Fun with a Makita Drill

I found an interesting video on YouTube via Twitter today and had to share it. Makita drills over 20,000 holes to make a cool looking billboard to demonstrate the precision of their tools.

Makita 5402NA Video

A post I've been wanting to do for a while has been about Makita's 5402NA. This is a huge circular saw that is for timbers and beams. But, since I didn't feel I could do justice for it with words, I finally decided I should do it with a Makita 5402NA video.

If you don't subscribe to our power tool podcast, now would be a good time to do so. I have videos scheduled to come out Wednesday each week for a while. There's some good stuff coming up.

Makita TD020DSEW 7.2V Li-Ion Impact

When Makita decided to come out with a 7.2V Li-Ion impact, I was expecting a smallish drill looking device with half as much power as their 14.4V model. What they came out with instead looks more like a cordless screwdriver with 177 in. lbs. of torque.

While this isn't going to be anywhere near 1/2 of the 14.4V in terms of power (1240 in. lbs.), the size and usability of this device makes it incredibly attractive in place of a screwdriver. It also costs considerably less. In fact, it's about 1/3 the price of a 14.4V LXT impact.

While the 14.4V impressed me at 3.1 lbs, this 7.2V model is amazingly light at just over 1 pound. It's listed at 1.17 lbs with battery, so the weight shouldn't be an issue regardless of use. It also has an LED light for dimly lit work areas and comes with a second battery. With 2 batteries and a 30 minute charge time, it makes for some serious usefulness.

I'm thinking about picking one up for computer desks and other ready-to-assemble furniture. That seems like a great use for the Makita TD020DSEW to me.

Makita 18V Lithium-Ion Drills - White vs. Blue

Today, we added the Makita BDF452HW 18V Lithium-Ion Drill to our website. The first thing you'll notice is that it's white. We nicknamed it "Shamu" when we first saw it. But what makes it different from the standard blue Makita BDF451 18V LXT Lithium-Ion drill?

Pricepoint

So the first thing that'll grab you is the price difference. Sure, $100 less is a big deal, but there's got to be a cause, right? I mean, $100 for blue dye in the plastic they use seems a bit high. But wait, looking at the specifications reveals the answer.

Batteries

The Watt Hours of the batteries differ considerably. On the BDF451, they use 3 AH batteries at 18V, which gives 54 Watt hours (AH * V). The BDF452HW has 1.5 AH batteries at 18V, which gives 27 Watt hours. So the runtime on the BDF451 is going to be twice that of the BDF452HW with the included batteries. What's being done here is that Makita, in trying to get to that $200ish pricepoint, has made smaller batteries for a "Value" line.

Charger

The charger included with the white model is a 15 minute charger which doesn't have a fan includes a fan, although it wasn't listed anywhere in the specs for the charger. The blue model includes the 45 minute optimum controller with temperature control via a fan to circulate air through the battery itself. This helps create a more even charge by having the cells in a more consistent state during charging.

Update: Makita will apparently be moving all of their tools to this charger, which will be 22 minutes on a 3AH battery and 15 on the 1.5AH.

Transmission

Also noted is that the BDF451HW uses a 2 speed transmission and the BDF452 uses a 3 speed. The difference in gearing makes for a 450 vs 560 rating for torque as well. Not that most people will notice the difference in torque, but that shows which markets each one is intended for.

Markets

The white model is intended for use in the high-end homeowner market, the DIY guys and low-end contractor market. The blue model is the flagship, with all the bells and whistles, designed for the professional that is using the cordless tools on a regular basis. They're both Makita quality, but they're just expanding their horizons a bit. The side handle, belt hook, and a few other minor differences make the BDF452 the choice for contractors, and most DIY and homeowner types won't even notice those are missing.

Good Call

I think Makita made a good call here going after the lower price market. This should make it a much easier choice between current 18V Ni-Cad and Li-Ion drills and moving up to Li-Ion. Kudos to Makita for being first to come out with a full featured Li-Ion cordless drill at Ni-Cad pricing.

Rotary Hammer Tests

A few months ago, we broke out a few of our D-Handle Hammer Drills and put them to a test. The lineup included the Makita HR2455, Hitachi DH24PF3, Bosch 11224VSR, Bosch 11255VSR and the Dewalt D25203K. The test was pretty simple. We grabbed some 3/8” SDS bits and went to this big boulder we have in our back lot. I am not too sure what kind of rock it was, but it was pretty hard stuff. We drove the bits in four inches and timed the results.

We had one guy doing the drilling and one guy on the stop watch to try to keep it as consistent as possible. Each drill got its own fresh bit to start with, and we did five holes each to get an average time.

The Results (with current prices):
Hitachi's DH24PF3 average time of 17.04 seconds ($185)
Makita's HR2455 average time of 19.86 seconds ($200)
Bosch 11255VSR average time of 22.08 seconds ($280)
Dewalt D25203K average time of 22.98 seconds ($200)
Bosch 11244VSR average time of 23.74 seconds

Granted its not the most 'scientific' way of doing things, but it does give you an idea how these guys perform. I did think its worth mentioning that while the Hitachi was the fastest, it also had the most vibration of the group.

Article submitted by Chris of KMS Tools.

Li-Ion Tool Sales History - Canada

With Li-Ion tools being out in North America for over a year now I think its time to take a look back and see how it went. What has been selling well, and what has not.

Disclaimer

First a disclaimer, this article by no means is reflecting on the actual quality of any of the products, just the sale history in my geographical area (West Coast Canada, Vancouver Area). I fully realize that other geographical areas may have completely different sales track records, which I would find very interesting to look at also. In fact, I would love to hear some of Brian's comments on how things are going in his part of the world.

History

First a little history. As we all know, Milwaukee Power Tools was the the first to introduce Lithium Ion Technology in North America with their V28 line, and they did so with a big splash. However, they had a very hard time keeping production up with the demand of the product because they couldn't make the batteries fast enough. What happened then is America gobbled up all the available product for about the first 8 months, which meant Milwaukee Canada simply had no units available for the northern distributors.

Product Arrival

By the time we finally got Milwaukee Li-Ion Products, Makita LXT showed up that same week, which was early January 2006. We made a very impressive display for both, having them side by side. On one side we had the larger, more powerful, more expensive 28v Milwaukee tools, and on the other side we had the more ergonomic, lighter, compact and less expensive 18v Makita tools.

Outcome

What happened? Makita 18v Li-Ion so far has completely out sold the Milwaukee 28v tools to the point where our stores will no longer be stocking the 28v series on a regular basis. It seemed the paying customer preferred less expensive lightweight ergonomic tools over the impressive brute power of the bigger tools.

More Choices

When the Bosch 10.8v pocket drivers arrived they to had very good response. The first 50 we got lasted barely a month. Dewalt 36v arrived shortly afterward, and has had very moderate positive response so far.

Current Trends

Right now, it looks like the consumer is leaning towards lighter, compact tools over the big heavy power houses. Milwaukee and Hitachi 18v Li-Ion has also just arrived into stock, but haven't been around here long enough to analyze the demand for them. I would like to know how other areas are responding to the Li-Ion tools. If anyone has information on the subject I would like to hear about it.

Article submitted by Chris of KMS Tools.

My New Favorite Tool

As a tool store, we have the advantage of seeing new products before the general public. We also have the advantage of comparing tools side by side. So when the new Makita 14.4v Lithium Ion BDF440 came in, it quickly found a place on top of my favorites list.

This beauty of a tool is comparable in size to the Bosch pocket driver. It is only about a half inch longer, but it has a 1/2" chuck! It is about an inch and a half taller because it has a larger battery pack, which I actually prefer because it is balanced very nicely and can 'stand' upright on its battery instead of having to lie it down on its side. Having to lie it down is a personal pet pieve with power tools because I hate marking up the sides prematurely.

As for power, it has tons! One of the Makita Sales Reps left his model here for the week to let us try out. As it turned out we were doing some in-house renovations and decided to use this little guy. We were using 17" long 5/8" auger bits bits into pressure treated wood without a problem. Very impressive for a machine thats only 3.5lbs. It has wonderful feeling hand grips, and that little L.E.D. light at the front to help light up your workplace.

If you're looking for something compact yet powerful, you'll want to check this guy out whenever he becomes available.

This article has been submitted by Chris of KMS Tools.

Makita Miter Saw with Light AND Laser

For a long time now, Makita has assumed that you'd either want a miter saw with a floodlight or with a laser. Well, that's changed. You can now buy one with both.

Floodlight

When you're cutting pretty much anything, the best way to make sure you cut on the line you draw is to ensure you can see the line. With a flexible floodlight added on to a standard miter saw, you can much easier hit the line every time. I know I usually end up with at least a flashlight pointing towards the material on my 18V miter saw when I'm using it indoors, so the floodlight seems like a great idea.

Laser

By having a laser on the saw, you can see where the blade is going to hit the material. This should lead to more accurate cuts, but if you can't see your mark well it won't help. To me, this has really made the floodlight necessary - maybe even more so than just poor lighting conditions since the laser line stands out so well when compared to the rest of your material.

Best of both

With the new Makita LS1214LF, you get the best of both - the light AND the laser. With the pricetag where it's at, it won't be for the average homeowner. Any serious professional should at least take a look at it, though. It's still got the dual linear ball bearings and other features that make the LS1214 a great saw, but the light and laser make it just that much sweeter.

Anti-Vibration Shortcut

In January, I talked about Makita's Anti-Vibration Technology for demolition hammers. They had done a swell job and I commend them for it. Now, Bosch has a promotion coming up for their Anti-Vibration solution. I don't think of it as Anti-Vibration technology, but rather as more of a shortcut.

Free Anti-Vibration Gloves by Mail

That's right. Bosch isn't improving the tool they build at all. Instead, they're giving a mail-in certificate for a pair of padded gloves. As Matt called it, in 4 - 6 weeks you'll be enjoying a slightly more comfortable demolition experience. I don't think that'll quite meet the European standards coming up saying that the tools themselves need to reduce vibration. Ok, so this won't meet those guidelines at all.

A Real Shame

I think it's a real shame that Bosch hasn't addressed the tool itself yet, but instead is going to give people gloves. The vibrations from demolition hammers can cause some serious health problems through prolonged use, so ignoring the issue won't make it go away. What if I forget to wear those gloves? What if I find them to be too hot during the summer? What if a neighbor borrows the tool and doesn't have AV gloves? I really hope they come out with something decent down the road, because this isn't even as good as smoke and mirrors. This is way too transparent.

Buying Advice - Cordless Drills for Women

At Seach Engine Strategies Chicago in 2004, we had someone stop Matt and myself as we were leaving the ballroom after lunch because she noticed the Makita logo on the sleeve of our shirts. It was Shari Thurow (pictured to the right), well known author, successful busnesswoman and speaker at those conferences. She just had to tell us how much she loved her Makita drill - not because of the power, not because of the longevity, not because of any of the reasons we normally hear. She loved it because of the weight and the fit. It seems Makita makes a drill that fits smaller hands better, and this got me thinking.

Addressing Ergonomics
Makita has long been a leader in addressing ergonomics in making tools. I knew I couldn't pick out the best tools for women, but now that the number of employees here has grown substantially and we have quite a few female employees, I've been able to have them address what's comfortable to them and what isn't. In compiling this data, I now have enough information to put together a cordless drill buying guide specifically for women based upon the unique ergonomic needs of our female employees.

Our Panel of Judges
Our panel of judges consisted of our purchasing agent, our Human Resources director and our customer support team leader. Three ladies in very different jobs and age groups, so this seemed like a nice mixture of opinions to compile for this exercise. I didn't feel it necessary to drag all of our female employees out for this, especially when the first 3 opinions were nearly identical.

Tools to Avoid
The general feeling was that 18V and higher tools, especially the Ni-Cad models, were too heavy. Most of these also didn't fit smaller hands well, specifically the trigger. The handles were a bit too deep, making fully outstretched index fingers fall short of pulling the trigger easily. Weights range here, but some are as much as 6 lbs. in an 18V, making for a heavy drill.

Battery Removal
As a general rule, buttons on either side of the battery are tougher to use. Some brands. such as DeWALT and Panasonic, have the spacing far enough apart that our panel couldn't easily remove the batteries. Others, like the Makita BDF451, have a single button to make it much easier to remove. The Porter Cable 9824 was a single button on the side, which made for fairly easy removal.

The Hitachi DS14DVF3 wasn't overly tough like some of the drills tested were, but the 2 buttons were still more difficult than the Makita and Porter Cable. We also noticed that the higher Amp Hour rated Hitachi batteries were difficult to remove. In fact, when I went back to the call center they had just finished removing the battery from a Hitachi Impact, and it took two people. That's not exactly practical.

Variable Speed
If you're wanting something easier to start a screw / hole with, then the smoothness of the variable speed trigger is important. The Hitachi had a sudden jolt of power when it started up, as did the Milwaukee models we tried. Makita and Porter Cable seemed to have the smoothest triggers. It may not be a huge issue for you, but the less you are able to put your weight behind it the more important the slow startup speed becomes.

Decent Choices
There were two that were considered by our panel to be decent choices - mostly as a backup if one of the two ideal choices below weren't available. The first was the Porter Cable 9824. The balance wasn't too bad, but the weight was a little too much towards the top of the drill. The other decent choice was the Makita 6337DWDLE, which was 4.6 lbs. with battery. The weight seemed to be a bit more towards the front, making it top-front heavy. Again, the grip was a lot better fit than most of the drills we carry. With a little better balance, the 4.6 lbs. wouldn't have been an issue at all.

Best Choices
Two drills emerged as the best choices for women looking for a cordless drill. The first is the Hitachi DS14DVF3, which is a 14.4V Ni-Cad model. This was the best overall feel, is 3/4" shorter from the chuck to the back of the drill than the next model they liked, and has a reasonable amount of power for most jobs around the house. Best of all, it weighs in at just 4 lbs. with battery. The only real concern is that the battery is only 1.4 Ah, so runtime will be less than many of the heavier models.

The second is the Makita BDF451, which is an 18V Lithium-Ion drill. It weighs 4.6 lbs. like the 14.4V model mentioned above in the "Decent" section, but the balance is much better. It is ideal for jobs where power is essential. The Hitachi has 300 in. lbs. of torque, but this model has 560 in. lbs. without a lot more weight. With 3.0 Ah batteries that last twice that of Ni-Cad and Ni-MH models, the runtime will also be a consideration point - it should be nearly 4 times that of the Hitachi on the conservative side.

This model also includes some nice features in the dual LED lights just above the trigger, easy battery removal, very smooth trigger, 3 speed transmission and a removable side handle for added stability when putting your weight behind it. The belt clip was also a nice touch, even if it probably doesn't get used all that often.

Price Considerations
Price is always a consideration when buying tools. Clearly the best value is the Hitachi, which is priced around $100 with 2 batteries, charger and a flashlight. The Makita is over 3 times as much, making it only an option when the power or runtime are essential. If you have need of more cordless tools to go along with this one, the Makita LXT400 kit has a more attractive price when considered on a cost per tool basis, and each has similar ergonomics and weight to the BDF451.

We'll Take Requests
Got a specific tool that you'd like to get our judges to review? Leave a comment and I'll have them take a look at it. If they warrant individual reviews (such as completely different tools), I'll post them that way. If you're asking about a specific drill, I'll add that to this article. Either way, we will address any requests to assist you in selecting a power tool.

First day of deconstruction

On the first day of deconstruction, I got to use the Makita HG1100 some. I was impressed with how quiet it was. It's not nearly as loud as a hair dryer, yet pushes a whole lot more heat. The weight was just right. I had already stated some of my physical observations on this model before I took it home, but now I got to actually use it on a job that it's intended for.

Even though the cord was in the way at times, I don't think I'd nominate it for a V28 cordless model for most jobs. The benefits of lightweight outweigh the coolness of cordless for this application. Even so, I'm sure that there are times where lack of cord would make for a better heating experience, so I may still have to suggest that to our rep as a future tool. It's not going to be a huge seller as a cordless.

Removed tile easily
Yes, we had pink tile in our bathroom on the walls. That was a factor when deciding to remodel, but there was also the fact that the tile in the shower was cracked and was leaking enough to cause some of the wood around the tub to rot. But that doesn't mean we want to replace everything. It's much easier to take tile off in smaller areas than replace the drywall.

By using the HG1100 on a setting of 4 (scale of 1 - 5) the adhesive quickly softened and we could peel off the tiles fairly cleanly by prying with a screwdriver, although a chisel or some other wide scraper would have probably been preferred. We just don't sell those yet, so I had to settle for a screwdriver (we'll be adding more hand tools to our inventory after we get moved into our new building.) It'll just take some solvent to remove the glue and we're in business on those walls without a lot of extra sanding. That'll make me happy.

Large areas were easier with a hammer
Since the removal of the glue is rather time consuming, large areas of tile were easiest removed with a hammer. Not only does this save some time, but it's also fun taking my frustrations out on this stupid pink tile. Ahhh... I should have done this ages ago. I used my Makita cordless circular saw to cut a nice straight line (I put the guide along the top of the tile) and we pulled a couple of walls down.

Next up: Flooring
Well, we peeled all the tile I think we'll be peeling for a while. Now that many of the walls are cleared out, we'll be removing the linoleum from the floor, which is one more use for the heat gun. We tried a little of the linoleum and it seems to be coming up pretty easily with a little heat, but I'll let you know for sure when we get it all out of there. Until then, I'll keep enjoying all the tools I'm getting to use for once instead of just creating a website about.

Makita Heat Gun HG1100 - A closer look

I gave a general overview of some of the nifty things that the Makita HG1100 can be used for back in December, but now that I'm getting ready to use one there are a few nice things that I'm seeing here that I thought could use commented on. There's more engineering to these than just making a heavy duty hair dryer as I've heard referenced at times.

Cyclonic Action
You won't see this listed anywhere in the owners manual, but the air outlet has fins to make the output have a swirling effect. I'm sure it has some use that I don't know about, but I just really wanted to say cyclonic. I could imagine that it creates a much tighter air pattern, directing the heat more where you're pointing it and less to the sides. Maybe I'll have to fire off an email here shortly to find out for sure.

Swiss Made
One of the first things that caught my eye on the product ID tag were the words "SWISS MADE for Makita U.S.A." This one isn't Korean or Japaneese - but I can't say that they're all that way. This one has a 2004 date on the side, so that may have changed since then, but I thought it was interesting that it was built by a country normally associated with precision and accuracy and not the home country (well, either one - Japan or the US) of Makita.

Large Adjustment Dial
Simply saying "Variable temperature control 250 - 1,100 degrees F to get the correct temperature for the job" doesn't relate to you just how huge the dial for the temperature is. Granted, you can't dial up 750 and press go, but there is a lot of room to move the adjustment if you need a little more or a little less heat.

Very Lightweight
Again, their literature just says the basics of the concept. "Compact and lightweight for easy handling" doesn't relate that at 1.3 lbs, the cord weighs almost as much as the tool itself. I wasn't sure if that 1.3 was just the tool or if it was with the cord as well, but a scale confirmed that it was 1-1/4 lbs (that's all the more accurate this particular scale could do) with both the tool and the cord. Not bad at all.

Decent Balance
I won't say it's the best balance I've ever felt. Their LXT line has a much better balance in my opinion. But with the weight being just over a pound and the cord offsetting much of the tool's weight, the balance isn't bad at all. I guess I should also keep in mind that this was designed quite a while back, before ergonomics were as much of a science in the tool industry as they are now.

Eagerly Awaiting Tonight
Yeah... I don't have to wait long to use this. I get to start removing tile from our bathroom wall and the linoleum from the floor tonight. It's well out of my normal evening routine, so it sounds like fun. I guess I'll know tomorrow just how much fun it was. If I quit posting here, someone check the hospital.

Tool batteries don't get a "Memory"

In our recent Makita training, we learned something interesting. Tool batteries aren't subject to the "Memory" effect like other cordless items are.

Memory Cause
So, what is it that causes the memory effect? Well, Makita explained that it is the repetitive use of a battery at the same drain level. Basically, if you consider a cordless phone it has 3 levels. Standby is one level, on a call is a second level, and the 3rd level is ringing. Since a phone spends most of its life in standby, or (if you continually charge it) always on a call, the end result is that the battery gets the same load level repeatedly. A camcorder is a more extreme example, since playing and recording are almost exactly the same level of draw.

Why doesn't this affect tools?
Since tools work on different types of material, run into knots in wood, use different size bits and are variable speed, there is a wide variety of draw levels for the batteries to get accustomed to. The result is that the memory effect is minimized or even eliminated. Chances are that a tool battery will have a cell go bad and quit taking a charge long before it can develop a memory.

Why newer technologies?
In cell phones, the newer battery technologies (Ni-MH and Li-Ion in place of Ni-Cad) were primarily to deter a memory. Each technology was less prone to memory than the technology before it. So why do tools need the upgraded batteries? Runtime, power, consistency and the environment. The Li-Ion tools have a longer runtime, in many cases twice that of previous technologies. They also offer more power that is much more consistent through a charge, making the first use similar in power to the last use of a charge. Ni-Cad is also extremely harmful to the environment, although the others aren't really "good" for it. They are just considerably less harmful than Ni-Cad.

Lower voltage batteries - a Makita secret

One of the most unusual little known facts about Makita cordless tools is that any of their pod style batteries can power a tool made to run on a higher voltage, just with a shorter runtime. This has some very interesting applications, especially buying new tools.

Keep using your old batteries
If you buy a newer Makita tool, you don't need to worry about your old batteries becoming obsolete. For example, if you had a 12V drill before and decide to buy a 14.4V impact, the 12V batteries will still work in the new tool. If you had a 14.4V drill that broke, you could buy an 18V no problem without losing the use of your old batteries.

Save money when buying additional batteries
If you want to save a few bucks on your next set of batteries, you can always buy a lower voltage. That's a unique ability. If I decide that 18V batteries cost too much, I can buy 12V or 14.4V replacements. I don't know of any other brand that is set up this way. Very useful for buying batteries for a flashlight, probably not so cool for buying batteries for my miter saw.

Borrow a battery
My neighbor has 12V Makita tools. If I'm in the middle of a job and run out of juice, I can borrow one of his for any of my 18V tools. That could be handy at times. Of course, having 4 batteries of my own means there are few instances where I'll have to borrow a battery, but it's still nice to have the option.

Reminds me of blood types
This reminds me of blood types. Having a 12V is a universal donor (Type O). Owning an 18V tool is a universal recipient (Type AB). Of course, with Lithium Ion coming out now this isn't going to be a universal technology much longer. Also, the MakStar tools don't fit in the same interchangeable line, either. It's still something cool that you can amaze your friends with. Tell them to try that with their "other brand" tools.

Getting a longer runtime for my cordless blower

There is an upcoming product announcement from one of our manufacturers which Matt has mentioned in his article "It's time to put your favorite tools on Lituium (ion)". No specifics yet, but you can probably guess who and what the announcement will be without all the details or specifics. At first, this seemed sort of like just a geeky thing to do to me. Changing battery technologies is cool and all, but for an IT guy how useful would that really be? Well, I'm having trouble deciding.

High Drain Applications
Obviously, longer runtime is a big deal for high current applications. If you only use a cordless flashlight there's not a real reason to switch, unless you're in Alaska and have those 24 hour nights and no charger. Ok, so you'll have to consider it twice there too with the charging problems with cold weather. But when you've got a geeky tool like the Makita UB181DZ which boasts a whopping 9 minute runtime, Lithium Ion may become a HUGE deal. Even if it only doubles the runtime, I could probably get all the grass clippings off of my driveway without swapping batteries.

Fewer Batteries
Right now, I have 4 batteries for my tools. I typically have to use 2 fully charged batteries for blowing off the driveway, sidewalk and patio. I have one always on my flashlight and one is usually in my drill. Being able to do the same amount of work with fewer batteries is cool on the geek meter, but is it truly practical?

Tough Choice
I'll probably get one for the blower and eventually have fewer batteries when some of my current ones start to die. By then, I should know what makes sense - longer runtime or more batteries. Once I have it figured out, I'll let you know what I decided.

The delimma is this: sometimes it's handy to have more batteries, but other times I'd love the longer runtime. I guess it comes down to how many tools do I want ready to go... and how much of an inconvenience it is to swap the batteries back and forth. That means it is subjective and it comes down to personal preference, so there is no right answer.

Makita's Mysterious Dual Linear Ball Bearings

After a couple of posts already about the Makita LS1013L and LS1214L and the dual linear ball bearings, and about the shortcomings of other manufacturers, I started researching the Makita saws even deeper. What I found was that I could easily locate one of them on one of the rails, but the other seemed to be hiding very well. I could also easily locate one on the schematic of the LS1013 as well. However, the other has been a mystery.

The mystery continues
I pointed this out to some of our front counter people, and they saw the same thing I did. This led to questioning of our Makita rep, which ended up with the answer of it's there, you just missed it. One is easily found, the other is buried in the saw.

Searching for answers
Not one to take the easy answer, I went ahead and emailed one of the Makita training personnel that we had at our location a few weeks ago. I asked him where it was in the saw, and let him know we couldn't locate it. I got a response from him that explained why we were missing it, and I'll show you why I missed it here.

The first one
As you probably can't tell (clicking the image lets you see it a bit clearer), part #149 is a linear ball bearing assembly. The full description is shown to the right (as seen on the schematic.) But, that only shows one. There isn't another one listed anywhere as a part.

The second one
But wait! We have a second, it was just impossible to see on the diagram. Part #140, which is the base, includes a linear ball bearing. I didn't quite understand why at first, but it was explained to me by Chris from our front counter. One is fixed, the other is adjustable. By having one in a fixed position, you have something to adjust against when aligning the slides.

Mystery solved!

Anti-Vibration Technology - Jackhammers

Jackhammers, also called demolition hammers or breaker hammers, are best known for breaking up concrete roads and driveways. I usually think about the scene in Total Recall where Arnold is using one when I see a picture of one. In Hollywood, having the vibration shaking him silly is a good thing. In everyday life, that's not so good. In fact, it can be downright harmful.

Combatting Vibration
Fighting the harmful effects of vibrations from jackhammers is not only a good thing to do, but Europe will even have a standard in place soon for the amount of vibration that tools are allowed to pass to the user. Less is better when it comes to vibration, and the latest AVT (Anti-Vibration Technology) from the manufacturers is really pretty cool.

Each manufacturer has a different strategy at the moment, though. There are a ton of options, so looking at the technologies is interesting to a geek.


I'm going to have to ask about this, but it appears that Milwaukee hasn't embraced Anti-Vibration technology yet. Hey Dave, is that so? (The answer will be here when he gets it to me.)

&
One of the simple ways to dampen vibration is by making the handles shock mounted. Essentially, the handles have a little bit of give, making the vibrations that the tool is giving off stop in the handles and not pass the full force to the operator. Very simple, but not totally effective. There still has to be enough force in the handles to keep the tool going in the right direction, so making them totally independent wouldn't work. But, it does indeed reduce the amount of vibration passed to the user. For an occasional user (such as a rental tool), this will be sufficient.


For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Essentially what's tough to stop is the opposite reaction. Using a counterweight, it is possible to time the movement of the counterweight with the force of the hammer and greatly reduce the vibration. In one very impressive video that Makita uses for product training, they have a competitor tool with half full water bottles taped to the handles and the top. Once power is applied, the bottles have enough vibration getting to them that it looks like a nice frothy head on top of the water. Same test on the Makita HM1810 with AVT shows very little disturbance to the surface of the water. This looks to be a huge improvement for the end user, although I've never actually tried a jackhammer.

Still in the early stages
Anti-Vibration technologies are still in their early stages, so I'm sure new things will be coming out in the near future. But for now, it's a matter of how much getting rid of the vibration is worth to you. But then, if you use it a lot it becomes a question of what's your health and safety worth.

Belt Driven and Direct Drive Miter Saw Scorecard

After my post on direct drive miter saws with electronic speed control, Matt and I decided to take a look at the different miter saws we had on display and make up a "Scorecard" of who had what technology in place on their current lineup of saws. This ended up being a pretty interesting exercise in tool analysis. Unfortunately, we don't have quite a few on display as we prepare to move to a new building, so here's the abbreviated version of what I'll be expanding on later.


The Bosch 3912 and 3924B-24 are both direct drive models. The newer 4410L is belt drive, but adds in the laser. Of course, you've already read my other post to know why lasers are great for geeks but not for carpenters, right?


The DeWALT DW718, DW716, and DW708 were all belt driven. The older DW705 (and DW705S) as well as the DW712 were found to be direct drive.


The Hitachi C10FSH and C12LSH were belt driven. The C15FB and C12LCH were both direct drive.


The Makita LS1013, LS1214, LS1013F, LS1214F, LS1013L, and LS1214L were all angled direct drive. I'll have to explain the benefit of angled in a future post as well. The older LS1030N was a straight direct drive model, as is the LS1040. The models with F add in a flexible light, while the L models have the laser. Both are pretty cool for geeks.


The Milwaukee 6490-6, 6494-6, and 6497-6 were all direct drive models.


We didn't currently have any Porter cable models on display. Again, we're getting ready to move so we're trying to cut down on the number of open box products to relocate.

Final Tally
Direct Drive
Bosch 3912 and 3924B-24.
DeWalt DW705 and DW712.
Hitachi C15FB and C12LCH.
Makita LS1013 (base, F and L), LS1214 (base, F and L), LS1030N, LS1040.
Milwaukee 6490-6, 6494-6 and 6497-6.

Belt Driven
Bosch 4410L.
DeWALT DW718, DW716 and DW708.
Hitachi C10FSH and C12LSH.

I find it interesting that there are several manufacturers that have saws available either way. I have a strong personal preference for direct drive, but the belts aren't too bad to change out.

It gets even more interesting when you look at consumer grade. I may have to wander down to my local [insert big box store name here] here sometime and jot down some additional notes.

Direct Drive Miter Saws with Electronic Speed Control

According to our recent training with Makita, Miter Saws make up 12% of the power tool industry. That may not seem like that huge of a percentage, but this is the largest chunk for a single category. By comparison, electric drills, grinders, and reciprocating saws are all tied at 4%. The only category they could point to as being larger was cordless tools, but that's broken down into drills, saws, etc. and isn't a fair comparison. By the way, cordless is now 44% of the market.

With that big of a chunk of the market being miter saws, Makita has focused on creating a better miter saw. Some of their changes aren't something you'd notice, such as dual linear ball bearings and the machined aluminum base. These both lead to accuracy of the cuts, but aren't really visible.

Direct Drive
Another non-visible change is the patented method in which direct drive is implemented in the LS1214L and LS1013L (12" and 10" models). Typically, you have a belt attaching the miter saw blade's driveshaft to the motor. One thing I know from my days working at an auto parts store is that belts stretch and eventually break. Personally, I'd rather not have a belt in my miter saw if I can avoid it. The figure to the right shows a belt as part #71. This is from a competitor's tool.

Electronic Speed Control
By using gears in the saw (I'll talk about different gear technologies at some point later), it is possible to add in an electronic speed control as well. Not only does that sound fancy, but it really is a good thing to have. It means that regardless of the load, the blade will attempt to stay at the same RPM. This helps avoid scorching as a cut is made. Of course, a speed control adds $40 - $50 to the cost of the unit, but the Makita saws with these included are still fairly price competitive with the similar models from our other manufacturers.

More Marketing and R&D Dollars
Knowing that miter saws are in the largest category for tool manufacturers sure explains why Makita and others tend to put the most marketing hype around them. Makita also seems to have placed more R&D dollars into the miter saw. I still like my LS0711Z (18V cordless, but not built for many moons now), and the newer electric models look even nicer. Currently, only Bosch is making cordless miter saws of the manufacturers that we carry. It's cool, but not necessarily all that useful (also known as a geek's dream tool). Then again, 44% cordless, 12% miter saws - I'd expect to see a few more get into this market (again for some) as Lithium Ion becomes more mainstream.

Education is Essential
With all the buzzwords surrounding miter saws these days (dual linear ball bearings, machined base, direct drive motor and electronic speed control to name a few), it's no wonder many people just buy whatever is on sale. Then again, how would any of our manufacturers be able to put 40 pages worth of information, or a 3 hour educational course, onto a single brochure? I guess that's why we have salespeople - we can do the education of the customer for the manufacturers. Vendor training is just extremely important for us to be able to do that. I wouldn't have known why direct drive and electronic speed control were important when buying a miter saw until our vendor training, but hopefully I was able to convey the reasons these are important features to look for to you as well.

Single linear ball bearings?

My post yesterday on dual linear ball bearings prompted Matt to look at some of the schematics for the other manufacturers. He didn't seem to believe that some of our manufacturers would be so cheap as to only use one linear ball bearing like Makita was implying. We did a little research, and the results were astonishing.

DeWALT DW708

This particular model of DeWALT has single bearing on the lower of the sliding rails. It's not possible to tell if it is a sleeve or a ball bearing, just that it is a bearing. However, it can't be purchased independently. It's part of an assembly (reference #121, although the 12 got clipped) for $370. Ouch.

DeWALT DW718

Admittedly, the DW708 isn't their newest model. The DW718 is probably a fairer test of their current manufacturing practices. What do we see here, then? One bearing, can't tell if it is sleeve or ball bearing, and it is still part of an expensive full assembly.

Hitachi C10FSH

To stop picking on DeWALT, I'm going to show a Hitachi now. Part #106 in the diagram is a bearing. They call it a "Ball Bushing". Just one, but we know for sure this is a ball bearing type.

Milwaukee 6497

Milwaukee has 2 ball bearings. WOOHOO! Wait just one second, though. That's part #6, and they don't go on both rails. They go on one rail. That's not exactly how it should be done. One rail is just sliding through a hole, the other has 2 ball bearings. Interesting.

I'll have to add in the Makita version as soon as I locate a schematic for it. This should be interesting.

EDIT: I finally got a solid answer from Makita on where the second ball is located. I have this entered in another post titled Makita's Mysterious Dual Linear Ball Bearings. It was a bit much to add to this already lengthy article.