There are two types of Tool companies out there. One type is marketing centric and the other is engineering centric. Makita is in the latter group.  Rather than spending a large percentage of money on marketing they put those funds into designing and building tools with more refinement, more features, more advanced engineering and world class manufacturing.  Tools that quietly stand out as best in class or at least very close to best in class.  

The Makita XRH 07 is quite simply the best rotary hammer on the planet. It is outstanding in every way except for the high end price tag.  I have a few hammers that cost more than double the price and they aren’t this good. 

The strangest thing  is that there is not much hype for this tool.  It was quietly released a couple of years ago.   We along with several others showed it on our world of concrete social media posts. Time after time we saw it easily outperforming the competition.  That is only part of the story.   With any tool there are many compromises.  With this tool there are very few. 

Champagne taste on a beer budget 

The XRH07 is engineered and made in Japan.  It is most certainly a high end tool.  I have no way to prove it but it is almost like the product managers and engineers were told to make the best SDS max rotary hammer on the planet. Whether that was stated or not we may never know.  What I can tell you is that is exactly what they did. 

More Power!  AARRGGHH AARRGGHH AARRGGHH !

In the 1 9/16″ class there is great variety in motor power as well as impact force.  This hammer is quite simply the most powerful in this class I have ever used.  Makita tends to under rate rather than over rate.  This could easily be classed as a 1 3/4″tool with no problem.  I have a few 1 3/4’hammers and this easily matches some and beats others in ultimate power. 

Why a rotary hammer?

We use rotary hammers regularly in our remodeling and restoration work. They are much much faster than a hammer drill. Rotary hammers have three modes. Drilling only, hammer with rotation and hammer only.  these awesome tools  can be used for much more than drilling. Below are some of the tasks we use them for:

  1. Drilling large holes through concrete walls for pipes and conduit.
  2. Breaking basement floors for plumbing runs.
  3. Drilling floors to install lifts and other machinery for businesses.
  4. Remove ceramic and porcelain tile from walls and floors.
  5. Remove other types of flooring and sub flooring.  

Important considerations 

The feel of a rotary hammer is more important than the power.  Drilling and breaking concrete can be strenuous work.  Our hands can become fatigued in a very short period of time.  The grip design can make or break your day.  The XRH07 has one of the best grips of any current (2020) rotary hammer.  There is a generous rubber over mold. It is straight where it needs to be straight. It is round where it needs to be round. There are no sharp edges or odd angles that would cause pressure points while in use. the trigger is one of the longest and really adds to the comfort of the top

I have no idea why but Most hammers have annoying protrusions at the top of their handles that can really hurt your hand in extended use.  The Makita instead has a gentle rounded curve.  That comfort can easily double your runtime. Not the tool runtime. The time you can actually work the tool.  A one or two finger switch can really get to be uncomfortable in a short period of time. The Makita has a very long switch that naturally feels good to your whole hand.  It also allows for easy repositioning of your hand as the need arises. 

Both handles as well as the batteries on the XRH07 are coupled together in a carriage isolated from the hammer mechanism with a series of springs and dampeners. It moves independently from the motor and hammer sections. Most hammers with any anti vibe provision only isolate one hand.  Many hammers have no  isolation provision at all. 

Advanced AVT: More is less

Vibration can ruin your career.  It can cause irreversible damage to our fingers and hands.  Google white finger disease.  The XRH 07 has the lowest vibration rating of any rotary hammer I know of. Most hammers in this class have a rating around 10 m/S or higher.  The Makita is around half that at 5 m/s. 

That is all good and well on paper. In the real world the difference feels even greater. It is hard to grasp how smooth it is until you try it side by side with other hammers.  The Advanced AVT really shines whether you are drilling concrete or chipping with a chisel.  There is no comparison.  Every other hammer on the market transmits far more vibration to your soft tissue, connective tissue, nerves and bones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fight fire with fire

  Advanced AVT is available on many different tools. The design is specific to each tool. In this hammer  it uses extremely precise balancing of internal rotating masses coupled with counter rotating masses to cancel out the normal vibrations we feel on lesser tools. When the mass of the hammer piston is pushing, the counter rotating mass is pulling back at the same time effectively cancelling the vibration.  Add the isolated handles to the mix and you have the safest, smoothest, most advanced rotary hammer on the market. 

What is AWS?

AWS is Makitas auto wireless start system. It uses bluetooth to connect AWS tools to AWS dust extractors or corded extractors with the AWS adapter. When you turn on the tool the extractor turns on immediately to extract the dust made by the tool.  When you stop the tool the vacuum runs for a few seconds to clear the tool and hose of any remaining dust.   The XRH07 comes ready to accept the AWS module. It is sold separately. Once you get the module you simply remove the cover and slide it into the dock. 

How it works

Pairing the tool and extractor is easy;

1) Set the switch on the dust extractor to auto.

2) Press the button on the vacuum bluetooth module for 3 seconds. If you did it right the little square led will blink green

3) Press the same button on the tool until it blinks green. the tool and vacuum will connect 

4) Hit the trigger on the Hammer or other AWS tool and the vacuum automatically turns on!

It is so nice to be able to have a cordless solution for nearly every situation. 

Sounds like a million dollar tool

The XRH 07 is loaded to be sure but Makita doesn’t ding you for the high end features. The price of the XRH 07 is right in line with or even lower than other 1 9/16″ rotary hammers. They can be ordered in kits or as a bare tool. For extended use the corded HRC4013 is the same tool in just about every way with a cord. the only thing it really lacks is AWS. 

 

 

 

 

I generally gravitate toward companies who are engineering-centric rather than focused more on marketing.  Makita is one of those companies.  They are still a a family business.  Traditional Japanese values are respected in any circle. As a family business they look at the long run, the 100 year war more than maximum profits. Long term customer satisfaction is more important than increasing income this quarter for the shareholders.  The result for us is better tools for similar cost. 

 

Check these bad boys out at MaxTool.com