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Whenever you buy one of these The best cordless drillYou’re also often paying for the possibility of using the same battery and charger with other devices from the manufacturer’s range. This Makita bundle gets you off to a flying start, giving you the DHP490 Combi Drill with the DTD157 Impact Driver in a two-piece combo kit.
The two tools offer extensive drilling and driving capabilities. With the DHP490 Combi Drill, you get drill, hammer drill and screwdriver modes plus two gears, a variable speed trigger and up to 65Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the DTD157 Impact driver has hacks. With a 1/4″ drive shank and a wide range of torque up to 140Nm with hard impact and soft impact modes, the machine can turn a wide range of screws and bolts. Both tools boast brushless motors and Makita’s renowned on-point ergonomics.
In theory, this two-in-one combo offers great value for money and strong performance from both tools. As a seasoned DIYer, I put them both together with ropes to see if the investment was worth it.
Where to buy Makita DLX2539ST 2-Piece Combo Kit LXT
Makita Dlx2539st 18v Lxt Cordless Brushless Combi Drill and Impact Driver with 2 X 5ah Batteries, Charger and Carry Case
This drill and impact driver combination provides everything you need for a variety of DIY tasks when undertaking a home improvement or renovation project.
Key Specifications
- Cordless Device Family: See LXT
- Intended uses include: drilling wood, plastic, metal and masonry; Driving screws and lugs
- Battery Capacity: 5.0Ah (x2)
- Voltage: 18 V
- Drill Speed: 0 – 500 / 1,900 min⁻¹
- Impact driver torque: 140Nm (Max)
What is included
- Makita DHP490 Cordless Combi Drill
- Makita DTD157 impact driver
- 2 x 18V, 5.0Ah lithium-ion batteries
- DC18SD Battery Charger
- Hard carry case
Both tools included are 18V models from Makita’s LXT range and can also be purchased individually. This The Makita DHP490Z 18V Cordless Brushless Combi Drill costs £68.50 from B&Q As a bare unit without batteries, while The Makita Impact Driver DTD157Z, also from B&Q and again as a bare unit, costs £62.99.
However, buying both tools together as a DLX2539ST kit may represent the best value, as the set includes two 18V, 5.0Ah lithium-ion batteries, the Makita battery charger LXT DC18SD (which can also charge 14.4V Makita batteries), and a slimline case for storing and setting up.
How I Tested
I tested the Makita DLX2539ST 2-Piece Combo Kit LXT using it for a fair selection of DIY tasks, including drilling into brick and installing fixings.
1. Hammer-drilling holes in brick
Of the dozens of cordless combi drills I’ve tested, the Makita DHP490 is the best of the kit. Drilling into hard, dense materials such as brick and breeze blocks. I have used several different models to drill holes in the walls of my house, which are made of very hard brick, and this proved difficult with some practice. The DHP490 took about 30 seconds to perform the same task that competing models demanded several minutes of struggle. My only gripe was that the chuck struggled to secure certain narrow drill bits.
You can see an easily achievable project with this exercise in my article How to hang shelves.
2. Driving screw
Both of these tools can drive screws. The DHP490 Combi Drill gives you excellent control over the force applied to the screw, with its choice of 20 torque settings, two gears and variable speed trigger.
But it’s the DTD157 Impact Driver that really excels in this field. With a hex screwdriver bit securely installed in the collar, it turns fastenings with impressive power. I found this tool extremely helpful when dealing with long or stubborn screws that proved impossible for me to turn using a screwdriver or combi drill. Be careful not to apply too much force, as this can strip the drive on the screw – especially if the screw is of relatively low quality.
3. Drilling into wood
This is another job for the DHP490 cordless drill. I found it quickly and powerfully bored neat holes with minimal effort when drilling into test pieces of hardwood and engineered board. Where the holes needed to be particularly neat, I used the gear selector to select a lower rev range for highly controlled drilling.
Ease of use
Although this power tool kit is aimed at the more experienced end of the DIY market, it is no more difficult to use than equivalent sets for occasional users or beginners. Controls, such as the direction selectors on both tools and the mode selection collar on the cordless drill, operate fluidly and intuitively. Charging the battery is as easy as slotting on the charger.
If you are new to using Impact driversThen you may face a bit of a learning curve with this component of the Makita kit. An impact driver typically has more torque than a comparable cordless drill, which means the drill bits and screws are subjected to stronger force. That’s generally a good thing, but it does mean you should use high-quality screws and extras like Makita E-12011 10 Piece Impact Black Bit Set from Amazon To reduce the risk of these components breaking, or screws being stripped. In regular use, the DTD157 Impact Driver is even easier than the DHP490 Combi Drill.
Battery performance
The Makita DLX2539ST kit never disappoints me in terms of battery life. You have ten amp-hours of performance between the two included batteries, which proved to be more than enough to get me through a day of DIY. I found that the included charger can recharge one of these heavy batteries in less than two hours, so there’s scope to back one of them up during a mid-renovation meal break.
As with all lithium-ion batteries, the batteries supplied with this kit will degrade significantly after several years (or after continuous heavy use). You’ll maximize their performance by following good battery maintenance practices, such as charging batteries to a moderate level and storing them at room temperature.
Who should buy?
Clearly, this twin-set of tools is most relevant to users who will make good use of an impact driver as well as a cordless combi drill. If you’re a keen DIYer and often need to drive large or awkward screws, using an impact driver will make this easier.
With this Makita bundle, you can make quick work of using a drill to make holes and an impact driver to install fasteners. Since two batteries are included, you won’t even need to switch this component between operations (unless one battery is recharging).
On the other hand, I wouldn’t recommend this kit for casual DIYers who will rarely use an impact driver. If this sounds like you, then you’d better buy this one Makita DHP490SFX2 18V 1 x 3.0Ah Li-Ion LXT Brushless Cordless Combi Drill and Drill Bit Set from Screwfix Which comes with the same drill, plus a high quality set of drill bits and other accessories in place of the impact driver.
final judgment
True to form, Makita has delivered an impressive and capable power tool kit. Both the combi drill and the impact driver are great tools in their own right, and when used together during complex DIY projects, they can provide a welcome boost in speed and convenience. Battery life and recharging are excellent, and the hard carry case is a smart and practical solution to keeping the set nice and tidy.
I only have a few gripes to mention – a drill chuck that isn’t ideal for the narrowest drill bits, and a price that will put off some occasional DIYers – but neither are deal breakers. The Makita DLX2539ST 2-Piece Combo Kit LXT is yet another strong proof that Makita is the ultimate ‘prosumer’ brand for DIYers who want their Home renovation seriously
