Hi, All:
I need to re-tool, and have recently read a review of cordless impact drivers in FHB #184, which is leading me toward buying one to pair with a new cordless drill. I have never used, nor even seen one in use, and I wondered if people here have experience with them. (My question, of course, is that, if they are as useful as they appear to be, according to the review, why aren’t they in wider use?)
Thanks for any reponses.
Charlie
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Replies
Dude I love mine. I just got rid of my cordless drill dont need it anymore. But there was lengthy discussions about these guns recently. try checking out the archives.
Darkworks: Its all 'bout da squilla
Two words
Buy One.
Now a few more.....
I bought the makita 12v around christmas. Other then the noise, it is great. I also bought the 12v makita drill so I could interchange the batteries, most of the time drill sits and is not used other then the batteries.
If you get the makita:
Buy the one with 2.6 ah batteries, I do not know if it is still offered with the 1.3 ah batteries that came with mine, but the drill I have came with the 2.6 ah, the 2.6 ah seem to last longer in my experience.
Bought the Makita with 2.6 batteries in Jan. Within two days I used it to drive 8 3/8" x 5" long lag screws through a pre-drilled ledger (we didn't predrill into the substructure.) They thing worked like a champ, and I haven't let it out of my sight since. I use to drive 4" screws into framing when I can't get a gun in there, again it has been a job-saver.
I still use my cordless drill, the impact drills spin too fast for small work, though, IMHO. But every job I've had since I got the thing, it's been used. It's light, and it's tough. And when the hammer kicks in, it's noisy. A good kind of noisy, a manly kind of noisy. It's great. Where's my drill, gotta go drive some screws...
Do as CAG says in his post, "Buy One".
I have the Makita 12V as well. My good wife bought it for me in February. Have used it to hang cabinets, drywall, even some strike plates. Works great when your leverage isn't so good. Nice light tool. Buy some ear protection as well. Money well spent.
Ditto on the Makita. I bought mine two years ago. Greatest thing since sliced bread. Seriously. It's fantastic. I've got a handful of cordless drills of one type or another that I've collected over the years. None of them, from that humble 9.6V up to the 19.2V can come anywhere close when it comes to driving screws. I really don't use my cordless drills for anything other than actual drilling anymore. As for the noise, it does take a little getting used to, but hey, I wear earplugs most of the time anyway, so it's not that big a deal. I'm just waiting for Makita to come out with a right angle version to get into those really tight spots so I can officially retire my 9.6V right angle drill (which seems to always be used for driving screws in tight spots anyway).
Do you remember how great it was when you bought that first cordless drill? It was just a 9.6V but it was the greatest thing you'd ever seen and you couldn't imagine how you got along without it before? It's just like that, all over again, except better!
Run, don't walk, to the nearest tool dealer and buy the new Makita with the 2.6 AH batteries (or whatever matches up with all the batteries and cordless drill(s) you already have). You'll be glad you did.
First cordless was an 18V DeWalt. Got it about 10 years ago. I had used a neighbors 12V and had to go and get me one. Of course the bigger the better and 18V's was as big as I could get at the time. Still have it and one of the original batteries still works well. Oh, and had to get the 24V hammerdrill a few years ago. It's a heavy beast but it has come in very handy more than a few times.
Gotta say though, I think I was in more "tool awe" with the inpact driver than the cordless when they came out.
With my 2 pretty creaky shoulders the Makita makes overhead type work so much easier. It might even put off surgery a few years.
If you've ever screwed tapcons into a concrete wall (after drilling a pilot hole, of course), you know that it's really tough to snug them up with most drills, be they cordless, or corded and the screws philips or hex head.
Well, trial facing my new Makita 12V a few months ago was driving several hundred of the damned things furring out a basement wall...NO PROBLEM!!
Charlie,
I had the chance to line up all of the commonly available cordless impact drivers about three years ago for a review in JLC. I used them to drive thousands of screws in jobsite conditions, i.e. terrible weather, rain, mud, snow, single digit temps.
As pretty much everyone else here has suggested, buy the Makita. It will change the way you work.
DRC
Get the Panasonic Multidriver.
Head & shoulders above the crowd!
Comes with 1/2" drive, quick change 1/4" hex, and a 1/2" keyless chuck.
Has a clutch, a impact mode and two 3.0 amp-hour 15.6v. Ni Mh batteries.
Lighter than an 18 volt but still out performs them!
Mr T
Do not try this at home!
I am an Experienced Professional!
ditto the panasonic
it will drive everthing from a 6*1 slotted brass screw to a 1/2" coach screw with no problems.
the battery lasts for ages between charges and you can change flat tyres with no probs.
i've had one for a year and i wouldn't change it for anything.
aleks
Man, I hope you're right about not regretting getting the Panasonic Multi Drill and Driver Kit (Model EY6535NQKW)
I had never even heard about it. Just knew I really wanted the 15.6 cordless drill that has been getting rave reviews everywhere lately but I felt the impact would be better suited for my needs.
Anyway, not knowing about the Panasonic impact/drill driver, I ordered the 12 volt Makita impact earlier today for a grand total of $224.81. When I read your message I did a bunch of quick research, called them back and changed my order. The change cost me an extra $75.18 but I look at it like I'm getting the Panasonic cordless drill in addition to the impact driver for that bargain price.
You wouldn't steer me wrong now would you T?
Kevin Halliburton
"I believe that architecture is a pragmatic art. To become art it must be built on a foundation of necessity." - I.M. Pei -
T , where did you buy your Panasonic at such a good price? Still available?
Woodworkers warehouse near me had thier last 2 on sale for some reason. Maybe cause of the impending realease of an 18 volt line??
The recall is because the batteries can fal out of the drill some how.
Maybe defective catches??
Panasonic is mailing me a prepaid mailer to send them back in and then they will send me two new ones.
Guess I will have to Use my default for a couple of weeks. :(Mr T
Do not try this at home!
I am an Experienced Professional!
It absolutely amazes me that these are not more widely known. I've been a tool guy for a long time, and I've read lots of magazines and watched tons of home shows, and never came across a single mention of impact drivers. Palm nailers, specialty joist hanger nailers, and all sorts of other tools, but never impact drivers.
Until I came across the article in FH.
I bought my Makita 12V at Home Depot, and I have to say it is the single most useful tool I've bought in the last 3 years. The big key over a cordless drill is:
1) Far more torque.
2) Far more control. If you feather the trigger it's really easy to control the exact number of impacts. I did a few sheets of drywall recently, and this worked phenomenally well. I got them all perfectly recessed.
I'm sold. The only downside is that the price is a fair bit more than a cordless drill.
Its all been said.....get the Makita.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Aside from price, are there advantages to getting the Makita over the Panasonic Multi-drill/impact driver? This poster is looking to pair an impact with a new cordless drill. Those were my exact needs and the Panasonic seemed like the cheapest way to get both in one tool.
Does anyone know what the Panasonic recall was about? I found a couple of sites with great prices on them but they were "out of stock due to recall".
My order ships today so if anyone has a reason the Panasonic and I should not be wed let him speak now or forever hold his peace.Kevin Halliburton
"I believe that architecture is a pragmatic art. To become art it must be built on a foundation of necessity." - I.M. Pei -
Kevin....sorry I cant comment on the Panasonic with any authority. Only thing Ive heard about a recall was with the batteries. As far as the tool itself...I was not impressed with the Panasonic cordless drill of the past, although I know several people who were quite happy with it.
I suggested the Makita because it is the one I own and am very pleased with it to this point, as I have been with every Makita tool Ive ever purchased.J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
the panasonic comes with a 1/2" chuck but the rpm in the drill ,mode are about 650.
so its alright for most holes and augers, but if you have loads of small holes in metal then a regular drill/driver is better.
i got a standard 15.6v panasonic 2 years ago (its the only drill i have had that has lasted more than 12 months) and last year i got a panasonic multidrill as i spend most of my time fixing screws, bolts and the like.
the impact drill is great for everyhting from 6*1 screws to 6" tapcons into concrete.
but i find that i still use both drills.
i hope this is helpful
aleks
Woe, red flag! RPM on the specs was 2200 rpm. I guess that is only in impact mode. I seem to remember someone posting here that they were having success drilling with impact drivers but I've never used one for that purpose.
This may come off like a very uninformed question...well, because that's exactly what it is... but what would prevent you from drilling at higher RPM's in Impact mode? Is it just because it will trash the bit or are there other things that would make this a bad idea?Kevin Halliburton
"I believe that architecture is a pragmatic art. To become art it must be built on a foundation of necessity." - I.M. Pei -
the chuck which you use for holding drills is only supposed to be used on the slower drilling mode.
you can use drill bits with a 1/4" hex shank in the quick chuck and you can use this at 2200 rpm.
so you can drill at speed. if you push too hard the impact clutch kicks in.
but i really would not be without this drill.
the batteries go for ages between charges.
and it doesn't weigh aton.
aleks
I have used my Makita to drill holes in a pinch, if I happen to have the right bit handy with a hex shank, and sometimes with a spade bit. The spade bit will fall out because it doesn't have the recess for the ball catch. Bigger problem, especially with spade bits, is that enough resistance will develop so that the impact mode kicks in, effectively slowing the rpm's. But in a pinch, it's quicker than going and finding a regular drill motor.
Do it right, or do it twice.
I have a set of spade bits with the groove in the shank and my experience has been that they drill a little faster in the impact drive, but then I haven't drilled enough holes that way to make a definitive claim.
I don't believe an impact driver is a replacement for a cordless drill, however, and anyone contemplating buying one or the other, but not both, should assess what the most common use will be and make the decision based on which tool is most suitable for the work.
I've had great success using the Makita 12V Impact Driver as a drill(used a buddy's at work a bunch), was drilling through a ton of cutting board, drilling and countersinknig white plexi for backlights, and FRP+wallboard+plywood sandwich. Also used it with the spade bit through some 2x4s, worked well. It's great for toenailing in screws w/ no pilot hole when rebuilding sections of a wall. It's a great tool, as is the DeWalt impact.
But I've recently embarked on a change in approach from 'own every tool ever' to minimalism; I move around a ton(never more than 4day jobs) and just want to lug less stuff around. Lots of dropping in somewhere for 4 hours for a small door hardware job, I bought some extra batteries/charger over the weekend and am trying to just use the B&D 85th anniversary 14.4 cordless to simplify things(I know I know, not professional grade blah blah, got it for xmas, used every day sometimes 12 hours and works great with the keyed chuck I put on it)
-Ray.
Impact drivers have only been in use for about four years and that is why it may seem that not everyone is using them. Once you do use one you will wonder why they didn't think of this concept sooner.
They are lowd - strong - lightweight - and last
They will drive a 6"screw through the center of a knot without busting the bit or stripping the head of the screw.
They cost about $250 but well worth it.
Now go buy one so you can post on "what tool did you buy today"
Bob
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
HI. I just bought a Makita 12v impact driver in Japan. Here in Japan its hard to find a cordless drill anymore, everyone has an impact. I don't think there are any tradesmen without an impact here. The number one brands are Makita and National/Panasonic.
One problem, is that stainless steel screws seem to break easily with impact drivers. This can be a real pain when dealing with finish work, etc.
Good luck with the purchase.
SS
Thanks to all for responses - extremely helpful! Decided on 12-v Makita pair: M-Force 3/8" drill, and an impact driver with the 2.6 Ah batteries. That combo should handle all but the fiercest hole-drilling tasks, for which I'll just drag out the old corded 1/2" hawg.
It gives me a good feeling, in these worrisome times for humanity, that people will expend the energy to lend a hand; again, many thanks!
Charlie
Ive got a makita that i wouldnt lend out to anyone, its well worth the 220 bones i shelled out for the thing.
I snicker when i convince someone to go out and buy one, now if i could only get commision....