i'm a general contractor and i also do a lot of steel erecting and metal stud framing. this kit is awesome! the 18V impact driver is leaps and bounds ahead of other impact drivers i've used and the 18V lithium ion batteries are a vast improvement over previous types of batteries. this entire kit is great to keep in your truck for what ever comes up. the other day, i had a commercial glass company install a store front that was 25'X11' and they had trouble making the frames fit. i ened up bringing out "THE KIT" and used the reciprocating saw to cut thru 3" square tubing and then used the circular saw to cut thru the aluminium mullions. we ended up having to jack up the rough opening and i used the impact driver to screw 4 2X6's together to make a beam. i used a lot of 3" screws and the driver sank them like nothing. basically, i used 3 tools out of the kit and it ended up being the difference between getting the job done and not. i like the convenience and power of the tools and the ability to take them anywhere and have them put into action immediately even if there is no electricity around.
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br /put it like this...i can pull up to any jobsite with this kit and pretty much take care of any problem. these tools are simply awesome.

I decided I wanted to get a kit of good cordless tools and spent a lot of time trying to decide between Makita and Dewalt after narrowing my choices to them. I ruled out the other manufacturers for various reasons, though there are good options out there. Ridgid has a great warranty but I liked the feel of Makita and Dewalt better after testing them all at a demo at Home Depot. The reasons I chose Makita over Dewalt:
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br /1- Lighter weight
br /2- Lithium ION batteries charge faster/outlast Dewalt Nicads and are cheaper than Dewalt Nicads
br /3- Dewalt has Lithum ION batteries (nano) but they are incredibly expensive. You can buy quite a few Makita batteries for the price of 1 Dewalt lith-ion battery.
br /4- New Dewalt Lith-ION batteries don't fit the old Dewalt tools perfectly, they are smaller so there is "overhang" in front and behind the battery.
br /5- More Makita tools on the horizon.
br /6- Price
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br /There are other reasons to choose Makita, but these were my reasons. Dewalt does have more tools available in their 18v line, but most of them I would prefer a corded or pneumatic tool instead. I felt that this kit had everything except maybe a jig saw. But for $150 you can buy the best corded jig saw on the planet which is a Bosch, and probably be better off.
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br /I opted to get the LXT700 kit that has the smaller hammer drill, then buy a mint/new larger hammer drill that comes in the LXT600 kit on a famous auction site... so my total out of pocket was less than the LXT600 kit, but I have the big and small hammer drills, impact driver, radio, recip and circular saws, grinder, flashlight, charger batteries and bag.

I have used the Makita products for a long time and have been really pleased. It seems like Makita is just ahead of the reat of the competition. The weight differnece between these tools and there competitors is not even close. I was a little leary about the grinder and the radio because I have never owned either of these products, but they are built with the same weightlessness yet durability as the rest of the kit.
br /I would recomend these tools to anybody that wants a quality tool that is going to last.

I like everything about this Makita package.
br /There is a problem with the battery sticking on the grinder, but performance and value are great...very happy.

i am very happy w/ the tool set. the only problem was that when i got it delivered the package actually fell apart for the ups guy. luckily nothing was damaged, but not what you want your first view of your new tools to be (spilling out onto the porch).
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br /other than that, they're great. i've been using them on-site for about three weeks w/ no complaints. i'm interested to see what i think in a year or two. but right now, three thumbs up.
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br /you just may want to pay by check and mail in a roll of duct tape while you're at it.

This 7 Pc kit was a Chrismas 2007 gift from my wife (Lots of hints dropped). I have used it since then to finish a whole basement(1200 sq ft), build a deck and to totally gut/remodel 3 bathrooms. I am very happy with the tools, and intend to ad some of the other pieces.
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br /I am a part time contractor/handyman. Through the years I have used a number of different brands of tools. The list would include DeWalt, Milwaukee, Porter Cable, Hitachi, Ect Ect.... The people whom I work with mostly use DeWalt cordless tools. I do believe that the Makita tools are superior. They seem less "clunky" than the others, but just as capable.
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br /The tools are compact and light, but not weak or flimsy. I detest "cheap" tools that make the job harder. On the deck build I could see how the impact driver stacked up against a Hilti driver. Those who know tools know that Hilti is very good. I am convinced I came out ahead. Because these tools feel so good working I have noticed that my friends are starting to grab mine whenever they can.
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br / You do need more than 2 batteries though for hard use. I will correct that when I get the jig saw, wich would have been a much better addition to this set than the mediocre job site radio. This is where the DeWalt is much better as their radio also doubles as a charger. The flashlight works - but it seems less "solid" than the rest of the package.
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br /This group of tools have so impressed me that I no longer take the corded "heavy tools" along unless it is truly called for. They can work hard and seems to be holding up well allthough I have just been using them for 3 months.
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br /I would recommend this to any one who is looking for a quality set of tools.

This is my first "grown up" power tool purchase. I've had tools given to me (and purchased minor hand tools) through out my life but never like this. I was so happy when the set arrived, but a little intimidated. The instruction manual is designed for someone who already knows about power tools, but it did help me in the basics (i.e. how to put the drill bit in, etc). Anyway...I finally used the hammer drill and I couldn't believe how easy it was! Now I feel like I can conquer the world (er, almost). I am slowly working my way through the tools and becoming familiar with them. They are very powerful but light-weight and simple to use. The settings are great and I would recommend this set to novices and experts alike.

This tool kit was to come with a contractor's bag that is essentially a rolling duffle bag for all of the tools. Instead, Makita shipped it with a bag from a smaller kit that does not even hold all of the tools. Two calls to Makita's customer service resulted in the following comment: This was a "promotional" item and we ran out of the rolling duffle type bag so we substituted the smaller bag instead. Too bad if you don't like it - send it back. This is unacceptable customer service and although we like the tool kit, it makes no sense if we cannot carry all of tools in the rolling duffle bag that is clearly featured on the side of the shipping carton.