Bosch Ixo 3.6V or Ryobi 4.8V or ???

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Surely you can persuade your boss to order them for your counter?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

An impact drill/driver requires some form of positive drive for the bits or drills - same as SDS in many ways. And as such will never be any use for even moderately accurate drilling as any quick change bit system suffers from slack - unlike a conventional three jaw chuck.

Of course it could have interchangeable chucks - same as some SDS drills - and could have a switchable impact action. But all that adds size, weight and cost.

Of course many would like it to become the 'norm' and will and try to persued the gullible - after all there's money to be made in all those new (and expensive) drill bits, as well as selling a replacement for a tool which already does what is required of it.

[Doctor Drivel]

Please eff off as you are a troll.

[Doctor Drivel]

Please eff off as you are a worthless troll.

[John Rumm]

The Makita has been about since they introduced their LiIon range about a year back. It has been in most of the catalogues, so I am surprised you missed it.

Don't get me wrong, I think they are very useful tools. I just don't buy into the idea that they are a panacea for all ills, or a general purpose replacement for a drill as well. Especially when you get most productivity gain from having both.

I have put in 1/2" 4 gauge screws with my ID, yes you can do it, but it is quicker an easier with the drill, for the reasons mentioned in the article.

The article does not say you can't do lighter work with them, it just highlights that there are jobs where there is either no special advantage of the tool for these tasks, or they are poor at the task in comparison to the alternatives.

That is a given since some manufacturers already have product on the market. While I am sure that many people if buying a new combi drill would not turn down the option of having an ID mode as well, the four function units will remain less useful than having two separate tools for a fair sized class of users, just because part of the advantage is in having the two tools rather than one.

They already have an impressive 10.8V LiIon range, which offers a very compact drill driver, and a similar sized ID. Both are in practical terms more compact than the B&D

Horses for courses... less max torque, but just over half the weight and a more flexible form factor. The removable batteries and sensible charger would sway the decision for any but the most casual users I would have thought.

(although it is entertaining to see that a typo on one of the Makita sites that lists the weight as 11.1 kg has been copied by a number of vendors without thinking).

If you are buying a drill/driver just for use as a driver, and you can cope with the other limitations such as the extra noise of the ID, then that may be the case.

[Doctor Drivel]

I tend not to look at Makita products being generally over-priced for what they are, although they are coming down in price.

This Makita at £55 (on Ebay) is a very good buy indeed. Although not as powerful as the B&D. Horse for courses here. I'm sure others will fill the gaps pretty soon.

You can get away with an Impact Driver and cheap mains drill for £10-15 to fill in, and avoid the drill/driver. There again the Impact Driver market is improving to suit most applications - so watch this space and gaps are filled with product.

I have a drill/driver and Impact Driver and the drill/driver is rarely used these days. You have to know how an impact driver works, which is not difficult, to get the best of it. A friend was using mine and said it is underpowered as it did not screw out a screw. I said press hard and allow the hammer action hammer the screw loose. He held it there, heard the racket and the screw spun loose to his amazement. He initially gave up as it never instantly undid the screw. The constant rotational hammer knocks the screw out. Also they cam out of screws far less than drill/drivers. Using good driver bits they are magic.