Makita XDT12Z 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Quick-Shift Mode 4-Speed Impact Driver, Tool Only,

Like many people, I've made compromises with tools over the years, buying something cheaper that would still do the job and then working extra hard to achieve excellent results and often either working too hard or falling short. Well, I decided to finally go with a high quality tool and I don't regret it a bit.This top of the line Japanese - made tool is a pleasure to use. It looks and feels solid and, I dare say, is overkill for most of the jobs I do.. Not in a bad sense, but it is a monster and with a light to average, intermittent work load, I expect it to last for many years, which is what I wanted.It is small for the power it delivers and it is very easy on the wrist. There is, no sideways torque and the various operating modes are very helpful. I mostly use the slow start mode and tap assist. With proper self tapping screws, I was going through alluminum frames in half a second. It was so smooth, I couldn't even feel the resistance until I heard the hammering.At the risk of repeating others, It's so well put together, and feels so good, I almost feel like it's a collectors item that I need to keep scratch free on a pedistal.Very satisfied with this tool! You will love it too. Just get it before they're out of stock and your only top of the line option is the 16 series made in china.

Since I was a kid, I had my grandpas (who was an electrician) old Makita drill driver and used it all the time for around the house projects, car audio installs and whatever else I needed a drill driver for. To this day the driver still works but I was ready for a newer lighter impact driver. The XDT12 is excellent, multiple modes for higher drive impacts and lighter modes for more delicate work. The 5 Ah hour batteries last a LONG time. I am a casual DIYer so I am not using my impact day in and day out but I rarely charge batteries because its always ready with plenty of battery for what I use it for. If I was a professional contractor or a tradesmen I would ABSOLUTELY use this impact and trust it to perform on the job day in and day out. Check out VCGs youtube channel where they do Tool Test Raw (TTR) every Friday and they put this XDT 12 to the test and this impact was a beast and held its own! I am a Makita guy for life! I also purchased the Makita Hammer Drill as well and same thing nothing but high quality and gets the job done!

I wanted top of the line. I did my homework before buying this impact driver. I also had to choose a new battery platform and the Makita 18V made the most sense both from a performance as well as an economic standpoint. This one has 4 speeds to cover anything you need to do from small cabinet screws to an 8" lag driven into a southern pine laminated beam! It's size gets into small spaces. It has a great feel and the balance of a gyroscope. The "Assist Mode" is the BEST invention for starting screws. It automatically starts in a slow speed while sensing the torque applied so as the screw is driven deeper, the torque increases! One smart tool!I also have the XPH07M hammer drill driver which is the most powerful drill in it's class. That kit comes with 2 batteries, charger, and here's the thing: a place in that case for this impact driver. As a combo kit, you can't buy both together. NOW I have Top Of The Line!!!!!

I have owned an older Makita impact driver for ten years and it provided me with great service. I saw this driver in one of the tool reviews and I was impressed with the different impact settings so I bought this model. My driver bit used to jump out of the screw heads with the older Makita impact gun and it was annoying. I would pulse the trigger to avoid this from happening. With this new impact gun there is no jumping out. In automatic mode the pulse is slow until the gun senses the screw inserting in to the wood. Then it speeds up giving you much better control. I think that it is probably a bit slower than my old gun but the precision of the new impact gun offsets this. You drop fewer screws and are able to drive the screws straighter. Also when assembling cabinets you have less chance of marring the wood when the bit slips. I would highly recommend this model. It is more expensive than the other Makita impact guns but it definitely worth the money. The additional settings gives you complete control when inserting screws in to different materials.

Full disclosure: This post may be a little bit premature in it's rating since I've had the impact for 3 days and only driven 1 screw in a comparison to my old Makita BTD144 which I bought in 2011.A few things that people may want to know...This IS the current top of the line impact Makita offers in the US and it is the full equivalent of the TD170 which is a Japan-only model that you can import here, typically through eBay. The TD170 is what they advertised as their 'King of Impacts'. It is only offered in one color in the US market as opposed to about 5 in the Japanese market, unfortunate but I've had a rough year so I'll accept the US service instead of hassling with shipping any issues to Japan.On paper it doesn't sound too much more impressive than the top of the line model I bought back in 2011- the top end blows-per-minute are up to 3800 from the 3400 5 years back. The top no-load speed is at 3600 rpm compared to my old 2600. However- there are a few videos out there in regards to the TD170 showing how awesome they are. I can tell you right now- I compared it to my old Makita on a 2-1/2" drywall screw and it sank WAY faster than my original. Weight is basically the same but the shorter body is awesome and I can't wait to try out the Tek setting and assist mode for any really long screws or lags that I'll be needing to drive pretty soon.I will do my best to keep this post updated as I put this beast through it's paces. For now- worth EVERY penny.

This is a great driver, tough, worth the money, BUT, I also own the brand new XDT16 and it's a lot better than this one. Just buy that one, you can thank me later. See my review there for more info.