First, I have to confess that, although I own more Taunton books and magazines than anyone with sense should (I should have bought stock instead!), I subscribe to periodicals in addition to theirs!
In the October issue of JLC (Journal of Light Construction) they reviewed six cordless impact drivers: 12V offerings from DeWalt, Hitachi, and Makita, as well as 14.4V products from DeWalt, Makita, and Milwaukee.
The author ranked the Milwaukee #1, the 14.4V DeWalt #2, and the Hitachi #3: in the individual product reviews, he said he found the Makita products “uncomfortable during extended periods of use” and didn’t even mention them under the rubric “my Picks.”
What are your thoughts on this subject?
Related Question: I have a set of three “adapters” that have a 1/4″ hex shank on one end and 1/4″, 3/8″, and 1/2″ square-drives on the opposite end. They work fine for the occasional job with my drill/driver, but (according to the label) aren’t made to stand up to the torque of an impact driver. Does anyone know of a source durable enough for use with an impact driver?
Thanks for your input,
Paul
Replies
I use the 3/8 all the time to drive lag screws and they occasionally break but not often they all seem to be about as good as any other so i wouldn't even waist my time worrying about it and by you some spares.
ANDYSZ2
I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
My thoughts - and I'm really new to the impact driver craze, FWIW. I was pretty much sold on the Milwaukee 18v. Not just from reviews. I have a lot of other Mil cordless stuff around and battery interchangability seemed like a good thing. However, that one came with only a 1/2" square drive. No adapters included. Kind of the same boat as what you're saying - now you have to get an aftermarket adapter and have it hold up. I think if I was swapping out tires I would have stuck with the Milwaukee. It's heavy and has a lot of torque. As it turns out, I grabbed the Panasonic instead, which comes with the adapter for your hex drivers and a keyless chuck. I'm pretty happy with it thus far. I think the consensus around BT is the Makita is winning popularity contests. I'm good with the Panasonic though, their drills are awesome and the battery life is about double my Milwaukees. I think Wrecked Angle has one too and commented on not using the keyless chuck in impact mode, with pictures of the results.
"The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb " lyrics by Roger Waters