Makita DP4000 1/2" Drill

Quality product. To date, I have used this drill for woodworking projects and for cutting holes (1 to 1.5 inches) in aluminum sheet metal. It worked really well. The drill grip and side handle are both comfortable and well-designed. As the trigger is depressed, the drill accelerates smoothly and evenly with the variable speed. I could smell a whiff of some lubricant from the drill at high speeds, but I expect this will burn off in time. The motor is nicely balanced inside with no vibration to speak of. The drill has a narrow profile which means it doesn't need as much clearance on the sides as some drills. The chuck mechanism has a large key and tightening gear that makes it easy to crank. I really appreciate the extra power of this drill over the 3/8 inch models. Cutting sheet metal was no problem with a carbide-tipped bit. If you haven't used a 1/2 inch drill before, keep in mind the extra power means more heat on the drill bit and the surface of your materials. I was able to buy this drill for about $95.00 new on Amazon--an excellent value!

Fantastic drill. Typical solid Makita construction (made in Japan!). This drill delivers on power, torque and solid build. As some reviewers mentioned it WILL torque your arm or wrist if you are not careful. He variable speed trigger control is smooth and precise, and while drill is solid and beefy it does not feel unwieldy or too large. Yes it's bigger than a 3/8" drive but not by much. Excellent drill highly recommended.

Very good quality drill has no problem running a honing a big paddle bit or Stir for grout

The drill is fine, but it is let down by a poor quality chuck key that makes it almost impossible to tighten properly. It seems that the chuck does not fit properly - the teeth on the key do not line up exactly with the teeth on the chuck. The key is poor quality steel and the teeth have rounded off due to the poor match with the chuck.

I purchased this drill to augment my 1/2" stud drill and take some load off my 18V LXT cordless drill. I have used it to spin long straight augers and a large paint mixing attachment.I've mixed paint, grout, thin set and drywall compound and this drill has not complained once.The single low speed seems appropriate for auger bits and mixing and the variable speed function adds control over other drills I have used for this application.I would not hesitate to buy this drill again if the need arose.