Which Sub-Compact Drill/Driver???

[Jeffrey M Jones]

I am partial to the 12v Milwaukee subcompact driver, as I am a huge milwaukee fan. I havent bought one yet but I'm interested to see what you all have used and whether or not you like the milwaukee. I saw another cordless post that someone had used most of the subcompacts out there but preferred the metabo the most. I see most are making one now, crftsmn, bosch, panasonic, DW, makita. Which one should I go with?

[Robert foster]

Jeff:

I went with the Milwaukee and am pleased with it I don't know how it compares with the others so can't speak to that. I got mine on sale at the local hardware shop.

Bob

[John Morrison60]

Jeff
If you are a Milwaukee fan, get the Milwaukee.
It looks as good as the rest.
I have the Bosch, which I bought when they first came out.
It is the most used tool in my repertoire.
If I were to start from scratch right now, I would probably get
the Milwaukee. It has a good American name.

John

[Bruce Wrenn]

Jeff

If I were to start from scratch right now, I would probably get
the Milwaukee. It has a good American name.

JohnNow owned by One World Technologies, same people who bring you Ryobi, and Ridgid power tools. Get the 12V LI Ridgid from HD , and get lifetime service agreement.

[Alex Shanku]

Jeff
If you are a Milwaukee fan, get the Milwaukee.
It looks as good as the rest.
I have the Bosch, which I bought when they first came out.
It is the most used tool in my repertoire.
If I were to start from scratch right now, I would probably get
the Milwaukee. It has a good American name.

John

Me too. Great tool. Sooooo handy.

[Bill Huber]

I have had the Bosch, we have the Ridgid at work and I have the Milwaukee.

They all have about the same power and will do about the same job.

The Ridgid is heavy because of the chuck, if you need a chuck on it all the time this is the one you want.

The Milwaukee and Bosch are about the same but there is one small difference that to me really sets them apart.

On the Bosch to change the hex bit or adaptor you pull the outer sleeve out and hold it while you pull the bit and then put the next one in.

On the Milwaukee you just pull the sleeve out an it locks then when you put in another bit it snaps closed. The makes for a one hand operation and is much faster.

[Barry Vabeach]

I have 3 of the Bosch, the basic driver, the impactor, and I just picked up the PS30 - which is the drill driver - for $119 at Lowes. If you want the ability to chuck a bit, the Bosch seems like the way to go though the Milwaukee collet sounds better if you don't need a chuck.

[Craig McCormick]

I bought the Bosch when they first came out. My helper balked at the price. When I need the Bosch its usually in his posession;-)

AZCRAIG

[Pete Kurki]

If you want to use this tool much for drilling, you need to consider if it has sufficient RPMs for the task. Also impact drivers, while typically have high max RPMs are really not good for your drill bits. I have seen only two units in these 10.8-12V families that get close to decent RPMs for drilling:
Bosch PS20-2A specs promise 0-1100 at the high gear, and Makita DF030DW goes up to 1300 RPM in high speed setting. I have the latter one of these two, and I have dedicated it for all the light drilling needs in my shop. While Bosch would have had a chuck, I got a really good deal on Makita and don't mind using shank style drill bits.

For driving many of the units seem almost equal. I have found both a impact model (clutchless), and a regular drivers with adjustable clutches all get constant use in my shop. I currently have Bosch PS40, PS20, and PS10, for my different driving needs and I am quite happy with all of them.

Pete

[Jeffrey M Jones]

Is the impact really that much better at driving screws than a normal driver?

[Dave Lehnert]

I have this unit by Craftsman and it has turned out to be a great tool for my needs. I have two full size drills and wanted something lighter to drive screws. Did not want to spend big $$$. At $35 it fit my needs.

http://s7.sears.com/is-viewers/dhtml/images/blankimg.gifhttp://s.sears.com/is/image/Sears/00911398000?qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0

[Tom Esh]

Is the impact really that much better at driving screws than a normal driver?

Definitely ...and much better at breaking them too;)
Most (if not all) have no clutch so you have to keep your eye on the screw and stop when it's seated.

[Ed Labadie]

I've got both the Milwaukee & Bosch.
Pretty much a toss-up on which is a better tool. I don't think you can go wrong with either.
Look at each mfg other offerings in the compact line to help you decide.

Only complaint I have is the Milwaukee battery takes quite a bit of "squeeze" to get it to release from the tool, might be a problem for some people.

Ed

[Ed Breen]

I can't speak for either the Milwaukee or the Bosch. I have used the 12v DeWalt for the past few years and am quite happy with its operation. Light enough for no strain, has a numbered set of releases, (don't behead my screws. Just my .00002
Ed;);)

[John Sanford]

I saw the Makita 10.8v set (Impact driver and driver) on sale (perhaps clearance?) at Home Depot today for $129.00. Something to consider...

[Rick Fisher]

I am surprised nobody has the Makita kit with both tools. I have been eyeing it up ... :)

I am a huge Makita fan because they are not owned by Black and Decker.

The Makita spec's are pretty good and its a nice feeling tool.

[Ken Milhinch]

Is the impact really that much better at driving screws than a normal driver?

You would be amazed how well it drives a screw. As a test I tried a 2 1/2" screw on some of my Australian hardwood, and it drive the screw in and embedded the screw head 1/4" below the surface. No pilot holes and very little effort required on my part. I confine the use of mine to outdoor work which is where they really come into their own.

[Scott Wigginton]

Is the impact really that much better at driving screws than a normal driver?

Just to echo, YES! I used my Bosch 10.8V impactor for every stage of building a 5' x 13' addition to my garage. Dedicated my corded drill to drilling and used this for driving. I didn't have to predrill, but when working alone it is often easier to get the screws started so you can use one hand to hold while the other drills. The best part is there is no torque transfered to your wrist which helps you keep the work steady. Since it is so light I didn't wear my arms out from doing overhead work either as I would have with my corded or Crafstman 19V.

One thing I learned is that if you aren't paying attention it will quickly strip a cheap screw head. I went to star drive and have not looked back (I have been putting off moving to square headed after watching Mike Holmes on DIY, but couldn't locate any at the BORG)

I bought my dad the new Bosch 12V kit. Lowes sells it for $180. Amazon currently has a special on the Milwaukee 12V kit (http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2490-23-12-Volt-Compact-Worklight/dp/B001F7BIHQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1229526966&sr=1-4)with a light for $180 and in hindsight wish I could swap 'em out (I love my the 19V light with my craftsmen set, I even used my Bosch Impactor for its light on rare occasion when it means I don't have to make a long hike to get a real light)

[Rick Fisher]

[quote=Scott Wigginton;994055]One thing I learned is that if you aren't paying attention it will quickly strip a cheap screw head. I went to star drive and have not looked back (I have been putting off moving to square headed after watching Mike Holmes on DIY, but couldn't locate any at the BORG)

quote]

The "Square" head screw are called "Robertson". They are the norm up here in Canada. I prefer them to the Phillips and slot..

(The Slotted screw, I am quite sure, is an American plot to cause Canadians to cut themselves.. lol... )

Cheap Robertson screws are just as lousy as any other screw. They become round. Decent ones are excellent. The Robertson brand are very good quality and would work great with an impact.

[John Nesmith]

I recently bought the Makita DF030DW and am very happy with it. I chose it because Amazon had it for $99 and I get free shipping. I only use it for driving though. It's comfortable, powerful, and the little light occasionally comes in handy.

[Gary Kvasnicka]

I asked Santa for the Milwaukee, told her to shop Amazon thru the Creek great price and a little something for the creek.

[Don Bullock]

I'm sure that I'm the "odd duck" here, but I have one of these to drive screws.

http://s.sears.com/is/image/Sears/00911779000?hei=180&wid=180&op_sharpen=1&qlt=75

I find it very handy and plan to get another one to have in the house.:D

[Chuck Tringo]

I got the Makita 10.8 V kit that has the driver and the impact driver, HD had it on clearance for $129 last week but its also the one I wanted...the Driver has a 2 speed gear box that goes up to 1300 rpm, twice as fast as the other minis ive seen.