Makita 18v Li-Ion Brushless 1″ Rotary Hammer

Makita’s 18v Li-Ion Brushless 1″ Rotary Hammer is a mouthful to say and even more interesting to look at, especially the unique profile created by the vacuum slung under the bottom of the 10-lb. rotary hammer. The unit has two motors — one for the drill and the other for the vacuum — and is built to catch concrete dust on a jobsite.

What’s interesting about this setup is the vacuum is detachable so you still have a very capable rotary hammer on your hands if you should choose to do without. Plus the charge will last a little longer without spinning two motors. But for jobs where dust or particles are a concern, we can actually see this helping. The boot that shrouds the bit looks like it does a good job of catching most of the debris, and the vacuum only kicks on when the drill is in motion.

With the rush to provide brushless and high-life batteries to tools, this is a pretty common sight now. It’s just a matter of pairing the different options with the newer tech and coming up with a more powerful experience for the end user. In this case, Makita is coupling their best Li-Ion 18v battery with a more powerful brushless motor that uses less energy (as brushless tends to do) with an already-solid rotary hammer platform, and tacking the vacuum with a HEPA filter inline for good measure. It sounds like a good recipe to us.

Makita also lists some of the other bells and whistles:

• Variable speed trigger enables user to match the speed to application for greater versatility.
• Multiple Chisel Positions has 40 different positions to align tool more comfortably with the application.
• Torque Limiting Clutch prevents gear damage by automatically disengaging gears if the bit binds.
• Sequential Impact Timing provides timed hammering during rotation to minimize overlapping bit impacts resulting in up to 50% faster drilling.
• Jobsite tested shock absorbent handle protect the battery housing for extra durability.
• LXT Lithium-Ion battery and Rapid Optimum Charger produces 430% total lifetime work with 3x more cycles
• LXT Lithium-Ion battery provides longer run time, 5x lower self-discharge (for use any time) and 16 firm holding contact terminals (for constant high power)
• 30-Minute Rapid Optimum Charger communicates with the battery’s built-in chip throughout the charging process to optimize battery life by actively controlling current, voltage, and temperature
• 30-Minute Rapid Optimum Charger has a built-in fan to cool the battery to produce more lifetime work