7% of 46 verified Makita XFD13 Drillowners don't recommend it — based on real owner comments from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
For balance: 91% recommend it. This page collects the complaints so you know what you're signing up for — read the full owner report for both sides. How we score
“Been downhill ever since”— rcb4d on Reddit
“I own that Makita d handle and it is just on or off full bore. I don't know what it's good for. I would get rid of that one”— IWasntSerious on Reddit
“The Makitas I was using back in the 90’s were top of the line then, but PURE SHIT compared to my current day Ryobi”— Remote_Minimum_5046 on Reddit
Not complaints — practical notes from owners that didn't affect the score.
“https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XFD131 https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XFD12Z Did you even look at the specs? Xfd12 is a beefier model in all regards. Also as far as I'm aware the gearbox is all metal in xfd12 as opposed to plastic gears in xfd13”— ebinWaitee on Reddit
“The red drills themselves would have issues running for long periods. Even if a battery was full charge a pilot drill (standard driving drill) would require alot of effort to push it through material.”— neiunx on Reddit
“When trying this the xfd13/ddf485 turns off and rotates back a bit automatically. What’s up with that?”— meisterlix on Reddit
“I have the XDT13 impact driver + XFD13 drill. 2 3.0ah batts. With standard charger. Got the 2 4.0ah batteries with rapid charger deal with the subcompact 6.5” circ saw which has way more power and lighter than expected! That thing is sweet. The kicker... recently got the Makita cordless handheld Vacuum.”— Bird-Law1 on Reddit
“It's also not an issue of them holding up, it's about how frustrating they can be to use. Trying to drill holes in a steel plate for example can be very frustrating when they just randomly keep stopping because the tool thinks it's overloaded. I barely use my xph12 because of this but use my xph14 all the time.”— monkeypickass1 on Reddit
“I have the exact same model (XFD13) and problems removing chuck as the OP did and this method worked for me!”— ComedianOk5891 on Reddit
“Definitely check after cooling. Brushless is longer lasting - important if it gets a lot of use. The batteries included seem to be the difference.”— Suspicious_Bug_3986 on Reddit
“"fresh battery" Edit: OP replied below saying that they didn't actually charge the battery, just took it off another tool to test. Battery charged and the driver is working now!”— xXP3DO_B3ARXx on Reddit