| Author | Message | ||
     Rotzaruck |
Who better to ask than BadWeB? For Fathers Day, my wife and youngun got me new toys! It's a Porter Cable combo pack of a drill/driver (which I really needed) and a light, and a 1/4" impact driver. It has lithium batteries (they assumed since they cost more they should be better). This goody box came with a very clear "we didn't know what to get, so please swap if you would like something different" clause. My old drill has bad batteries, and I will use a new one lots. The light, I'm mostly indifferent about, I suppose I would use it some. The 1/4" impact thing I have no idea what to do with it. It's torque is measured in inch pounds. I would love to have a real 1/2" drive impact wrench that was discussed here a while back. They had looked at another combo with a reciprocal saw, and circular saw, both of which I could use, but it didn't have the lithium batteries. So I'm wondering, what can I do with a little impact driver that I couldn't do with the regular drill/driver? Is is a super tool for something I just don't comprehend? Are the lithium batteries significantly better or would I be better off with tools I would use more with the ni...whatever they are batteries? Help me sort this out before I can't stand it anymore and rip into that unopened box! | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
use the drill to drill the impact for everything else. i've got a makita 1/4" impact battery job and that thing is AWESOME | ||
| Strokizator |
You didn't specify voltage but 18 volts seems normal these days. I've had a 12V Porter Cable drill that was awesome though. Lithium should hold a charge longer than NiCad and weigh less too. The 1/4" impact driver is handy if you put in a lot of screws. It saves you from burning out your drill prematurely. Give the flashlight to the girls. I have a large Rigid combo set and it's just OK. Hilti has come out with some good stuff. Otherwise Dewalt seems to be the most common on job sites. | ||
| Hootowl |
The impact driver will drive screws, even if the going gets tough. All the home improvement show guys are using them now. The Lithium ion batteries are better. They will last through more charge cycles, and have no memory to speak of. | ||
| Hootowl |
bah, cross post. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Open the box, charge the batteries fully and use the tools!!! The impact guns rock...the perfect tool for driving screws. Much lighter than a drill and very effective. | ||
| 99savage |
Not sure what your "little Impact Driver" looks like BUT If it is anything like my Black & Decker one it is a godsend, you just don't know it yet. My wife got me the little 1/4 drive, rechargeable impact driver - Looked @ it & thought "what am I going to do w/ that binky piece of ****" Then had to remove a water pump from a late model car - None of the bolt heads were directly accessible - The binky little driver zipped them out & back in w/o worrying about stripping the threads. Since then have used it A LOT - Tightening screws & drilling holes (get bits w/ a hex shank) in places where the portable drill motor won't fit. Mine has gone to the place where all good tools go, even tho it still makes a comfortable ratchet wrench for old hands, Post a link on yours - If it is like mine I want a new one & will pay a premium | ||
| Brumbear |
don't go near your ECM  | ||
| Rotzaruck |
http://www.portercable.com/Products/ProductDetail. aspx?ProductID=20972r Thanks folks! I'm convinced! My old Porter Cable was the 14volt. This kit is 18V. I am amazed the 18v lithium battery is just slightly more than half the size and much lighter than the old 14V. After reading all the posts, I believe I will use the little driver a lot more than I would have thought. The Buell barn project, the pool filter house project, the deck project..... I'm glad I asked before I took it back. I just put it on the charger. I can't wait till I can get it out and screw something up. Lighting holes in the ecm? Hmmmm Thanks! Rotzaruck! | ||
| Romanrider |
In '08 I bought a Ryobi "starter set" consisting of a small circular saw, a recip saw, a drill/driver, a pivoting head flashlight, 2 18v Lithium batteries & charger & storage bag. I highly recommend it. Since then I have added an impact driver and without a doubt it is the BEST TOOL EVER! It drives in screws with speed & ease like nothing else, and it can extract even rusted, nasty screws that would break off otherwise. I use my flashlight every day in the winter when I walk my dog at 0 dark thirty. The recip saw is my 2nd favorite power tool after the impact driver. The small circ. saw and the drill motor are day in day out useful for most homeowner tasks. | ||
| Faseljd |
I have about every cordless 18v tool Rigid makes and have about 6 each of ni-cad and lith-ion batteries. I have found the ni-cads to last much longer per charge. The only advantage of lith-ion is weight savings. | ||
| Andymnelson |
I picked up this kit about 1.5 yrs ago:  It's 18v lithium. I LOVE the Lion batteries! They retain FULL power till the end, then die suddenly. Unlike NiCads that taper to a slow death. They can also handle a fast charge, so in the case of my kit they have smaller capacity batteries (MUCH lighter to carry), and I have never once used a battery up before the other one is charged fully. The impact driver is my favorite tool that I never knew I needed. Drives screws in like nobody's business. I like it so much it bears repeating: The impact driver is my favorite tool that I never knew I needed! Did I mention how much I like the impact driver?  | ||
| Fordrox |
I have an 18v Lithium Makita drill driver combo, and I almost never use the drill, the impact driver is incredible, I used that to drive in all the lag bolts for my fence. trust me the driver is worth more than the drill, just give it time. | ||
| Court |
That DeWalt looks cool . . . I've been addicted to Milwaukee tools for years . . . no clue if they even have anything to do with Milwaukee but they've never let me down. By the way . . . really cool wife who buys you power tools for Father's Day . . . she's a KEEPER !  | ||
| Mountainstorm |
Lithium batteries are lighter and don't have as many issues as Ni-Cad. I've been using cordless tools for about 20 years and now-a-days even the "home owner" grade are good enough for most jobs. The impact driver will reveal itself to be an indispensable tool soon enough. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
I've been addicted to Milwaukee tools for years . . . no clue if they even have anything to do with Milwaukee but they've never let me down. Unfortunately, they are owned by the Chicoms | ||
| Court |
>>>>Unfortunately, they are owned by the Chicoms Gone the way of Craftsman and the Vise-Grip folks . . . oh well. At least I had a heads up on Vise Grips and made a trip to Home Depot and bought up the rest of the packages that were MADE IN USA. Are any of the power tools Made in America? | ||
| Leftcoastal |
I have the Makita LXT lithium ion drill / impact combo, and I use it EVERY day. Charge last for days, the impact will handle about anything you try to drive with it, and I use the drill mainly to drill pilot holes. I'm a pro woodworker and I'm totally sold on these units. I use them for cabinet work, hanging doors, decking, everything that uses a threaded fastener. NOT for hardware installation though, I still do that by hand. Brass screws and impact or power drivers don't really mix. | ||
| Rotzaruck |
By the way . . . really cool wife who buys you power tools for Father's Day . . . she's a KEEPER ! Oh Yeah! My 13 yr old son did most of the deciding, she did the buying. They both did great! Knowing my preference, they were looking for USA made tools, didn't find any. Sad. I've been depressed for months after finding Craftsman hand tools in an ACE Hardware (of all places) and then discovering they were imported too. I managed to use the impact driver a little tonight. I never thought I would say it, but I'm saddened and disappointed in you guys. My friends, bosom buddies, brother's in Buell have finally let me down. WHY DIDN'T SOMEBODY TELL ME! I needed one of those things a long time ago. Just let me wallow around in my ignorance all this time. It is a little aggressive, I think I'm going to have to get a feel for it. I popped the head right off of one screw. I was out in the dark mounting electrical boxes on the barn and the little LED light made a huge difference. A good Father's Day! } | ||
| Andymnelson |
I think so It built a 10'x30' pergola and a 28' long picnic table today! Fun little project for a friends restaurant (we'll be having a little gathering here on Sunday for bike night is any of you are local in MN!):    |
