Hoto 12V Brushless Drill – Drill From The Future?

Is the Hoto 12V brushless drill a drill from the future? Let’s find out as we discuss how it compares to regular cordless drills from today.

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Hoto 12V Brushless Drill – Futuristic Features

It certainly does look futuristic with very sleek lines and simplistic design. Most notably is the rear display and unconventional “minimalist” design. Though it may have a fresh look for a drill, its shape is similar to many massage guns.

Hoto 12V Brushless Drill – Display

Its built in display is what sets this apart from regular cordless drills today. It lets you see which mode it’s on. You can select between two modes; self select and pulse mode. In self select mode, you can dial up or down the limiting torque between 30 torque settings. Pulse mode seems to be some sort of automated mode. Hoto doesn’t seem to describe it pretty well though. In one instance they describe it as follows: “To realize the intermittent start and stop of the cordless drill through the intelligent chip to ensure the safety of users.” They also describe it as: “Can reduce the damage to the material.” Both statements are pretty vague as to their meaning but it seems like some sort of auto-stop mode.

The rear display also means this drill doesn’t have a traditional torque+mode select collar. That’s because its functionality has been replaced with a rear display and buttons.

Hoto 12V Brushless Drill – Charging

Unlike most cordless drills, this Hoto 12V drill uses modern USB-C charging cables. They plug directly to the bottom of the handle. This means that the battery is built in and not user replaceable. This also means you can’t swap batteries for a fresh one when it runs out of juice like you can with regular cordless drills. You’ll need to plug in when it runs out. The positive aspect of it using a USB-C port is that it’s a common cable you already have to charge your phone. Thus you won’t have to fiddle with proprietary chargers.

Hoto 12V Brushless Drill – Battery

Its internal battery is rated at 2000mah or 2.0 ah. In the power tool world, this is a small-to-medium capacity range for a 12 volt power tool. Hoto rates the runtime as being able to achieve up to 550 screws per charge. Not too shabby.

Hoto 12V Brushless Drill – Specs

This brushless drill is rated at 30 Nm or neuton meters of torque. Here in the USA we don’t usually measure things in neuton meters. So 30 nm translates to about 265.52 in-lbs of torque. That makes it a strong cordless drill – for a 12 volt drill. 12V drills aren’t usually as powerful as 18 volt drills and that’s ok because they make up for their power with a small and lightweight form factor.

Like a normal cordless drill, it’s a two speed drill with a switch on top. Speed one gives it 0-370 RPM and speed two is 0-1,400 RPM. Hoto doesn’t label them as speed one and two. Instead they call the first speed the screwdriving mode. And speed 2 is called drilling mode. It’s non-sense to call either speed only for drilling and the other for screwdriving. As you can do either task with either speed.

The more correct function of the slower speed is actually the “high torque” mode. Slow but strong. The faster speed setting is the “high speed” setting. It goes faster but with less torque. Both speeds can drill and drive however the slower speed is best for when you need the most torque. Such as driving larger fasteners like lags. Or drilling with larger bits, especially if they require more torque to drill. Think auger-style bits for example, such as Irwin Speedbore Max bits.

It has a 3/8″ chuck which is pretty standard for a 12 V drill. No mention of if it’s metal and ratcheting. Metal is more durable than plastic and ratcheting chucks have nice clicks that let you know when it’s tightened well.

Hoto 12V Brushless Drill – My Thoughts – Pros

It looks cool! I believe many people that grow up with all the new electronics today will appreciate this type of drill. As it has many familiar comforts such as the USB-C charging, buttons and display. A traditional torque clutch may seem confusing to newcomers so the simplistic approach of this drill might appeal more to them. I think the target market for this drill are those that have little to no experience using a power drill.

It has some nice specs for a cordless drill. It’s sporting a brushless motor which is all the rage in the power tool world today. Brushless motors are very efficient. They sip batteries and don’t have brushes that need replacing. It also has strong torque for a 12 volt drill at 30 nm (265 in-lbs).

Hoto 12V Brushless Drill – My Thoughts – Cons

The futuristic design may look cool, however there are some fundamental drawbacks to its design. For example the minimalist design doesn’t appear to be ergonomic in the handle. Today’s cordless drills have very ergonomic handles. They fit well in the hand. This drill’s handle is just a straight cylinder and doesn’t look very comfy to hold. I’m sure it’s just fine for quick use but how comfortable will it be after prolonged use?

I would normally avoid a power tool with a built in battery like the plague. That’s because you can’t swap batteries. Interchangeable batteries are the way to go because you can swap another battery when the current one runs out. This means you can keep on working. You’ll need to plug in when this drill runs out of juice. Batteries also don’t last forever. When the internal battery fails many years later, you’ll need to swap the entire tool.

Hoto 12V Brushless Drill – Drill From The Future?

So to answer the title question, is it a drill from the future? Other than its design and rear display, this is a very modern drill. While it looks like it’s from the future, it takes several steps back with a built in battery. I think that most homeowners will appreciate its fresh minimalistic design and many will be wow’ed by its rear display. Its non ergonomic handle design and built in battery leave it primarily as a cordless drill for occasional use. One you’ll stuff in a drawer until it’s ready for the next small task, despite it having enough torque for more serious work. Users looking for a more “serious” cordless drill will look elsewhere from more traditional brands with interchangeable batteries.

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