Makita BTP140 Review
The Makita BTP140 is an 18-volt Lithium-ion cordless multi-function drill kit. It can moonlight as a hammer, impact and driver, and can drill into wood, metal and concrete. Its LXT Lithium-ion batteries with its smart charging system claims up to 280% increase in lifetime, twice more charging cycles and five times lower self-discharge.
Its 4-pole motor can deliver a maximum of 1,240″ lbs. It has a very compact design at only 7 3/8″ in length and weighs in at only 3.9 lbs. A DeWalt equivalent however, like the DeWalt DC827 has a relatively smaller head.
All of these multi-function drill kits do the job but we reckon that the BTP140′s selling point is its charging system. Basically what Makita has done is place a computer chip inside the batter that lets the charger know exactly hot to optimally charge the batteries, and to fully charge each cell within the batter while extending the maximum battery life.
Normally, a battery that is comprised of internal cells will drain at different rates on use, and a normal charger stops charging when one of these cells reach its maximum capacity, leaving the other cells not fully charged. What Makita claims is that their “smart charger” charges each cell independently so you get a full 18 volts everytime you use the drill.
The result? A battery that lats 280% more and can be charged over 1,400 times compared to the conventional ones’ 600-800 times. This is what (in theory) justifies the higher price tag (retail of $599.00). To someone who is always on the go, like a for hire handyman, leaving the charger at home for light duty fixes can be very convenient.
But that’s about as critical as we can get with this tool. Oh by the way, a place to store driver and drill bits on the drill itself would be nice. So all in all, a great all-in-one tool that is worth the higher price tag because of the technology it has in its batteries.
The BTP140 is quite advanced compared to other cordless drivers as it gives more power and speed in a lighter and more compact package. There is also a built-in LED light, which we found adequately bright, that helps illuminate dark areas.
We found some instances where we feel the BTP140 lacks torque. For example, a 2-inch screw that an ancient DeWalt 14-volt cordless drives with ease through soft wood, was a tough obstacle for the BTP140 in its driver setting. But as a drill we’ve tried it through concrete and it bore with ease. It is also not advisable to use its drill setting on screws because it will easily snap screw heads.
Makita BTP 140
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