Caveat emptor
Start with a word of warning for those not overly familiar with the entire Makita range, which includes me. They offer two seemingly similar kits - this one, the CLX201 and another called the CLX202. Both contain the TD110D Impact Driver but where they differ is with the drill, the 201 offering the DF331D Drill-Driver while it's the HP331D Combi that comes with the 202. It was the latter I was after and didn't spot the difference till it arrived. A minor point and now I have a basic kit with batteries and chargers, it's easy enough to pick up a 'Bare' HP331D without breaking the bank and - like clamps - sometimes one can never have too many drills.
I bought this kit partly to replace an ageing drill and partly to avoid having to constantly switch between drill bits and driver bits. My old faithful is an 18v Ryobi monster which is great when drilling into walls but the batteries alone weigh 1kg each which can be telling after prolonged use. Bit cumbersome in confined spaces too. With that in mind, last year I bought a Festool CXS which does almost anything the 18v can do. If money was no object, I'd have bought a second one, they really are that good. However, as a hobbyist I couldn't really justify that cost, especially not when I could get this kit for around half the price of the Festool. So how do they compare?
First off, being 10.8v - as is the Festool - they are much lighter than the Ryobi, and much better suited to a smaller hand (mine are not at all shovel-like!) and much of a muchness with the Festool. They're very compact so much easier to handle all day and a lot easier to use in tight places. Like the Festool, they has built in LEDs which come on at the first touch of the trigger and help to illuminate the work area; the older Ryobi hasn't got such refinements! One thing I like about the Makita LEDs is they seem to come on before the motor turns which helps line everything up before it starts trying to drill / drive and they stay on a little longer after releasing the trigger which is handy if one wants to check progress.
As mentioned, the slide in battery is 10.8v so is much smaller and lighter than the 1kg Ryobi 18V. They are also smaller than the the Festool version although both are 2.0Ah. A nice feature of the Makita batteries is the charge indicator. Press a button and some red LEDs will light up to show how much l'strength' they have left. Both arrived with a minimum of one LED, which was adequate to run some tests. The TD110D worked great driving home or removing screws and bolts with utmost ease. The DF110D struggled to drill a 3mm pilot hole into breezeblock, something which Ryobi and even the Festool managed with ease. That said, both were running freshly charged batteries and on checking, the 3mm bit was a bit rounded! Charged the battery up to full and tried again with a new bit and it managed it easily enough.
Not sure how long it took to charge, seemed very quick. I've now charged both batteries and meant to keep a closer eye on charge time for the second but failed to do so. I'm guessing around 30 minutes. Festool is the same, Ryobi an hour and a half.
The units, two batteries and charger all came in a Makpac case, similar to a Festool systainer. I suppose these things are a good idea if you work on location and need to transport gear safely. I don't so everything has been removed from the case and placed on a shelf ready for use. I know from past experience anything housed in a box will likely remain in the box and these were bought to be used.
Hitherto, it's a case of so far, so good. Only time will tell if they last as well as the Ryobi has or Festool promises to do. They're light without being lightweight and while I might not risk breaking my toes should I drop one I'm not sure they would stand up to rough handling as well as the robust Ryobi might. Lots of 'soft-touch' moulding to improve handling and comfort but it has to be noted it's of a material that has magical dust-magnet properties. Festool is the same and as soon as they're handled for the first time they have that 'used' look about them.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: New