Hitachi D10VH reviews
Great drill but there might be one you'll like more
helpful for 5 of 6 people
I bought this drill so that I would have a nice, solid, powerful electric drill to augment my somewhat low-end but very useful cordless. I'm very happy with this drill. One of my favorite things, and something I hadn't thought about, is the quality of the keyless chuck. One revolution of the chuck just barely moves the three bit grips. So compared to my other drill it takes many more twists to go from fully open to fully closed. But the resulting grip on the bit is much tighter than I get with my other drill that requires fewer twists. I think that's fantastic to have that kind of tightening power on the bits.
The balance and heft of the unit are perfect for me. It's billed as a lightweight unit and it is fairly light (but not too light).
So while I like the Hitachi a lot and can recommend it, there is one that seems to have a couple of unique features for about the same price. If you're in the market for this caliber of drill you should also look at the Dewalt D21008K. Its specs are very similar to the Hitachi but it has two nice features. A belt hook and two built-in levels (horizontal and vertical). It gets good reviews and I think if I had to do it over again I would go with the Dewalt instead, but only because of those two features mentioned.
6/16/2006
UPGRADE THIS TO 4 STARS * * * * (Formerly named "Mystery Triggers")
SEE UPDATE BELOW
Returned 2 of these for the identical issue. Speed adjusts from either barely turning to full speed with nothing in between. Locking the trigger back gets you full speed ONLY. Try it on yours. The trigger is strange. A neat trick for any drill is to buy a 3/8" drill and get a 1/2" chuck made for adapting straight onto the drill. You can now run anything with it. But this Hitachi does not seem to have a replaceable chuck.
UPDATE: January 2008
A few months after the last review and after speaking with the several Hitachi techs, the chuck change is solved but the mystery trigger has no solution. I stayed with it because I really wanted this drill to happen.
This chuck IS replaceable, just like all others in the world. The torque used to apply the factory 3/8" chuck is beyond anything you've ever imagined. I've never seen anything like it. It took a mini-sledge and the destruction of an allen wrench to back this chuck off. Without Hitachi's reassurances I would have never applied that kind of torque to a chuck this size. When you trash a big fat 3/8" allen wrench to back off a chuck then that's a little much. NOW I could attach a Jacobs 1/2" chuck.
I finally got what I was after. With the RARE feature of a 3/8" drill being threaded for a side handle, I had an ultra compact 1/2" drill WITH a side handle. Believe me, I've looked. This Hitachi was the solution. I didn't need heavy duty, just the other features. The mystery trigger will have to be overlooked.
8/2/2007
A Real Workhorse Tool - Highly Recommended
We use the Hitachi D10VH Drill almost daily for the past 3 years in our small business, mostly to stir thick silicone using a paint mixxer attachment but also to drill holes in wax and mettal.
This is a real bargin for a fairly powerfull and dependable drill. The variable speed control is great since too much speed when using a mixxer attachment would cause a real mess! Changing bits and attachments is quick and easy using the keyless chuck. In addition, it has a nice long cord, so we don't need to mess with an extention cord for most jobs.
A good basic drill that has lasted a long time with a lot of use. If this one dies, I'll buy another one. Highly recommended!
6/13/2009
Could be an OK 3rd or 4th drill
I bought this as a lightweight powerful complement to a cordless and an older Sears drill. It is OK for drilling but not for screws : the trigger is nearly all or nothing and usually strips heads ; in that regards the old Sears is way superior. The chuck works well but is a bit small for tightening by hand. Also the cord is too short and the usual lousy quality plastic - the trigger problems is such that I hesitate putting in the time to replace the cord with quality rubber.
6/23/2009
Great drill for a great price!
We were building some furniture with our 14.4V cordless Hitachi drill when we realized it wasn't powerful enough. We decided to get a corded drill for some extra power. We picked this drill up and it does a great job. It forced screws through 4x4s and other boards with ease. We didn't have to bother pre-drilling our holes either. The keyless chuck can be a bit weak if you are trying to use a large bit to drill a large hole, but that's not what this drill is made for, so I'm not figuring that into my review. Overall this is a great drill.
7/5/2009
good for what it is
I've been a carpenter on kauai for about 4 years and i really like this drill. It has enough power to bor som pretty big holes into pressure treated lumber but what i like is it doesn't have so much power that it will torque your wrist. I have an old milwauke with tons of power it's a really good drill but sometimes its better not to have so much power for example on a ladder when you can only hold the drill with one hand. so i give it 5 stars because it is exactly what i was hoping for and it is also heavy duty and at a good price.
7/14/2009
Excellent drill at a reasonable price
I've owned my drill for a little over a year. I bought it to use with my Kreg jig, which recommends the use of a high-speed drill for making pocket screw holes. I am very pleased with the drill. It is powerful, well made, well balanced, and has an excellent gripping surface. The keyless chuck is also handy and grips bits extremely well. I never realized how much better a high-speed drill (2500 rpm) works than a typical drill-driver for simply drilling holes. When compared to my DeWalt 14.4 volt cordless drill(also an excellent tool in its own right)when drilling holes, there is simply no match. The higher speed provides less slippage of the bit on the surface to be drilled and bores a cleaner hole much more quickly. Also, although I enjoy the benefits of a cordless drill, the corded nature of this drill ensures constant power without any reduction in drilling capability. The only downside is that it is a drill and not a drill-driver. If you want to turn in screws with the same tool this is not the right one for you. But, if you are looking for a true hole-drilling machine, I highly recommend this drill.
11/29/2007
My Go to drill
A while back I had to purchase a corded drill beacause I got tired of not having enough battery power for large projects. This drill is a great buy for the price. It is very versatile (especially with a quick change bit that you can get in other hitachi drill bit kits) I use it for just about all my home improvement projects sheetrock, framing, finishing, you name it. This tool has an easy to access direction switch that you don't need to remove your hand from the drill to operate. A wide range of rpm along with a lockout dial to only allow the chuck to spin so fast is a great feature too. I highly recommend this tool if you are looking for a good all around drill that will last you for a long time.
6/6/2007
Much bang for the buck!
In the world of cordless drills, every tradesperson always seems to need an electric stand-by drill. Sometimes
you may also need constant and consistent power when drilling pilot holes all day, for example. This one is
great for the price, reversable and it comes in a cool case!
3/9/2007
corded handy drill
It feels more than 3.1 pounds to me. I think because of the weight distribution of the drill. The tip of the drill is a lot heavier than the handle part. It would have been a lot better if the other way around were true.
Craftsman has a 3.1 pound drill also, but much shorter; I like this one a lot better, but Sears sells it for $135.00, so I ended up buying this one.
I am happy with it so far. Lots of power, 5 years warranty.
Vu
4/27/2008
Bang For The Buck!
I purchased this drill after using one. I use only high end tools which usually means high power. This drill is very compact and moderately powerded. Perfect for pilot holes and holes less than 1/2". My main drill is a Milwaukee Holeshooter and it will take your arm off no matter how strong you are. But pilot holes don't require that much power. The Hitachi also spins very fast which works real well with small holes. It can be used with one hand without worrying that it will break you in half if it gets caught. The trigger is okay and cannot compare to the precise trigger of my Milwaukee. It also makes a loose sound that most sub $100 drills make. You'll be happy if you drill soft material and don't require tons of torque. 5 year warranty with a case and 5 drill bits for under $50 is steal. My Milwaukee is a beast, but it's over kill 60% of the time for me. The Hitachi works great for the other 40% and is feather light!
8/14/2009
Power for the buck
This Hitachi power drill is amazing for the power and handling design. Best tool I bought in a long time at a super low price. Hitachi D10VH 6 amp 3/8-Inch Drill with Keyless Chuck
9/17/2009
A solid, powerful and well balanced drill
I bought this drill in early summer 2009 and have been using it quite regularly for weekend projects around the house. I found the drill to be quite well built and rugged. It is a very well balanced drill and quite powerful. A great deal for the price. There are two issues I have with the drill, both of which have been addressed by other reviewers;
1. The high pitched noise when the drill gets going can be quite annoying during extended use.
2. I don't see the point of having a speed control in this drill. The speed dial is extremely non-linear and you either get extremely slow or full speed with hardly any graduation in between.
9/13/2009
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