Talk the torque.

Hmm they were Available in the UK from mid 2002

B&Q do a PP whateverjunk one for £39, but cant find it on their web site.

For £350 now you can.

I think I would go for:

Decent combi

Got a mains drill which I never use these days. A small 12V titan drill that is only very occasionally useful.

Well if you include the ones I have acquired through no fault of my own, I think the total is:

So buy a pair of them then ;-)

I think that is about what I paid for my 18V combi with 3 batts and charger, case etc, *and* the 18V ID body only. I very frequently use them together so would find only having the one tool quite a limitation.

Less to carry perhaps, but slower working if much of the work involves fixing things to walls with plugs and screws.

You can get small three jaw chucks with a hex mount. Probably can't hold a bit bigger than 10mm and they wobble a bit, but probably ok for pilot holes.

So is a Makita body only.

You seem to be agreeing with me.

and lousy at masonry, or with a mixing paddle, or a holesaw...

Why would a tradesman only want one tool? Unless you are doing relatively little drilling and fixing you will work much slower with one tool than with a pair.

Case in point, I have just been lining my new workshop. 50mm PIR foam with 1/2" ply cladding. For fixing I have been using 5 1/8" twinthreads. A long multimaterial 7mm bit in the combi, and a No 3 pozi in the big ID, I can keep working without any titing about changing from the drill to the driver

I get the impression you rarely do anything.

Well, yes. But the point was would you find the money for these when starting out your DIY 'career' or use it on other things? I'd shudder to think how much my lifetime's collection of tools cost.

The Hilti battery hammer drill/driver will replace this and drill/driver. Especially when using Bosch Multi drill bits.

The new 4 mode Makita may replace them all, except the SDS.

I used one with a Bosch multi and click in chuck. The Impacr Drivwer worked fine in masonry.

A specialist low speed drill for that.

With click in chuck it can do that as well.

They dobn't like carrying around lots of tools.

It depends on what the tradesman's job is.

Use screws that do not require pilot holes.

What I do is not how you would do it for sure. I do it the easy and quick way, with quality results.

Agreed, nice idea and no doubt it has its place, but a combi with a drill bit & a driver for the screws is the way to go when fixing.

Using Bosch Multi drill bits the Impact Driver can do most things.

Like drilling holes as rough as a badgers arse....

Its meant for driving bolts & screws, not drilling FFS.

Yes you can drill with them, just like you caould cut Hep2O with a hacksaw...

Er, no. It is meant for limited drilling too. You didn't know did you? You have been going around buying all sorts of needless expensive tools.

You can cut Hep2O with a hacksaw. I have done it many times, trim off and perfect.

My case rests....

Says the handyman - jack of all, master of none. My case rests.

From the manufacturers website;

"Do not use a hacksaw to cut Hep2O pipe".

Wanker.

You CAN use a hacksaw as long as the pipe end is square, burr free and trimmed off. What is needed is a bur free, square pipe end. How you do it is irrelevant. This takes skill of which you are devoid of in pipework being an total amateur.

Using pipe cutters leaves a sharp snip on the cut and this has been known, all too often to nip the O ring and cause leaks. So much for the makers pipe snips. Monument have brought out a plastic pipe cutter that requires turning like wheel cutters, to eliminate the maker's cutters snip left behind.

There you go tosser. :-)

There is a big difference between "can", and desirable or for that matter efficient. Yes you could do it with a four function machine, but it will be quicker with two separate ones.