Does anyone have any experience with any of these? The runners include the Milwaukee that was mentioned to me by a fellow reade( I think it has an offset head, like 55 degree) The Makita with the LED light, the Hitachi, or the Bosch.
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I had a Souix for years when I was installing K&B's on a regular basis..flawless tool. Made the hardest jobs a lot easier.
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I've got a couple of those Souix also.... are they model # 3000? Definitely love them, the superior ergonomics more than make up for the cord. If you use them a lot you immediately find that all your pistol-grip drills feel dorky next time you pick them up.
I've had theMakita for a year or so--don't use it much but no problems so far.
got a Bosch on the rec of the tool guy where i buy tools often. Said it moved more than any other through his store. I've used mine for a little more than a year with on again off again duty and have no problems with it. Lot's of power to drive the self feeding augers.
The Sioux and the Milwaukee 'close quarter' drill are the same animal ... though it looks like the package has been given a new, more angular look.
While you can get it with a 1/2" chuck .... and the drill handles wonderfully ... the angle depends on a tiny gear, one that readily shatters if you hit a nail, or the hole saw binds. Getting the gear repaired costs about $60.
Now for the unexpected result: for a completely different job, I purchased a cordless 9.6v impact driver. The head of this tool is short enough that it fits in most of the places were, before, I used that little Sioux "sparrow." The impact also has comparable drilling "power," without the tendency to twist your hand (as any drill does). For driving screws, even lag bolts, the impact also has much better control.
So ... the Sioux has spent the past several months all alone in the toolbox.
Do you think an 18V impact driver would bore holes well? I'd have to use an adaptor for the bits or buy ones with a hex end. My paddle bits have a hex end.
There was one marked down at Home Depot today.
I think it would work very well. It's the mechanism inside that sets the 'power,' not the battery size! All a bigger battery will do is run longer. I recommend that you get the special Superbor MAX bits. Combined with the impact driver, they are an unbeatable combination. Just don't plan on cutting through nails.
I've done several searches for the "special Superbor MAX bits" and it just doesn't come up. Erwin right? If you go to the Erwin site they have speedbor and a few others but no superbor. At least none that I can find.
I'm trying to keep every cordless an 18V makita. I don't like having so many chargers and gadgets. I look forward to using an impact.
I apologize for getting the name a little bit wrong. Here's a link to the right bits:http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/detail.jhtml?prodId=IrwinProd160002 They are available at Lowes, both as a set, and individually.
No problem. I'm buying a set and wanted to know. looks like they will do most holes. How about larger holes? Like for 1 1/2" waste lines? Or 2"?
Would The impact drive these in the pic?
AFAIK, the 1 3/8 bit is the largest. For larger holes, I suggest the Milwaukee "Selfeed" bits:http://www.milwaukeeconnect.com/wcsstore/METB2B/html/images/mediumprod/48-25-1001-2561.jpg Oddly enough, Milwaukee also makes a cordless impact driver for these bits, as well:http://www.milwaukeeconnect.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_27_40028_-1_684546_192145_192137 Use an impact once ... and your drill will be forgot.
Edited 1/21/2008 11:58 am ET by renosteinke
I noticed that the Milwaukee impact is 7/16" drive and both the Milwaukee and the Erwin self feed bits are 7/16" shanks.
The Makita is 1/4" drive. I work by myslf and don't push tools hard. But there's a little voice in the back of my head saying this won't work.
I'll still get the smaller dia speedbor bits and the impact.
Do you think I could use an adapter and still use the 1/4" drive impact with a 7/16" shank bit?
The milwaukee impact is longer than the short Makita so it won't get into spaces as well.
I own the smaller impact, the Irwin bits, and use them regularly. The Irwin bits have 1/4" hex shanks. I own several of the selfeed bits, and have used the larger impact ... but do not own one. Yet. The selfeed bits are a lot shorter than the Irwin bits, so they should work in tight spaces, even with a longer tool. I'm suggesting tools that compliment each other - rather than compete! Adapters? I think not. Anything that could drive a big bit would be sure to break a small one. It takes a lot more force to make a big hole than a small one. Using a selfeed bit in a conventional drill is a sure invitation to a broken wrist. Even using an angle drill, or the Hawg, you can really feel the torque. That's the nice thing about the impacts ... you don't feel the torque. No more getting tossed off the ladder.
I've owned a Hawg and a right 110v angle Milwaukee. Both are long gone. I've used maybe a 1" drill motor ( I'm guessing)drilling holes through pilings and whalers for a sea wall. That's the biggest I've ever used. It was fine until you hit a nail and the bit stopped. I had to let it go and step back even with 18-24" bars on it. It got me once even though I stepped back with the chuck key on top of my head. No hard hat. Good thing I have such a hard head. ;^)
So the self feed 7/16" shank bits are to much for a Makita. It makes sense. I've tried to make tools work when they are made for something else and it usually doesn't work. I try not to buy tools I won't use much. I'm not expanding my work or tools unless it pays. I've bought to many tools in the past that weren't right for me.
After you use the impact driver, you won't want to go back to a drill/driver. The impact is noisy, but much easier on the hands/wrists.
I had the plastic cooling fan disintegrate on my Souix drill. I checked out having it fixed, but it wasn't worth it.
It doesn't get a lot of use, so I'll just continue with it until it burns up.
I know some guys who use one for sanding bowls on the lathe. It does work well for that, since it can get into areas a regular drill can't.
I have a B&D (black dewalt) rt angle, and the old style Milwaukee. The milwaukee cant fit where the B&d will. Both are great tools, but I give the nod to the B&D. Except for the switch that is easily turned on.
The "angular" milwaukee drill is chinese now.
I have the Makita 3/8" compact right angle drill and like it quite a bit. I also have the large Milwaukee right angle drill, but the Makita allows getting in much tighter spaces. I have had no trouble punching 1: spade bits through studs or bottom plates. The LED is actually pretty handy. My only problem with it is that with the stubby geared chuck, it is sometimes tedious to snug down on a small drill bit when the chuck has been opened to the full 3/8" inch, but that is very minor.
There is a page listing several right angle drills at:
http://www.mytoolstore.com/compare/cpdrill2.html