i am looking at the new (newish) 12v panasonic impact driver but i found the review that fhb did awhile ago and the 9.6v did not get very good marks i was wonder if anyone has the 12v model i use the drill and like the idea of the one charger and love the quality
thanks noah
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Replies
I havnt seen one yet but their drills consistantly seem to get top marks in the reviews. Apparently they know how to make batteries. I would assume the impact driver would be comparably made. I would allready have the panasonic setup if i didnt have the dewalts. Just picked up 18v jigsaw and the rotary laser to add to my set. Love the tools but the batteries suck!
I've had mine a couple weeks & love it
greg
Hey chef,
I had a Dewalt 14.4 drill driver and when it finally gave up the ghost I got a Panasonic 15.6 all in one tool, drill, driver, impact, charger, 2 batteries, case.
This is the best cordless tool I have bought yet. Spend a few extra bucks and get the 15.6 all in one. You won't regret buying it.
Have fun with your new tool.
Cork in Chicago
cork . i was looking at that at Quaker Lane yesterday..
is the snap- on- chuck any good ?
i'd really like to get it , since i have the drill and the saw.... this would give me 6 batteries and 3 chargers
in other words... the driver looked good... the chuck looked suspect.. and i wasn't sure about the switch from rotate to impact..
can you tell me more ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I've been using my Pana. 15.6 multi for about 8 mo.
I love it!
The Chuck works great for drills.
As Wrecked angle will attest, it is not for use in the impact mode.
We are in the middle of a Monster bedroom suite with 4 rooms of cabinets.
I have been using mine hard.
but I did start using a drill for drilling and just using the panasonic for screwdiving(and breaking drywall scerws in maple).
Great tool !!!
Mr T
Do not try this at home!
I am an Experienced Professional!
I will say this about that three jaw chuck I blew up using it in impact mode... The only thing that seems to have been broken is the plastic housing which allowed a few of the metal parts the plastic was holding in to fall out.
I've continued to use the chuck and it works fine, though I have to open and close it with Channel Locks. It looks like the current California governor near the end of his first Terminator movie but it hasn't given up just yet.
Its only plastic on the outside... The guts are the real deal! Anyone following the directions should expect years of use out of that attachment.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 -
Hey Mike Smith,
The chuck works great. It's easy to switch out with the drill driver adapter. On most of the chucks of this type it's hard to really torque down tight on a drill bit and get it real tight so the drill bit won't slip. This chuck grabs them real tight. The only problem I have had is twice I have had to use a clamp to loosen the chuck to remove a drill bit. The owners manual warns you of this. Personally this does not bother me as I always have lots of clamps, and it was easy to loosen the chuck with one of these. This truly is a "heavy duty" chuck.
As far as the impact driver goes, let me tell you this thing is truly the cats meow. I do a lot of drilling and screwing in steel door frames, sometimes mortar or concrete filled frames. This used to eat my lunch with just a regular drill/driver. Now most of the time I just use self tapping screws with impact mode. Man alive, let me tell you the difference is like night and day. Usually when a screw starts to bind, the screw bit tip just backs out and starts spinning stripping the grooves off of the head of the screw, but with the Panasonic 15.6 multi drive the impact mode kicks in and just sinks the screw like it was nobody's business. The only thing you have to be careful of is not to hold down the trigger to long or it sure will snap the head off of the screw. Another great use for the impact mode is for removing machine screw from hinges in metal frames. Sometimes when half trained monkeys hang doors they torque the screws in too tight and it is almost impossible to remove the hinge screws. When using the impact mode the screw just "pop right out"--FANTASTIC!!
Don't worry about the drill chuck. It truly is "heavy duty". It grabs real little (down to 1/16" drill bits) real good, has enough torque to nearly break your wrist and changes out with the impact adapter real easy.
Buy one of these and you won't regret it.
Cork in Chicago
Mike,
Here is a good look at the inner workings of that chuck. http://forums.taunton.com/tp-BREAKTIME/messages?msg=34767.1
I broke the plastic housing on mine using it inappropriately but the plastic is only skin deep - It is a solid attachment. I'm not sure what your concern about the switch is but it works great too.
I would be very surprised to find anyone using this tool that was less than thrilled with it. It sinks 10" structural square drive screws, drills 1 1/2" holes with a spade bit, and buries anchor bolt nuts into solid wood all day long without breaking a sweat. I even helped a stranded motorist change a trailer tire with it the other day.
I just wish I could find a #3 square drive bit that could handle the torque without camming out. I seem to be replacing the Bosh bits I'm using just about as often as I have to put the battery on the charger. Of course, as long as this tool holds a charge, that may be considered good service. :-)>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 -
I bought the 12 volt Panasonic impact driver a month or so ago and love it! I was leaning towards the 15.6 volt multi driver, but, like you, I also have 12 volt Panasonic drills and wanted to be able to interchange batteries. The other reason I went with the 12 volt impact is it's compact size. I have been doing a lot of kitchen cabinet installs lately and the compact size of the 12 volt is perfect for screwing the face frame of one cabinet to another - haven't had to go for the right angle drill since I got the impact driver.
Get the 12 volt Panasonic impact driver - you will be glad you did!
Have you tried the 15.6? I am considering getting either one but wonder if there is much difference in the spec and field performance. I am leaning toward the 12 because of its compact size.
No, have not tried the 15.6. The compact size of the 12 and the fact that the batteries will interchange with my existing Panasonic (3 drills, 1 circular saw, 1 flashlight, and 3 chargers) was the selling point for the 12. Can't see that there is anything I need to do that the 12 won't do just fine. I am in to comfort - that is why I have stuck with the 12 volt drills rather than going with some of the much heavier 18 or 24 volt models out there. But, again, to answer your question, NO I have not tried the 15.6.