it heats up, so it was evidently stiff! It's the hungriest tool of the three, but a set of three batteries will keep me going for about 8 hours of sanding.

HTH, E.

PS: The LED worklights on the Bosch drill/drivers are hit-and-miss: the set of three on the impact driver are excellent, but you hardly ever need them, as you can drive screws almost in the dark... but although the single one on the drill is bright enough, the shaft casts a shadow just where you don't want one - epic fail, Bosch!

PPS: @MMUK - The handles of the _equivalent_ smaller drills are very similar between Bosch and Makita, as the shape is largely governed by the triangular arrangement of the three cells in the battery pack (and a large number of manufacturers use the same packs, just with different end caps fitted on so they can't be interchanged). The ones on the white Makitas, I actually found more uncomfortable than Bosch, but I'd put up wit hthat for a better quality tool. And anyway, my hands are a bit deformed now, so it's probably not a fair comparison.

 

[BECKS]

I have that makita set. I don't use the drill/driver much as it is quite weedy, but the impact driver is superb. I use it all day every day for fitting bedrooms, it's the perfect tool for this as it's nice and light, feels great in the hand and will get at least a days work on one charge. If it broke tomorrow I would buy another in a heart beat.

I have owned the makita set for a few years and find it very handy for fitting kitchens etc. After a few days use, I bought a plain drill/driver to replace the impact drill as I don't see the point of them in this size. I have one drill set up with a pilot and one with screwdriver bit. Works well for me and can still hear the radio. My son recently had an altercation with two kitchen fitters who were using impact driver's to assemble a flat pack kitchen as he lay ill in bed. Keep the peace man! [-o< [-o<

 

[Woodmonkey]

Yeah that's the downside, they are hideously noisy

 

[timbo614]

Well, owsnap, 5 days and lots of votes for the Makita set. What's the decision....(as if you didn't know before you asked)

 

[Bodgers]

The Dewalts?


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