Reviewers recommend the 10.8-volt Makita DF030DW as one of the best subcompact lithium-ion (Li-ion) drill/drivers. Most subcompact drill/drivers are designed for driving screws and fasteners, not drilling, with a single speed and low maximum rpms -- but the Makita's two speeds and 1,300-rpm maximum make it useful as an all-around household drill as well as driver. It weighs just 2.2 pounds, and testers say it's very comfortable to use. The Makita's Li-ion batteries keep their charge well between uses. Reviews praise the three-year warranty plus the way the Makita DF030DW's LED light stays on a few seconds after you release the trigger. For big construction jobs, however, critics recommend the more powerful 18-volt Li-ion Makita LXT BDF452 (*Est. $200), which also includes a much faster charger.

We found the most objective tests of the Makita DF030DW at Tools of the Trade, where it's compared against eight other subcompact Li-ion drill/drivers, and at the Journal of Light Construction, which compares it with five. The Makita brand is compared with nine others in the June 2008 survey by J.D. Power and Associates, and a handful of owners review this specific Makita drill/driver at Amazon.com. A video review of the Makita DF030DW at YouTube by retailer TylerTool.com is basically an advertisement, but it still shows some useful details.