It’s that time of year again, as retailers start lining their shop fronts with seasonal treats, big brands like Makita start releasing their latest power tools for us to drool over! And it’s a pretty exciting new line up from Makita, which includes the BL1850 (5.0Ah battery) and the DHP481 which is going to be one of the best combi drills on the market and a variety of other treats to sink our teeth into. So if you’re starting your shopping… or indeed your Christmas list early then hopefully this run down will help you decide your must haves from your would likes:
Makita 5Ah battery BL1850
Yes, it seems like yesterday we we’re singing the praises of Makita for finally joining the 4ah brigade, but not long since the BL1840 hit our shelves Makita have already upped their game and sped through the development of their new 5.0Ah battery. One would think that it may have something to do with DeWalt’s recent 5Ah launch (click here for more) but either way, fans will be happy in the knowledge that Makita have continued to work on improving their batteries, fitting overload and overheating protection. All while keeping their impressive charge time and overall runtime.
To sum up the BL 1805 5.0ah battery will offer:
- 66% additional runtime over the 3Ah Li-ion battery
- Fully compatible with all Makita fast Li-ion chargers
- CPU controlled optimal charging
- Compatible with all ‘Starred’ and ‘Yellow’ battery terminal tools
- In-Built cooling system for added longevity
- 45 Minute Charge time
- Same weight as 3Ah version
For more info on the Makita BL1850 5.0Ah battery please read our blog here:
Makita DHP481Z, DHP4581RTJ and DHP4581RMJ Hammer Drill Driver
This is the one that we’ve all been waiting for. It’s the newest addition to Makita’s impressive line-up of 18v li-ion combi drills and it’s going to be the cream of the crop for a while to come. Last year I wrote a guide to ‘what Makita drill to buy’ in which I reported on the full 18v li-ion array of drills and explained where each model fitted into the range; you can read that guide here. As I showed in the buying guide, if you’re in the market for a drill with fantastic runtime then you’d be after one of the new combi’s with a brushless motor such as the DHP480. Alternately, if you wanted a really powerful heavy duty model that was capable of pulling of some of the toughest jobs that you’d use a combi for then the best bet was the DHP458.
Well not anymore!
The Makita DHP481 combi drill combines the heavy duty gearbox, side handle and robustness of the aforementioned DHP458 but also boasts a brushless motor, which makes it more efficient, lighter and smaller (by 20mm) than the 458. We cannot wait to see the DHP481 in action and test it out to the MAX (video camera at the ready…), however, until then here is the spec that Makita have given us:
- No Load Speed – 2100
- Impacts Per Min – 31,500
- Chuck Capacity – 1.5 – 13mm
- Capacity in Masonry – 16mm
- Capacity in Steel – 13mm
- Capacity in Wood – 76mm
- Max Torque – 115Nm
- Weight (inc battery) – 2.7kg
The dhp481 will be available in 4 packages:
- Makita DHP481Z – Tool Body Only!
- Makita DHP481RFE – Tool Body, With Carry Case and 2 x 3Ah Li-ion Batteries
- Makita DHP481RMJ – Tool Body, With Carry Case and 2 x 4Ah Li-ion Batteries
- Makita DHP481RTJ – Tool Body, With Carry Case and 2 x 5Ah Li-ion Batteries To read our full report on the Makita DHP481