Battle of The Makita Impact Drivers
Makita DTD154 is one of Makita’s best selling impact drivers in the UK, and now, it has been replaced by the Makita DTD171. If you are looking to replace your impact driver and wondering if it is worth spending extra on DTD171, we will compare them side by side to see the differences.
Torque
The Makita DTD154 has 175Nm of fastening torque and the DTD171 has 180Nm of fastening torque. The difference isn’t really going to be noticeable, and if you are looking for more fastening torque and your main criteria, considering the price difference, the Makita DTD154 is better value for money.
Impacts Per Minute and No Load Speed (RPM)
Both Makita impact drives have the same impacts per minute at 3,800 and no load speed at 3,600. It’s quite disappointing that Makita did not increase these in the DTD171, however, 3,800 IPM and 3,600 RPM is still very good.
Brushless Motor
Both impact drivers come with Makita’s high performance brushless motors.
Job Light
The Makita DTD171 come with twin bright job lights on either side (left & right) of the impact driver for better illumination in dark spaces. The DTD154 has a single job light which is located above the trigger.
Body size
The Makita DTD171 is slightly small at 116mm compared to the DTD154’s 117mm in length. The high of the impact driver will depend on the battery you use.
Adjustable Speed Settings and Modes
This is where you begin the notice the differences between the two 18v Makita impact drivers. The Makita DTD171 has 4 pre-set speed settings, and they are: Max:
- No Load Speed: 3,600
- Impacts Per Minute: 3,800
Hard:
- No Load Speed: 3,200
- Impacts Per Minute: 3,600
Medium:
- No Load Speed: 2,100
- Impacts Per Minute: 2,600
Soft:
- No Load Speed: 1,100
- Impacts Per Minute: 1,100
The DTD171 also has 4 assist mode settings which are: Assist Mode for Wood Applications – This mode is for control and precision when driver screws into timber. This mode will start of slow, once the impact function kicks in, it speeds up to drive the screw in. Bolt Mode – This mode stops nuts from falling off bolts. When the impact driver is in reverse, it detects when the nut is near the end of the bolt and stops. T-Mode 1– This mode is for driving self-drilling screws into thin metal sheets. This mode starts at high speed, then stops when the impact function is required. T Mode 2 – This mode is for driving self-drilling screws into thicker metal plates. It does the same as Mode 1, but uses enough power to make sure the screw does not break or strip. The Makita DTD154 has the following 3 pre-set speed settings Hard
- No Load Speed: 3,600
- Impacts Per Minute: 3,800
Medium
- No Load Speed: 2,100
- Impacts Per Minute: 2,600
Soft
- No Load Speed: 1,100
- Impacts Per Minute: 1,100
The DTD has a 1 mode which is the following: Tek Mode – This mode gives you full power at the beginning of driving the screw in, once the screw is almost all the way in, the impact driver reduces power to ensure the screw is flush, and to avoid over tingeing of the screw, and screw cam-out.
Is it Worth Upgrading From The DTD154 to DTD171?
This will depend on what you plan to use it for. Power and size wise, you will not really notice the difference between the two. However, when it come to precision and control, The DTD171 is the best Makita impact driver for this. The DTD171 gives you more pre-set power options, as well as 4 assist mods for different types of jobs.