Two-speed brushless drill/driver

A couple of months ago, I published a review of a drill/driver and wrote that I had originally ordered it as a brushless model. But as sometimes happens, “something went wrong,” and I ended up with a model with a conventional motor.
Some time later, I decided to try my luck again, and it looks like I got lucky.
Inspection, teardown, a few tests, and conclusions.


The item is currently out of stock at the link, but I think the same one is sold on other marketplaces too, so, as they say, search is your friend.

The packaging is as basic as it gets; only a bag would be simpler. It looks like it took a beating in transit, but let’s call that a vibration test.
The package contains only the drill/driver itself and a manual, which some “kind” person taped to the plastic wrap, although it turns out there’s nothing interesting in it.


The store has posted a spec sheet. The translation is pretty rough, of course, but you can get the general idea.


There were three colors to choose from. I didn’t really mind which one I got, but I chose “blue.”


The body design is understated; the only marking is the letters BL on the bottom, short for BrushLess.


Naturally, I wanted to compare it with the previous one, which turned out to be a little larger, although you wouldn’t guess that from the store photos.


The bare tool weighs about 900 grams, not including the battery. The total weight will naturally depend on which battery you install.
The previous one weighed about 150 grams more.


With a 5S2P battery, it looks a little out of proportion, mainly because the body is smaller. The battery seems “too big” for it, and I’m already seriously thinking about buying a 5S1P battery for it.
I also think a smaller battery would improve the tool’s balance; here, the bottom half pulls down a little too much compared to the top.

You can also see that the two drill/drivers have different angles between the upper section and the battery base. Personally, I find the one under review more comfortable, but that’s very subjective.


1. The handle and base have rubberized inserts. It doesn’t slip in your hand, but who knows how long they’ll last.
2. The controls are familiar: a trigger with speed control, a forward/reverse switch, and an LED that’s weak and shines everywhere except where you need it. That’s becoming a classic.
3. There are no labels or stickers of any kind—typical OEM.
4. The back also has rubberized inserts, and through the ventilation slots you can see the fan, which is “cheerfully colored.”


On top are the gearbox speed selector and the torque adjustment ring. The clutch really does have 21 settings, not just 21 marks on the ring. There’s also a drilling setting that disengages the clutch. There’s a decent gap between “21” and the drill icon where the ring doesn’t click as you turn it.


There were two chuck options, 10 and 13 mm. I chose the 13 mm version without hesitation for two reasons: I prefer a metal chuck, and I’ve often run into situations where 10 mm just isn’t enough.
The chuck has a locking mechanism, with a noticeable click when it locks or unlocks, which is convenient. The spindle also locks, so you can install and remove bits with one hand.

The chuck is marked with a range of 0.5–13 mm and the direction “LochUnlock.” It grips a 1.5 mm drill bit perfectly; I think it would grip an even smaller one, but I didn’t try, since I reckon drilling holes that small with a drill/driver is almost guaranteed to break the bit.

I didn’t notice any visible runout with a longer drill bit. This brings me to an important point: the drill/driver has no hammer mode, which also helps reduce play. To be honest, hammer drill/drivers are starting to annoy me, and I was genuinely glad this one doesn’t have that mode: fewer features, greater reliability.


There’s a battery charge indicator on top of the base, with a crookedly applied film over it. There was also supposed to be a button there, but in reality all we get is three LEDs. The description included some explanation of the indicator modes, but I got the feeling it had little to do with reality.


The battery connection has two contacts, which means we can forget about battery protection. At best, we’ll get protection against overall over-discharge, but there won’t be any overload or cell-imbalance monitoring signal. Unfortunately, this problem affects the vast majority of tools made for Makita batteries. The angle grinder was the only exception in my case.

The battery fits snugly, with no play, and comes out easily too.


The drill/driver is extremely easy to take apart, unlike putting it back together. I slightly misaligned the gearbox during reassembly and had to take it apart again.


Surprisingly, the assembly is actually decent. The control board is at the bottom; the power wires are soldered in place, while the others are bundled together and connected via a plug, which is secured with glue. The board itself is potted, so it can't be repaired.


As advertised, the motor is brushless. Its wires have extra insulation, so the workmanship is quite neat.


As with many similar tools, the motor doesn't really have its own housing; the drill/driver body serves as the housing. The gearbox acts as the mount for the front bearing, while the rear bearing is installed in the drill/driver body.


The gearbox housing is plastic, while the gearbox itself is metal.


For my first test, I decided to measure the RPM out of curiosity. Since I don't have a dedicated instrument, I put together a simple little “test rig” :)
By the way, it was only here that I noticed the work light doesn't turn off immediately, but stays on for about 7–10 seconds.


And, so I wouldn't have to “make two trips,” I measured the RPM of my other drill/drivers too. First gear is on the left, second on the right.
1, 2. The one under review: 430/1450 (rated at 4000)
3, 4. The one from my previous review: 360/1400 (rated at 4000)
5, 6. Milwaukee 2607-22CT: 390/1550 (rated at 450/1800)

The measurement is fairly rough, but more than good enough for a comparison. In every case, the battery was charged to about 90%.


For the rest of the test, I used the same things as last time:
A 50 mm-thick board.

A 25 mm spade bit.


A 35 mm Forstner bit.


6×70 screws


8×70 screws


I drilled in second gear and drove the screws in first gear.
I noticed that compared with the previous model, this one drilled a little faster and with less effort. For example, I only realized afterward that the Forstner bit had gone almost all the way through.
The screws showed a different quirk:
It drives 6×70 screws in with the clutch set to 21 (maximum), but doesn't countersink them.
It can't drive in 8×70 screws with the clutch engaged, but with the clutch turned off, it drives them in just fine.

It turned out that the clutch also works in the range between “21” and “drilling,” but at a much higher torque. At least, when driving an 8×70 screw, it only engaged right at the end.

The electronic protection didn't trip during the test. I did confirm that it works: if you repeatedly run the drill/driver from 0 to minimum speed by tapping the trigger briefly, at some point it locks out and one of the LEDs flashes. Releasing and pressing the trigger again returns the drill/driver to normal operation.


Last time, someone asked me to test the clutch adjustment, so I decided to give it a try.

1. For the test, I used:
Screws — 3.8×52 (black)
Self-tapping screws — 4×50 (white)

I drove them into the end grain of the same test board. The results:
2. It drives the screws almost all the way in even on the first setting; at higher settings, it starts to countersink them. The photo shows the results at settings 1, 3, 5, and 7.
3, 4. The self-tapping screws are harder to drive. The photo shows the results of two attempts at settings 1–8 and 1–7.

In my opinion, the adjustment works, but the unevenness of the wood itself has a greater effect. I probably should have used longer screws too.



Conclusions.
Compared with the previous drill/driver, I definitely like this one better. It drives screws noticeably faster and with less effort, and it feels good in the hand. It also weighs 150 grams less, but because it’s more compact, it feels unbalanced with a 5S2P battery. I think it would be more comfortable to use with a smaller battery.
I had no complaints about the build quality either. Of course, it’s no Milwaukee or Makita, but it’s still pretty good.

My biggest criticism applies to most tools of this kind: they lack proper battery protection.

The store provided the coupon BG3990ca, which should bring the price down to $31.99 through August 30. I think that’s a pretty good price for a tool like this.

That’s all from me. I hope you found this useful.