Thanks to a new Amazon product listing, we’ve learned that Makita is coming out with a new 18V sub-compact brushless rotary hammer, XRH06RB. It has an SDS Plus chuck and can be used to drill holes up to 11/16″.
The new Makita XRH06RB rotary hammer can be used in rotation-only or hammer + rotation modes. There’s no chipping mode.
Makita says it’s ideal for working in tight spaces, or in overhead applications. It features a vibration-absorbing handle, and a brushless motor for more efficient power and runtime.
- 0-680 RPM, 0-4800 BPM
- 0.88 ft-lbs, 1.2 Joules impact energy
- Weighs 4.6 lbs [with compact battery]
- 10-3/4″ long
- Brushless motor for “up to 50% longer runtime per charge”
- Rotation-only and rotation plus impact modes
- LED worklight
Kit includes (2) 2.0Ah batteries, charger, side handle with depth gauge, tool bag.
Price: $384 for the kit (Amazon’s first listing prices for Makita tools tend to be higher than eventual street pricing)
Buy Now(via Amazon)
First Thoughts
A new sub-compact Makita 18V rotary hammer? *Thumbs up.*
But… oh, what happens if you pair it with a 3.0Ah battery pack, or any other higher capacity battery pack you might already have to support your other Makita 18V corldess power tools? Can you still stand it upright? How will the tool balance change?
I don’t think I have ever seen a cordless rotary hammer designed to work with compact battery packs. Even Milwaukee’s M12 model and M12 Fuel brushless model are both shown paired with higher capacity XC battery packs. Every 18V-class rotary hammer is also shown paired with higher capacity battery packs.
It’s too early to tell if Amazon’s pricing is accurate or not. Let’s consider Dewalt’s DCH273 20V Max brushless rotary hammer. For $381 currently (at Amazon), you get a brushless rotary hammer capable of 0-1100 RPM and 0-4600 BPM, 2.1 Joules of impact energy, and the kit comes with (2) 5.0Ah battery packs.
This new Makita rotary hammer is smaller and a lot lighter. But it’s also slower and a lot less powerful, and doesn’t have an impact/chipping-only mode.
According to a UK listing for Milwaukee’s M12 Fuel SDS+ rotary hammer, that tool’s blow energy is 1.1 J, and its speed is 0-900 RPM and 0-6200 BPM. It’s rated as being a 5/8″ rotary hammer.
Makita’s 18V sub-compact cordless tools are designed to give users “12V handling and 18V performance and compatibility.” In that context, this new sub-compact rotary hammer might be a good choice for lighter duty tasks. It’s smaller, lighter, and presumably more comfortable to wield and use in challenging arm-taxing spaces or angles.
But does it offer 18V performance?
The fact that it’s specifically designed around Makita’s 18V 2.0Ah compact battery pack sheds light on the type of applications it could and should be used for – tasks where you need more than a hammer drill but less than a typical 18V rotary hammer.
Its speed rating is slower than the Dewalt 20V Max and Milwaukee M12 models I looked at for quick context and comparative placing purposes, but it’s hard to tell what this will mean for application speeds and performance.
My biggest criticism of Makita’s XFD11 18V sub-compact brushless drill is that its adjustable clutch isn’t so easy or comfortable for me to adjust. Looking at the new sub-compact rotary hammer, there aren’t any obvious compromises of a similar kind, aside from potential awkwardness that might arise if you pair the tool with a higher capacity battery pack.
The XRH06 is compatible with a new accordion-style dust extraction cup that allows for easier dust control when drilling overhead.
It’s hard to say without seeing it in action firsthand, but I’d consider this to be an appealing compact rotary hammer for quick and light masonry drilling and anchoring tasks. It lacks the power and features of typical 18V-class rotary hammers, and on paper it’s also slower, but it’s also smaller and considerably lighter.
A few years back, when Milwaukee announced their M12 rotary hammer, they said that “4 out of every 5 holes drilled in masonry are with 1/2″ or smaller bits.”
You don’t need a powerhouse if you’re drilling a series of 1/4″ or 5/16″ holes.
For those of you that do a lot of light masonry drilling, would this be enough for your needs?