It’s no surprise that Hitachi makes worksite radios. This brand has long been a household name in many countries around the world, in television, radios and many other high quality consumer electronics products.
If you’re looking for a cordless, high quality and user-friendly radio to use at your job site, then the Hitachi UR18DSL/J4 model should be among your very first choices. The bottom line with this radio is that it’s designed to give you high quality sound whilst still retailing at a reasonable price.
This work site radio has the benefit of running of mains or battery power. Opting for battery power of means your mobility is not restricted; you can move around with it anywhere on site. The obvious downside to this is of course once the batteries are drained that’s your lot for the day, so unless of course you have access to a 240 Volt socket. On the plus side, the tuner has an LCD display that helps you know what channel you’re on and other information; so from a user friendly perspective this radio is no struggle at all.
This radio relies on a principle known as ‘bass reflex‘, whereby the design of the system allows for a more efficient bass response, so for a little unit you get a surprisingly big sound. In addition, the Auxiliary in port that comes with the radio allows you to play music from your smartphone or iPod, so you can listen to your favourite tunes on demand, and in glorious high fidelity. The charging port on this model allows you to charge your mobile phone, which is a nice feature but bear in mind that it will take away charge that the radio would use otherwise.
The large rotary handle makes this radio even more user friendly when it comes to lugging it around. It also
Pros
- Mobility is guaranteed
- High quality sound delivery, particularly bass response
- Comes with standard accessories such as an AC power adapter and 3 dry batteries.
- Users say it comes with a solid carry case, it has a cheap plastic feel and that a full battery charge can last even a full day
- Large handle makes it comfortable to carry in your hand around the job site
- Some users have noted that the cassette batteries are interchangeable with those of other Hitachi tools like drills
Cons
- It is a bit on the heavy side (3.3kg)
At the same time, users have raised the following complaints:
- Slight delay when changing stations – difficult to scroll quickly through the channels to make a decision
- Slight vibration from the chassis
- The USB charger does not charge iPhones
Conclusion
Despite a few complaints, the Hitachi UR18DSL has received a fair amount of positive feedback. Therefore, you won’t be buying based on blind optimism if you do opt for it. Whilst this is by no means the best job site radio on the market, it’s still a ruggedly built product that is reliable in the harsh environment of a building site.
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