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Drill Kit Check product guide

Makita XT297T 18V LXT Brushless 2-Piece Combo Kit (5.0Ah)

Heavy drilling in wood and masonry on Makita's 18V LXT system

This kit pairs Makita's XPH14 hammer driver-drill, rated in its manual for 6 in. hole saws and 5/8 in. masonry, with the four-mode XDT20 impact driver, two 5.0Ah batteries and a DC18RC charger. The manual requires the side grip, which neither kit list names, and Makita's page misstates the driver's top speeds.

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Published specifications

  • XPH14: 0-550/0-2,100 rpm, up to 31,500 bpm; 1,250 in-lbs per Amazon
  • XPH14 manual: wood hole saw 6 in., masonry 5/8 in., steel 1/2 in.
  • XDT20: four impact modes to 0-3,600 rpm and 0-3,800 ipm
  • XDT20: wood, bolt and two T assist modes; M5-M16 bolts
  • Two BL1850B 5.0Ah batteries, DC18RC charger, tool bag
  • Warranty: three years per Amazon; manuals refer to Makita's sheet

Fit and limits

Strengths

  • Drill manual lists 6 in. hole saws and 5/8 in. masonry
  • Impact driver has four power modes and assist modes
  • Two 5.0Ah batteries with a rapid charger

Caveats

  • Side grip required by the manual is not named in kit lists
  • Makita's summary lists the manual's impact rates as driver speeds
  • Manuals do not state the warranty length

Makita's top LXT hammer drill with a four-speed impact driver

Makita's product page lists the XT297T as an XPH14Z brushless 1/2 in. hammer driver-drill, an XDT20Z impact driver, two 18V LXT 5.0Ah batteries, a charger and a tool bag. Amazon's included components match and name the batteries as BL1850B and the charger as a DC18RC Rapid Optimum Charger.

Amazon lists the kit at 14.92 lb. The XPH14 manual gives the drill at 5.1 to 6.0 lb depending on battery, and the XDT20 manual gives 2.6 to 3.3 lb. Makita's page does not show a UPC, but the kit code XT297T matches the listing exactly.

The XPH14 drill has large capacities

The XPH14 manual lists 5/8 in. in masonry, 1/2 in. in steel, and in wood a 2 in. auger bit, 3 in. self-feed bit or 6 in. hole saw. Speeds are 0 to 550 and 0 to 2,100 rpm, with 0 to 8,250 and 0 to 31,500 blows per minute. Amazon lists maximum torque at 1,250 in-lbs.

The clutch has 21 torque levels, and the manual describes drilling, hammer drilling and screwdriving modes. An adjustable depth rod is listed for setting hole depth; overall length is 7 in. per the manual's specification table.

Check for the side grip before heavy drilling

The XPH14 manual says to always use the side grip. It lists the grip assembly and depth rod among optional accessories that may or may not be included. Neither Makita's XT297T include line nor Amazon's component list names a side grip.

Given the drill's listed 1,250 in-lbs and the manual's instruction to always use the side grip, confirm that the grip is in the box before heavy drilling. If it is not, it is listed as an accessory, so check with Makita before relying on the drill for large holes.

The XDT20 impact driver's modes, and a speed mix-up

The XDT20 manual lists four impact-force modes at 0 to 1,100, 2,100, 3,200 and 3,600 rpm, with 0 to 1,100, 2,600, 3,600 and 3,800 impacts per minute, plus assist modes for wood, bolts and two T modes for self-drilling screws. Amazon's bullet matches the manual; Makita's own product summary lists the top two speeds as 3,600 and 3,800 rpm, which are the manual's impact rates.

The manual rates fastening capacity at M4 to M8 machine screws, M5 to M16 standard bolts and M5 to M14 high-tensile bolts. A light mode keeps the lamp on for about one hour. Amazon states 1,590 in-lbs of maximum torque; that figure was not confirmed in the Makita documents read.

Resting the tool, and what the manuals were read for

The XPH14 manual says to let the tool rest for 15 minutes if you run a battery completely flat before fitting a fresh one. Beyond that, the pages read cover capacities, speeds, modes, the side grip and the depth rod; cleaning and charging instructions were not read for this guide.

The XDT20 manual pages read cover its modes, fastening capacities, weight and light mode. For charging temperatures, battery handling and cleaning agents, use the manuals and the DC18RC charger manual supplied in the box; the charger manual was not read for this guide.

Warranty: the manuals point to Makita's current sheet

Amazon lists a three-year limited warranty. Both the XPH14 and XDT20 manuals say to refer to the warranty sheet packed with the product for current terms, or to makitatools.com in the United States if the sheet is missing; neither prints a warranty length.

Because the listing figure could not be confirmed in the Makita documents read, check the warranty sheet in the box or Makita's site before relying on three years, and keep proof of purchase. Neither manual page read prints a warranty length.

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Primary sources

  1. Makita USA product page for XT297T
  2. Makita XPH14 instruction manual
  3. Makita XDT20 instruction manual

Primary sources checked .

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