Impact driver for cabinet building [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

Cyrus Brewster 7

02-12-2016, 2:17 AM

The Bosch and Dewalt 12V are both great - can't go wrong with either. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the weight of the new 18V Milwakee Fuel impact. Fitted with the compact battery it is difficult to discern the difference in weight vs the 12Vs. Head length is actually shorter while the height is only slightly more.

The one thing on the Fuel that sold me was the torque/speed selector. You get 3 speeds which I have found works great for not blowing through wood (#1) up to repeatedly driving 4" screws and auto work (#3). Being brushless also adds to battery life. I was going the pick up a new 12V for smaller work but cannot honestly justify it - from me that says a lot.

However, for strictly shop/cabinet work the Bosch is really nice.

Gene Takae

02-12-2016, 3:20 AM

+1 on 12 volt-specifically lithium ion. I use a Dewalt impact driver and impact wrench and am very surprised at how much torque they have. For cabinet work they have more than enough torque, For construction 20 volt might be better.

Joe Adams

02-12-2016, 5:29 AM

I have a lot of different Festool tools but prefer the Milwaukee M12 Fuel system for my cordless drill, driver & impact guns (plus the handy Hackzall). They have plenty of power for shop use. I also have the older DeWalt 18v NiCad system and never use them anymore.

Bill Orbine

02-12-2016, 7:10 AM

Lightweight! Compact! Bigger isn't always better! Especially in the shop making cabinets. Bosch 12v is good!

Gerry Grzadzinski

02-12-2016, 7:15 AM

I just bought a new Ridgid and the impact driver has 3 speeds. The low speed gives you a lot of control, and is much more gentle.
It's great deal, for $159 and comes with a hammer drill. 18V, and lifetime warranty which includes the batteries. You can get it on Home Depot's website, but the latest model is not sold in stores. The ones in store are the older model, and the price is the same. You want the Gen5 version.

Robert Engel

02-12-2016, 7:47 AM

I have the Bosch 12v.
I like the weight, size and fit.
Charge up time quite fast.
Downfall: batteries don't last that long + battery left overnight in tool will be drained by morning.

Gregory Stahl

02-12-2016, 8:01 AM

I have Milwaukee, Ridgid and Makita 12v drills and impact drivers. I like the hand grip and size of the Makita the best by far. 12V is all I need for assembly work, but still use 18v for heavier drilling--Kreg and other stuff.

I don't have any battery problems. The Ridgid comes with a 4-AH battery. Last time I charged it was over a month ago!

I picked up the new brushless 12V and 18v models from Milwaukee--too early to draw any conclusions yet.

Daniel Morgan

02-12-2016, 8:26 AM

I'm with the others who lean toward 12v systems.

I have big 18v but use my little ones 90% of the time. I learned this lesson when I hung cabinets for a living. A good 12v impact with a quality screw (read in here 'not phillips' drive) will ink a 3" screw just fine. And for assembly I like the feel and more delicate touch you get from the smaller ones.

Richard Shaefer

02-12-2016, 11:03 AM

How do you guys stand impact drivers for daily use. They're so friggin loud

Marty Tippin

02-12-2016, 11:13 AM

I've got a 20V DeWalt Li-Ion impact driver and don't know how I got along without it for so many years. It does have a lot of power and will drive a screw right through soft wood or plywood if you're not careful. You have to be especially careful when using pocket screws with plywood (ask me how I know...)

Peter Kelly

02-12-2016, 12:38 PM

If it's just for shop use I'd recommend the SP Tools air powered impact driver. I've had mine for many years now and I wouldn't be without them. Will run off a relatively small air compressor since they don't require constant airflow.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41agjLZmhWL._SY355_.jpg

http://www.spair.co.jp/en/products/detail/?id=SP-8102B&c=driver

$274 from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/SP-Air-Corporation-SP-8102BU-4-Inch/dp/B00CHIOTSM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455297248&sr=8-1&keywords=B00CHIOTSM%7CB0146GEGRQ%7CB0146GEFJK).

Rick Potter

02-12-2016, 12:56 PM

I guess I am alone on this, but for cabinets I assemble with a 12V Milwaukee, but don't tighten too much. I then finish tightening with a T handle screwdriver by hand. This way I can 'feel' when they are tight, but not overdo it.

John TenEyck

02-12-2016, 2:42 PM

The 12V drills and impact drivers are perfect for most shop uses, especially assembling cabinets. I have the Hitachi Li ion ones; paid only a little over $100 for both with 4 batteries and two cases, reconditioned, and they looked and smelled new. That was about 4 years ago and they are still running fine. The batteries hold there charge for weeks and last well during use. The impact driver can put out about 750 in-lbs of torque, IIRC, meaning you can twist the head off a screw if you keep the trigger pulled after the head has seated in something really hard. In softer wood it will pull the head right through it! So you have to be careful. A drill with a clutch has better "feel" in comparison.

I also have a set of 18V Milwaukee compact drill/driver. Bought those reconditioned, too and, again, they looked new. They weigh at least twice as much but are still the tools of choice for long, hard, heavy use, like building a deck. Curiously, the Milwaukee driver is shorter to the end of drive head than the Hitachi.

Festool may be nice; no clue really, but I would never spend that much money on a drill/driver. In fact, I can't see buying any drill/driver new when I can get them for half price reconditioned and they look and perform like new.

Tom M King

02-12-2016, 2:50 PM

Watch the remodeling shows on TV, and you will see screws stripped with any of them.

Bryan Cramer

02-12-2016, 3:05 PM

Johannes Becker

02-12-2016, 3:05 PM

For the last 20 years I have used a Makita 7.2v for smaller work. I have run through several generations of batteries, of course. I have always loved the form factor: the drill or driver is in line with your arm. All the newer models and drills I have had in parallel did not have that feature. When I was looking recently at rebuilding the batteries again I bought the festool CXS (?) and it allows me to do the same thing. Ridiculously expensive for the specs but the form factor allowed me to finally retire my 7.2v Makita. However, I am probably the complete exception if the industry has done any market segmentation for their product development. So if you have no idea what I am talking about write it off as a crazy minority opinion.

John Sanford

02-12-2016, 3:10 PM

I have the Bosch 12v.
I like the weight, size and fit.
Charge up time quite fast.
Downfall: batteries don't last that long + battery left overnight in tool will be drained by morning.

Then there's something wrong with either your batteries or your tool, more likely the tool. I have 4 of the Bosch 12v tools, including 1 impact, and none of them exhibit that behavior.

Rick Alexander

02-12-2016, 3:11 PM

I'm lucky in that I don't live too far from the Makita Plant that services/distributes their cordless tools. You don't see them much in the stores yet - mostly only in supply houses and often they have to order them - but Makita has a brushless line out there now that is pretty amazing. Luckily at the plant they have a demonstration room where you can try out their latest stuff. Our Woodworking club goes there every year to have a tour of the plant. Lighter - more powerful than anything I've put in my hands on - and fantastic battery life. You pay a premium for the technology but I believe this is the absolute highest quality tool out there right now. Drives 1/4 inch lags like nobody's business.

http://makitatools.com/en-us/Modules/Tools/ToolDetails.aspx?Name=XDT01

Their circular saw in that brushless line is even more amazing. Smoothest most powerful cordless out there that I think out performs corded saws for most things - including 2x stuff. No more cut cords or finding power. You have just got to try this puppy out if you get the chance. Check out the reviews - pretty universally highly favorable for good reason.

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-XSH03Z-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Cordless/dp/B00TV27N62/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1455307422&sr=8-6&keywords=makita+cordless+brushless

and no - I have no connection to Makita - just a big fan. I'm going to own one of these saws I hope soon - man that thing is something.

John Sanford

02-12-2016, 3:30 PM

What's a good impact driver for building cabinets, assembling workbenches, etc.? I had my eye on the Dewalt dcf895d2 but am going to buy the Festool 150/5 and vacuum soon so I was wondering how the Festool driver stacked up.

The Festool comparison video I found on YouTube was fairly old so I'm not sure how the most current model ranks and why I'd want it over something else. I've read Hitachi makes a good driver which can limit its power for finer assembly work, which is why I was really interested in the Dewalt ... I'd like to use it with confidence I won't break or strip out smaller pieces of wood.

I have the Bosch 12v system, and DeWalt 20v Max XR, i.e. Brushless. For almost everything except for cabinet hanging, the 12v does the trick. Any of the Big 4's (Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, DeWalt) 12v (actually, 10.8v) systems will do the trick. Currently, Milwaukee is the only one with a 12v brushless impact available in the US, although it is strongly rumored that Bosch is going to release their unit here in March. The "second tier" of Rigid, Hitachi and Porter-Cable will also handle most woodworking workshop tasks.

One issue, raised by Richard Schaefer, is the noise. Makita and Rigid have introduced nearly silent impact drivers, but only in the 18v size. If the noise is an issue for you, then you may want to look at one of those instead. They will be bigger and heavier, but much quieter. Running an impact inside a plywood box is LOUD, especially since you're almost in there with it. (Sometimes you ARE in there with it.)

In choosing between the various options available, the absolute first consideration needs to be "how does it fit MY hand." Between Lowes and Home Depot (also Menards, but don't have one so don't know), you should be able to get your mitts onto all of the 12v contenders. Big hands tend to prefer the Milwaukee, Bosch, Rigid (?), and previous gen Makita. Smaller handed folks generally prefer the DeWalt, Hitachi, P-C, and new gen Makita. The key difference is placement of the battery.

As for the Festool, it is a very nice piece of kit, but to my mind it's one of those where the Festool premium isn't counterbalanced by enough additional value. For one thing, having TWO separate tools (drill/driver AND impact driver) is more useful than having a single tool, unless one has extreme space/weight restrictions. As someone who almost always predrills, being able to simply set down the drill and pick up the impact is preferred over other options, even the drill/flip/drive option.

So, if I were buying into a 12v system today, from scratch? I'd go with the Milwaukee Fuel. If I weren't doing so until March? The Bosch. If I already were into either the DeWalt 20v or Makita 18v systems, I'd seriously look at their 12v simply because the chargers are the same for 18v and 12v, whereas for Bosch and methinks Milwaukee they are different. If DeWalt were to steal a march on Bosch and pop a 12v brushless platform on the market before summer, I'll consider jumping over to that, otherwise, my next cordless purchase is almost certainly going to be the Bosch 12v brushless. Leverage my existing battery investment and all that. Note that I don't need the 12v brushless, I just want them. :)

Matthew Hills

02-12-2016, 4:07 PM

I like my 12V hitachi. Very light. I was interested in the Milwaukee, but those seemed much heavier when I tried the ones at HD. Maybe it is tougher and would last longer, but I'll consider that if/when the hitachi breaks

John TenEyck

02-12-2016, 4:35 PM

I have a Milwaukee charger that can charge both 12 and 18 V batteries.

John

Ken Kortge

02-12-2016, 5:15 PM

I myself use an 18V Bosch and like it. When I first got an impact driver I guess I thought it would result in less control, but I think it actually provides more control because I don't have to rely on high speed to provide high torque. Still for use driving Kreg pocket screws I worry that an impact driver might be too much torque - and I prefer a clutched driver - I use a 12V Bosch PS20 non-impact driver instead.

Just in case folks aren't sure how impact driver works, here is a link to a GREAT video that explains HOW they work:

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-...t-drivers.aspx (http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/video/testing-cordless-impact-drivers.aspx)

Jim Dwight

02-12-2016, 6:59 PM

I use Ryobi 18V cordless tools including an impact driver. Works great. For some things I prefer the drill, however, due to the clutch. How long you stay on the fastener is a decent way to adjust torque but I think the clutch of the drill is safer.

Sam Murdoch

02-12-2016, 7:16 PM

OK :), I'll add my 2¢ . This one https://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2653-22 y. I use it every day. It is small(ish) and light, has 3 clutched speeds/power, is powerful and holds a charge for a long time. Milwaukee has great customer service and warranty too. Combine this with the Milwaukee Fuel 1/2" drill and you will have a very impressive pair of tools. I have no reservations recommending this.

Martin Wasner

02-12-2016, 8:47 PM

Panasonic. A little more money, a lot more tool. I've owned and been disappointed by DeFalt, Milwaukee, and Makita. I've never owned a Bosch driver.

Whatever you get, make sure it's brushless. Much more efficient, and more power than a comparable brushed motor.

If it's just for shop use I'd recommend the SP Tools air powered impact driver. I've had mine for many years now and I wouldn't be without them. Will run off a relatively small air compressor since they don't require constant airflow.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41agjLZmhWL._SY355_.jpg

http://www.spair.co.jp/en/products/detail/?id=SP-8102B&c=driver

$274 from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/SP-Air-Corporation-SP-8102BU-4-Inch/dp/B00CHIOTSM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455297248&sr=8-1&keywords=B00CHIOTSM%7CB0146GEGRQ%7CB0146GEFJK).

I've been kicking around getting a small air powered impact like that for the face frame table. I just found Matco makes one, comparable in price to what you posted. I know nothing about the brand SP.

Ole Anderson

02-12-2016, 8:57 PM

My son's PC 20 volt (with the standard Lion battery) seems about half the weight of my old Dewalt 14.4 volt XRP with the NMH battery. It feels really nice in my hand.

Gerry Grzadzinski

02-12-2016, 9:23 PM

Whatever you get, make sure it's brushless. Much more efficient, and more power than a comparable brushed motor.

Provided you want to pay double for it.
Just about all brushed drivers are plenty capable performers, at half the price of brushless.

Jeff Duncan

02-12-2016, 9:59 PM

I've used a bunch of different drills over the years and now I'm pretty well settled on Makita's. My last 4 drills or so have been Makita's and they are hard to kill. I only use 18v's though as anything larger gets too heavy when using all day. I like some of Festool's products, especially the track saw and sanders, but I just can't justify the prices on others....like the drills.

As far as the impact driver goes it's a must have for cabinet assembly and installation. It's really the opposite of what you'd expect, its actually harder to strip out screws with the impact than a regular drill. The way it works it makes driving the screw much easier and less likely to strip IME. Granted there are guys who have a feel for using a tool...and guys who don't, (still surprises me occasionally when trying to train someone who just doesn't get it). So I'm sure there are plenty of cases of stripping screws and shearing heads off and all sorts of other extreme things. But in all honestly if you have a feel for the tool, use good quality fasteners, an understand what pre-drilling means....those should be very rare events. I use thousands of screws a year and can't remember shearing a head off. Certainly strip one here and there, but usually b/c it's an odd angle like a pocket hole or something. So get yourself one and you'll never look back.

good luck,
JeffD

Mike Henderson

02-12-2016, 10:23 PM

I have the 12V Li ion DeWalt impact driver and like it. It's light weight and has the correct amount of torque for furniture work. A couple of people have proposed air tools, but I much prefer a tool without a tail. It's easier to manipulate a cordless impact driver, and the 12V is small and lightweight.

I also have the 20V impact driver but only use it for bigger stuff.

Mike

Joe Jensen

02-13-2016, 12:17 AM

I have the Bosch 12v.
I like the weight, size and fit.
Charge up time quite fast.
Downfall: batteries don't last that long + battery left overnight in tool will be drained by morning.

Something must be wrong. I live in AZ and I leave batteries in 6 different Bosch 12V tools and I've never had that happen. They usually go months between charges with infrequent use. If yours is less than 3 years old its still under warranty.

Porter Friedman

02-13-2016, 1:18 AM

I did a ton of looking for my only set of cordless tools and I decided on the Hilti 12V line. Drill, impact driver, screw driver all came in the kit and they are amazing. I realized that for my needs, not only do I not need a 18V impact driver, but most of the time it is simply too powerful. I will likely never need to drive half inch lags with it.. Just wood screws. Beyond that, its way easier to hold a comfortable 12v tool than a big clunky 18V with a 5 cell battery. They have plenty of power for everything I need and if they happen to not be enough, I grab my corded drill. I went with Hilti because they are a pro quality brand that hasn't been watered down like DeWalt and Milwaukee.

Martin Wasner

02-13-2016, 1:19 AM

Provided you want to pay double for it.
Just about all brushed drivers are plenty capable performers, at half the price of brushless.

Not quite.

I think just a drill, a charger, and two nicad batteries used to cost me $200. The brushless drill and impact kit with a charger and two li-ion batteries cost $400. So a little bit more, but a long ways from double.

Still a better setup, you can run smaller mah batteries and get a similar run time. You can run one less cell and have similar power. Less battery weight means less operator fatigue. Tough to put a dollar value on that. Brushless motors also have a longer service life. Certainly a good example of you get what you pay for.

To be fair, I'm weird. I have three drills and three impacts on my bench because changing bits/tips takes too long. I wouldn't I mind a couple more of each. I don't care what they cost so long as the value is there. True of any tool that is within financial grasp. I've bought enough lesser quality tools to know that they are too expensive in the long run.

I agree with Jeff, an impact is easier to control the torque of than a drill. Little screws you can just give it a couple of clunks of the impact and you know the torque. You don't hop in your car and mash the accelerator to the floor and leave it there. Same with driving a screw, you don't bottom the trigger unless you need to.

The noise is relative. I work in a cabinet shop and wear hearing protection all day long. It pales in comparison to just about every other tool in the shop.

Hilton Ralphs

02-13-2016, 6:34 AM

Terry (and anyone else who is interested), if you can wait a couple of months until Father's Day then Bosch will be launching the 12v brushless impact driver PS42. It's due out in June and having the brushless motor is worth waiting for.

Gerry Grzadzinski

02-13-2016, 8:02 AM

Not quite.

I think just a drill, a charger, and two nicad batteries used to cost me $200. The brushless drill and impact kit with a charger and two li-ion batteries cost $400. So a little bit more, but a long ways from double.

The newest model Ridgid is $159 for the same setup, so you payed 2.5x more than I did.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Hammer-Drill-Driver-and-Impact-Driver-Combo-Kit-R9624/206349868

To be fair, the brushless Ridgids are only $279, so not quite double. But close.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-GEN5X-Brushless-18-Volt-Compact-Hammer-Drill-Driver-and-3-Speed-Impact-Driver-Combo-Kit-R9205/206127587

I really wanted to get a brushless Makita set, as I've been a long time Makita user. But I couldn't justify the price difference, especially if Ridgid provides free batteries under their lifetime warranty.

Brushless motors also have a longer service life. Certainly a good example of you get what you pay for.

I also work in a cabinet shop, and impact drivers are used and abused heavily every day. I've yet to see a brushed drill or driver have a motor failure in my 20 years in the industry, so while it's true that they may have a longer service life, does anyone really need it?
I see brushless as a luxury, not a necessity. If you have a driver in your hand all day and go through a lot of batteries, than it may pay dividends for you, but for the average user, a brushed driver will give similar performance at half the price.

Martin Wasner

02-13-2016, 8:49 AM

The newest model Ridgid is $159 for the same setup, so you payed 2.5x more than I did.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Hammer-Drill-Driver-and-Impact-Driver-Combo-Kit-R9624/206349868

To be fair, the brushless Ridgids are only $279, so not quite double. But close.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-GEN5X-Brushless-18-Volt-Compact-Hammer-Drill-Driver-and-3-Speed-Impact-Driver-Combo-Kit-R9205/206127587

I'm not going to bash brands, but if you feel like your $250 savings was worth it, then who am I to argue. Three and a half years on the current set of Panasonics.

Let me know how that lifetime warranty works out when the Home Depot stops carrying that model too.

peter gagliardi

02-13-2016, 1:20 PM

I have owned just about every brand out there, and so far, the longest lasting has been Panasonic. By far! I have several of their drills from the early to mid 90's still, and may still have an original battery!
Panasonic has in my experience the very best battery technology. They are lesser known, and the dont have a full complement of varios tools like Milwaulkee, Makita, Bosch, etc... And replacement batteries are reasonable.
Their actual tools are top notch in quality.
It's too early to tell how all these Li-Ion tools will fare life wise, but i am betting they wont outlast my Panasonics.

All that said, I did buy a couple of the Festool products- i have their current impact- reasonably powerful, quieter than most, and smoother than others for sure. Battery run time is excellent.
I also have the newest little unit , the TSC, which has great run time, amazing power for a 10v tool, and is very versatile. It is my new "go-to" tool for inside of cabinet work- it is small and has a level of finesse nothing else touches. It is however, not an impact.
I only bought the Festools for the versatility factor of the tools, and attachments, very handy.
I have their basic 15v drill, it is underwhelming to say the least, and the annoying whine out of it when it reaches its torque limit which is embarrassingly low in my opinion is aggravating.

Their newest 18v PDC is a whole 'nuther animal! It will break your wrist if your not careful with a big bit in low range.

The real beauty of Festool tools though, is that if your going to keep it for a long time, batteries and service are far and away the cheapest you will find!

Makita's in my experience should just go to the crusher. Batteries are terrible quality, horrendously expensive when they die, which is quite often.

I wont buy another "Ridgid" anything. Lifetime warranty, blah blah blah. As soon as there is a problem, "did you buy it here? Where is your receipt? Did you register your tool online? Warranty only applies if you did.You will have to box it and ship it to service center prepaid. " yadayadayada.
Of course i bought it here. I dont have time to register it- shouldnt be my job, i have never registered anything myself personally- ever. I dont have time. Its your product, that only you sell, where do you think i got it?

Their warranty isnt worth the breath they expend to tell you about it.

Most of their tools are "ok" quality, but just toss it in the trash when it dies, and buy new, its cheaper in the long run.

I have had 1 Festool tool repaired, and guess what?
Here is a novel idea, It becomes registered to YOU when you buy it, without you even knowing!
Dang, that was easy, and they even know 10 years after you bought it!!!
From a professional perspective, they treat their customers right after the sale in my book.
This is important, because i just don't have time to remind them of their obligation and promise.
They know it, I know it, we are both happy.
How it should be.

Bruce Wrenn

02-13-2016, 9:57 PM

Chris Parks

02-14-2016, 4:07 AM

Hilton Ralphs

02-14-2016, 4:48 AM

How do you guys stand impact drivers for daily use. They're so friggin loud

+1, I hate my 12V Bosch impact for the noise. As soon as I can it is getting sold and a Metabo 12V will replace which is not impact. For Cabinets use the smallest driver that will do the job.

Makita has an Impact Driver that has Oil-Impulse Technology which utilizes oil to hydraulically drive the impact mechanism for lower noise and increased efficiency. Part of the 18v range of tools and is less than $180.

If you need to lower the noise for driving and don't want to wear hearing protection then consider one of these.

XST01Z

Gregory Stahl

02-14-2016, 9:49 AM

The combo 12V from Ridgid is only $120 plus tax. It includes both drill and driver, charger and two batteries, with a 3 year bumper to bumper warranty. Fill out the LSA, and you never have to buy batteries again. I've had my original 12 V LI drill over 7 years now, and have gotten two sets of FREE replacement batteries. I use it in my business, so my uses far exceeds what you will be doing.

Home Depot raised the price a few weeks ago to $149 for the Ridgid 12v combo. My brother-in-law bought me one for $99 at Christmas to try it out. It is a fine combo, I use it regularly. For $149, I would spend a little more and purchase the Milwaukee as they have service centers all over my region. Home Depot still has the Makita 12V combos showing up for $69--my favorite 12v combo. A friend bought one a couple days ago at a Home Depot I previously cleaned out!

Terry Thillemann

02-14-2016, 9:54 AM

I currently have a 9 piece 18v Dewalt XRP set which is heavy so I intend to sell it and get a newer lighter set at some point.

It seems most of the 12v drivers mentioned are around 2 lbs (not sure about the new Bosch brushless) while the 3 speed 20v Dewalt I had my eye on is about 2.9 lbs. Does it really make sense to get a 12v driver rather than going with a 20v Dewalt which can be used for any job? The weight doesn't seem that much different but perhaps it does make a big difference. The 20v is much more powerful but I figured on low setting it should provide even less torque than the 12v drivers.

I'd prefer not to have a bunch of charging stations taking up space ... Just curious why nobody else is running the 20v 3 speed impacts for there woodworking projects...

Gregory Stahl

02-14-2016, 10:08 AM

I'd prefer not to have a bunch of charging stations taking up space ... Just curious why nobody else is running the 20v 3 speed impacts for there woodworking projects...

I have several 18v drills and impacts, what the dewalt is in reality, and I am sure many others here do as well. It comes down to the comfort of holding the 12v tools for me, and their smaller size.

My Milwaukee tools have 12v and 18v sockets in the same charger.

Look at youtube videos comparing the Dewalt to other brands before you commit.

-Greg

Bill Ryall

02-14-2016, 10:18 AM

I wonder if any one has one of these yet: http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-STEALTH-FORCE-Brushless-18-Volt-Hyper-Lithium-Ion-1-4-in-Cordless-Pulse-Driver-Kit-R86036K/206596563 . They claim half the noise and double the speed.

I have the X4- the previous generation. I have been very happy with it. Great battery life, good power and well balanced. It compares favorably with my 18V Makita.

jack duren

02-14-2016, 10:19 AM

I don't do cabinets anymore but get caught sometimes but have several of the SIOUX dills for cabinet assembly. Love em:D http://www.siouxtools.com/portfolio_drills.php

Cyrus Brewster 7

02-14-2016, 2:02 PM

... Just curious why nobody else is running the 20v 3 speed impacts for there woodworking projects...

As I stated earlier, the Milwaukee 18V Fuel (brushless) works wonderful for woodworking. It has 3 speeds and is lighter than the 12V brushed impact when both have the batteries removed. With the compact 18V battery they are very close in weight. And after having used the 3 speeds for a year now, I find it hard to go back to single speed.

For what its worth, I use slow/low torque and fast/high torque for most applications. The slow speed it very useful in delicate situations and is highly controllable. High speed approaches pneumatic territory; while the middle I find is useful when slow is not quite enough.

But as stated, brushless does cost a bit more. However, it seems as though you will use the impact for more than just woodworking so it may be worth it.

I am sure the Dewalt is similar in performance.

Terry Thillemann

02-15-2016, 11:04 PM

I ended up getting $40 off on an opened box Milwaukee M12 Fuel impact driver / hammer drill combo set which was missing a belt clip (ordered a new one for $5). I opened the box and everything appeared new even though the batteries were both fully charged and the charger cable was missing the tie wrap. Neither tool appeared used whatsoever so I'm not really sure what happened with this set but the manager said I could return it if I had any issues.

Question ... I seen 3 manuals in the box but didn't see any warranty cards. Do these usually come with them? Is there something I need to do to register it for warranty? They tried to sell me an extra 2 year warranty for $30-40 but I figured this came with 5 year warranty so why buy extra ... Should I have turned that down? Is there anything I should check out to ensure the tools weren't abused in someway which will break soon and I'll be out my money (they don't look used or smell burned at all)?