Hitachi Drill gripe

[2stroke1971]

Ive got a Hitachi 18v rechargeable drill..bought it new

The batteries never lasted like they should, not long at all and the speed was never where it should be.

The stupid charger is the problem I think. I am an industrial tech by trade and we have many brands of rechargeable tools. ALL of them will KEEP the batteries charged while they are in the charger. You could leave one in the charger for a week, once it was charged, it would keep it that way.

The hitachi charger lights up when you place a battery, and goes out sometime later, presumably when charged. If you use the battery soon after it works, at least as crappy as it ever has. However, the longer you leave it there AFTER the light goes out the weaker it is until at some point its completely DEAD. ONLY after REMOVING the battery and replacing it will it light up and charge again. Even turning off the power strip its plugged into for a moment and then back on will not make it light up again.

In what world was that a good idea to make a charger like that?!?!?
Havent used your drill in a week? Oh lets grab a fresh battery from the charger! Well ****.

 

[American Locomotive]

Sounds like your charger or batteries are defective.

 

[dnschmidt]

Li-Ion or old school NiMH? If they're NiMH truth is they just **** if they're Li-Ion then you might have a problem. Call Hitachi in Atlanta and talk with them. They've always treated me well when I've had problems with their stuff.

 

[anndel]

Still under warranty? if so get it warrantied.

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, Hitachi will honor their warranty.

 

[cm cm]

Hitachi is better suited to making “back massagers”, what makes you think they were a good power tool mfg?

That garbage with the charger? Yeah that’s confirmation you bought the wrong grade stuff.
Only wifey grade power tools do that ****. Are you a wifey?

Buy it once, buy it right. Budget power tools are ****.

 

[liliysdad]

I had Hitachi 18v stuff....its pretty decent until I figured out that it wasn't. Problems like yours, with trash batteries and garbage chargers were a big reason I got rid of them.

I still have a few Hitachis corded tools, they seem to be considerably higher quality than the cordless stuff...but I wouldn't buy them again to replace them.

 

[Bacon!]

Hitachi is better suited to making “back massagers”, what makes you think they were a good power tool mfg?

Because they are. They're a solid 2nd-tier manufacturer, behind the likes of Makita, Dewalt, and Milwaukee. Some would even rate them in the same class. There are hundreds of high ratings for Hitachi/Metabo on Amazon for example.

Unless the batteries were left in the charger when it was unpowered so it is draining the batteries (a known issue with multiple brands), then it seems it is just that particular charger or batteries are defective.

 

[Coach James]

Any company can have a defective item. I have a Hitachi corded drill, angle grinder, air nailer and cordless drill. All of them work fine, and the cordless drill is ~15 years old. One of my employees has several Hitachi power tools and she has no complaints. When she needed a piece for her compound miter saw, Hitachi was excellent getting the part to her.

Coach

 

[tarbellb]

Hitachi is better suited to making “back massagers”, what makes you think they were a good power tool mfg?

That garbage with the charger? Yeah that’s confirmation you bought the wrong grade stuff.
Only wifey grade power tools do that ****. Are you a wifey?

Buy it once, buy it right. Budget power tools are ****.

"Wifey grade" tools, can someone please turn down the volume of this YouTube tool channel bro.

Hitachi offers a very competent line here, specially for the price. I promise you their Japanese offerings will walk circles around your entry level, holiday special Dewalt kit you likely bought.

 

[neophyte]

Hitachi is better suited to making “back massagers”, what makes you think they were a good power tool mfg?

That garbage with the charger? Yeah that’s confirmation you bought the wrong grade stuff.
Only wifey grade power tools do that ****. Are you a wifey?

Buy it once, buy it right. Budget power tools are ****.

Certain Hitachi tools are very well regarded.
Up until they updated their designs, a llt of woodworkers swore by the Hitachi nailers.
Hitachi woodworking tools, particularly the larger tools for timber framing were considered on par with Makita, and a good alternative to the significantly more expensive Getman alternatives. Some Hitachi Timber framing tools were even considered on par with the German tools.
The Hitachi routers are probably considered on par with Makita’s offerings.
Hitachi’s miter saws are also well liked.

The cordless tools from Hitachi have as far as I recall always been Chinese imports that were considered below the tools from other manufacturers like Dewalt and Bosch.
I thought they had actually tried to up their game though quality wise at one point when most USA and Euro manufacturers had started having cordless tools made in China though.

 

[Bacon!]

Yeah, it is easy to overlook that Hitachi is a big company, in the top 10 of Japanese Fortune 500 global companies last year, producing chemicals, heavy equipment, trains/planes/tanks, nuclear power plants, automotive, medical, and of course their obvious profit leader, the vibrating massager.

 

[Milzo]

I've had Hitachi 18v cordless impact and drill kit for at least 6 years. Around year 2 or 3 one of the batteries failed, Hitachi replaced it promptly. I've since bought a hitachi miter saw & circular saw and am happy with them. Amish trim carpenters I know who trim out 300-400 homes a year recommended Hitachi to me. They found Hitachi to be the most dependable saws with daily use. They use Makita drills.