Makita DHP484 18V Brushless Hammer Drill review

Where it fits

Every battery platform has one tool that justifies the buy-in, and for Makita’s 18V LXT system it’s this drill. The DHP484 has been the default tradie recommendation for years, and that’s exactly why it matters for DIYers: a tool that survives apprentices will barely notice what your weekend deck build throws at it.

It sits in the sweet spot of Makita’s range — above the entry DHP485, below the overkill DHP486 — and it’s the one we’d hand to any serious DIYer buying their first proper drill.

Power and driving

The headline number is 54Nm of torque. Torque is twisting force — it’s the spec that decides whether a long screw sinks smoothly into hardwood or the drill groans to a stop halfway. 54Nm is a lot: enough to drive 100mm screws into hardwood without drilling a smaller pilot hole first, and enough that the first time it bites unexpectedly you’ll understand why tradies respect it. The clutch — the numbered collar behind the chuck that stops the drill turning once a screw is snug — has 21 settings, and that fine control matters more than raw power when you’re working on something delicate like cabinet hinges.

Hammer mode (where the drill adds thousands of tiny forward jabs to help the bit chew through brick) punches 6mm wall plugs into double brick without complaint. If you’re drilling into masonry all day you’d want a dedicated rotary hammer instead — but for the occasional shelf bracket into a brick wall, this is entirely adequate.

In the hand

At 1.5kg tool-only it’s light enough for overhead work, and the 178mm head length gets into spaces full-size drills can’t. The grip is the part Makita quietly does better than anyone — rubberised in exactly the places your hand actually touches.

The platform question

Buying this drill is really buying into LXT — 250+ tools that share the same battery. That’s the strongest argument for paying the Makita premium over a Ryobi equivalent, and the full economics are in our battery platform comparison.

Who should buy it

Anyone planning to own more than three cordless tools in the next five years. If your ambitions stop at hanging pictures and the odd flat-pack, the Ozito PXC drill at a third of the price will serve you fine — and we mean that as a genuine recommendation, not a backhander.

Specifications