![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.battaussie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/MAKITA-1220-Power-Tool-Battery-battaussie-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAs we all know, it\u2019s a cordless world out there when it comes to power tools. Even outdoor power equipment is making the rapid progression toward cordless technology. Just about every power tool, including those many thought would \u201cnever\u201d go cordless, are available in cordless platforms. All that cordless goodness does come at a cost. For one thing, things can get messy when it comes to battery platforms and chargers. I often dream of a day when all the tool companies come together to pursue a universal standard for chargers and batteries. From a consumer standpoint, being able to use one charger and any brand\u2019s battery would make life a lot easier.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, that\u2019s not likely to happen for a variety of reasons. For one, many tool brands invest a great deal in innovation focused on batteries, chargers and the tech that enables batteries to communicate with both chargers and the tools themselves. Those same companies aren\u2019t going to be excited to join in a sharing circle of competitors, singing Kumbaya as they exchange their hard-fought intellectual property. Brands also benefit from practical brand loyalty here too. The tool companies that offer a large variety of the most appealing tools can encourage some buyers to stick to a single brand\u2019s cordless platform exclusively. If you don\u2019t believe that, check out some of the photos posted to social media showing loyal tool users showcasing mountains of red, blue, green or yellow cordless tools.<\/p>\n
Even if you stick to one brand, you\u2019re likely going to have tools in both 12v and 18v lines. Which brings us to this current review. Makita <\/a>is looking to bridge the gap between 12v and 18v lines by providing the compact form factor users love in the 12v platform, with much of the power and performance users love about the 18v platform. For some of you, this might mean you leave some or all of your 12v gear behind and just carry your 18v tools, batteries and charger.<\/p>\n One of the great things about 12v tools is their ergonomics. Many 12v drills and drivers just feel better than some of their bulkier 18v counterparts. The Makita sub-compact drill and it\u2019s sibling impact driver feel more like a 12v tool in your hand, and that\u2019s thanks to Makita\u2019s choice to use a brushless motor that\u2019s smaller in size than what you would find on a comparable 18v tool. While some bulkier 18v tools can feel awkward and cumbersome to wield, the Makita sub-compact tools instead feel like a natural extension of your arm (albeit with a lot more torque). And, because there isn\u2019t a 12v\u00a0MAKITA 192681-5 Power Tool Battery<\/a>\u00a0crammed into it, the trim and slender grip on the sub-compact actually feels even better than many chunkier 12v grips.<\/p>\n The sub-compact benefits don\u2019t stop with how the tool feels in your grip, they\u2019re also relatively light, especially if you\u2019re using the lightweight Makita 2.0 Ah battery. At just 2.8 and 2.6 lbs for the drill\/driver and impact driver respectively (with the 2.0 battery), arm fatigue is kept to a minimum.<\/p>\n I used the 18V Sub-Compact Drill and Driver on a variety of tasks including installing recessed alarm sensors, drilling glass, assembling office furniture, installing a flat screen, installing a bench vise on a bamboo bench-top, removing a glass shower door assembly, installing closet railings, drilling into plaster, and general tasks for around the home. Some of that work was done off-site and these Sub-Compact tools were compelling to bring along since I suspected I might need more juice than a 12v might provide, but I also didn\u2019t want to lug bulkier tools along. I dropped the Makita Sub-Compact Drill and driver into a tool bag filled with other tools and I didn\u2019t feel like I was lugging my shop with me.<\/p>\n This nimble powerhouse delivers 0-1700 RPM with a tiny 6-3\/8\u2033 overall length. You can adjust fastening torque from 20 different settings via the ring next to the chuck, or set it in drill mode to disable the clutch. The tool features two speeds, with the higher speed intended for lower-load activities. I found the optional belt clip handy given that the tool isn\u2019t likely one you\u2019ll slip into your toolbelt pouches. That\u2019s one downside to the Sub-Compact line \u2013 12v tools (assuming you\u2019re using a lower capacity slim battery) are sleek enough that many users store them in their tool pouches. Despite the Sub-Compact\u2019s very trim size, you won\u2019t be likely to do that given the bulkier 18V form-factor. One little known fact is that you can use this tool like a manual screwdriver by switching the forward\/reverse switch to neutral. However Makita recommends you don\u2019t get carried away and try to loosen rusted lugnuts this way. Frankly, assuming you have both these tools on hand, you\u2019ll probably want to use the driver drill more or less exclusively for drilling and the Sub-Compact Impact Driver for fasteners.<\/p>\n While not exactly ninja-quiet, the impact driver delivers a punishing 0-3900 impacts per minute to coerce fasteners into submission. It sports an even smaller 5-5\/16\u2033 overall length, making it ideal for tight-quarters fastener combat. At the base of the tool, you\u2019ll find a somewhat confusing array of options for controlling the impact force. I\u2019ll walk through each here, since they are not intuitively obvious (or, they weren\u2019t to me anyway).<\/p>\n There are three separate areas with indicator lights \u201cS\u201d for \u201cSoft\u201d, \u201cH\u201d for Hard and \u201cA\u201d for Assist Mode. Soft mode is engaged when just the light under the S is lit. It\u2019s best for working with smaller fasteners and more delicate materials. Maximum impacts in S mode is 1600 IPM. If you\u2019re in \u201cH\u201d or hard mode both the S and H lights are lit. I found this a little confusing as typically indicator lights are on one setting or another, not both. Presumably Makita lit both to indicate you can still operate the tool in the lower IPM range, but I think a single indicator light would make things more clear to users. In hard mode the tool delivers up to 3900 IPM\u2019s. Plenty of impacts for most screws and reasonably-sizes bolts out there. Lastly, \u201cA\u201d or assist mode will automagically start screws slow and then gear up to higher speeds and impacts once you\u2019re on track. This is great for longer fasteners and if you\u2019re tool lazy to adjust speed yourself. \u201cA\u201d mode has the same maximums as the Hard setting by the way. In a world of Low-Medium-High or 1-2-3 settings, I think S-H-A isn\u2019t as clear as it could be.<\/p>\n Both tools have an onboard LED light just under the chuck \/ bit holder that lights during operation and stays lit about 10 second after. The light position casts a pretty significant shadow and isn\u2019t super-bright, but it\u2019s still useful if you\u2019re working in a dark space. I found it very helpful working in a couple dark closets. As with many other Makita tools, you\u2019ll find a fuel gauge on the battery itself rather than on the body of the tool, which is handy to for checking charge level on batteries that aren\u2019t slid into a tool.<\/p>\nMakita Sub-Compact Drill \/ Driver & Impact Driver \u2013 Get a Grip on the Ergonomics<\/h2>\n
Sub-Compact Weight \u2013 Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee<\/h2>\n
Makita 18V Sub-Compact Drill & Impact Driver Features and Performance<\/h2>\n
The Makita Sub-Compact 1\/2\u2033 Driver Drill (XFD11)<\/h2>\n