Impact driver

[Chris McDowell]

How many of you are using cordless impact drivers? I had been kicking the idea around about getting one for cabinet assembly for a while. I was just curious as to how many had one and how they were working out for you. I just bought one of the small 10.8V Bosch drivers today. It sure seems impressive for it's size.

Chris

[Steve knight]

I have had a makita 12v and now the makita 18v li on. they are great tools that are far nicer to drive things with. they don't twist your wrist that have tons of power and they break things less. but they don't have a clutch so you have to be careful.

[Rick Potter]

I have a 12V Makita, used it about 3 or four years. Finally killed the batteries, and bought a new 12V drill on Amazon just for the new batteries. $99 for the kit with two new 3.0 mah batteries. I use the new batteries on the impact driver, and the new drill just sits there.

I cannot imagine going back to a drill again. This baby is tough enough for small lag screws, and gentle enough for most woodworking if you are carefull.

I plan to get the whole enchilada 18V set at the next WW show, since I work on rentals and renovations a lot.

I heartily recommend it.

Rick Potter

[Per Swenson]

Simply, the tool of choice.

Two Makitas, and a Hilti. I have grown very fond of my Hilti.

Per

[Mike Wilkins]

My Dewalt 14.4 impact driver is probably the most-used tool in my shop. Except for small/tiny screws, nothing beats it for driving lots of screws and it handles lag screws like no ones' business.
If you don't have one, what are you waiting for?
It's hot in NC. Pass me a cold one.

[Kent Fitzgerald]

Makita 14.4V here. I love it, but it does take a quick trigger finger and some practice to drive smaller screws w/o breaking, stripping, or oversinking them. Great for hanging sheetrock with a dimpler.

[Bart Leetch]

If you want to try one & not spend a lot of money try a Ryobi 18 volt. I did & was pleasantly surprised. Ryobi isn't the most expensive but I think they have improved their quality over what they use to manufacture. I was driving 3 1/2" screws through the first 1 1/4" layer which was pre-drilled to the bottom of the threads into the edge of a fir 2x last night without any problem what so ever. It take most of the work out of driving screws. I use it almost as much I I use to use a drill. Now with my 2 Makita 9.6 drills & my Ryobi 18 volt drill & this impact driver I can set up to do what ever & just change from drill to drill & finish with the impact driver.

[Dave McFarlane]

I've had my Dewalt 14.4v driver for 2 years now and I can say that it is the most used power tool that I own. Back then I picked it up for ~$450 and today you can get a Dewalt 18v for $329! It is a great tool with lots of power and torque to drive screws of any size.

[Matt Meiser]

I bought a Makita 14.4V with the Lithium Ion batteries at the beginning of the summer and love it. I love having an impact as much for the bigger stuff (nuts, bolts, lag screws) as for woodworking. If you only plan to do smaller screws, the compact drivers from Bosch are also worth a look. I have one of those too.

I was disappointed by the battery life on my Ryobi drill/saw kit and found out that they use very low Ah cells. That problem can be solved by having the batteries rebuilt with higher capacity cells. I had Battery Rebuilders rebuild them and that made a mediocre tool into a really nice one. My Ryboi set was older so maybe they've improved the cell quality some. Regardless, even factoring in a battery rebuild they are a good deal and you can more easily justify buying some of the specialty tools that you wouldn't use a lot but would make life easier when you do.

[Steve Clardy]

I don't have an impact driver for use in the shop, for woodworking.

Never seen the need I guess

If I need an impact, I get out my snap-on 1/2" air impact.

If I need to set screws in concrete, I get out my electric hammer drill.

What am I missing here?
Are you all using these on #12 and up screws, or?
Are you using these to replace air impacts?

Steve

[Jeff Heil]

I have the Makita 14.4. To answer Steve's question, I use it to drive all sizes of screws with both phillips and square drives. I have found it handy to drive screws when installing drawer glides and cabinet hardware. I use it on #8 screws and smaller blum drawer glide screws, not just the larger screws.

I use my Dewalt 14.4 cordless drill for drilling pilot holes and prefer the impact for driving screws over the cordless drill. It is lighter, smaller and the built in LED seemed like a gimick, until it brightened the inside of a cabinet I was putting drawer glides in.

I like the long battery life of the Li-ion cells and find myself reaching for the impact over my cordless drills.

[Steve Clardy]

I have the Makita 14.4. To answer Steve's question, I use it to drive all sizes of screws with both phillips and square drives. I have found it handy to drive screws when installing drawer glides and cabinet hardware. I use it on #8 screws and smaller blum drawer glide screws, not just the larger screws.

I use my Dewalt 14.4 cordless drill for drilling pilot holes and prefer the impact for driving screws over the cordless drill. It is lighter, smaller and the built in LED seemed like a gimick, until it brightened the inside of a cabinet I was putting drawer glides in.

I like the long battery life of the Li-ion cells and find myself reaching for the impact over my cordless drills.

Ok. I have two of the PS-20's, non impact.

I really like them, and yes, the light is great for attaching counter tops in those often dark lower cabinets.

So you are not having a screw striping out problem in wood?

[Jeff Heil]

You "feather" the driver to avoid stripping screws. It has more power than you need and will strip a screw if you go "full throttle" No problem sinking 2" construction screws into 3/4 ply until they are flush or with smaller screws in wood either.

My impact has turned out to be more useful than I anticipated. I initally bought it due to it's compact size to fit inside drawer boxes to attach pulls and to drive pocket screws in tight places.

[Mike Heidrick]

I have the Makita 18V Li ion and Bosch 10.8V PS40. Bought the Makita from Mark at heavy duty tools in the LXT202 set. GREAT deal on it with a 3rd battery. PS40 came from the Lowes pricematch in IL deal for $120. Love them both!!

[Matt Meiser]

Steve, if you haven't tried one, give it a try. It is amazing how easily they drive screws.