Review Yofidra 3/4" TW001GM201 Clone

[Memmeddu]

Hi everyone not too long ago I've started to switch to Makita 18V LXT battery platform.
I've got this 3/4" just because the seller proposed me a discount on it.

It arrives in a most likely damaged very brittle plastic case, with two decent 4Ah batteries and an almost useless charger.

The impact is based on the Makita XGT TW001GM201 3/4"impact
But it uses 18V LXT batteries instead of the newest 40V XGT ones.

They added a lifting ring on top of it like on some Milwaukee M18 model

And it has only 1 LED light instead of 2.
Those differences a part and they look practically the same tool

it even has the spot for glueing the XGT logo/sticker on it .

It has a Makita looking control panel
4 speeds forward
3 in reverse + autostop function
A battery level indicator.
Just like the Gisam DTW700 clone it has a real variable speed switch but not as precise as the one found the Gisam.

Disassembled it and kinda disappointed, if wasn't for the additional speeds on the PCB I would have believed it had the same exact components we found on the Gisam.

It has a modern type Makita style contact plate.
With the additional pin, 18V and even the star we find on original Makita.
The Little pin is fake on this tool as it's not connected to anything, it's just there but doesn't do anything really.

The motor is bigger in diameter compared to the DTW700 clone but it has the same construction
8mm shaft with 608-2RS shielded bearings on both ends, and milled gear nose.

The cooling fan looks not as good quality as the one on the Gisam DTW700 clone.
maybe just a feeling because of the bigger diameter but, the Gisam one is more rigid compared to this one which is kinda flexible.
overall a better stator with the wires routed correctly this time and as big as the wires coming out of the PCB

 

[Memmeddu]

On the business end we have a very heavy hammer

Spun by a much torquer planetary gear set.
I think they could have used another bearin inside the to give additional support to the tooted end of the rotor shaft.

The planetary gear set is guided by a ball bearing on the motor side of the housing.
But this time we have a thrust washer Wich I personally think can be replaced with a bearing.
Felt a little cheap TBH

This time the gear has more detents to keep It in position on the housing
And they added an O Ring on to seal the housing and another one into the rotor shaft bearing seat

The anvil runs on a bushing at the other end of the housing and again thrust washer instead of a bearing
But it has an oring and grease ports similar to the oil ports on engine pistons.
Wich should keep the bushing well lubricate

Overall the bearings have tighter tolerances on the machined parts than the Gisam
They adopted similar constructions, probably they are produced by the same company.
But I felt Gisam gave more quality for the money with the DTW700 clone (60€) than Yofidra with this one (200 euro), despite the stator windings flexible wires routed incorrectly.

A little detail about the plastic housing

They have made a separate part for the battery well.
I thought might be for two reasons, vibrations dampening or they are working on the actual XGT clone and they want to "recycle" the rest of the unit by just swapping the battery well assembly.
Honestly I've not seen the original Makita TW001GM201 in person so I can't say if they just copy this feature from it or even if it's a separate part on the original one too.
Another thing I don't like is that they used jst head screws while my other clones use torx head screws.

Performance, this thing is a beast, I've cracked open an excavator hammer in few minutes with it removing fasteners torqued between 400 and 800Nm in split seconds.
It definitely need improvements as on harder stuff vibrations make the battery to fall off the unit.
But I think it's solvable by adding vibration dampening rollers on the battery well as there are the seats for them.
I think two little pieces of 6mm fuel line can work for that.

We will have a look to the DTW300 clone next

 

[chris pruteanu]

I have Milwaukee, even they have rubbish battery holders that move in years and don’t feel secure but the tool does everything it says on the tin. I wouldn’t entertain these cheap tools one bit, I don’t have the time to experiment with them... I admire your determination but for me it’s the genuine tools every time/ they work cheaper in the long run !

 

[Memmeddu]

I have Milwaukee, even they have rubbish battery holders that move in years and don’t feel secure but the tool does everything it says on the tin. I wouldn’t entertain these cheap tools one bit, I don’t have the time to experiment with them... I admire your determination but for me it’s the genuine tools every time/ they work cheaper in the long run !

Well main problem is that I don't need impacts frequently, and surely not for heavy duty jobs
I can't justify the cost/use ratio for a genuine Makita

 

[tigdlo]

I can't justify the cost/use ratio for a genuine Makita

If a genuine DTW700 can do the same work as a knock-off/clone 3/4" drive impact, which is likely, then it's a false economy to buy a knock-off of each size instead of one genuine DTW700.

In the UK a DTW700, 2 5ah batteries and a fast charger is £355 or £360 as a kit with a starage box on ebay.

 

[jo1010]

@Memmeddu great teardown and review.
For price comparison in UK I can see the 3/4 gisam on Ali at 96gbp shipping from Germany...
There's a 40v Makita (with no battery) here for 300gbp
https://www.tooled-up.com/makita-tw...36_gqhBKUC5_PTSdd_FgI6HRVqJXT3EkaAqjYEALw_wcB

 

[Memmeddu]

If a genuine DTW700 can do the same work as a knock-off/clone 3/4" drive impact, which is likely, then it's a false economy to buy a knock-off of each size instead of one genuine DTW700.

In the UK a DTW700, 2 5ah batteries and a fast charger is £355 or £360 as a kit with a starage box on ebay.

For comparison 950ish £ is my paycheck.
I can't justify a genuine Makita for a price which resembles an half of my paycheck (they are around 500 600 euro over here).
Because I don't use it every day and it's more for weekend warrior type of use

 

[Memmeddu]

@Memmeddu great teardown and review.
For price comparison in UK I can see the 3/4 gisam on Ali at 96gbp shipping from Germany...
There's a 40v Makita (with no battery) here for 300gbp
https://www.tooled-up.com/makita-tw...36_gqhBKUC5_PTSdd_FgI6HRVqJXT3EkaAqjYEALw_wcB

I've thought about getting clones from AliExpress but I've then remember all the custom duties (you pay them even if it's from Europe because the money is directed to china, I'm not a financial expert I can't explain exactly why), biggest problem is custom because they my even arrest you over here because of stolen intellectual property.
Stuff from china or in drop shipping from a Chinese marketplace are always under control.

 

[Turbo]

Good review, looks to be a decent tool for the price.
My worry would be your battery life.
The original makita version uses 40v batteries for a reason. This clone is made to use batteries of half the voltage. That's going to leave it really hard on batteries, running them flat quickly and likely shortening their life.

It would be akin to replacing a truck engine with one half the hp. It will still haul loads but will be slower, use more fuel, run hotter and the life of the engine shorter.

 

[Memmeddu]

Good review, looks to be a decent tool for the price.
My worry would be your battery life.
The original makita version uses 40v batteries for a reason. This clone is made to use batteries of half the voltage. That's going to leave it really hard on batteries, running them flat quickly and likely shortening their life.

It would be akin to replacing a truck engine with one half the hp. It will still haul loads but will be slower, use more fuel, run hotter and the life of the engine shorter.

They didn't check if the specs are real but I think it gear reduced to work with the underpowered battery copy platform.
Usually those clones don't get any benefit by using bigger than 5Ah OEM Makita battery packs.
Just longer runtime.
I've loosen up roughly 25 fasteners (torqued between 400 to 800Nm roughly) with it, and the battery was still on 4 bar level.
It hits really hard so it doesn't rattle a lot and inertia does the rest.
But to be honest I used it for too little time to certainly say something about the runtime.
My clone grinder really eats batteries really quickly but it works fine doesn't even feel cordless.
I'd probably buy a custom 9 or 12Ah battery pack not for the discharge current but because it's divided on 3 cells groups