Looking at the little Hitachi 12V …
Can this little guy sink a few lags thru framing?
as big as 1/2″ and maybe 5 inches long?
Jeff
Looking at the little Hitachi 12V …
Can this little guy sink a few lags thru framing?
as big as 1/2″ and maybe 5 inches long?
Jeff
There's a constant source of clean water for you to use, and all you have to do is collect it.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
Fine Homebuilding
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
© 2024 Active Interest Media. All rights reserved.
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.
Start Your Free TrialStart your subscription today and save up to 81%
SubscribeGet complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.
Already a member? Log in
Replies
Went to check to see how much Torque the Makita 12 volt has in comparison (800 and something vs. 600 lbs. on the Hitachi) and saw this:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0007DFWWG/qid=1116980858/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1_etk-tools/102-1486886-2257719?v=glance&s=hi&n=228013
Any reason you couldn't spend the extra $60 and get a cordless drill too?
I have the Makita and that sounds a bit big for the cordless model. Also, I think it's worth noting that the Makita bundled impact driver "only" offers 800 in/lbs, while the standalone (more expensive, no drill) has almost 1200. I got the standalone earlier when Makita was running a mail-in rebate for a drill body. Took a few months but I finally got it. I have been thinking about a corded model (I don't have the compressor for an air driven) for the big bolts. When it comes to screws though, the Makita can't be beat.
A year ago I bought the Hitachi 12v drill and gave it a one month trail and was pleased. Good weight to power ratio. Bought three more for the shop, truck, to-go bag. In the last two months, the battery life is real bad. Like pre-drilling and driving srcew in melamine, change the battery every 10 min. or less. I would imagine that the 12v impact driver is using the same batteries. I would not get it.
-Steve
"as big as 1/2" and maybe 5 inches long?"
I snapped the head off a lag this size with my Makita. Have no experience with the Hitachi.
Dunno about that one, but I can vouch for this one.
View Image
I drove 3/8 x 3-1/2 and 1/2 x 5 lags in LVLs today with one like this, and they went in like butter.
Report forthcoming on the little Dewalt cordless I picked up last night. We're lagging the cleats and blocking onto all the structural steel tomorrow.
Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
I bought two of those for a couple of my guys as Christmas presents last year. I loved the size and feel of them. It didn't take long for the rot to set in though. They have no battery life to speak of at all. Still a nice little gun that is great for installing drapes or other light jobs. It just doesn't have the guts for a pro to use. We built a Trex deck several months back and tried the two Hitachi's against my Makita. The Hitachi's could drive maybe 25 three inch screws before they were dead. The Makita would sink closer to 75.
I have no experience with the Hitachi but I know the Makita is not intended for lags. It might do it but the stress would not be worth it.
Just like I wouldn't cut rebar with my 10" dewalt CMS.
Jon Blakemore
thanks all ...
worst fears confirmed ...
again.
Big jobs need a cord ... but I already knew that.
so .... maybe the little discounted cordless .... and ... a real one with a cord.
Best part about all this cordless stuff ... the real tools with the cords are dirt cheap anymore.
Jeff
Did you ever get that right-angle drill?
"Logic, like whiskey, loses it's beneficial effect when taken in too large quantities." Lord Dunsany
You should take a look at the Panasonics. 3.5 amp batteries and over 1k of torque on the 12V model.
Edited 5/25/2005 7:40 am ET by reinvent
I've got that Hitachi, but I think I paid 175 beans for it, sheesh. I've been using it for a year and half, and I have dogged it. I haven't driven any lags, but that's only because I don't have a 1/4" adapter for big sockets<G> For what I've done that poor little driver (650in/lbs and only 12 volts), it's been a champ...and it's nice and light on the belt, too. Don't worry, we can fix that later!
This is what I was talking abought.
I have one, and yes it will. Only thing I won't do with it is drill holes - it chatters badly. But for screws and lags, it's fine. I can do 50-75 4" galvanized Robertson screws on a battery charge.
>>>>" I can do 50-75 4" galvanized Robertson screws on a battery charge."How many 1/2" lags can you drive with one battery? 4?
Jon Blakemore
Well, it's not as powerfull as I thought it would be. How many 4" screws are in a one-pound box, 'cause I didn't get all the way through the box.
Could be that the driver was new and not fully charged... I dunno.
All I know is that I like it for it's size and weight, and it works fine for smaller screws.
What would you be using 4" screws for, anyway?"Logic, like whiskey, loses it's beneficial effect when taken in too large quantities." Lord Dunsany
OK. Today's report on driving 3/8 lagscrews with a little 14.4 impact driver.
Placing top and bottom nailers on structural steel flanges, I drove about 100 1-1/2" shorties into SPF. Speed was good, and torque is enough to make you spin out if you don't watch the socket when the screw is close to setting.
I had a few longer lags to do in LVLs, some 3" and 5" lengths, and while the drive speed wasn't as fast, it was OK.
We had some LVLs that we had ganged up with 16d hand driven nails, that needed some sucking together due to some cupping, and I had some 1/4" dia. Simpson SDS screws for that. The impact driver was a knockout doing those. Zip, zip.
All in all, in one battery charge, I drove over 200 screws today, in framing lumber, and the 14.4 driver was a champ.
If you are looking to save some money, eBay usually has a lot of brand new impacts for sale (seems to be Dewalt, mostly), gun only, no batteries or charger. You can imagine the savings, if you've ever bought batteries or a charger, sans gun. If you have another cordless tool that uses the same batteries, this can work well for you. I don't have the knack for two-fisted cordless tool usage . . . it's only one at a time for me.
Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
I've been in the trade for 25 years. I have a shop full of tools both new and worn out. I'm here to tell you that the makita impact driver is the finest tool I've ever owned and on my recommendation at least a dozen other people have bought them. If you try it you will buy it. It may be only 12 volts but it is NiMH. One thing though. With this type of battery, no matter what you think you know about batteries and no matter what you read in the manual, switch the battery out often. Shallow discharges are the way to go. Never run it down. Trust me on this. You can search the web about battery types and learn the same thing, or just trust me. If you always discharge it fully, it will last less than two years and they run 80 dollars retail to replace. Around 45 on E-bay. I will never drive another screw with a drill. I love this tool.
I use the corded model.
I've got a 12v impact, and two 12v Mak drills sittin' in the basement. Haven't bothered to load 'em back in the truck since last winter.
"Logic, like whiskey, loses it's beneficial effect when taken in too large quantities." Lord Dunsany
You have a corded impact driver? I didn't know they made those.
*Edit- I went to the Makita site (I'm lazy for not doing that before I post) and found the corded model. Looks interesting.Jon Blakemore
Edited 5/26/2005 8:58 pm ET by Jon Blakemore
Jon,
(and everybody else out there who are using these things)
You ought to look into some impact gloves. These things will tear your hands up.
"Logic, like whiskey, loses it's beneficial effect when taken in too large quantities." Lord Dunsany
Are you referring to corded impacts or all impacts in general?I have a Makita 6916 and have used it pretty heavily at times. I have never noticed a problem with my hands. Am I just to dense to feel the pain?
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com
It's an accumulative type of injury.
Gloves are 15-20 bucks, I think."Logic, like whiskey, loses it's beneficial effect when taken in too large quantities." Lord Dunsany
Jeff I have the 14.4 Milwaukee and can't say enough about it, but its a milwaukee enough said.
OK, I know you guys just love to hate on this brand but here goes:
Try the Ryobi P230 18v impact driver. I use ONLY screws for framing, and this is the tool I have in my hand all day long. I've driven 5/16" and 3/8" lags - none 1/2 x 5" yet as I've nothing that massive yet. But this little baby has yet to choke on ANYTHING. I generally swap batteries after 3-4 hours constant use or once a day lighter use, driving #8 to #10 square head screws, 1.5 to 3.5 inches. The manual states it has at least 1200 inch/lbs. As for ruggedness... I drop this baby all the time - onto concrete. Other that breaking or bending the bit in the chuck I've had no problems or degradation in performance.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!