I'm considering a cordless 1/4" impact driver, and the Milwaukee 14.4v
9081-22 would complement my existing Milwaukee 14.4 cordless drill. However, there are several negative reviews on Amazon describing motor and gear failures for this model.Anyone have experience using this model? Recommendations for better models to consider?
Thanks,
-Lance
That would be the logical way to go if the battery will fit both. Lithium ion batteries are showing up and in many cases the batteries will not interchange with the NiMH batteries.
Otherwise go with the best warranty. IIRC Milwaukee has the 5 year deal going and Ridgid has a lifetime warranty including the charger, batteries, and maintained.
I personally have been using a Makita for about 20 months with no problems. IIRC Makita was one of the first to have the impact drivers.
"Lance" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news1.newsguy.com:
I bought a Bosch 12v last year, and have used it hard, but only in a few projects. It works well for me, and seems that it would hold up well in heavy regular use, but that's someone else's job.
But it's easier on my arm/shoulder/elbow than a cordless drill driver, by far, when doing a bunch of screws.
Patriarch
I have the Makita lithium ion model, and I love it. Lightweight and powerful, and the led light turns out to be a real plus. Also, it holds a charge over long periods when not in use.
I've got the Panasonic 12v driver. It's got a light, which is really pretty helpful at times. It's also got a "digital" clutch that's pretty good once you get it dialed in right. I really like it - especially the 1/4 turn only feature. Check out the amazon link below...
JP
Is that the small one you were using on that last job?
I recently used the Panasonic 3-speed Impact Driver (Model EY7202GQKW) with clutch and digital control to build a fence with 1200 screws - see the bottom item at
Advantages/good points:
It came with two 3.5Ah batteries and 55 min charger, and consequently batteries last a *very* long time.
One Pozi No2 bit lasted for over 600 screws, as there was virtually no cam-out like I used to get with my non-impact cordless drill/driver.
Despite only being 12V, I was only using it at 2/3 of the available torque most of the time, and it still drove every screw as far as I wanted.
The digital torqe control means that it is possible to use it like a normal cordless drill/driver - just press the trigger and wait until it stops driving the screw. However, with wood being what it is, you will hit soft and hard areas, meaning that the screw may top short or go further than intended, and adjustments to the torque may be necessary.
The belt clip proved very useful and can be changed to suit left- or right-handed users.
The body is coated with a rubber-like material which protects it from knocks.
It's small and quite light, which reduced fatigue.
Disadvantages/bad points:
The grip is a little too short for my hands, with the result that I had to be very careful not to disengage the forward/reverse control when I was using it. When wearing heavy gloves, I had to operate the trigger with my middle finger, rather than my index finger.
The red numeric display is difficult to read in bright sunlight.
General points:
Impact drivers are quite noisy, so you might want to try to listen to one in use before you buy, if that could be an issue.
I find that it's much easier to drive cross-point screws than slotted screws, because the impact action tends to make the bit slide out of the slot (I didn't try driving many slotted screws though, so maybe practice makes perfect!).
No-load speed is 2000-2600rpm, so you can't start a screw at a nice slow speed and then speed up once it takes grip.
Summary:
When I was shopping for one, Panasonic was completely off my radar, but I'd happily buy another one. Based of my experience with it, I'd certainly include Panasonic on my shortlist when buying cordless tools in the future.
Forrest
I have the Makita LXT also and have been very happy with it. It has good power - it actually twisted and ruined the 3/8" socket attachment I was using to change the wheels on my car. It is also is easy to modulate and the battery life is amazing. I drove dozens of 3" deck screws without overdriving or braking any of them on one charge.
-Steve W
I can very strongly recommend the 14.4V DeWalt model. I purchased it a few months ago when I was just starting a project building a shed. I had been putting screws in with a drill/driver all day when the UPS guy delivered the impact driver. All it took was putting in one screw and I was hooked. I can't believe I've managed to live this long without one. I've put well over a thousand 3 1/2" deck screws in with my impact driver and recommend one to anyone who will listen. The DeWalt was particularly convenient for me because I already have an investment in DeWalt 14.4 tools/batteries/chargers.
In your case, since you only mention having one other cordless tool, I would look at the whole line of tools offered by the manufacturer alternatives. You get the biggest benefit with these cordless tools when you have a number of them and can share batteries around. If you had a bunch of Milwaukee tools, you would do best to stick with them. Since you don't, you might as well pick the manufacturer that has the best line. Personally, I like DeWalt but the new stuff coming from Bosch is pretty interesting too.
Oh man, I totally forgot about the forward/reverse control issue. It's poorly designed in the extreme. Once you get used to it you can work with it, but man they really ought to change that. I grip it differently now than what was natural at the beginning, so it's ok, but still not good.
JP
Hah! Glad to hear that I haven't got peculiar hands! I don't know how many of the Panasonic's cordless drills and drivers are like that, but it's something I'd want to check out before buying another.
Forrest
Thanks for all the recommendations! I see that McFeely has the Makita 14.4V
6935FDWDE Impact Driver w/14.4v 6337DWDE Driver Drill & ML143 Fluorescent Work Light for $230, so will look at that also.-Lance
I also have the LXT impact driver and my only complaint is that I keep breaking off phillips bits. I think the impacting weakens the bits and they snap off. I go through a bit for every 50 to 100 screws. (I am driving screws into sheet metal.)
Brian Elfert
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