This 12-volt two-speed drill/driver has a two-piece magnet motor and a 22-position clutch that together put an impressive 230 in./lbs. of torque in your hand so you can effortlessly drive screws into the hardest woods. The two-speed transmission is controlled with a one-touch button on top of the tool body, giving you the choice of 0 to 350 or 0 to 1,050 rpm, and operations are smooth at either speed. The 3/8-inch chuck is keyless, of course, for super-easy bit changes, and the jaws grab and hold the bit securely with zero runout.

We're always on the lookout for easy battery changes, and this one qualifies, because it's easy to disengage and slides off without a struggle. It's a good choice for smaller hands, and not just for the easy battery removal: the whole drill weighs just 3.3 pounds and measures up at not quite 8 inches long. The grip is extremely comfortable and again, great for smaller hands. Balance is perfect, and we can imagine working overhead for hours with this drill without strain. It maneuvers perfectly into the tightest spots, places that beefy 18-volters just can't go.

The belt hook is a nice feature, with five angles to choose from: 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 degrees. We like the bit set that comes with this package, too, and have found Hitachi bits to be reliable and durable over the long run. The flashlight also is a nice addition, and it runs off the same battery as the drill. The beam is powerful and the light stands independently, and you can't ask for more than that. Finally, Hitachi's got one of the best warranties, with 5-year coverage. This is a set you won't regret buying. --Kris Jensen-Van Heste

What's in the Box
Drill/driver, flashlight, two batteries, quick charger, carrying case, bits

The Hitachi Story
Hitachi was founded in 1910 as an electrical machinery repair shop by Japanese entrepreneur Namihei Odaira. Since then, Hitachi has grown into a global company operating in industries ranging from tools to computing. The company's flagship office remains in Japan, but it has offices all over the world.

Hitachi's history in the power tools business really got started in 1948 with the launch of Hitachi Koki, an electric power tool manufacturing unit designed to meet Hitachi's growing industrial needs. Hitachi Koki pushed the envelope few key areas, most notably high-speed motor, precision machining, and electronic control technologies. In 1973, Hitachi Koki began exporting tools to markets worldwide.

Hitachi Koki's goal from the start was to eventually produce and sell all of its products locally. In 1980, it launched Hitachi Power Tools U.S.A to market tools in the United States (it didn't start producing tools in the U.S. until 1994). During the 80s, Hitachi Power Tools U.S.A. built its reputation for quality on the success of its pneumatic framing nailer and sliding compound miter saws. At the same time, it poured resources into research and development in other areas, leading it to a number of firsts power tool technology. Hitachi pioneered the sliding compound miter saw, cordless impact driver, collated automatic screw driver, pneumatic concrete nailer, cordless screw driver, metal stud cutter, portable rebar cutter/bender, 10-minute rapid charger, 2.0, 2.2, and 2.4 Ah Ni-Cad batteries, 3.0 Ni-MH batteries, and the use of rare earth magnet motors in cordless tools.

Hitachi Power Tools U.S.A. was renamed Hitachi Koki U.S.A. in 1994 to denote the addition of manufacturing to the United States. Today, it sells more than 1000 models of electric power tools, focusing on compact/high out-put motor technology. The company has obtained recognition under the ISO 9000 series international standards for quality assurance. Hitachi Koki also received ISO 14001 certification for environmentally sound management.

Customer Reviews Average rating - 4.5

Rating - 5 Date: 2009-01-01
Content: Very good kit, tool has quality feel, kind of odd styling, the carry case is solid. The batteries are easy to change. Flashlight is useful, runs 2 hours plus, very bright. Drill has plenty of power to shear a screw, 22 clutch settings to prevent doing that. Long battery life even under high use commercial type application. Drill trigger is very responsive and easy to feather. Battery charger is the UC18YG universal 7.2-18v. Battery charges in 30-45 minutes, about the time in use battery under heavy load runs out, so you can keep swapping and working. I bought the 12v version to replace an older 9.6v Hitachi drill that has been in constant use for many years, the batteries have grown tired. The 9.6v batteries can be used in the 12v, the 12v cannot be used in the 9.6v.
Summary: Best in class

Rating - 3 Date: 2008-11-29
Content: Sold me power drill that died after 2 light uses. Stay away from Reconditioned Sales! BAD SUPPLIER!
Summary: Stay away from seller

Rating - 5 Date: 2008-09-01
Content: I have owned this drill combo since last december(2007) and i am very impressed with it! for the price you cant beat it! i have owned dewalt,ryobi and panisonic cordless drills in the past. all costing more except the ryobi. this drill really stands out! very easy to use,comfortable and powerful.works harder than my previous dewalt(14v),ryobi (12v) and stands up well against the panisonic (15.9v?). the panisonic had a little more power but cost almost 3 times as much! it was taken from my truck or i would still be using it! This hitachi is a great cordless drill for any homeowner,handyman, even a contractor will like this drill. contractors might not have all the power a 18-24v drill has but this hitachi is great quality and good power that cant be beat for the money. oh yeah one other thing i love about it is the size! small compact and not too heavy! great for tight spots. i would buy again!
Summary: great product! quality,power,size and great price!

Rating - 5 Date: 2008-08-03
Content: This is my second Hitachi 12v drill and my fifth cordless drill overall. Needless to say I am sold on the quality of this drill. Right sized and powerful enough for most projects it is value priced and will provide several years of reliable service. My batteries eventually gave out on my previous drill; otherwise it is still 100% serviceable. Which brings me to a pet peeve; Hitachi and all other cordless tool manufactures please listen up! It is more expensive to replace or rebuild the two battery packs than it is to buy the drill with it's two battery packs, charger, flashlight, bits, and the case! Why is that? Why be green and recycle when manufactures price this way? It just does not make sense if you(manufactures) are even in the least bit environmentally responsible to support this type of pricing. This is just another fine example of the throw it away and buy new, even when the old product is fully serviceable, mentality endorsed by most manufacturers.
Summary: Great 12v drill

Rating - 5 Date: 2008-07-18
Content: This 12v Drill performs better than most 18v drills.
I have had dewalt, makita, and some other high-end brands and this one meets or surpasses all of them yet is 1/2 the price.
Hitachi in general has good products, this is definitely one of them.

I highly reccomend the hitachi brand, currently owning several different hitachi tools including 2 tablesaws, routers, miter saw, Electric Drill, Drill press, etc.... I have been replacing/growing my shop tools over the past few years with Hitachi and I have not been dissapointed.

If this is not the drill for you, maybe you were looking for Lithium-Ion or a different voltage then check this link out, it will show you a good list of high quality Cordless drills here on Amazon.com:

Sorry you will have to cut 7 paste this, I can't make this a real link since it is not to any single product:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=&%74a%67%3dcjh%2d20&url=search-alias%3Dtools&field-keywords=hitachi+cordless+drill&




Summary: High-Quality, Low Price, Compares to Dewalt / Makita / Bosch but for clos eto 1/2 the price