Making Sense of Metabo HPT's Entire Drill Line-up! 18v and 36v!

[@dcl97]

Really an underrated platform. Tool for tool they are as good as any other brand out there, but typically at a significantly better value, especially if your needing a lot of batteries, they are an incredible value. They are tough as nails too. We had a recip saw that got caught up with a forestry mulcher, sheared the whole top of the thing off. Assuming it was on borrowed time we started using it to cut out tree roots while trenching. Two seasons of working in wet, muddy trenches with the top half missing it still cuts like new.

[@TinkerWithTools]

That’s awesome! I have the 36v recip saw and love it.

[@jaywalker2911]

I fully agree with your assessment of Metabo. I love those tools and the value I get from them. I always thought my primary platform would be Milwaukee, but as it turns out it's Metabo.

[@TinkerWithTools]

I have a number of tools from them as well. I think that you could have a full lineup of their tools and be perfectly happy.

[@is5032]

Great to see more Metabo HPT/Hikoki. I’ve switched over to them and stopped buying Makita XGT due to cost. I think they are a hugely underrated brand with superb ergonomics and feel. They are so well balanced and feel made for my hand.

[@TinkerWithTools]

I agree!

[@cheveresalvi]

I did the same, invested into Hikoki for my 36v platform. Seeing Makitas price go up every 6 months is really off- putting.

[@ST-0311]

There is no better value on the market than Metabo HPT, IMO. What they're doing with the MutiVolt system takes cordless tools to another level. Especially since the 36V tools can run as corded, and 18V tools basically double the battery size for the same money.

[@TinkerWithTools]

I simply like that they found a way to give the consumer more powerful tools without two platforms!

[@nicko5945]

Metabo HPT is definitely the best value brand for me. Extremely high quality tools for affordable prices. They can almost constantly be found well below MSRP.

[@TinkerWithTools]

Couldn't agree more!

[@rickyperkins232]

​@TinkerWithTools question, on the grand scheme of things, how do you compare the triple hammer impact driver to both the FLEX quick eject and compact impact drivers?

[@rn1985]

Started my apprenticeship 20 years ago when there was no ‘milwaukee tools’. All my tradesmen were either makita, dewalt or hitachi. Started with hitachi 20 years ago and still using green powertools. Never made the jump to team red. Love the quality, they feel better in the hand and the batteries are better engineered compared to team red. I do wish they market Hikoki power tools like the milwaukee reps though.

[@TinkerWithTools]

Yeah the marketing strategy lets the brand down sometimes.

[@dustinkrebs8229]

Let's go Metabo HPT! 👏👏👏👏👏

[@ProToolsApproved]

Often over looked and underrated. I have multiple reviews myself of MHPT. I absolutely love them. Ergonomics are VERY important to me, they fit my hand better than any other brand no questions asked. Less fatigue equals more productivity. A fan for life here.

[@TinkerWithTools]

I agree with you. The Japanese tool brands seem to focus more on ergonomics more than some other brands do.

[@Jtx_Tools]

Love my Triple hammer and Hammer Drill Never Had them let me down also own the 36v table saw and Nailers, as well as other tools they are awesome! Great value without Sacrificing performance

[@TinkerWithTools]

I nearly ended up buying their table saw but ended up with a corded DEWALT instead. But my miter saw is from them and I love it.

[@sharkskin3448]

I just want to say those old Hitachi 18v's had steel frame/chassis, making them stronger as well as heavier. I dug my old one out to mix mud for a tile floor. It was formidable!

[@icsx]

Many people dont realise that with Metabo HPT / HiKOKI, you get a lot of tools that you can use with the same multivolt battery for a long time ,since the 36V is backwards compatible with the 18V series. Competitors like Makita have their 18V and 40V versions, and the 40Volts cannot be used on the 18V. This is a big disadvantage. Also its great to see people like you presenting this tool brand. Not a lot of people do and pick Milwaukee, Dewalt or as said. Makita over it because they got offered free tools as promotion to use that brand.

[@TinkerWithTools]

I agree that that they have a lot to offer and like that the batteries can be used on both lineups.

[@toddtaylor3998]

I feel like this is a bit of a Metabo HPT fanboy comment section. So I guess that means I'm in the right spot!! I got my first Hitachi tools about 20-25 years ago, because I didn't have a lot of money and that's what I could get with my fathers day gift card at Lowe's. It was a hard case Drill/Driver/Light/Battery combo pack and it served me well for many many years. Because I didn't have a ton of money, and didn't want to switch battery platforms, I've just stuck with them. I think I've just lucked into having a great platform for my DIY tendencies. I have the tools that I need for the jobs that I do, but I feel like I've only spent a fraction of the money that you would for DeWalt/Milwaukee/Bosch, etc. I think my next purchase will be the 36V Router. I like the 18V Trim Router.

[@patrickboyleuhbflyllvv0v076]

Great pro tool for the price, power and durability. I have invested in a full set of 18v nailers and they haven't let me down .

[@TinkerWithTools]

They are on sale so frequently that I feel like if you can just be a little patient you can really get their stuff at a decent value.

[@irishrebel1976]

Back in 2003 I started a new surveillance system instillation job and I needed a set of tools. My boss (shout out to Mel Davis at American Video Surveillance) gave me his credit card and let me go buy a set of power tools. I bought the Hitachi set and I still have it and use it. I absolutely love it.

[@TinkerWithTools]

You made a good choice! Great tools!

[@thaddeusshell3494]

Thanks for the great video as always. I was wondering could you do a website breakdown on the Metabo HPT miter saws and their differences. There are so many models i can't decide which would be best for my application. Thanks again.

[@TinkerWithTools]

I'll see what I can do. I have owned two miter saws that are technically Hitachi but are the same models essentially as the current metabo HPT saws. If you have any questions specifically, let me know.

[@thaddeusshell3494]

@TinkerWithTools I just would like a multi-volt model with a shadow line instead of a red lazer. Or if not that a 12 inch dual bevel corded with a shadow line? Thanks again for replying.

[@TinkerWithTools]

My saws that I have owned have been the 12 inch non sliding with laser line and 12 inch sliding with laser line. I could be wrong but I am not sure that Metabo HPT saws have the shadow lines. One thing that I have learned from owning my 12” saws is that I wish I would have gone for the 10” model. The reason being I am not really gaining meaningful cut capacity for my applications but the blades are a fair bit more expensive. Just in doing some research on this tonight I am honestly considering the 10” cordless sliding miter saw cause it would make mine cordless while also downsizing my blade.

[@GregBrecker]

I like the mid tier for size and power. I think you chart for the 18\36 olds new had old listed for both 36 volts. Nice to have them as an option. Need to get a triple hammer impact.

[@TinkerWithTools]

Thanks for the info! It's would be crazy to have a typo when I sometimes edit these late at night. I guess that's the risk I take.

[@histguy101]

Oh man, getting the brushed and the nicads out! And the old tigerstripes

[@TinkerWithTools]

Seriously. It was a design choice for sure.

[@ajdizzle4shizzle]

Question - Is RFC truly anti-kickback control or is it really just for motor and battery protection? I’ve heard different sources say that it isn’t really anti-kickback protection, and others say it is…It would be really cool to see how drills with anti-kickback protection actually compare to one another. Great video!

[@TinkerWithTools]

On the older models I can’t get it to activate in the ways that most drills work. But on the newer 18v/36v it seems to have changed how it works and will cut out with sudden rotation.

[@cheveresalvi]

Great to see North Americans respecting Hitachi/Hikoki power tools. In Australia a decade ago you would see Hitachi on almost every jobsite. Pneaumatic & corded also. Alongside Makita The decline started when they changed from Cartridge to Slide style batteries and Milwaukee took over the No.1 spot from Makita.

[@TinkerWithTools]

It's a nice platform that offers a lot of value in where I live. There tools can often be found at good deals and I think they offer a lot of nice ergonomics and performance.

[@histguy101]

This is a great video. I dont know how you could do it for a video, but a great test would be to take the top 3 or 4 brand's drills and mix mortar with them, see which can do, which can't, etc. Not all of them can pull it off. Another torture test could be rigging up an augur to them to drill in the ground. Again, some of them can handle a 5"-8" augur. Modern combi drills have a lot of power

[@TinkerWithTools]

I typically will do testing up to a reasonable point. So while I can torture them to the point of failure, almost all of the tools I will feature were purchased not received and I would like them to continue to work for a time. Mixing mud could be done with these tools and would be a test but then I also would have buckets of mud sitting around unused for testing, making it less practical. I’ll keep it on the idea list for sure but I can’t promise it will happen too soon.

[@kutapio]

I bought the old hammer drill. Seeing that the performance is not far off I will wait till prices drop before picking up any of the newer ones. Hopefully the next generation triple hammer impact comes to the US not long after its release in Japan.

[@TinkerWithTools]

I’ll be surprised if it come out too quickly. They seem to be better than Makita at bringing over the newer stuff but there is still a lag.

[@NavyPanther54]

I have no intent on buying power tools anytime soon, but I wanted an adapter to run cordless drills from the wall, rather than having separate drills. Metabo appears to be the only ones who make an adaptor to do just that. By the time I actually do buy some more power tools, maybe the other brands will also have an adaptor.

[@TinkerWithTools]

While I appreciate the adapter on the multi-volt tools, I never viewed it as something I would use as a primary option on smaller tools. More just if a battery died at the end of a task or something like that.

[@KodyP-72]

I can't wait to see the new ones up against the other brands head to head. Have you seen the new 36v 12" miter saw?

[@TinkerWithTools]

Yes, I have considered a cordless miter saw, just for the convenience of not having to have it plugged into an outlet. I have always had Metabo HPT/HItachi miter saws so perhaps that will be my next miter saw.

[@fahs]

My Porter Cable and Craftsman stuff (Bought when they were good) lived a long life. Tried to replace them with the same line, but either the platform changed or the replacement stuff was crap. So... I went crazy trying every platform. Red, Yellow, Grey, Teal.... Metabo HPT, Ridgid, and Hercules were the best for the money by far. No other line comes close.

[@TinkerWithTools]

Glad you found something that works well for you. There are a lot of great values on tools out there.

[@varga13zsolt]

I like metabo hot tools, I use them on the job site , I like the triple hammer impact driver , plenty of power and so smooth, would be nice to have quick insert collet. On the other hand , couple of weeks ago I purchased that newer compact drill and I tried to drive couple of 3 inch screws after driving 5 or 6 the drill just gave up.

[@TinkerWithTools]

Are you referring to the subcompact model?

[@THEBEARDEDTOOLGUY]

Do the New 18 volt METABO HPT vs the METABO GERMAN vs The new METABO HPT 36 VOLT

[@TinkerWithTools]

I’ll add it to the future list.

[@-_Unknown.]

Will you go over their impact drivers?

[@TinkerWithTools]

I have a video covering most of them already. I did a video when the new 18v bolt came out about 4 months ago.

[@SuperShermans]

I love the triple hammer impacts, they feel like an extension of your hand, I bought 2 at 99.00 kitted with 2 batteries. Since then I bought the compacts and an 18v hammer drill. I don’t really care for the compact impact, does not feel the same as the triple hammer and does not have modes

[@TinkerWithTools]

The triple hammer is a great impact driver. I think I currently have three of them.

[@kutapio]

For those interested in the mid tier DEX kit with impact driver. I have seen it as low as $59 in store at Lowes. Not sure if Amazon still has it for $96 online.

[@TinkerWithTools]

It fluctuates at Amazon a lot. Sometimes it’s as lower as 95 or so. Right now buying it with the impact driver for cheaper than the drill only. As I said in the video if you can afford to be a little patient you can find some incredible deals.

[@kutapio]

​@@TinkerWithToolsthe $59 price was for the Drill and Impact driver with 2 2ah 18v batteries and charger.

[@smacfe]

I was a Hitachi fanboy at one time and still have some. It seems like the marketing strategy of Metabo/Hitachi is to sell the drills as a loss leader, and make up for it with some inflated prices on batteries. $120 for a drill driver kit is a bargain, but a spare 4ah battery at $100 is a bit steep.

[@TinkerWithTools]

The 4ah is a newer battery for them. I am guessing it will start to drop in price.

[@scottseto2230]

A while back before Hitachi - Metabo merged I came upon a Metabo cordless drill that specialized in shooting 1/8-1/4 in holes (higher RPM, lower torque) . Is this drill still made if/so what is the model no. Thanks, Scott

[@TinkerWithTools]

If it was a German Metabo drill, then they likely still have something like it. They have several different models of their drills with different drilling specialties. Without more information thought I wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell you a specific model number. The one that I am thinking of it Metabo BS 18 LTX-3 BL Q I METAL

[@Neo_Sauron]

Regarding the forward/reverse switch at 5:18 on the DS18DEX - is it loose enough to actually be a problem with operation? As in, can you go into reverse (or forward) by accident, by just barely touching the switch? Does the drill ever change the direction by itself..?

[@TinkerWithTools]

It is loose but I have never inadvertently switch it in my use. But it's loose enough that depending on your grip on the tool, I could see it happening. I know another youtuber (@diligentdave1966) reported having issues like that and I believe returned the drill because of it.

[@Neo_Sauron]

I wonder if there is any way to easily fix it. One thing I thought about was floor polish. Squirt a bit in there with a dropper maybe. It really tightens up joints on toys and stuff so...*maybe* it would work for this? What do you think? Probably not right? lol

[@TinkerWithTools]

It might be worth opening the tool up and checking it out. It seems to be a different mechanism than what is in their impact drivers.

[@Jakeisks]

The Flex (FX1271T) drill I just got royally stinks for my application. The trigger action is in stages, jerky, not smooth. And I thought DeWalt's trigger action was bad. Can anyone tell whether the Metabo 36 V drill trigger action is smooth? Does it ramp up evenly all the way to full speed? Thanks.

[@TinkerWithTools]

I think that’s it’s smoother than most (just compared it to the flex and the DEWALT) but I think there are still some gradual steps but it’s seems to be pretty gradual.

[@Jakeisks]

​@@TinkerWithTools Almost here! If it isn't smooth enough, onto the Makita. Milwaukee's are smooth. DeWalt's mud mixer is smooth (it's definitely robust enough, but it's HUGE). Didn't seriously consider trigger smoothness, was unpleasantly surprised by the Flex. Eighteen volt drills have an amazing amount of torque (until they burn up). The DeWalt's (9xx) single step was like hyperdrive, impressive but annoying. Hang on to the handlebars! Using the Flex to power a bike would be comical.

[@Jakeisks]

@@TinkerWithTools IT'S SMOOTH! IT'S SMOOTH! And it starts out very/unusually slow, that's good too.

[@Jakeisks]

Been using the Metabo HPT DV36DA to power my current electric bike, for a few months (occasional trips). It has stalled, requiring the battery to be removed and replaced, twice so far. One time for no apparent reason, the 2nd time probably overheated. Like the 18-volt drills, the power is amazing, that's why drill powered bikes make good KZbin videos, but... The 18 V drills eventually burn up. This one hasn't burned up yet, but pushing it to that cutoff point might eventually cause it to burn up. Will see. My 18 V Milwaukees just stopped working. My 18 V DeWalt drills stopped working and stunk up the whole neighborhood.

[@landonlakes4782]

I have the new drill. I love it, aside from the chuck unlocking in high speed after a few spins… bits fall out Anyone else experiencing this?

[@TinkerWithTools]

I had the chuck let go of a bit in this testing but in inspecting the bit I had rounded off all the sides on it so i suspect that was part of it. The chuck struggled for a minute because of some metal shards in the chuck but since I got it cleaned out it has been fine.

[@landonlakes4782]

@@TinkerWithTools I was using a hex shank counter sink bit. I’ll check it again on Monday, maybe blow it out with compressor… Been using it on the job since buying

[@wankerjacksmith]

Tighten the chuck and do 1 click back. Seems to solve the problem for me. 👍

[@kutapio]

​@@wankerjacksmiththe old dewalt trick.

[@wankerjacksmith]

@@kutapio the electric brake is what causes it ,because it stops so suddenly it untightens the chuck.

[@james2042]

Their biggest mistake was not sticking to hikoki for all markets.

[@TinkerWithTools]

Yeah one name for all markets would have made more sense to me and avoided a lot of the confusion with German Metabo in my opinion.

[@james2042]

Not to mention hikoki is a very Japanese sounding name, despite it not being a word or name and instead being an abbreviation of Hitachi-Koki. (Granted they're two Japanese names lol). And the direct Hitachi to Hikoki name would of just rolled off the tongue

[@scot-johnson]

I don't understand why they don't just call it Hitachi. I'll stick with my german made Metabo drills. It's hard to beat the cordless alliance system, where you can purchase tools from twenty different manufacturers that use a single interchangeable battery.

[@TinkerWithTools]

I’m sure they had reasons… not sure they were good reasons. I would have gone with Hikoki personally. Same name everywhere. As for Metabo, they are great tools but their availability is limited where I live.

[@fancraft1266]

This old Hitachi drill looks like a weird alien gun, it's so ugly lol

[@TinkerWithTools]

yeah, I have nothing to defend it... it's an ugly drill and super uncomfortable to hold.