Metabo PowerMaxx Plus 4.8-Volt Cordless Drill/Screwdriver Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Where I'm coming from:
I've owned this Metabo Powermaxx Plus kit for about 6 weeks, and so far am very pleased with it.
I do a lot of cabinet work, using smaller caliber screws, oftenworking in tight spaces.
I am very familiar with battery powered drills and drivers - I started out using a low cost Black and Decker screwdriver many years ago, and have moved up to Makita, Bosch and Dewalt products in the past few years.

I carefully compared this device to the Bosch PS20 pocket driver and the PS10 i-driver before purchasing. I chose it because it is smaller, lighter and feels better in the hand.
The Bosch devices have larger capacity batteries, but in practice I find the Powermaxx has enough power to drive many, many fasteners between charges.

Pros:
o ergonomics are excellent. Very light, comfortable, precise speed control, and easy to use forward/reverse switch. Fits in my hand very nicely.

o build quality is excellent. It's hard to adequately explain the fine fit and finish of this device - the magnetic bit holder is so precisely machined that bits make a kind of sucking sound when they are withdrawn, the angle attachment slides on easy with a perfect fit and absolutely no play, and so on.
The quality is superior to any other brand of tool I own (Bosch, Makita, Dewalt, ...).

o battery life is very good. I have not tested the endurance by counting screws driven but I have no reason not to believe the claim of hundreds of screws per charge.

o torque control can be set quite low for delicate situations (manual states 4.4 in. lbs.) but ranges up to a respectable 31.0 in. lbs. For max torque you lock out the clutch. The manual says it will do 44 in. lb. "soft" and up to 80 in. lbs. "hard" I think means motor turning and stalled respectively.
o If you need still more torque the automatic spindle lock allows you to manually rotate the tool (manual says 133 in. lbs. maximum).

o comes in a nice case (I mostly toss away tool cases, but for now at least I'm keeping this one).

o very compact device, allows it to work in tighter spaces than other drivers. And when things get really tight there is also the angle driver attachment.

Cons:
I have no major complaints.However, as good as it is, nothing in this world is perfect and the Powermaxx is no exception, so here are a few minor quibbles:

o battery charging time is just under 2 hrs. Quite respectable, and the 2nd battery makes this easy to live with as I've never used it up before the other one was recharged. However, I've been spoiled by Makita and Bosch which recharge in 1 hr, and 30 minutes respectively.

o gear changer is a little weird (maybe because of the planetary gear mechanism). The manual suggests you should change gears with the motor turning, which is just the opposite of all my other drivers. I've found this works best using a slow speed, and no load. This isn't really a problem, just something a little different from the norm.

o It would be nice if it had a built-in LED light. My Makita impact driver has one, and every now and then I am quite thankfull for it.

o magnetic hex-bit holder is so powerful that I find it difficult to withdraw the shorter one inch bits by hand. I can do it, but it's tough on the fingers - so usually I just grab the bit with my pliers. I have not tried this yet, but I suspect I could wad a thin piece of paper in the bit holder to cure this. Also, bits longer than one inch are no problem to remove by hand.

Other Details:

I haven't used the drill chuck for anything other than a few test holes but it's obviously a sturdy, high quality component just like the rest of this kit. With a 600 rpm top step, drilling was not the primary function I had in mind when I bought this tool.

The Powermaxx is smaller than the product description on this web page says. With the driver tip installed it measures 5-1/2 inches from the tip to the back end. It measures 6 inches from the top of the back end to the bottom of the handle. The thickness of the top part is 1-3/4 inches (motor and clutch mechanism) while the handle thickens to 2-1/4" at the base of the battery. Measuring on the diagonal it's just under 8 inches from the tip of the bit holder to the bottom of the handle/battery.

With the angle driver attached, it measures 7-1/4 inches from the tip to the back end. It's about 1 inch from the driver tip to the back of the head, but this increases to 1-3/8 inches by the time you move back 2 inches from the tip. Suffice it to say the angle driver can fit in some fairly tight spaces. Because the angle driver is fastened to the tool, it takes only one hand to drive screws. Compare this to add-on devices (like the Milwaukee) which require two hands, because they don't fasten to your driver - making them much less useful.

Note that the above measurements are with no hex bit installed - a one inch driver bit adds 1/2" to the overall length.

With the drill chuck installed, and fully extended the device measures just under 7-1/2 inches from the tip to the back end (ie jaws fully closed). With the jaws fully open the measurement is just under 7 inches.

While I have used this driver on up to #10 x 3" screws, that was a tight situation where other tools just would not fit. It's really most appropriate for use on #8 and lower screws. After all, it's only a 6 watt hour tool (4.8v times 1.25 amp hrs). If I'm going to be driving a lot of big and/or long screws I reach for my Makita driver with over 37 watts of power and an impact mechanism that amplifies its driving capabilities.

If you keep your expectations reasonable you'll be very happy with the performance of this finely crafted tool.

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Product Description:
Measuring only 7-9/16 inches and weighing 1-1/2 pounds, the Metabo PowerMaxx Plus 4.8-Volt Cordless Drill/Screwdriver Kit is designed to fit in the palm of your hand. The ergonomically designed shell houses a heavy duty 4.8-volt reversing motor with up to 44 inch-pounds of torque, adjustable to 20 levels. With aluminum die-cast gear housing, the tool ensures smooth operation and extended service life. The screwdriver bit angle drive gets into hard-to-reach areas and includes an all-metal chuck for light drilling. The hex magnetic bit holder may be switched with an optional drill chuck for light drilling requirements. This tool comes with a 3-year warranty.
What's in the Box
4.8-volt cordless drill/screwdriver, two battery packs, 1/4-inch keyless chuck, screwdriver bit angle drive, charger, and carrying case.