Impact driver (and possibly drill) recommendations

[ThankYouJack]

I'm looking to get an impact driver for more power when needed and not having the drill chuck slip.
Any recommendations? I may also consider upgrading my drill (Black & Decker 18v) if there's a decent combo package

[Sandi_k]

My husband bought two: one battery powered Dewalt for decking screws, and a heavy-duty Ingersoll-Rand brand pneumatic one for taking off lug nuts. He loves them.

[Dilbydog]

We're seeing that Milwaukee seems to, currently, have the better product on the market. I have nothing to back that up beyond my personal experience. I can say that out of DeWalt, Makita, and Milwaukee, the Milwaukee's seem to fail at a much lower rate than the other two brands. We'll typically order 200 or so cordless impacts per project. The majority last the life of the project, which would average to 20,000 cycles.
Disclaimer... I have an older makita set in the garage that works flawlessly too. I don't know if there's a poor selection in the major brands, especially for light duty / home use.

[F150HD]

I'm looking to get an impact driver for more power when needed and not having the drill chuck slip.
Any recommendations? I may also consider upgrading my drill (Black & Decker 18v) if there's a decent combo package

I was looking at them a year back. Seeing many electric ones on the market, wasnt too impressed. Until I upgrade my compressor I put the impact driver purchase on hold.

[lazydavid]

I was looking at them a year back. Seeing many electric ones on the market, wasnt too impressed. Until I upgrade my compressor I put the impact driver purchase on hold.

Impact drivers and impact wrenches are two completely different tools. Impact wrenches are what are used on lug nuts and the like. High quality cordless ones are available, but they're extremely expensive. As in, it's often cheaper to buy a pneumatic impact wrench AND a halfway-decent compressor.

Impact drivers, on the other hands, are like a drill/driver perfected. They're a far better tool for driving screws for various projects around the house. Faster, more powerful, run way longer on a charge, and are much less likely to strip a screwhead. Good quality ones are available for a little over $100. I got this Milwaukee kit for Christmas, which includes a brushless impact driver, a brushless hammer drill, and two different capacity batteries. They have a promo running where you get an additional tool from the same system for free--I got the 3/8" ratchet, which made working under the car yesterday a breeze. The non-brushless kit is here, and non-brushless with standard drill is here, but those get a free battery instead of an additional tool.

[jharkin]

I'm looking to get an impact driver for more power when needed and not having the drill chuck slip.
Any recommendations? I may also consider upgrading my drill (Black & Decker 18v) if there's a decent combo package

I was looking at them a year back. Seeing many electric ones on the market, wasnt too impressed. Until I upgrade my compressor I put the impact driver purchase on hold.

Electric impact drivers and pneumatic impact guns are two different tools for very different uses. I would not compare them.

Pneumatic impact guns are typically 3/8", 1/2" or even 3/4" socket drive and have torque ratings into the thousands of lb-ft , used with high strength sockets for loosening bolts in automotive work.

Electric impact drivers are almost always 1/4" hex drive and made for using screwdriver (philips, torx, square drive, etc) bit for driving construction fasteners - wood screws, drywall screws, lag screws, carriage bolts, etc. Torque is usually only up to a couple hundred lb-ft at most as that's all you need even for driving large lag screws and carriage bolts into lumber.

I will sometimes use my electric unit for light automtive work to speed time but its not strong enough to loosen anything much over a 10-12 mm bolt. It DOES save a ton of time spinning lug nuts off and on once they have been loosened with a breaker bar.

...

To the OP. If you suspect you will expand to other tools, the most important decision is picking a brand you like and then sticking with that so you can interchange batteries. I use DeWalt '20v max' (really 18.5v) LiIon. I ahve a set going on 7-8 years old that still works great (suprisingly even the original batteries still charge!), but my usage is heavy- homeowner. The poster above who is buying hundreds of units sounds like a commercial contractor and probably knows better about longevity. Around here I see DeWalt is popular with professionals, but also Milwaukee and Makita. Some folks like Rigid because of the lifetime batery warantee. I would stay away from Black and Decker and Craftsman if you go beyond very basic homeowner work.

[Blues]

I've had an excellent experience over the past several years with the Black & Decker 20v Max series of tools...from portable vacs to blowers, string trimmers, hedge trimmers, drills, impact drivers etc.

I've only had to have one of the dozen or so tools replaced under warranty and I had a new blower to my door one week from shipping them the return (on their dime).

Great customer service and good homeowner tools even if a step below the higher end Milwaukee, DeWalt etc.

https://www.amazon.com/b?node=9491676011

[RetiringSomeday]

Assuming you want electric and cordless

Higher end - Milwaukee

Mid - Dewalt

Value - Hitachi

[gmc4h232]

We're seeing that Milwaukee seems to, currently, have the better product on the market. I have nothing to back that up beyond my personal experience. I can say that out of DeWalt, Makita, and Milwaukee, the Milwaukee's seem to fail at a much lower rate than the other two brands. We'll typically order 200 or so cordless impacts per project. The majority last the life of the project, which would average to 20,000 cycles.
Disclaimer... I have an older makita set in the garage that works flawlessly too. I don't know if there's a poor selection in the major brands, especially for light duty / home use.

+1 for brushless Milwaukee drivers. They are currently top of the line

[ThankYouJack]

Great, thanks all for the replies. I'll just be using it for DIY typical homeowner stuff. Probably not real heavy use, but I'm getting to the point where I want to buy half decent gear.

A couple follow up questions:

1. Think I'd be fine with a 12V instead of 20V? I'm guessing 12V would be fine for my casual use, but could I add a larger battery down the road if needed?
2. Would an impact driver be better at boring a hole through wood with a spade bit? My current drill doesn't see to have the power and I have to deal with chuck slip.
2. Do you use yours a lot simultaneously. In this case, I'd want at least two batteries.
3. What's the difference between brushless and non-brushless motor?

Good quality ones are available for a little over $100. I got this Milwaukee kit for Christmas, which includes a brushless impact driver, a brushless hammer drill, and two different capacity batteries. They have a promo running where you get an additional tool from the same system for free--I got the 3/8" ratchet, which made working under the car yesterday a breeze. The non-brushless kit is here, and non-brushless with standard drill is here, but those get a free battery instead of an additional tool.

Great, thanks! I'm adding that to my list.

To the OP. If you suspect you will expand to other tools, the most important decision is picking a brand you like and then sticking with that so you can interchange batteries. I use DeWalt '20v max' (really 18.5v) LiIon. I ahve a set going on 7-8 years old that still works great (suprisingly even the original batteries still charge!), but my usage is heavy- homeowner. The poster above who is buying hundreds of units sounds like a commercial contractor and probably knows better about longevity. Around here I see DeWalt is popular with professionals, but also Milwaukee and Makita. Some folks like Rigid because of the lifetime batery warantee. I would stay away from Black and Decker and Craftsman if you go beyond very basic homeowner work.

That's the tricky thing as I'm currently all Black & Decker. I have my drill and "chainsaw" both powered by 2 ni-ca 18v battery, leaf blower and string trimmer both powered by li-ion batteries. So I may pick up a black & decker impact driver with 20v battery for $68 - https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-BDC ... and+decker or a combo kit for $12 more - https://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-BD2 ... and+decker
But I'm wondering if it's worthwhile switching brands now and making more of an "investment".

[Clark Kent]

I have an 18v Makita brushless drill/impact driver combo that is fantastic. I put it on the same level as the Milwaukee sets.

These types of combos are on the clearance racks at Home Depot every other month for $150-175 so if it's not an immediate need, keep an eye out and you can score a fantastic deal.

[tibbitts]

I don't understand "chuck slip". I think my consumer-level drill would break before the chuck would lose its grip on a hex-shaped object. Round objects in chucks have obvious issues but that will happen in any drill.

[Blues]

So I may pick up a black & decker impact driver with 20v battery for $68 - https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-BDC ... and+decker or a combo kit for $12 more - https://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-BD2 ... and+decker
But I'm wondering if it's worthwhile switching brands now and making more of an "investment".

I'd definitely do the combo deal vs. just the impact driver if you decide on the B&D 20v Max system.

As mentioned, I've been entirely pleased with mine so far. The hand vacs and yard equipment get used very frequently...including a reciprocating saw for taking down small trees and brush. The drills and drivers not as much since I'm not building and repairing as regularly. The blower gets deck, porch and walk duty daily.

You can also buy high power Powerextra aftermarket batteries for the B&D tools and they work well as an option for longer service at a reasonable price:

https://www.amazon.com/Powerextra-Repla ... B01IK53PLW

[Alto Astral]

I got the drill+driver combo from HomeDepot. Rybo. Pretty good deal wih swappable batteries.

[ThankYouJack]

Also, any recommendations for quality drill and spade bits?

I don't understand "chuck slip". I think my consumer-level drill would break before the chuck would lose its grip on a hex-shaped object. Round objects in chucks have obvious issues but that will happen in any drill.

So you use hex drill bits? That makes sense. I could try upgrading all my bits first.

I could also use self drilling, hex screws to help prevent the cam-out issue. But my drill still seems under powered at times.

[tibbitts]

Also, any recommendations for quality drill and spade bits?

I don't understand "chuck slip". I think my consumer-level drill would break before the chuck would lose its grip on a hex-shaped object. Round objects in chucks have obvious issues but that will happen in any drill.

So you use hex drill bits? That makes sense. I could try upgrading all my bits first.

I could also use self drilling, hex screws to help prevent the cam-out issue. But my drill still seems under powered at times.

Yes for higher torque I use hex bits. However my consumer-grade 18v drill can break most of the smaller fasteners I use before it bogs down. I used to drive fairly large screws 4" 9/16th hex head and that was too much for the drill so I used a corded impact. Now I've gone to Timberloks for those applications and the drill can drive those farther beneath the wood surface than I'd want.

[Sandtrap]

I'm looking to get an impact driver for more power when needed and not having the drill chuck slip.
Any recommendations? I may also consider upgrading my drill (Black & Decker 18v) if there's a decent combo package

Latest Dewalt Lithium series (impact driver). The 1/2" hammer drill is also very useful.

[Blueskies123]

If you will use it a lot then you have lots of good recommendations already. If you already have a good drill and only need an impact drill once every two years like me then the harbor freight will work fine and will cost a lot less.

[lazydavid]

A couple follow up questions:

1. Think I'd be fine with a 12V instead of 20V? I'm guessing 12V would be fine for my casual use, but could I add a larger battery down the road if needed?
2. Would an impact driver be better at boring a hole through wood with a spade bit? My current drill doesn't see to have the power and I have to deal with chuck slip.
3. Do you use yours a lot simultaneously. In this case, I'd want at least two batteries.
4. What's the difference between brushless and non-brushless motor?

In order (renumbered for you ):

1. First off, there's no such thing as 20V, this is pure marketing by Black and Decker (who owns Dewalt and Porter Cable) to differentiate from their previous 18V tool family, while providing a leg up on their competitors that are "only" 18V. But to answer your question, for most homeowners (and even many tradesmen), high-quality 12V tools are more than powerful enough for usual tasks. That they're both cheaper and lighter is simply icing on the cake. In the old NiCd world, there was a fairly dramatic difference between 12 and 18V, and I've had a decent-sized collection of Milwaukee 18V tools for about 13 years. But one by one, the batteries have died, and I elected to start a new collection rather than spend $80/ea for replacements. The new 12V tools are not less useful, but they do weigh 1/3 as much. Nor are they notably less useful than the Dewalt 20V Max (18V) kit I was borrowing from work in the interim. The best reasons to chose an 18V system over a 12V are if you need power-hungry tools like circular, band, table, or miter saws, rotary hammers and the like. Most people don't.

2. You can use spade bits in an impact driver, but they need to be impact-rated, and have screw tips to keep them from walking. The drilling process is easier than with a drill, especially when the bit sticks, the tool vibrates instead of flying out of your hand. but the resultant holes are a little sloppier. They're fine for such things as running conduit. But you wouldn't want to use one to fit dowels, where precision is key.

3. Yes. Though the impact gets the lion's share of the use because usually you drive fasteners more often than you drill holes, there are many cases where you want both handy. For example, driving lag bolts. Drill a pilot hole using the drill, then use the impact to power the lag in. No need to constantly swap bits.

4. Brushless motors make more power, consume less energy, run cooler, and require less maintenance. That last one doesn't mean much for a typical home user, as it'd be rare for an infrequently-used tool to wear out the brushes. But the other benefits still apply. One of the things that tipped me over into the 12V camp is the availability of several key tools in brushless versions (Called FUEL in Milwaukee parlance). These make nearly as much power as their conventional 18V bretheren (of course there are even more powerful 18V brushless tools), while getting roughly double the runtime of the conventional 12V tools.

[pennstater2005]

This was a fairly recent thread with quite a few responses. Thought you might like to read through. I have a Porter Cable 20v driver. It's been very good. Came with an extra battery which was the reason I bought it. That, and all my other power tools are Porter Cable.

viewtopic.php?t=189996

[bzcat]

I'm pretty tough on tools (homeowner, not contractor), and burn out my drills and drivers in about 2.5 years. That said, I like the Bosch 12v system and wouldn't hesitate the go that route again. I really like the impact driver in particular. Plenty of power, but much lighter and nicer to use than my older rechargeables.
Bosch kits are always available as manufacturer refurb kits from cpo outlet dot com (or from their ebay store for slightly less), so the price is very bogleheaded.

[ThankYouJack]

Thanks again for the information. I'll probably go with a higher end brand from cpo outlet. I'm planning to upgrade my drill bits too to hex ones as my first step.

I'm guessing something like this would help - https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW1354-14 ... drill+bits

Occasionally I'll need to drill a ~3/8" hole through wood or once in a while metal. Would those drill bits be fine, or would others be better?

[lazydavid]

At 3/8", you're right at the beginning of spade bit territory (1/4" being the smallest I've seen). That would be a way faster option for wood. Forstners are also very fast and make a very nice round hole with a flat bottom, but the bits are pricey. Obviously you don't want to use either of these on metal. The ones you linked to would be ideal for working with metal, and decent for wood.

[ThankYouJack]

At 3/8", you're right at the beginning of spade bit territory (1/4" being the smallest I've seen). That would be a way faster option for wood. Forstners are also very fast and make a very nice round hole with a flat bottom, but the bits are pricey. Obviously you don't want to use either of these on metal. The ones you linked to would be ideal for working with metal, and decent for wood.

Great, thanks for the help. I wound up getting those drill bits and these spade bits - https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW1587-8- ... de+bit+set

My other drill bits were black & decker with round bases and pretty worn. So these should help quite a bit, especially when I need to drill larger holes.

[ifish100]

I bought a corded Porter Cable impact driver from Lowes about 3 years ago. I drove all the screws with it for a big back yard fence project. It worked flawlessly for that whole project and still does.

I do not find it too difficult to simply run an extension cord for things I do, no batteries to charge and go dead right in the middle of doing a job. Maybe Black and Decker is better now, but that is not a brand I have historically had a good Quality experience with.

[TOJ]

I have been more than satisfied with my Ridgid cordless impact and drill set with 2x lithium ion batteries. Plenty of power and has taken some abuse. Lifetime warranty at Home Depot, to boot.

[destinationnc]

I've got the Milwaukee M18 drill and impact driver set. Great battery life, the chuck has slipped, and the only complaint is I don't care for the sound of it running. Also the LED light is a bit useless as it is always blocked by the drill for what you're trying to drive. I'm satisfied with it but if I could do it again I would go with Makita instead. I've seen a few articles and posts complaining of a decline in the quality of Milwaukee tools since they were bought in 2005. I found the link below to be quite eye opening in terms of buying purely based on brands, when you see some of the groupings and know that they're being produced on the same manufacturing lines you feel a little bit duped.

http://toolguyd.com/tool-brands-corporate-affiliations/

[lthenderson]

Thanks again for the information. I'll probably go with a higher end brand from cpo outlet. I'm planning to upgrade my drill bits too to hex ones as my first step.

I'm guessing something like this would help - https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW1354-14 ... drill+bits

Occasionally I'll need to drill a ~3/8" hole through wood or once in a while metal. Would those drill bits be fine, or would others be better?

I have that set of bits but don't use them nearly as often as I thought I would with my impact drill. (I have a snub nosed Dewalt which is great for getting into tight corners.) I don't use the bits through wood very often because they do wobble in the impact's quick disconnect chuck so the holes in up sloppy. The large majority of the time I'm drilling a hole, it is predrilling for a screw or for something that needs more precision those those can provide. I have since gone back to using my drill and regular bits whenever possible. However, saying that, those bits due come in handy (especially with my snubbed nose impact) where space is at a premium. I have used a spade bit to drill a conduit hole between two closely spaced studs where my only other option would have been a regular drill and an extremely long spade bit. I've also used to drill a hole in a joist bay where I only have 7 1-2 inches to work in.

I have used Makita, Bosch, DeWalt and Milwaukee and I haven't been loyal to any one of them. They seem to ebb and flow when it comes to how their tools fit my hands over the years and minor details like how easy it is to hit the reverse button or how well the clip will work with my tool belt/pants. Some years one will be better than the other as far as feel goes and other years it will be a different brand. Five or six years ago when I bought my impact driver, I thought Makita and DeWalt both felt better and had easier use than the Milwaukee (at least among the snub nosed versions I tried) and went with the DeWalt. But I own other tools in Milwaukee and Bosch. My advice is to go to a store that has chained down models that you can hold in your hand and get a feel for them. Hands come in all sizes so get one that feels right for your hand.

(Edited to add that I don't think I would use any impact drill/bits for drilling through metal. It sounds like a recipe for a quickly dulled drill bit.)

[Kuna_Papa_Wengi]

I've been thinking of getting a cordless impact wrench for automotive work. I'm considering this Kobalt from Lowes https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-24-Volt ... 1000061641

The price seems to be much lower that the Dewalt or Milwaukee wrenches I've looked at.

[alfaspider]

I've been thinking of getting a cordless impact wrench for automotive work. I'm considering this Kobalt from Lowes https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-24-Volt ... 1000061641

The price seems to be much lower that the Dewalt or Milwaukee wrenches I've looked at.

I didn't pay all that much more for the Milwaukee I got. You can get the bare tool for $220:

http://www.cpomilwaukee.com/milwaukee-2 ... lt,pd.html

At the same time, I got a basic milwaukee drill/charger/battery kit for $100- so both tools with a battery/charger for $320. Nothing wrong with the Kobalt, but it's working with 1/2 the max torque. Not a big deal for tire changes, but may be for things like axle nuts. Also worth noting that it's nice to go with a manufacturer that has a large library of tools that work on their battery systems (Milwaukee/Dewalt).

[lazydavid]

If the specs are to be believed, that might be a quite usable impact wrench. It has almost as much loosening torque as my subcompact pneumatic impact (Nitrocat 1375XL), which serves me just fine for automotive work. Nothing compared to the full-sized beasts, but most people don't need that.

[chiefBH]

Just picked up the Milwaukee M12 Fuel Hammer Drill + Driver combo (Model# 2597-22). Very pleased. As a homeowner with occasional projects, it has considerably more power than I'll ever need, despite being only 12 volts. I think the brushless motors help with this. The run-time is great even with the smaller of the two batteries.

This particular Hammer drill does everything a regular drill does (you select whether you want clutch mode, drill mode, or hammer mode), so I don't need a separate, 'regular' drill.

This kit is $229 in-store at Home Depot, but, as someone else mentioned earlier, if you order from Home Depot online you can get this kit plus an extra tool for the same price (e.g. Model# 2597-22-2456-20 is the Hammer Drill + Impact Driver + 1/4 ratchet).

[Luke Duke]

Remember that whatever drill/impact that you buy, you are buying into an ecosystem. Look at all of the other cordless tools of the same brand. In an ideal world all of your batteries will be interchangeable.

[e-spice]

I have an 18v Makita brushless drill/impact driver combo that is fantastic. I put it on the same level as the Milwaukee sets.

These types of combos are on the clearance racks at Home Depot every other month for $150-175 so if it's not an immediate need, keep an eye out and you can score a fantastic deal.

I second the Makita recommendation. I have an 18v pair that are superb tools. I've used Dewalt in the past but Makita is my favorite now.

[renue74]

I have 4 rental properties and do a lot of the work myself on them. I have the 12V Milwaukee Fuel system. Impact driver, drill, sawzall, and 6 1/2 circular saw (18v on the saw).

I'm notoriously rough on tools and currently rehabbing an 80 year old house....running new electric....cutting 3/4" holes in 80 year old studs with these cordless drivers. Works great....all the time.

For light use....having 2 tools with the same battery works great, you can switch out quickly and the charge time is only about 30-40 minutes.

I've dropped my tools, thrown them, gotten dust and sawdust in them....and they work all the time.

[ThankYouJack]

The Dewalt spade and drill bits arrived and they're a huge upgrade. The spade bits went through wood like butter with my current drill. The drill bits are much sharper, titanium and the larger ones have flat edges to prevent clutch slip.

I was reading more about preventing cam-out and it old, cheap bits can cause it. So I'm going to upgrade my B&D bits to this - https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW2504-Co ... drill+bits

Will see if my drill does better with those bits. I figure the quick change set up will be nice too.

The 3 sets should make the jobs I do around the house a lot easier and the first big job I have, I'll likely upgrade to a Dewalt or Milwaukee combo

[AnimalCrackers]

I'm surprised no one mentioned the Ryobi ONE+ 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Drill/Driver and Impact Driver Kit (2-Tool). $149.

I bought and supplemented a six piece combo kit that included both, and now I almost never use the 18v Skil drill set that preceded it.