The guys over at Tools in Action have been busy testing Makita’s new brushless hammer drill. But they’re not just testing the drill, they’re pushing it to its limits as they usually do. After doing so, they found that if you push the Makita drill too far, it will cry plumes of grey smoke.
Seriously, check out that screenshot (and the video below)! They were using the LXPH05 with a 1″ auger bit to drill holes in framing lumber. Some cordless tools have too-sensitive overload protection, but Makita’s new hammer drill appears to have the opposite problem.
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Yes, they were using a high-speed gear, and yes they probably should have stopped pushing the drill as soon as it started smoking. But tools with proper overload protection usually turn off on their own.
The last drill I smoked was a Dewalt 12V drill/driver. I was using it to drive in a long lag bolt and it shut off on me. So I pulled the trigger again. Almost immediately, it shut off. I kept doing this a couple more times to finishing sinking the lag. After a few times it released a small puff of smoke and I took a break.
Most users won’t keep pushing a drill/driver after it starts to smoke. Still, no drill should be smoking up like that. The guys from TIA sent over a few thermal images that show a temperature of 175-235° at the air vents. That can NOT be good for the drill’s electronic and mechanical systems.
http://youtu.be/VyZTYUSlskU
Important Considerations
- this is not recommended or proper tool use
- the model TIA tested might have been defective
We’ve heard a lot of complaints about many brands’ cordless tools shutting off during use. I complain about the same every now and then. But this is a great example of why tools have overload protection.
It is possible that TIA tested a defective model, or the tool was designed with under-sensitive overload protection, but it is more likely that they just pushed the tool beyond its limits until it destroyed itself.
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mnoswad1
Better take this post down before Makita threatens/bribes like DeWalt must have.
Peterz
Glad to know Makita still deeply cares about the quality of their tools. I am not surprised Irwin has had safety issues with their products, but I never thought I’d see the day Makita would be in the same boat as Irwin.
This is why others (including myself) buy vintage tools. More often than not they are better designed and are usually built to last. In cases such as these, they are even safer as well.
Stuart
To be fair, TIA saw this happen on one copy. They’re working to get their hands on another. I have a sample as well and will see if I can reproduce their experience.
It is possible that the tested tool was a dud.
SONY1
Is it possible that every time they let off the trigger, they reset the tool?
Is it possible that this tool senses amperage draw?
Were they “gaming” the safety device?
Is it possible that someone would abuse a tool like this?
Does anyone really hook a 10,000 lb gooseneck trailer to a 1/2 ton pick-up?
Do they end up with a new transmission?
richard
well a 2022 f150 hybrid is rated to tow 13,000lbs bumperpull….so 10,000lbs is well well within its rated tow rating. id say 15,000 is probably fine and its likely rated for it
Stuart
The tool doesn’t appear to be shutting off. If no shut-off, no reset.
Yes, the tool should be sensing amperage draw to prevent damage to the battery. It is technically possible for the motor to draw more current than it can handle without drawing more than the battery can safely deliver.
No, they weren’t gaming the safety device, at least to their knowledge. I chatted with one of the testers and he says they were completely surprised by this.
You’ll have to ask them about the trailer and transmission.
Mario
Mine just smoked on first use drilling out hole in threshold
wayne
Just had same problem with their top range brushless model, Was using 83mm holesaw on plaster board, then smoke and burning smell, I stopped the drill and tried later on with no load but more smoke and even sparks this time, then it died.
Ryan
If the tool was beginning to smoke though, why did they continue to use that tool? Great that your friend is a firefighter, but I don’t think the fire department would be completely happy to extinguish a giant fire if your buddy didn’t have the right equipment.
I’ve seen other youtube video’s of people using a power drill that was smoking some think this really hilarious, but ultimately the potential to become injured or someone else injured isn’t comical at all.
Stuart
I chatted with them earlier today, and they weren’t intentionally trying to release all of the drill’s magic smoke. They were testing it along with a couple of other drills, and after pushing it hard they were extremely surprised that it was smoking while still turning, or rather trying to turn.
The video was taken during their “what the heck is going on with this drill?!” discovery.
Monte
no overload protection ?
Phil
The sophisticated circuitry needed to properly drive a brushless motor would normally have overload protection baked into the design, but it’s not there by default. Either this particular test sample is defective, or the circuitry is nonexistent or not sensitive enough. The latter cases are completely unacceptable. Ironically the biggest complaint I had with my early Makita cordless tools was the overload protection was a bit too trigger happy. It was just a crude circuit breaker (some had an auto reset, while others had a pushbutton manual reset), but it got the job done. There was no way to smoke the motors on any of those tools. I bought a set of 18V LiIon tools (impactor and a drill) recently, and neither have any sort of overload protection. While it’s not possible to “stall” the impactor, if the drill gets bogged down too much it will begin to smell almost immediately of overheated insulation enamel. It seems like Makita is cutting corners a bit too deeply.
Jerry
I’d amost guess something must be wrong with it, unless they have different designers working now. The Makita cordless drills I’ve been around were like you experienced, they seemed to cut out ‘too’ soon (but better than too late).
My current Craftsman drill will cut out from time to time with the Lithium batter, but has yet to do it with the NiCad. Almost makes me think the Lithium battery has its own overload circuit built into it, in addition to any overload in the drill itself.
RumRunner
Don’t want to bash on Makita too much. They make some ok tools but their drills do have overload issues. After burining up a few past models, a few local tool reps tell me they don’t have much electronics inside their tools like the other makers.
We smoked more than a few of these: http://www.makita.com/en-us/Modules/Tools/ToolDetails.aspx?ID=26661
before switching to another maker. Not every tool is perfect, but Makita seem does seem to trade off towards lower cost than better durability.
tomharding
Trade off towards lower cost? Makita has the best 18v lithium line out there. People are surprised you can abuse a tool or any product and it will break?
RumRunner
Why do I say lower cost you might ask, Makita comes in and sells us on 10+ kits for a lower price, gives us a lot of batteries for making the switch then 6 months later the stuff is broken and batteries are not working. There is a reason why they gave us those batteries. We own other makita tools and they are good machines, but these drills do not hold up to the dewalt and bosch guns we buy.
tomharding
I have had the exact opposite experience. I wouldn’t use a Dewalt cordless tool because of the negative experiences I have had in the past. Dewalt often offers similar deals that you describe, but that must be common.
Mark Wynn
Need to disclose any hidden agendas?
The Mikita battery powered tools I’ve owned have been the most reliable. In fact, a puny by today’s standards 9.6 v. drill driver is still going, relegated to kitchen drawer type duties. Meanwhile, several Craftsman Professional and Dewalt products have gone belly up.
pete
this is white smoke, not black im on fire smoke. this is the same kind of smoke you see when first heating off a layer of protective oil usually applied during shipping, and also the same as what steel stock comes covered in.
now whether or not losing that oil actually matters, i don’t know. it is possible its just a harmless offgassing. it could also be the bearing oil.
i would love to see the owner of said smoking drill to keep using it in a day-to-day environment (or harsher) and see just how long it will last after an overheat.
Roy
The hammer drill does seem to come with a generous amount of protective oil coating, at least it smells like it and is visible in and around the chuck area of the tool.
Brad Staggs
So, Makita likes to smoke after ‘drilling’…what’s the big deal? 🙂
Andrew
In all fairness, the drill was being used in the incorrect gear, right? Not that I’m a big fan of Makita yet, I just bought the very set they tested, I’ve been using the heck out of the hammer drill on concrete floors and terrazzo, the battery life is great, the drill is very light, and the power is outstanding. I don’t think I’ll ever need the drill to bore large holes in wood, if I did, I’d probably use a corded rotary SDS drill, or something larger, designed for larger bits. I use cordless drills for cordless applications, I.E, ceiling fans, door hardware, deck screws, and drywall. If I put a large bit on that I know is going to require torque (not speed) I will definitely put it in gear #1, but in my line of work I doubt I’ll ever do that. I like Makita because they’re lightweight and comfortable in my hand, and I know what gears to use them in.
Mark Wynn
Useful comment, thanks. I also think the guy’s comment about white smoke being protective oil cooking off bears further research. Finally, the guy who said the testers were using the wrong speed for the job, and running it to failure, may have something.
Stuart
From what I understand, what’s burning off is the insulation of the windings. The motor is being pushed so hard and run so hot that it burns off the wires’ coatings. Burn off too much and the wires will essentially short-circuit, leading to complete motor failure.
No way this would happen during normal use, but I have also pushed tools so hard that they smoke up a little. In such cases the tools usually turn themselves off before any damage can be done. I will then take a break rather than push the tools beyond their limits.
Andrew
I have come to find out that with Makita there are different lines of batteries and tools, and both tool and battery have to have a “star” engraved to prove they’re authentic and have the overload protection. Mine do, and I did the same test those guys did, it cuts off, overload protection is there. I think TIA got their set from some online discount tool company, possibly even a recon set, who knows. They buy a lot of their stuff from Tyler tool and other online discount tool warehouses, so who knows what they bought and were really using. A fair test would be showing the receipt from Home Depot and the stars one both tool and battery before performing it on youtube. You cannot believe a couple of guys in a garage who also back DeWalt and Ridgid as their choice tools.
Andrew
One other point, if anything swayed me more in my recent purchase over the competitive models (DeWalt, Milwaukee, Ridgid, Bosch), it was the batteries. I noticed that on the shelf at Home Depot there were several styles of batteries for Makita cordless tools dating back to the late 1980’s still available for those tools. That in itself says a lot for me when it comes to a manufacturer’s reputation. If they still stock the older tube style batteries, the tool they power is most likely a great product.
Andrew
UPDATE….
I did the exact same test as Eric and the other guy at Tools In Action, different results. Mine didn’t smoke, it stopped. Makita batteries need to be used for a little while when a box is first opened, (properly) in some normal applications, then put on the charger. The batteries are sometimes in mid-range (under the 80% area) but not weak enough to merit a full recharge. The microprocessor inside knows this. If the load demand is high with a brand new half charged battery it will not function properly. A careful reading of the instruction manual on both the drill and the charger will reveal this.
ryan
I have just got this drill and the second time I used it the exact same happened I was using a 22mm self feed spade bit on around the 4th hole this happened I bought it online I wasnt aware of the star system mentioned above ill cjeck when I get home the drill still works and was fine using a 25mm standard flat bit should I send it back?
Stuart
A little smoke should be okay; a lot and there could be damage to the drill’s motor.
22mm seems a bit large to be used with a compact hammer drill, and self-feed bits add to the strain.
I would see how it works with a couple more uses before sending it back. A little smoke here and then when a drill is pushed really hard isn’t too uncommon.
ryan
It smoked quite alot the same as above the tech spec says upto 38mm so I assumed it would easily manage a 22mm which is why I bought it I ended up finishing the holes with the old ni cad model so it should be better than that the one I have does have the stars onit is it just certain models or will a replacement do the same
Stuart
I’m not sure what to tell you. The specs say the drill can handle up to 1-1/2″ (35mm) hole in wood, but that could mean with a hole saw or simple spade bit and not self-feeding.
Self-feeding and auger bits tend to require quite a bit of torque.
If in your shoes I *might* swap the tool for a replacement to see if it performs any differently.
James
Maybe Milwaukee sent them a rigged Makita. Sometimes manufacturers refuse to send in their goods for real evaluation – Ford
As far as I’ve been able to see Makita is the King when it comes to Rotatory Hammer drills (electric/battery)
Milwaukee definitely is King when it comes to the 1/2″ and 3/8″ impact drivers.
Milwaukee may also have the best 18 volt drills
Milwaukee seems to have a little on the 1/4″ Hex impact driver over Makita but…
Makita is releasing a 4.0 ah battery very soon so Makita may take the 1/4″ Hex department. The 2.0 ah our batteries seem to last 63% longer than the 1.5 ah.
Fernando
My 18v lithium starting smoking today. Just finished drilling holes in concrete for tapcon screws. It didn’t sstart smoking until I used it to drive in the screws. When the drill appeared to have no more juice I held trigger and attempted to turn drill for the last couple of turns. It was at this point it started smoking. I then reached for the makita impact which I should have turned to first and it did the job perfectly. Hope my 18v is Ok? ?
Jason
You might have shaved some life off the tool by doing that. Makita overload protection is a bit weak as it kicks in later that most other companies brands plus some older packs and tools don’t have any. There are a few videos out their of Makita tools smoking.
Jay Drogsvold
https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XPH12Z
I HAVE THIS DRILL AND IT IS NOW ( STUCK ) AND WILL NOT SWITCH OUT OF HAMMER DRILL MODE NO MATTER WHAT I TRY .
I’VE HEARD THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE ? AND NOT SURE IF MAKITA IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THESE DRILLS. ?
Cowboyking
Smoking Makita after heavy use what’s new :/