Makita HR2450X impressions after first week of use

[Richard]

You may recall that I sought advice on a replacement for a very crude and nasty (but cheap) NuTool SDS+ machine a while back. It looked pretty much like the Screwfix Ferm SDS Plus Rotary Hammer Drill 230v. Had no safety clutch and the chuck was free to rotate in chisel only mode.

In the end I ordered a Makita HR2450X from Lawson for a shade under £120 with four sets of small SDS+ drills included.

While waiting for it to arrive I borrowed a Powerbase Exell (sp?) which looks pretty much like the Ferm 1100W SDS Hammer Drill but is not as powerful. The Powerbase unit has a safety clutch and the chuck does not wander in chisel mode and doubtless cost far less than the Makita.

Apart from knocking some sizeable holes with both the PB and Makita machines, which both do equally well, the only thing I did with both which showed their true abilities was chiselling out a concrete floor down to an old bitumen DPC without breaking said DPC. I started using my trusty bolster until I remembered that I had two SDS+ chiselling machines at my disposal (duh).

I started with the PB machine but found (a) that it was too heavy to use for any length of time and (b) it's chiselling is not easily controlled as it is a fixed speed machine. The Makita weighs fractionally less than my Bosch hammer drill and, having variable speed, is much more controllable when chiselling. Just that bit of chiselling made me realize what a good decision I had made - I had wondered when I was using the PB machine after having ordered the Makita whether I was spending money unnecessarily and a PB would have been fine. I can now see me using the Makita for any drilling into brick, even small holes, it's so light and manageable. Oh and it's nice not to have the high pitched scream of a hammer drill to contend with.

Regarding the weight of the Makita; I had initially feared that being so light it would be less effective than my old NuTool machine of the PB. However, it seems that the weight of the unit is irrelevant - at least for the tasks I have used it for so far.

Other nice touches are a carrying case that is cast rather than blow moulded with a proper hinge and lots of space for drills etc.

Rgds

Richard

BTW my old SDS+ machine has been doing sterling work as a plaster stirrer since having the duff hammer action removed and the broken nose cone stuck together with JB Weld!

R

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yup. To me, an SDS drill which weighs little more than an ordinary mains drill and is vari-speed is essential if you intend using it for long periods.

Those who recommend heavy non vari-speed 'cheap' drills simply don't use them much.

[Richard]

Hi Dave,

In defence of the cheap SDS+ drills I bought my cheapy purely for knocking holes in a concrete garage rather than destroy my Bosch, never thinking that it would replace the Bosch. Also I was cautious about overspending on what I feared could have been a single use tool.

On the other hand I could have been so badly put off by the unfriendly behaviour of my cheapy that I might never have bought another SDS+, let alone one that's any good!

Cheers

Richard

[Nick Atty]

Yes, but if you don't use them much, they are fantastic. I've used my dirt cheap Ferm one only about 5 times in the last three years. Each time it's done something that would have been very difficult or impossible without it. Well worth the money.

If it died, I'd probably buy something a little better, but not that much - unless I knew I had a big project coming along.