Makita DMR107 - Top 5 things you need to know

Blasting the tunes while working is as traditional as builder’s tea and a Gregg’s sausage roll. While the likes of DeWALT and HiKOKI have been aiming to revolutionise the jobsite music game with futuristic radios that wouldn’t look out of place in a middle-class “media room”, Makita has tweaked and refined its tried and tested DMR10* model.

Read our guide to jobsite radios here.

It’s called the DMR107, and here are the top 5 things you need to know about it. Watch our Top 5 Things Video on Toolstop TV:

#1 – Lithium-Ion Batteries Only

Previously, the likes of the DMR102 would run off the mains, lithium-ion batteries or Makita’s legacy Ni-Cad or NI-MH. The key change with the evolved DMR107 is that it runs off the mains, but will now accept only lithium-ion battery packs. This makes sense as more of us have completely moved away from the less reliable, less durable older battery platforms.

And as Makita now has the new CXT 10.8V battery platform, the DMR107 accepts these as a source of power. So, if you’ve got 7.2V, 10.8V (standard push-in or CXT), 14.4V LXT or 18V LXT battery packs, you can power the new DMR107 away from the mains.

#2 – It’s New But Familiar

The controls of the DMR107 are exactly the same as those found in previous models, down to the digital display, so it’ll feel familiar to set up and use during the day.

#3 – It’s Tough

From the bendy-but-removable antenna (it unscrews and is stored onboard the radio to prevent it from being damaged in transit) to the rugged rubberised bumpers, and metal vertical bars protecting its front, the DMR107 is – of course – designed to handle the toughness of the environment where you’re working.

#4 – It’s IP64 Rated

Whether it’s the dust inside or the rain outside, the DMR107 can handle it. That’s due to the IP64 rating, which basically means it’s sealed to prevent dust ingress and can withstand water ingress from your typical British summertime shower. It also makes it the ideal weekend entertainment for your summer garden parties (ie. BBQ). Just don’t be dunking it into a bucket of water, obviously.

#5 – You’ll Hear it Over John’s Hammer Drill

On either side of the DMR107 is a 76mm diameter speaker pumping out the tunes – or sports commentary – at a volume that’ll easily compete with the loudness of the jobsite. Added that, it has AM and FM receivers and you can link up your phone or mp3 player via the aux-in port to run your summer playlists or just listen to podcasts from your device.

IMPORTANT INFO:

It’s worth pointing out that the DMR107 won’t charge your lithium-ion batteries and it isn’t compatible with the G-Series packs. It’s also “body-only”, so no batteries are supplied other than two AAs to power the display/memory.

What’s your favourite jobsite radio?