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There is little doubt that I am
quite fond of cordless drills. They can go anywhere, most models
these days have plenty of power, and they are versatile. But
they are still reliant in part on mains power supply to recharge
the batteries, and sometimes, a corded drill makes a better
option, particularly if you are working where a source of mains
power is readily acceptable. I have several corded power drills,
and most are larger models I use for heavier drilling or masonry
work. After my el-cheapo Chinese brand corded drill died not
long ago, I decided I needed a replacement for when I am using
portable drills in the workshop (particularly for pocket hole
drilling and for pilot holes in mechanical joinery etc.
I decided to buy a Hitachi model.
Not for any particular reason, and I don't really own any other
Hitachi brand tools at present so I thought I would give the
brand a try, and at the same time, review this particular model
for you guys to see if it is worth grabbing one for your own
woodshop!
When I looked at the models
available, I was after just a basic, smaller, lightweight drill
that wouldn't be cumbersome to carry around the shop or heavy to
use for continuous workshop drilling use. I also didn't want to
pay through the roof for one as funds are not unlimited here,
but I decided to go for a mid-priced, basic corded drill and try
my luck. The Hitachi D-10VH seemed to tick all the appropriate
boxes for my needs, and the feedback on Amazon seemed quite
positive from other owners, so I took the plunge. It has since
been used in my workshop fairly regularly for the past 3 months.
The Hitachi D10VH
The first thing that grabbed my attention on the D10VH's
description was that it came with a 5-Year home use warranty.
Yep, you read right, 5 years. How many tools offer a 5 year
warranty period these days? Fair enough, its for home use only,
but since my workshop is at home and I don't really undertake
woodwork as a commercial business, this was no problem, and a
welcome bonus. Usually the warranty period also gives some kind
of indication as to how long the manufacturer will think the
tool will last. You wont find 5 year warranties on inferior
tools because the company would soon go broke replacing or
repairing their product if they are likely to die within 1 or 2
years! So here's hoping the 5 year period means I have bought a
decent drill with quality components!
Ok let's look at the drill itself
now.
The drill features a 680W 6 Amp (120v)
motor which offers a top rotational speed of 2500 RPM. 680W
seems more than enough to handle most of my workshop drilling
tasks. Because I ensure all my drill bits are kept very sharp,
the power requirement of the drill is minimized as the drill bit
is cutting very rapidly and without requiring as much power or
torque from the drill. Needless to say, with sharp bits I was
easily able to drill through wood and metals up to and slightly
beyond the described cutting capacity of the drill. These
capacities are listed as:
Steel: 3/8" (10mm) bit
diameter - twist drill bit
Wood: 1" (25mm) bit diameter - twist/spade bit
Wood: 5/8" (16mm) bit diameter - auger bit
The D10VH does not have a hammer
drilling action, so it is not really suitable for masonry work.
Although it can be done, it may be a little underpowered. Stick
to wood and metals to help preserve drill life.
The 3/8" (10mm) chuck on the unit I purchased
is a keyless variety, meaning no chuck key is required to
tighten or release drill bits. Drill bits can be added or
removed much faster with the chuck, as it required only your
hands as the tool. Some may argue that keyless chucks do not
grip the bit as well as keyed chucks, and they are probably
right, however, the jaws of a quality keyless chuck are
engineered well enough to provide an excellent grip on the bit.
I have had no trouble with bits slipping in the chuck jaws if it
is properly tightened. Again, sharp drill bits will help reduce
slippage in the chuck. You can purchase a version of this drill
that does come with a keyed chuck if you wish, although these
seem a little harder to find. Of course, the other option is to
replace the keyless chuck with a compatible keyed chuck if you
wish. But I see no need. The keyless chuck works just fine.
There appears to be very little run-out on the drill chuck as
well. Most bits spin quite true.
The drill is quite compact in
size (overall length of just 9 3/8" - 238mm), and it's very
light, weighing in at just 3.1lbs (1.4kg). The light weight goes
a long way in reducing user fatigue over extended drilling
periods. I was able to drill a ton of pocket holes using the
drill over the course of an hour or so without my arms and
wrists cursing me for hours after. It may not seem to be such a
big factor on paper, but in practice, the ergonomics of a tool
can make the difference between a good experience, and a bad
one. The tool is somewhat meant for single handed use, which is
why its light weight is great. But there is no auxiliary handle
to grip the tool with your other hand out of the box (you can
buy one as an optional accessory), but you can grip the tool
body fairly comfortably with your second hand, if needed, for
control. Rubber overmolds provide a secure, non-slip grip which
adds to the comfort factor when in the hand. The drill has a
forward weight bias, but it is not overpowering, which means
your wrists won't be aching after holding the drill for more
than a few minutes.
The trigger offers variable speed
control from 0 - 2500 RPM and a speed limiting dial located on
the trigger face can be used to dial the maximum speed down for
finer speed control. This comes in handy when drilling through
material that are best drilled with lower speeds, such as metals
or plastics. Forward and reverse control is via a
slide style switch located above the trigger in the main body of
the tool. the trigger can also be locked in the ON position for
extended drilling tasks via the trigger lock button lateral to
the trigger itself.
In Use
The drill is fairly standard in design and features, and not
really any different from most other drills. Sure, it is compact
and light, but it is used no differently to any other corded
power drill when it comes to the crunch. I have been using the
drill in my workshop for about 3 months now. I bought it
primarily as my workbench drill. i.e. the power drill I keep at
my main bench primarily for pocket hole drilling, but it also
gets used for drilling that my floor standing drill press is not
required for. For pocket hole drilling the D10VH is more than
powerful enough to cut the pocket holes for joinery using the
Kreg K3 Pocket Hole System.
I loaded up the drill with some forstner bits (up to 1"
diameter) to see how well it cuts. In softwood it is no problem,
and in hardwood it will drill a 1 inch diameter hole, but the
bit must be sharp or you will hear the motor slowing ever so
slightly. With sharp bits it handles it fine though, as long as
you don't force the cut. It will cut with no trouble at all with
all twist bits, brad point bits and spade bits. It will handle
augers up to a certain size before you should perhaps consider a
larger drill. But for my average woodshop use, it handles pretty
much all my drilling needs. I think it's more of a workshop / DIY
power drill than a heavy duty construction drill. It simply isn't
large or powerful enough for construction use in my opinion.
Ultimately, however, you have to
also consider what you are getting for the price. The D10VH
retails on the street for around US$55. This is quite a good
price for a solid little drill that offers a five year warranty!
If you calculate it, this means you are buying a drill that is
guaranteed to perform for five years at a cost to you of just
over $11 a year. That's pretty inexpensive.
In conclusion, I have to say that
the value for money is right up there with the D10VH. Sure its
not going to be a drill to suit everyone's drilling needs, but
if you are after a smaller power drill for the workshop or for
lighter duty tasks around the home, the D10VH would be one to
consider. I am certainly enjoying using mine and it has so far
provided good service and performance.
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Hitachi D10VH Photos
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The Hitachi D10VH Corded Drill
3/8" (10mm) keyless chuck runs true and provides a good
grip on drill bits.
Trigger with speed control dial onboard. Forward/reverse
switch is located just above trigger and trigger lock button located on
the main handle.
Rubber grips and contoured body provide a comfortable,
non-slip grip on the drill.
The perfect-sized and weighted tool for pocket hole and
general drilling needs.
The D10VH will handle forstner bits up to a little over
1 inch, but tends to struggle with anything larger.
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