More Makita 18V Compact Brushless Drills

xph12zRemember the XPH06 compact brushless hammer drill from Makita? It was the latest brushless compact drill from Makita before the monster XPH07 came out and new torque records at the time. Back then the XPH06 was a fine compact brushless 18V hammer drill but ever since then every other pro brand came out with new compact brushless drills that made the good ole’ XPH06 a little big and dare I say “outdated”? No problem as Makita’s come out with a fresh new update to the good ole’ XPH06 with the new XPH12Z. The model number doesn’t make sense anymore because XPH07 was already taken and XPH08 would make it seem as though it was a step up model from the XPH07 which it ain’t so Makita went with XPH12 to differentiate it self from the High Torque monster XPH07, makes any sense?

The new XPH12Z is definitely more compact than the XPH06 at a very compact 7-1/8″ inches and is enough to make it the most compact 18V HAMMER drill in it’s class. Sure there are other 18V compact brushless drills that are more compact but those are regular drill drivers, as far as 18V brushless hammer drills are concerned, the XPH12Z is king of the hill at the moment in terms of compactness. Weight also went up slightly to 4.2 lbs from the XPH06 which weighed in at 3.9 lbs, both of which were weighed in with high capacity batteries. Torque stays the same at 530 in-lbs but with an improved 2 speed drivetrain with higher RPM’s in both speeds 500/2,000 RPM’s and a higher BPM at 7,500/30,000.

It also gets those dual LED lights that have been out on new Makita 18V drills. One thing that I noticed in the pictures is that it seems that the XPH12Z is still sporting a plastic chuck. I can’t confirm this without seeing one in person but it seems like an odd choice to go with a plastic chuck since all the other pro brands have all adopted the standard of including metal chucks even on compact drills.

XPH12Z Hammer Drill

  • 18V brushless motor
  • 1/2″ keyless chuck
  • No Load Speed (var. 2 spd):  0 – 500 / 0 – 2,000 RPM
  • Maximum Torque (in.lbs./N•m):  530 in.lbs
  • Overall Length:  7-1/8″
  • Net Weight (with battery):  4.2 lbs

ddf083z_zoomAlso remember the new black Makita Sub Compact 18V brushless drill and impact driver that are super tiny? Makita is also coming out with a new black 18V brushless sub compact screwdriver based on the drill (Note the picture shown is the international blue version). It has all the same stats as it shares the same motor and drivetrain from the drill, but they removed the keyless chuck and replaced it with a 1/4″ hex quick release chuck. This makes it even more compact at a super duper 4.88 inches in length!

So far only the international blue version has been spotted but I would assume the Black USA model might come out soon although I am unsure of when or if this model will make it to the USA. If it does make it here to the USA it may have a different model number so be sure to check that out.

DDF083Z Screwdriver Drill

  • 18V brushless motor
  • 1/4″ hex chuck
  • Capacity:  Steel (1/2″), Wood (1-7/16″)
  • No Load Speed (var. 2 spd):  0 – 500 / 0 – 1,700 RPM
  • Maximum Torque (in.lbs./N•m):  350 in.lbs./40N•m
  • Overall Length:  4.88″ (124mm)
  • Net Weight (with battery):  2.42 lbs. (1.1 kg)

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