Hammer drills are an essential part of every toolbox. A driver drill is an excellent investment to avoid hiring labor for minor tasks at home. Makita XPH12Z is one such hammer drill manufactured and designed for basic home tasks.
If you are looking for a compact, lightweight, and affordable hammer drill, XPH12Z by Makita has to be on your list. Makita is one of the most competent tool brands right now, so you can trust the build quality and performance of this hammer drill as well.
What is in the Box?
The package contains the Makita hammer drill XPH12Z tool only. It does not come with a battery or charger. Makita, however, puts the high-quality 18 V LXT compatible system batteries on the market along with the smart Makita charging systems.
Design
Makita XPH12Z Hammer Driver Drill uses durable metal, plastic, and rubber in exactly the places where needed. The front part is all metal to ensure longevity and durability. The holding parts of the drill feature rubber, which provides a better grip. The rest of the body uses durable plastic.
Overall, the Makita home drill is light in weight, which is a practically great feature, especially for the battery-powered tools. It reduces fatigue and eases the operation. The trigger control is quite good and responsive and provides enough room for a finger bud to rest comfortably.
Features of Makita XPH12Z Hammer Driver
The most prominent features of XPH12Z by Makita are the following:
Weight
The very first impression and the most important factor with tools, especially hammer drills, is the weight. As expected from a manufacturer such as Makita, this driver drill is a lightweight hammer drill. It weighs a modest 4 pounds despite all the metal and plastic it uses. We have seen heavier ones.
XPT
Extreme protection technology or XPT refers to the seal used with the internal machinery of the hammer drill. Makita uses XPT to divert the external dust and water and protect the internal components of the tool. It makes much more sense since where else does a hammer drill work than such rough environments.
Battery-Powered and Cordless
The selling feature for Makita XPH12Z has to be that it is battery-powered. You can operate it anytime and anywhere without arranging for an electricity source such as an extension. As another by-product, it does not have to use a cord, so forget entanglement and position adjustment according to the cord length.
Compactness and Ease of Use
XPH12Z is loved for its compact design and easy controls. Besides, it is a battery-powered tool. All these features make it the best choice for a home tool. It uses straightforward buttons for simple control options and is lightweight to carry.
You can see that XPH12Z by Makita is a medium-functionality tool for basic home tasks. It cannot work as a contractor tool where you may require a heavy-duty tool with more consistency and power than a battery-powered tool. The price, budget, and design, however, are perfect for a home hammer drill.
RPM
This driver drill by Makita can provide a maximum speed of 2000 RPM. This is quite a good range for the price XPH12Z charges and the home tasks it has been manufactured for. The brushless engine adjusts the RPM according to the required speed setting and torque.
18 V LXT Lithium-ion Battery
XPH12Z uses the cordless tool system LXT 18 V batteries. The 18 V engine can provide enough power and torque to facilitate medium- to high-end homeowner’s tasks. The LXT system is the world’s largest compatible battery system. The 18 V LXT lithium-ion battery takes less time for a full charge than other hammer drills with the same features and price.
It communicates with the Makita charger to adjust the temperature and current; that’s why it is called the smart battery and charging system. These batteries use the Makita Star protection technology that enables the battery to communicate with the power and torque of the tool to make optimum adjustments. It prevents the drill from overheating, over-discharging, and overloading.
BPM
BPM or the blows per minute for a particular hammer drill determines the force or impact of the hammering action. XPH12Z can reach a BPM of up to 30,000. The BPM values are also variable with the speed settings. For a wide range of hammer applications, you can choose from the two settings: 0-7500 BPM and 0-30000 BPM.
Two-Speed Design
Another feature that contributes to the compactness of the XPH12Z is its two-speed design. The low-speed setting features speeds ranging from 0 to 500 RPM. The high-speed setting ranges from 0 to 2000 RPM. The prominent slide button on top is where you switch your speed settings.
LED Working Lights
The LED lights facilitate working in dim lights. Not only that, this helps illuminate the area of drilling. These LED lights consume minimum power from your charged battery and facilitate the maximum duration of a task.
Torque
The torque determines the performance of a hammer drill it can produce, which in turn depends upon the motor power. XPH12Z can reach a maximum torque of 530 inches/pound which is just what an average drilling task at home would require.
Brushless Engine
XPH12Z by Makita uses the latest brushless motor that eliminates the use of carbon brushes. This considerably increases the runtime of the machine while reducing the energy required. Even better, the brushless engine can adjust the torque, runtime, and hence power used as per the task at hand.
So, if you are drilling in concrete, the brushless engine will automatically increase the power but reduce the speed. If you are doing a lighter task, the speed may or may not increase, but it will definitely reduce the energy used. This way, the brushless engine optimizes runtime and provides the best possible performance.
My Experience with the Makita XPH12Z Hammer Driver Drill
The first thing I noticed about the Makita XPH12Z 18V Hammer Driver Drill was its price. It goes soft on the pocket but does it provide value for our money? To make an opinion on this, I had to buy and try this battery-powered hand tool. I have had my experience with some of the best low-end and high-end hammer drills.
Makita is popular as a budget-friendly hammer drill for basic construction tasks at home or offices. We do not expect contractor-level performance, but let’s see how it did with the basic home tasks. The dimensions of this home drill are ideal for storage and handling. It won’t take too much space or contribute to the tools’ clutter in your storage.
I feel that the best advantage of its dimensions is the perfect length, breadth, and height for positioning. The durable, sweat-free rubber used at the sites of holding the hammer drill plays a practical role in steady and consistent drilling. Besides, the drill weighs 4 pounds only and thus is incredibly lightweight while working.
The fatigue and exhaustion with XPH12Z are minimal. It uses straightforward buttons for speed settings, and then turn on/off trigger is quite responsive. The variable speed design is probably the best selling point here. You can adjust the power, torque, and speed according to your needs and preferences.
Besides, it is cordless and battery-powered. You can take and use it anywhere, anytime. The battery, too, is the LXT 18 V which ensures better charging and operating times. The brushless motor system runs cooler as compared to its competitors because of the elimination of carbon brushes.
Since the motor is electronically controlled, it can adjust the speed and energy consumed with the changing demands of the application. The XPH12Z reviews tell us that the brushless engine has a longer life than others on the market. The cool running temperatures and the brand speak for the same, but I haven’t had mine long enough to comment on that.
Another practically helpful feature is the Extreme Protection Technology used in the Makita hammer tools. This technology is nothing but a seal or protection that prevents the dust and water from the environment from entering and damaging the internal components of the driver-drill.
Reduced heat generation facilitates long hours of drilling tasks without overheating the machine or draining the battery. I recommend this driver drill by Makita for all your home drilling tasks if you want an affordable power tool that leaves no home drilling task untouched.
Pros
- Lightweight and easy to position
- Easy controls
- Two-speed design
- Responsive trigger control
- 18 V LXT Battery with a competent charging time
- Dependable speed range of up to 2000 RPM
Cons
- The package does not include the charger and the battery
- The performance is inconsistent at low battery levels
Final Thoughts
This Makita XPH12Z Cordless Hammer Driver Drill is here to provide all the essential hammer drill features and minimize the effort, time, and energy required for daily home tasks. The above review lists all the makes and breaks of the drill, and it clearly establishes XPH12Z by Makita to be a perfect choice.
If you would like to get the reviews of other popular power and hand tools, kindly visit our reviews page.
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