Best Mixing Drills For Thinset Review 2019
(Drill And Mix Grout, Mortar
Fire em up boys, its time to mix some mud!
A good mixer drill is a staple of our profession as tilers, plasterers, brick-layers and contractors (if I left you out, don’t worry, you still rock). We need a reliable mixing drill that can blend up the thickest of slurries into top quality mud and mortar to the desired consistency.
You know that decking mud or mortar is thick and damn hard on
Oh, and in order for these drills to be included in my review, they also have to be used as power drills for making holes in wood, metal and the site foreman’s head when they act out.
Drilling, mixing and keeping order on the work site, its a hard job – but thats why we use the best.
Click here to jump to the best mixing drills information table.
Unlike every other mixing drill reviews on the internet, I’m not going to bombard you with options or ambiguous information – just info you want and need to make an informed buying decision.
Continue reading and discover the best drills for mixing mud and drilling holes currently available in 2019!
Every single one is up to the task of working hard, day in and day out, so it whichever one you end up choosing, rest assured that you’ll have one of the best spade handle mixers out there.
Let’s get mixing!
Best Drills For Mixing & Drilling
| Name | Power | Max RPMS | Chuck Size | Weight | Avg. Customer Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makita DS4000 | 9.0 Amps | 0-500 RPMS W/ Variable Speed Trigger | 1/2 Inches (13mm) | 8.8 Lbs (4kgs) | 5/5 Stars - Tiler's Place Choice | Check Price |
| Makita DS4012 | 8.5 Amps | 0-600 RPMS W/ Variable Speed Trigger | 1/2 Inches (13mm) | 6.2 Lbs (2.8 kgs) | 4.5/5 Stars - Best All-Rounder | Check Price |
| Bosch GMB9-16 | 9.0 Amps | 0-700 RPMS W/ Variable Speed Trigger | 5/8 Inches (16mm) | 6.6 Lbs (3 kgs) | 4.5/5 Stars - Best for Drilling Holes in Anything | Check Price |
| Ridgid R7122 | 9.0 Amps | 0-600 RPMS W/ Variable Speed Trigger | 1/2 Inches (13mm) | 6.0 Lbs (2.7 kgs) | 4.0 Stars - Runner Up | Check Price |
Drill Mixers Top Tip!
When it comes to mixing heavy materials or drilling dense materials, a lower RPM range is ideal.
Professional Tiler’s Pick ✓
The Terminator of Drill Mixing Machines.
Offers unbeaten build quality and torque that makes it excel at both drilling and mixing duties.
1. The Best Mud Mixing Drill Overall:
Makita – DS4000
If you are looking for the best, then stop reading because you found it: The Alpha, The Beast, the King, the Mother-
• Mix Everything! From Thinset to mud, to plaster, paint, epoxy resins, grout, and of course, concrete.
• Forward/Reverse Rocker switch combined with a high torque motor makes drilling dense materials a breeze.
• Toughest Chuck, Casing and Internal Gears in its class. They seriously don’t make em like this anymore.
For a hundred bucks more, you can buy the best money maker in the business, seriously pal. This is Makita at it’s finest when all their tools were Japanese made and never died.
You want the best, you found it.
Hi there and welcome to Tilersplace.com
My name is Carl and I have been tiling and mixing pookie professionally for over 20 years in both the USA and England.
With a couple of tonnes of
Today I want to share my experience with you and point you towards the machines that I personally would use professionally. I expect nothing but nonstop hard work from my tools so you can be assured that whatever is in this review, had to work damn hard to get here.
The Best Mixing Drills For Thinset (And Everything)
When it comes to selecting a power drill for mixing and drilling, it’s important to take a moment and think about what you’ll be using it for mostly.
All these examples that I’ve reviewed below are excellent in both stirring up any compound that you work with and also being kickass at drilling holes – It’s your job to decide which suits you the best.
• Do you need something lightweight for tricky drilling situations?
• Or do you want a tough and burly mixer that will keep on spinning, no matter how hard you push it?
All these requirements and more can be found below, think about what you want, read the descriptions, and buy one. No matter who you choose, you can be sure you are purchasing a professional D handle mixer for heavy-duty use.
Note: These machines have A LOT of different names, so don’t worry when I call them something else. I’m talking about the same thing.
Best Drill and Mixer Overall
The Makita DS4000 is best overall if you are wanting a heavy-duty drill-mixer that will work hard for years to come. Unbeaten quality and materials make it a leader in its class.
1. Makita – DS4000
Makita used to be known for top-shelf products and build quality that meant their power-tools never died.
In a fight to remain competitive in the pricing wars, they had to reduce the use of premium materials and that reputation dipped sadly.
Fortunately for us, they still have a couple aces up their sleeves and the DS4000 reviewed here is one of them.
It has all the features that you want and
The massive 12inch handle gives you excellent control while drilling and mixing, coupled with a 360° rotating spade handle for optimal comfort.
The forward/reverse rocker switch makes these duties even easier and quicker and to ensure no damage is done to the gears, their precision milled to prevent damage during sudden changes.
The body and internal motor core is all steel and hardened to protect against shocks and the chuck is the toughest I have ever seen on a power drill. It never loosened, no matter how badly I abused it.
Pro's
• Class-Leading
• Best drill for large diameter and lengthy auger work.
• Low rpm, high torque motor helps it
• Chuck is quality steel and clenches bits tight all day.
• Large pipe handle helps keep the power in check during tough operation.
• A true professional power tool, designed to never let you down.
Con's
• The premium quality comes at a premium, making it the most expensive mud mixing drill in this review.
• At 8.8 lbs, it is the heaviest as well.
• Remind’s you of a better time when power tools weren’t cheap disposable things with a short life-span. Truly wish we had more tools like this out there.
Wrap-up On the Makita DS4000 Review.
What else is there to say, that hasn’t already been said about this absolute monster of a thinset mixer. The moment I saw this thing, I was reminded of my ancient Black and Decker Jack Hammer that’s been with me since I start tiling. It’s heavy, it’s brutal and it’s all metal. It has also NEVER let me down, nor has it stopped working.
Like a tough old workhorse, she keeps on pulling every-day, no matter what and this DS4000 drill was cast in the same mold.
My time with it was too short and I plan to purchase one soon as I’ve fallen in love with the thing. For my trade as a tiler, she’s perfect. Whipped up the thickest of mortars I required and never did it bog down or still smelling of brush burn.
If you want a mixer-drill that you can rely on, to abuse and drop and work her hard, then this is your choice, I can assure you, you won’t be disappointed!
You Can Find the Makita DS4000 Here
Best Blend of Affordability and Durability
The Makita DS4012 is the younger brother of the DS4000 but in no means less capable. Quiet and powerful motor, variable speed and comfortable ergonomics make this one hell of a bargain drill.
2. Makita – DS4012
I personally own this mixing drill and been using it for over two years now – I love it.
The DS4012 is a well balanced and heavy-duty power drill designed for daily mixing and drilling duties.
It has all the trick features you want, 360° D-handle, variable speed, great RPM range (0-600) and tough chuck that won’t get loose. In fact, I never have to retighten it, even after a month of mixing
While the plastic casing is lower quality over the DS4000, it’s great quality and after two years, is showing no signs of damage, cracking or wearing.
The internals
Pro's
• Professional and heavy-duty drill for a great price.
• Variable speed makes it ideal for mixing grout and
• Powers through any cement or aggregate mix without ever bogging down.
• Chuck is quality steel and holds tight forever
• Lightest mixer drill in its
• Easily located brushes make replacement easy – no need to disable the outer casing like other drills. (The DS4000 also features this.)
Con's
• Boring design: looks like an oversized toy gun.
• No handle mount on the side, a 90° degree handle would have been great for drilling.
• Forward/Reverse tab could be replaced with a rocker switch for ease of use.
• No carry case included.
Wrap-up On the Makita DS4012 Review.
Buying the Makita DS4012 was one of the best decisions I made for my tiling work. Having burnt out over a dozen mud mixing drills over the past decade, the DS4012 is shaping up to be the best model I’ve ever owned.
It’s quiet, it’s tough, it has more torque than any other mixer I’ve ever owned or used (apart from the DS4000) and can tackle both mixing and drilling with ease. Plasterers seem to be love this guy as well, I’ve come across a couple different teams using the very same drill – so if you’re a plasterer…this is the plaster mixer for you gents.
Honestly, I wish I made the switch to spade handle mixers many years ago as they are
The Makita DS4012 is a fine example of what a spade-handle mixer should be and if you are thinking of investing in one, you can’t do much better than this one.
In comparison to similarly priced models from DeWalt or Hitachi, it’s quieter, better built and offers variable speed mixing.
If you are a painter, plasterer, contractor and of course a tiler, this drill is for you.
I love mine, so will you.
You Can Find the Makita DS4012 Here.
King of Drilling
The Bosch GMB9-16 is the best drill for those requiring a larger than usual chuck size or mixing low viscosity materials like paint and sealers with it’s higher RPMs.
3. Bosch – GBM9-16
16mm.
That’s the size of this beast’s chuck. Whilst most powered drills come equipped with a 13mm (1/2 Inch) chuck, this guy just one-ups everyone.
I guess thats what the “16” stands for in the name. Power tools companies are very clever in naming their products.
Combine that with a higher max rpm range (100 more than most), precision milled gears and a ball-bearing motor, you have one serious drilling and mixing machine.
These features make this a great choice for those requiring a heavy-duty drill most and foremost and only doing mixing on the side.
Of course, you can use this as a full-time mixer as well, especially if you are a painter or work with epoxy resin a lot, as the higher rev’s will be of use to your materials.
The rest of the Bosch GMB9-16 is standard fare of all professional mixer-drills. 360° Spade handle, forward/reverse switch and grab handle mounted at a 90° angle.
Pro's
• Huge 16mm Chuck for fitment of a greater range of bits and accessories.
• Power 9 amp motor makes it suitable for a whole host of work. From mixing compounds (tile mud, dry-wall) to augering holes in the dirt and drilling through thick posts.
• Variable speed is easy to use and offers great control of the speed needed.
Con's
The same con’s as the Makita DS4012:
• No handle mount on the side, a 90° degree handle would have been great for drilling.
• Forward/Reverse tab could be replaced with a rocker switch for ease of use.
• No carry case included.
Wrap-up On the Bosch GBM9-16 Review.
It’s funny how even though all these drill-mixers are built on the same premise, to perform the same task, they differ so much.
Each manufacturer see’s the end user’s requirements and adds features that they feel will be of greater benefit and help their product get chosen over some one else’s.
This is can’t be more obvious in this review and even though we are only looking at 3 examples, they vary so much that you really need to look at spec list to decide on which one would suit you.
The Bosch GBM9-16 is so similar to the Makita 4012 but then completely becomes an outlier with that massive 16mm chuck size. It’s very unique in this field and opens the power tool up to a larger market. There are many trades that will benefit from an increased shank size and with a well-built motor suited for the task, Bosch has hit a home-run with this one.
Like all of their professional line of tools, you can expect a high standard of fit and finish with a strong emphasis on longevity out in the field. The motor is refined and quiet and surprisingly tough. I never managed to bog it down, even with some fairly dry mud mixes mortar.
Apart from it’s excellence at drilling through the toughest of materials, the higher RPM range will be of benefit to dry-wallers and painters along with those mixing resins.
Oh and did I mention it looks totally kick-ass and tough? It definitely beats my Makita 4012 in the looks department.
You Can Find the Bosch GBM9-16 Here
The Best Drill Mixers – Conclusion
For those of us who need to mix compounds on a daily basis, a good mixer is an essential requirement of the job.
The problem is that there are many tools that can do this task but end up getting burned out or killed within a few months of real work.
Many cordless drills and hammer drills have fallen in our pursuit of finding the best mixing drill for our professional use – that ends here.
This review aimed to find the best power tools that will not only mix up a storm but also excel at drilling through anything we need. All-day, every day, year after year.
The Makita DS4000 is the ultimate winner as its extreme build quality and components make it the best mixing drill for thinset and every other tough compound known to man,
A power tool like that is an asset to any professional lucky enough to own one and holds
The Makita DS4012 is the more affordable and younger brother of the King but still holds many of the family values. I’ve been using one for over 2 years and it never falters, no matter what I mix with it. For a tiler, it’s an excellent
Finally, we have the unholy hole maker, the Bosch GBM9-16.
16mm chuck size and all the torque you need to drill holes in everything with the massive range of accessories you can fit in that gaping maw. Far from a one-trick pony, it also holds its own as a great mixer from a variety of materials. Paint, plaster, concrete
Need to go cordless? Not featured in this review but highly rated is the Milwaukee 2810-20 cordless drill mixing drill. It is hands down the best cordless drill mixer. Coupled with a 5.0 A/H M18 Fuel battery, you have a king of cordless mixing that can keep up with all your needs.
So, you found a mixer-drill that will suit your requirements.
Go get one and stop burning out those drills boy, your wallet will thank you and so will your wife when you buy her dinner.
Happy drilling! 😉
(get it?)
