Hikoki Cordless Drill Review, Hikoki DV18DGL Review Pros and Cons
An 18V Cordless Combi drill is a must-have tool for anyone serious about DIY or looking after their home.
Making the right choice when it comes to selecting tools that you will use regularly takes a little time you don’t want to make the wrong choice and regret spending your hard-earned money.
So here at the DIY Help Desk, we want to provide good honest advice and our opinion on which tools you should consider worthy of your workshop.
Here’s our review of the Hikoki 18V DV18GL combi Drill, we have used and abused this peice of kit to give you the low down on how it performs and if you should buy one yourself.
First impressions:
The Hikoki DV18DGL cordless combi drill presents a great first impression, the carry case is heavy-duty ABS plastic and keeps everything inside snug and safe when on the move.
Opening the case and lifting the combi drill out for the first time you quickly realize this is a well-made piece of kit, it has a good, solid weight to it, with the rubberized grips sitting firmly in your hand.
The Hikoki finger trigger and thumb button for forward and reverse are well placed and suit my medium-sized hands making changes on the fly nice and easy.
The batteries are as robust as any other I’ve seen and the new model comes with charge level indicators, so you know how much charge is left.
The rotary torque control ring is easy to grip and has 22 settings to choose from including the final hammer drill for blasting into brick and concrete.
This pack came with 2-off 3.0 Ah Batteries, charger, and case, you can buy the bare drill and spare batteries for more working time.
Charging the batteries is pretty quick and once ready I put the drill through its paces using it for various DIY jobs I had to complete, drilling hardwood flooring, and new shelves ready to install later.
Then swapping over to a carbide drill bit, I drilled several holes for mounting the shelving unit.
My house is built from hard London brick and the drill showed no signs of stopping when tasked with drilling into this tough material.
Then swapping over to low range using the simple sliding switch, I adjusted the torque settings on the Hikoki to install all the screws.
I have also used the Combi drill to mix plaster and cement which really pushes the brushless motor but the Hikoki handled that very well.
The Hikoki DV18DGL showed no signs of slowing down or faltering during any of the tests I put it through, It feels great to hold and fits nicely in my hand with all the controls easy to reach and use.
Verdict
In my experience, the 18V Hikoki combi drill does exactly what it says it can. It’s perfect for home or heavy DIY use, both as a drill and driver.
The combi drill has plenty of torque for a unit in this price range, making light work of most jobs.
The ergonomics are very good and the construction is robust so that it will last you a very long time if treated well.
The Hikoki is well designed and is packed with features like the bright LED light and driver bit clip, the unit is not too heavy and it is well balanced which makes it well suited for DIY projects around the home.
You won’t go wrong purchasing the Hikoki DV18DGL and there are plenty of deals around, so grab a great cordless drill for your tool kit.
DIY HELP DESK RATING
Hikoki DV18GL Combi Drill 8.5 out of 10
Pros
- Lightweight cordless drill weighing in at 3.5 pounds
- Multiple clutch settings
- Comfortable handle with a good balance
- LED light is powerful and useful
- Lots of torque for drilling through hard surfaces like concrete
- Metal gearbox for high work life
- Extendable 5-year warranty
Cons
- Smaller 3.0 Ah battery
- Expensive spares
Features:
- Lightweight slide-in Li-Ion batteries
- High power motor with a maximum tightening torque of 55Nm (hard)
- 13mm single sleeve keyless chuck
- Spindle lock
- Electric brake
- LED worklight
- Two speed gearbox
- Soft grip handle
- Forward & reverse switch
- 22 stage adjustable torque
Design
The Hikioki DV18DGL cordless combi drill tool is fitted with a brushless motor, powered by an 18V battery.
Brushless motors are great as they have more power than older brushed technology as there are no brushes to create friction and heat which can result in a loss of power.
Using a brushless motor means that the drill will be able to run for longer between charges.
This Hitachi drill features an ergonomic tool body and grip design, making it a well-balanced power tool.
This Hikioki DV18DGL kit comes with two 3.0 Ah Lithium-ion batteries featuring Hikiko’s slide-on mechanism, a battery charger, and a number two Phillips bit. All of which are fitted neatly into the ABS carry case.
Maintenance
Generally, the Hikoki can be thought as virtually maintenance-free. The brushless motor and sealed gearbox mean you don’t need to lubricate anything.
The chuck can be removed and replaced if it becomes damaged although I have not yet had to do this.
The batteries are sealed and spares are available online when they need replacing, or if you need to have more charging capacity, larger 5.0Ah units can be swapped out.
Apart from regularly cleaning it with a stiff brush and the occasional wipe with a damp cloth, the Hikoki is pretty simple to look after.
Battery Life
The batteries on the Hikoki are very good in my experience, the Li-ion units charge quickly and last longer than NiCAD as you would expect.
The run time will vary depending on how hard you push the drill but in constant use, I regularly get over an hour’s life from one 3.0Ah battery, which is more than enough to fully charge a second unit, meaning you can carry on working without having to wait for a battery to recharge.
Final Thoughts
The Hikoki is a great “work horse” Combi-drill. Fitted with easy to change, slide-lock Li-ion batteries and 1 hour charge time,
High power, supplied from the light lithium-ion batteries and with 22 torque settings from the all-metal gearbox no job is off-limits.
The lightweight nature of the drill means it can be used all day without straining your arms.
Packed with great features and at a reasonable price, it’s no wonder I have 2 of them in my workshop I highly recommend the Hikioki its my go-to drill when I have holes to make.
This article was written by: Richard Quinton – The DIY Help Desk Owner, Engineer & technical specialist.
Richard is one of the key partners in The DIY Help Desk team. He is a qualified Engineer, writer, and publisher, educated to Master’s level. He is a keen advocate of DIY and home improvements.
Richard enjoys helping others to learn new skills and reach their goals and believes that passing his knowledge and experience on through his writing is an effective way to positively impact the lifestyles and well-being of others on a larger scale.
