I am trying to choose an impact drill (driver) that can install 10 inch Spax lag screws in pressure treated timbers. Although I would prefer a corded model, I find very few corded models on the market. ( Am I being too quick to want to shy away from battery operated models ?)
Has anyone here actually used an impact driver to install 10 inch lag screws and if so, which driver did you use for the job ?
Thank you very much !!
James
I used a 1/2" B&D impact driver to install a couple or three hundred
3/8" and 1/2" lag screws when sistering joists on a commercial job. Worked great. Only caveat was that it could easily shear off the head. Never used Spax so I can't comment on how those screws behave. RR, were these ten inch screws ?? And, was the B&D corded, or battery operated ?
Also, did you pre-drill ??
Thanks !!
James
ed, or battery
The impact was corded and I did not drill pilots. The screws averaged around 1/2" x 6".
RThanks R !!
James
Spax screws are a brand name of high quality german made wood screws. They can often be used without pre-drilling because of the serrated tip and slick coating. Lag bolts are not bolts at all. Lag bolts or screws are large wood screws with a hex head rather than a slotted head, and are driven with a wrench or socket rather than a screw driver. Lag bolts almost always require a pilot hole because of the generally larger size.
Although I would prefer a
That would depend on how many you want to drive at once. If you often have hundreds, perhaps a corded impact driver would be best. One of the advantages of an impact driver is it has a hell of a lot more power than an equal sized regular drill and at a LOT less battery usage. Another advantage is they are effortless to use and a 10" Spax screw would drive effortlessly, with one handed drilling. If you drive one 10" screw w/o a pilot hole with an impact driver you will never want to go back to a regular drill. The main disadvantage of an impact driver is they are larger and not right for small screws like drawer pulls, cabinet hinges and so on. They are ideal for 10" spax screws.
I've used mine on large screws, and they are night and day from a regular drill. They feel effortless because about no twist is transferred to your wrist.
I would buy a cordless, corded drills imo are now a special use tool, not sure when they are needed anymore. I guess if I had a lot of large holes to drill I would dig out the corded drill.
I have two corded drills, one I primarily use when mixing paint, and a hammer drill (not impact drill) I've had for 35 years I only use for drilling holes in concrete. I just thought of a reason for a corded drill.... I use my hammer drill about once every couple of years... not the best for a battery tool. My impact drill gets frequent usage.
They are not lags. They are thin, hardened, long screws designed particularly for asembly of wood that is too big to nail. You do not have to predrill as they are pretty thin. You can find them in lowes now. They are pretty handy for big pt lumber as it's a fast way to assemble. They are bit pricey though. A good powerful corded drill will work fine. You do not need an impact driver.
jamesgangnc wrote the following:
There are lag screws and lag bolts. These are lag screws. Normally tapered to a point and not employing a nut like a lag bolt.
I have a Black and Decker. I use a Makita 18volt but that would not hold up long to successive bolting. I do like though, the "pre-drill" lags made and they do come in varying lengths, and hardness. Simpson makes those for attaching some of their ties. The 10" length I have never looked into, although I have looked into 6" length. jloomisconstruction.com
I am trying to choose an impact drill (driver) that can install 10 inch Spax lag screws in pressure treated timbers. Although I would prefer a corded model, I find very few corded models on the market. ( Am I being too quick to want to shy away from battery operated models ?)
Has anyone here actually used an impact driver to install 10 inch lag screws and if so, which driver did you use for the job ?
Thank you very much !!
James
I think most people think of the hex or square headed, heavy, galvanized, large wood screws as "lag" screws. Not sure if that is technically accurate or not. The spax screws are really just screws, not "lag" anything.
Hi James,
You don't need an impact driver to drive lag screws. A good driver drill will do fine.
I've driven many 6" lag bolts using my 18V Craftsman cordless drill (not impact). It has no trouble driving bolts like this, but the battery will limit how many you can drive. Wild guess, I'm betting I could drive well over a dozen 10" lags with my cordless drill.
For heavy duty driving or drilling, I turn to my corded Dewalt DW246. It is not an impact driver, but it's geared for low RPM and has a LOT of power. It would have no problem driving lags of any size, and would likely snap the lag or break your arms before seizing up. :)
The DW246 isn't cheap (about $160), but it's well worth the investment.
In either case, the weak link for me has been the adapter that lets you use a 3/8" socket in a drill. I've snapped a few of these over the years, so make sure you have a spare on hand.
Good luck,
Anthony Watson Mountain Software
Perhaps, but Spax sells screws and they sell lags. The OP said lag screws.
Next thing you know, someone will screw up the job.
Just so I'm on topic--I use an air-impact when doing stuff like this. They work much better than electric, IMHO.
25+ years ago, I had a B&D 1/2" electric impact wrench that worked great at driving lag screws or working on my vehicles. It was a bit larger than an air tool but it seemed to be just as strong and I didn't have to drag an air compressor around to use it. The new cordless impact tools of all sizes are nothing short of amazing to me, especially those with the newer Lithium-Ion battery technology. ^_^
TDD
FYI, an impact driver is a hand held device that is struck by a hammer to release or tighten large screw head fasteners.
Steve
I won't argue that point with you, I have worked some major miracles with battery tools too... One thing I found was most demanding was high power, short cycle use. That seemed to drain batteries very quickly.
Nice thing about air is that you have a source of power for your nail guns too...
I wonder if we should have a donation jar for bad puns... After all they are having an impact on the group overall...
Air works great with my pneumatic bumper jack too. Of course, if I want to pick up something faster, I have my dry nitrogen cylinders which are usually filed to 2000psi. I can set the regulator for around 600psi if I remember right. I can run an air tool as fast as a NASCAR team member. ^_^
TDD
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