In this review Norman Bradshaw gets twice the bang for his buck as gives us his verdict on the Makita 10.8V CXT two-piece kit (model CLX203AJX1).
I remember the first drill I ever purchased was a Makita; if you didn’t have a Makita in those days then you were essentially a ‘nobody’. As one of the most powerful drills in its class, not only did it help me to earn my keep, but it also got me out of many difficult situations.
When I was given the opportunity to review the 10.8V CXT two-piece kit I was very curious about what would arrive, as you’d usually expect a drill set to contain two drills (an impact drill and perhaps a traditional screw gun). However, this kit came with a combi drill and a multi-tool instead! My first thoughts were that this was an interesting, but unconventional combination, but upon using them I reasoned that whoever thought about combining these two items into one kit had performed a stroke of genius!
Kit contents
The kit is comprised of a 10.8V drill which can drill, screw and hammer and boasted a whopping 18 torque settings. The stem is slender so the drill grip feels natural in either your left or right hand. For me the counterbalance is perfect – it’s extremely light to hold and hasn’t made my wrist feel tired in any way. To switch between forward, reverse and lock is just a matter of sliding your index finger up and pressing the switch or using your thumb to reverse the process. This process is so easy that you don’t have to worry about losing your grip while you’re doing it!
I found the motor to be very responsive and quiet and the unit was equally at home when putting down floor boards or fixing pendants to the ceiling. In addition to its power, small size and ergonomics is the tool’s ability to perch neatly and safely on top of my pair of steps.
To round things off there’s also the traditional LED light which comes on as you pull the trigger, making it dead easy to see what you’re doing when working in a low light environment. The drill has some added rubberised protection to avoid any heavy damage if it’s dropped.
Multi-talented
In terms of the multi-tool, this has a very slender body and was a perfect fit in my hand, whether sanding or taking up floor boards. The multi-tool comes with an assortment of attachments for cutting wood and, fortunately, I have some other multi-tool attachments which also fitted this unit so it now gives me a wider choice of accessories.
The feature that I really liked, however, was the neat and clever dust extraction attachment which clips on to the underbody of the multi-tool and attaches itself to the part where the dust is collected. You simply switch on the dust extractor and the extraction attachment then works like a dream. Many of our clients want the work done and, where possible, without the mess, so any tool that can multi-task within those categories must be worthy of consideration.
The tool also came with five speed adjustments so I always felt in control while using it. The only fiddly bit I found was the way that the attachments/blades were fixed to the unit – this is achieved with the aid of a hexagonal key which can be stored in a little holder adjacent to the battery attachment, but it can take a bit of time to change over the attachments as a result.
In conclusion
After trialling this product I really feel that Makita has put itself right back in the tool innovation spotlight, yet it’s great to see the company staying loyal to its traditional branding and styling. If you’re after a powerful set that’s small in size but features the endurance to last the working day, as well as offering flexibility and the tidiness to get the job done professionally, then you should look no further than this set. I promise you that it will make you feel good to be a ‘spark’!
For more information about the Makita 10.8V CXT two-piece kit visit: www.makitauk.com
