18V Hammer Drill Comparison [2022] - Brushless Makita, Dewalt, Milwaukee, Bosch, Metabo, Hikoki etc

oztooltalk compare 10 premium/trade quality hammer drills in the 18V category. These are tested in timber, steel and concrete to see who reigns supreme in 2022.

The results may surprise you, they certainly surprised us!

The tools are as follows (alphabetically):

AEG BSB18BL
$329 | 2018 release | 2.5 kg | 140 Nm max. torque

Bosch GSB 18V-150 C
$? | 2022 release in Aus | 2.5 kg | 150 Nm max. torque

Dewalt DCD999
$399 | 2021 release | 2.3 kg | 126 Nm max. torque

Festool TPC 18/4
$495 | 2021 release | 2.4 kg | 75 Nm max. torque

Hilti SF 6H-A22
$436 | 2020 release | 2.6 kg | 85 Nm max. torque

Hikoki DV 18DBL2
$299 | 2015 release | 2.4 kg | 136 Nm max. torque

Makita DHP486
$339 | 2021 release | 2.4 kg | 141 Nm max. torque

Metabo SB 18 LTX BL Q I
$369| 2021 release | 2.3 kg | 130 Nm max. torque

Metabo SB 18 LTX-3 BL I
$449 | 2017 release | 2.4 kg | 120 Nm max. torque

Milwaukee M18FPD2
$368 | 2019 release | 2.2 kg | 135 Nm max. torque

[noskills]

Cracking review - good to see a balanced look rather than what drills the quickest by 0.5 of a second 😂

[ToolDeals]

I've commented before. But this is, hands down, the BEST representation of these tools on YouTube. Thank you so much for it! I make tool deal videos and refer back to this on drills I have no experience with and recommend this video to my viewers to learn more about Metabo in general. Great brand with in my experience, great customer service as well. Tools can get pricey though LOL.

[gerardbonus]

Pretty good review guys. The temperature results were really interesting, especially as I've seen some torture tests smoking the tools to death.
Longevity is the next marker ~ "The only reason I've moved from brand X is I got fed up of replacing it every couple of months" :)

[Stewpkiddable]

"all of these are gonna tear your face off, we're gonna go a little deeper than that." so well said. this is why i choose makita. by far the smoothest & most controlled drills and impacts ive used.

[ollief]

Guys are champions, best channel out there! So honest and open. Thanks heaps for the vid

[hammyzgod]

I've been using the dewalt dcd999 nearly every single day for well over a year for absolutely everything from drilling concrete, mixing buckets of cement, drilling steel and much much more and never had a single issue.
This is a great piece of kit and when you up the battery to a 9AH it will destroy all the competitors on this list.

[liamscott]

Good stuff guys! Temperature is my biggest issue on site. Waiting for a drill to cool down or switching out a drill to avoid burning out is a fairly common occurrence when using 5-6 hours a day.
Cheers guys.

[davesheppard]

Great test guys!! I run Hilti and Milwaukee. 40 years in my job and the Hilti is the best I've ever used. The Milwaukee does get very hot in a short time and has the issues with the trigger not working sometimes, which is annoying when you are reaching in a tight space, squeeze the trigger and nothing!!! For me the Hilti ticks all the boxes and the after sales service is superb. I've only ever had an issue once when my old assistant dropped my Gen 1 Hilti from a good height. It still worked OK but sounded a bit weird on the run out. After calling my Hilti rep, I had a replacement drill in my hand within half an hour and mine went off for repair. It was back within 24 hours. Again!, fantastic test guys!!!
Dave.

[yerman]

So excited to see this come up. Properly comprehensive review.

The heat mapping is very interesting, I must confesses to running the odd tool until I could not hold it anymore when stuck, so built idiot proofing of extra cooling is a real bonus for long term reliability.

[neoBliZZard]

I have the Metabo BS 18 LTX BL I for a few months. And I absolutely love it. It's a good completion to my 12V srewdriver and impact. Since I do not need the hammering function, it reduces weight and lenght a little bit.

[januszR]

Crazy how you got all those newest models... cheers for the test!

[andersonnettleship]

Great Review, personally I’m almost 100% an Makita’s LXT Platform and have the XPH14 (US) which replaced its predecessor the XPH07 which still works great I just sold it to a friend.
The XPH14 is an awesome tool that is really only has 2 places that need improvement, it’s not the greatest when using as a Hammer Drill and the lack of Anti-Kickback. A three or four speed transmission would also be nice especially when I’m drilling holes in steel with Bi-Metal Hole Saws because it’s current low speed is still faster than it needs to be for optimal drilling.
It is much better than the XPH07 on Kickback (I broke the planetary gears twice on the 07 because it’s that hard).

A quick tip for helping your hole saws last when drilling steel.
After drilling the pilot hole use electrical tape to close off the holes on the hole saw body, fill the hole saw with crushed or pellet ice and drill the hole with around 500 RPM and moderate pressure. The melting ice keeps the hole saw and the steel cold, flushed away the chips, and provides more than enough lubrication. If you see steam that’s a sign that the ice is nearly depleted and when it stops it’s time to add more ice.
With this method I’m able to drill holes faster, the edges are “cleaner”, cleanup is quick and easy which is especially important when drilling holes through Stainless Steel inside restaurant kitchens. Most importantly the actual hole saws last much longer than normal, I usually get several hundred holes before they wear out!

[timmerner]

Solid review system. Personally I went with the Milwaukee because the shorter length is a lifesaver in my line of work. But breakdowns like these really show the strengths and more importantly the weak points of these tools

[ashtondrake]

I love Hikoki because of their ergonomics and they have lots of little features that just make all of the better. And they have great customer service, and warranty turn around time frame.

[baseballdude]

Nice tests
The Hikoki extra feature is the AC adapter-dont use it much with the Hammer drill but I have at times while waiting for a battery to charge-works great for their other 36V tools-table saw, mitre saw, SDS max rotary, Full size router, grinder, vacuum etc

[dancaldwell]

Top drawer review from some Top Blokes. Ripper form securing that Bosch Drill! Keep em coming fellas

[shifty]

Fantastic comparison and effort made to compare such a vast material of tools!

I say it all on the time in the comments - you chaps and toolbox buzz are the best tool channels in the world on YT.

Thumbs up thanks for the continued reviews and vids.

Watching from the UK.

[gregglouis]

You boys are the best reviewers on tools on YouTube. Excellent video guys. Cheers from Ohio

[mrclive]

I have the Bosch 150, awesome bit of kit. The old 110 was good, but would stall on a 32mm auger. The 150 just blows through, no problem.

Great vid, nice job.

[sw]

Probably I will stick with makita 40v line in the further. My lots of mates got 40v last year all happy ass. Good to see European tools jump a lot. Well done.