User Ratings
Hitachi DS12DVF3 12Volt NiCad 3/8Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit
Compact and comfortable best describe this 12V drill from Hitachi that delivers 230 in. lb. of torque while weighing only 3.3 lb. The RPM range on this tool is 0 to 350 in low speed and 1 to 1050 in...read more
$155.64
$70.33
$70.33
Average Customer Rating
5 out of 5 |
Product Features
- Class leading 230 in./lbs of torque to power through the toughest jobs
- 22-stage clutch for high torque and/or precision driving; soft, non-slip elastomer grip for increased user comfort
- Convenient 5-position belt hook features an integrated bit holder
- Includes drill, flashlight, two 1.4Ah batteries, quick charger, carrying case and driver bit
- Compact and lightweight-only 7.5 inches in length and 3.3 pounds; 5-year warranty
Product Description
Compact and comfortable best describe this 12V drill from Hitachi that delivers 230 in. lb. of torque while weighing only 3.3 lb. The RPM range on this tool is 0 to 350 in low speed and 1 to 1050 in high speed with a 22 stage torque adjustable clutch. Sof ....read more
Product Details
Brand: HitachiModel: DS12DVF3
UPC: 717709001008
Product Code: DS12DVF3
Product Accessories
35 Responses to “Hitachi DS12DVF3 12Volt NiCad 3/8Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit”
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Great Drill
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This drill is perfect for everyday use. Not too bulky or heavy. and packs a lot of torque for its size. Highly recommended
Great drill for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this with the intent of using it for projects. I am pleased with the durability and feel that it has. It has an excellent rubber-reinforced grip that surrounds the whole drill for added shock absorption and durability. The batteries last a while too, making it a great driver for extended projects (not for construction-related). If you are looking for a drill/driver that will be used for minimal construction, this is perfect.
Loog Looking Item!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Yes, it’s a nice item and they do give you a good value for the money…However, Not enough torque for hardly any project even though it’s 12volts!!! It really acts as a 7volt unit!
Great Drill
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great product, very compact with plenty of power. I have been using it on a regular basis and I can’t find anything negative to say about it. Bought it because it was about the same price of one replacement battery for my DeWalt and Bosch.
great lightweight cordless drill
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My brother does some construction work and recommended this when I asked for some recommendations on a good cordless drill that wasn’t too expensive. It has great balance, is lightweight, easy to switch drill bits, and has power level settings. Basically, a great drill. The flashlight is pretty powerful as well.
Hitachi drill chuck
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I agree with the person that has had chuck problems. This drill is a nice all around drill for average every day tasks but the chuck is extremely annoying. I am constantly trying to tighten the chuck and it still falls out on occasion. If it wasn’t for this weak spot the drill would be a five star product.
Great combo
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The drill has great torque and is much better at preserving screw heads than any B&D I’ve ever used. The flashlight is good too, although not as strong as a comparable sized led lamp. Overall the batteries charge fast, the cradle has an indicator, and it’s always been there for me between charges when I’ve needed it. Good buy for home fixes.
Hitachi 12v drill with light & 2 batteries…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great lightweight drill for hardware install’s & buying a second package is cheaper then buying 2 extra “backup” batteries. Never thought I’d have much use for the flashlight but was wrong; for inside cabinets, closets & under sink work, the light is perfect.
Solid Backup Drill
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased the Hitachi 12Volt drill after my Dewalt 9.6V bit the dust. The latter was old, awkward and had a broken chuck collar so I was happy to see it go. The Hitachi is light and has reasonable toque. It is well balanced and stable standing on its battery pack. I use it in tandem with my Panasonic 12V, probably the best rechargeable drill I’ve ever purchased. The Hitachi gets the basics done and I have no complaints after 1 month of use.
good for ’round-the-house, not for heavy duty
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Very honest gentleman at the store recommended this drill and i got it thinking i’d use it around the house. drilled a couple holes here and there but when i took it to a job site it couldn’t stand up to the ryobi or the dewalt out there. after only about 20 deck screws it started smoking a little from the vents near the back.
maybe it was because it was still really new, and others on here have said theirs had plenty of torque, but this guy didn’t do it for me (especially on the high speed/low torque position) and the high speed could be higher as well.
so again, around the house is probably fine. very light weight, quick charge.
good piece of equipment
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very satisfied so far with this light weight drill. Easy to handle and good power.
This is an excellent drill for the price.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very impressed with the quality of this drill. Plenty strong for homeowner use. Great drill for smaller finish projects. Probably would not be the primary drill I would own if I were still in the contrcting business but definately one that I would have on hand.
Very impressed
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve always owned Dewalt cordless drills, and planned to buy another. The price on this unit led me to purchase it. It’s lighter than the 12v Dewalt I’ve become accustomed to, but this unit has all the torque of a Dewalt. I’ve only owned the drill for about a month, so I haven’t put it to the test, but so far, so good.
Home Projects
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent product, fast shipping, good price. The drill is small, comfortable, easy to handle and has good power. The batteries charge in less than an hour and seem to hold the charge for a long time. The light is an added bonus. A great deal for any home project even though the batteries are the old Ni-Cad type which didn’t seem to be a problem for several home projects which we did.
one awesome drill
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This drill is a real winner. I love the power of this drill. in fact, it is so powerful that I broke the Philips bit that came with it. I have yet to use even one battery til it was dead and I’ve been remodeling a trailer with it. Though I was told that it is not good to run the battery til it is dead. At 1st I figured the flashlight was just an extra, I didn’t care about it my main need was the drill, but I’ve found that I use the flashlight more than I use the drill. Now, why I rated this 4 instead of 5… 1st, I don’t like the fact that the bit it comes with is a 2 sided Phillips bit, I’d rather have a Phillips and a flat bit combo, its just more convenient. The belt hanger that comes with it is cumbersome and makes it hard to grab quickly when needed (I removed it on mine) and any bit you use that is round instead of hex you will have to really tighten the chuck to keep it from slipping. (a simple 10 seconds on a grinder to flatten one side of your bit works) plus the flashlight would be better if it has more preset angles, perhaps a screw to tighten it at any angle (like a T bevel) would be better. and lastly I think the flashlight would be 10 times better if it used led’s instead of a normal flashlight bulb. But all in all these things are minor and easy to work around. I love the quick charger, the fact that it has 2 batteries, and the case (though it would be better if the case had one more section for the other battery as I don’t like to keep the battery in the drill) I do love this drill combo, and since I got it on sale for $50 it makes it that much better. I don’t think I’d have gotten it at the normal $75. oh and one more issue that I almost forgot…While it only takes about 30 minutes or so to charge a battery, and it takes a good 30 minutes of heavy use to wear a battery down, you cannot just swap out the battery and continue to work. The charger will not charge if the battery is warm. While this is a good safety feature, it is kind of annoying. If you had just 1 more battery (total of 3) this would completely eliminate this issue. (one in use, one cooling down and one charging)
Excellent All-Around
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Not much to say that hasn’t already been said. Highly recommended for ease of use, quality and durability. Even the flashlight comes in handy!
I’ll add that I’ve used this drill for about 5 years now and have never had a problem w/ the chuck coming loose as mentioned by one reviewer above.
Hitachi 12 v cordless
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have not had my Hitachi 12 v codless drill very long, but so far it has worked according to expectations.
Best in class
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very good kit, tool has quality feel, kind of odd styling, the carry case is solid. The batteries are easy to change. Flashlight is useful, runs 2 hours plus, very bright. Drill has plenty of power to shear a screw, 22 clutch settings to prevent doing that. Long battery life even under high use commercial type application. Drill trigger is very responsive and easy to feather. Battery charger is the UC18YG universal 7.2-18v. Battery charges in 30-45 minutes, about the time in use battery under heavy load runs out, so you can keep swapping and working. I bought the 12v version to replace an older 9.6v Hitachi drill that has been in constant use for many years, the batteries have grown tired. The 9.6v batteries can be used in the 12v, the 12v cannot be used in the 9.6v.
Stay away from seller
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Sold me power drill that died after 2 light uses. Stay away from Reconditioned Sales! BAD SUPPLIER!
great product! quality,power,size and great price!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have owned this drill combo since last december(2007) and i am very impressed with it! for the price you cant beat it! i have owned dewalt,ryobi and panisonic cordless drills in the past. all costing more except the ryobi. this drill really stands out! very easy to use,comfortable and powerful.works harder than my previous dewalt(14v),ryobi (12v) and stands up well against the panisonic (15.9v?). the panisonic had a little more power but cost almost 3 times as much! it was taken from my truck or i would still be using it! This hitachi is a great cordless drill for any homeowner,handyman, even a contractor will like this drill. contractors might not have all the power a 18-24v drill has but this hitachi is great quality and good power that cant be beat for the money. oh yeah one other thing i love about it is the size! small compact and not too heavy! great for tight spots. i would buy again!
Great 12v drill
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my second Hitachi 12v drill and my fifth cordless drill overall. Needless to say I am sold on the quality of this drill. Right sized and powerful enough for most projects it is value priced and will provide several years of reliable service. My batteries eventually gave out on my previous drill; otherwise it is still 100% serviceable. Which brings me to a pet peeve; Hitachi and all other cordless tool manufactures please listen up! It is more expensive to replace or rebuild the two battery packs than it is to buy the drill with it’s two battery packs, charger, flashlight, bits, and the case! Why is that? Why be green and recycle when manufactures price this way? It just does not make sense if you(manufactures) are even in the least bit environmentally responsible to support this type of pricing. This is just another fine example of the throw it away and buy new, even when the old product is fully serviceable, mentality endorsed by most manufacturers.
High-Quality, Low Price, Compares to Dewalt / Makita / Bosch but for clos eto 1/2 the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This 12v Drill performs better than most 18v drills.
I have had dewalt, makita, and some other high-end brands and this one meets or surpasses all of them yet is 1/2 the price.
Hitachi in general has good products, this is definitely one of them.
I highly reccomend the hitachi brand, currently owning several different hitachi tools including 2 tablesaws, routers, miter saw, Electric Drill, Drill press, etc…. I have been replacing/growing my shop tools over the past few years with Hitachi and I have not been dissapointed.
If this is not the drill for you, maybe you were looking for Lithium-Ion or a different voltage then check this link out, it will show you a good list of high quality Cordless drills here on Amazon.com:
Sorry you will have to cut 7 paste this, I can’t make this a real link since it is not to any single product:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=&%74a%67%3dcjh%2d20&url=search-alias%3Dtools&field-keywords=hitachi+cordless+drill&
awesome
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
this combo kit is great! just like everyone says, and the free shipping certainly doesnt hurt either!
Split recommendation
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This product is made by one of the finest Japanese firm. It is working very good, but as a DIY customer I use it rarely. Two months past and one battery produces 9.6 Volts instead of 12 Volts. Tried to contact with Amazone service people but the computerized answering system is very deaf to you if your purchase is older then 30 days. So I was corresponding few times with the machine and gave up. Better talk to the wall. Amazone should do something to correct their attitude to their customer.
Excellent compact drill
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My toughest decision when shopping for this drill was whether to get this Hitachi or a DeWalt. Let me say that so far, I am not disappointed in the least. This little bugger is powerful, well-balanced, extremely compact, and a pleasure to use. I wasn’t excited about the light, but it has been a real helper, too. This is a great drill at a great price.
Little drill that might
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It is small and light and that’s the best part. I can get into tight spots where my Dewalt doesn’t fit. It comes with 2 batterys but I find has enough power for most jobs. I like the flashlite too. Really nice and bright.
work horse
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This drill is light weight, yet very powerful. When you have to hold a drill all day, you want to make sure it’s as light as possible and the battery lasts. The fact that it recharges in 30 minutes is another great feature. Highly recommended.
Perfect “in between” drill
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I spent a lot of time researching a light-weight drill to use for my small duty tasks and projects. The Hitachi 12v fit the bill perfectly. I teach school and have my summers off. I’ve put a lot of time and money over the last four summers into an addition, a new kitchen, and a new bathroom that I’ve done most of by myself. I’ve been using my 18v Makita for everything and it has never failed, but I have always cursed the thing when working in tight quarters or above my head for long periods of time (ceiling fans and drywalling ceilings). I finally decided that a lighter drill was necessary and I debated over getting a big cordless screwdriver (Dewalt, Ridgid, Bosch “Pocket Driver”)or a small drill. After comparing many brands, I found the Hitachi to be the most powerful drill for its’ size and price: 230lbs torque and 3.5lbs in weight. It is also nice to have a chuck and not a hex head. At $80 it’s hard to beat, and it comes with a flashlight. The Dewalt (80lb torque) and Ridgid (100lb torque) screwdrivers are the most powerful, but their weight is the same as the Hitachi 12v drill. The super-light Bosch was very tempting but I was afraid that it would be underpowered. I know that cordless screwdrivers and 12v drills are not the same, but seriously consider your needs and power requirements and you might just find as I did: this drill is the perfect tool to bridge cordless screwdrivers and drills (run-on sentence).
A surprisingly powerful little drill
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have two of these drills now. The first was originally purchased for use at my lake home. I also had a Dewalt 14.4 that I lugged back and forth, just in case I needed to do anything heavier duty.
It turns out, this little drill can go head to head with that Dewalt, and now I much prefer it over the bigger and heavier Dewalt. (The Dewalt was 3 or 4 times more expensive originally as well).
What surprises me about the Hitachi is the torque it has. Its fortunate that it has such a good adjustable clutch because this little thing has the power to twist off screw heads if you’re not careful. Amazing for such a light and handy drill.
The trigger has a great feel to it as well. One can feather it on and off to screw in something delicate and it responds exactly as you would expect. It doesn’t keep spinning like the Dewalt tends to.
I ended up buying the second drill for home here, and leaving the Dewalt up at the cabin “just in case”. The Hitachi is the first one I reach for now.
If Hitachi is listening, my only disappointment in this drill is the lack of two bit holders. The Dewalt gives me storage for a flat bit, a phillips and a square drive. With the Hitachi, I’ve had to leave the flat bit in the shop. Also, the bit holder that is there isn’t very reliable. If you drop the drill, you better check the ground and make sure your second bit isn’t laying there. But this isn’t a show stopper.
Also, the magnetic bit holder included with the kit remains in the shop as well. If you use something like this primarily wandering around outside your shop (as I do up at the lake), you’ll almost certainly want a quick change bit holder with a more positive action to it (Dewalt’s are VERY good). If you rely on the Hitachi bit holder, you’ll lose bits. The bit holder plus a bit is also way too long to feel like you can get any leverage with it.
I never use the flashlight, so can’t really comment on it. I also don’t use it all day every day, so can’t really comment on battery life. It always seems to have enough juice when I need it. If not, the battery is quick to change, and doesn’t “stick” like the Dewalt tends to do.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this drill. I think it is one of the best bargains for the price. I have a Hitachi reciprocating saw as well that I really like, and will give Hitachi a shot for my other tools as they wear out and need replacing.
Better than expected
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The drill works well, the extra battery is great and the charger goes to trickle charge when the battery is charged so it does not overheat it. I like the drill.
good torque
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Its small enough to reach into alots of different places but can drive 3 inch screws into building wood. it not a ratching chuck but its also under 80$ so i wouldn’t expect a ratching chuck, especially since its only 3/8. it comes with a flash light, at time it can be really important to get a light into deep places. the case also comes with some screw driving bits not too exciting but still. i just keep it at low speed so i can drive screws into wood. i havent tried it on metal but expect it would drill fine. you cant compare this to an 18v because its a whole different tool class. in the 12v drill class this thing does well.
Great small job drill
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I got this as my indoor drill, for jobs typically in smaller places or working in tight spaces. The drill is nice and light and very well balanced. The battery doesn’t last ultra long, but I have to remind myself its just a 12V battery, not my 19.2V.
One Big Problem
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
All in all, it’s a decent drill: lightweight, good power and a good value. My only complaint is the chuck. I’ve never had such a hard time keeping bits tight enough so as not to spin loose in the chuck. I mean, you really have to crank it down, often several times, before you finish what you’re doing. I never (or very seldom) had that problem with my Dewalt.
Drill
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This drill is remarkedly comfortable to use. It is smaller and more powerful that an older DeWalt 9.6 volt drill I have. The major draw back is the battery charging system. With the DeWalt you put a battery in the charger and leave it until you need it. Not with the Hitachi. It says to take it out when charged. Therefore you got to watch it. Also, if you are using the drill alot and the battery gets low on power, it is also warm and the charger will not charge it until it cools off. Can’t get the battery to charge until it cools off???? If you need to charge right away, you are out of luck.
I guess for the price, I can live with this flaw. But sure like the DeWalt charging system much better.
Nice Little Drill
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This drill is a champ, I had an old stick type 9.6v Makita that served me well for 8 years. When I finally lost the last battery I decided to buy a new drill. I never really wanted more power than the 9.6v Makita delivered so I didn’t see the point in getting a huge cordless drill. This drill is light, incredibly comfortable, all the power I need in a cordless and for $80 with a flashlight and a rebate for a third battery it was a no brainer.