An impact driver for my birthday -but which one?

[MJP]

Had a quickie look through the buying advice/tool reviews (couldn't find a search for this section - is there one other than the main "advanced" one?) and didn't find anything on impact drivers, so here goes:

I'm going to treat myself to one for my upcoming 74th birthday
- won't wait for my 75th, just in case!

I'm just a weekend warrior so it needn't be the best thing since sliced avocados but what would the august company recommend up to the £150 mark?

A good meaty one that can take over when my normal screwdriver admits defeat. A single battery with charger will do, needn't have two batteries. And can't be a bare unit since all I have at the moment are Lidl/Aldi's finest.

Must be available online for home delivery of course.

Opinions please?
Thanks, Martin.

 

[TFrench]

Like I said in the other thread about impacts, I have a bosch GDR 12v. Its brilliant for most DIY tasks. The only things I've had to use my big work makita at home for are driving 100mm screws without a pilot, 150mm timberloks in sleepers and concrete anchors. For everything else it's great.

 

[Trevanion]

The temptation when buying power tools is always to buy the biggest and baddest you can because of the extra power and such but really unless you're going to driving big screws all day, the smaller and lighter gear wins hands down every time for comfort. I've used a Bosch as TFrench suggested and I thought it was excellent and seriously compact, it would fit most places a bigger tool wouldn't if you're doing some awkward work around the house.

I've spent the last week fixing OSB sheets to the ceiling with a Milwaukee 12V impact driver on a 4Ah battery, I think I've run in about 600 plasterboard screws or so and I haven't recharged the battery yet.

 

[julianf]

I borrowed a friend's Milwaukee 18v.

I then bought one of my own. FID somthing or other.

As far as impact drivers go, most people seem to says the Milwaukee ones are the leaders.

 

[MJP]

Thanks both for your help.

I do however want a driver that's capable of taking over when none of my three normal drivers will do the job -
for example, I bought a few months ago a very heavy roughly made workbench with a nice vice for £25 and sold the vice alone for £40.
Now I want to dismantle the bench, which has been screwed together with 4" pozis, to use the timber.
None of my normal drivers will touch the screws, which I suspect were originally installed with an impact driver and are deeply embedded.
It's for this kind of work that I need an impact driver so I suspect that something like an 18/20V, 170Nm job is probably what I need.

Ah - just seen your comment Julian - thanks.
That's one vote for Milwaukee.
Martin.

 

[TFrench]

In that case, fair enough for the 18v. We use makitas at work, they're all still going strong. When we did the roof on our factory god knows how many tec screws we put in - the drivers got REALLY hot but kept going as fast as we could chuck batteries in em.

 

[MJP]

Thanks TF - that's two votes for Milwaukee.
Martin.

 

[MJP]

OOPs! Too many Ms!!

One vote for Milwaukee, one for Makita.
Martin.

 

[rafezetter]

I'll throw one in - Erbauer

Yup.

Screwfix's erbauer with a 4hr battery - about £110 if memory serves. Bought one about 2 months ago to do as MJP said - drive screws when my normal drill driver won't, framing isn't something I do often so the price was spot on.

150mm screws into 2x4's with no pilot? no problem. All day on one charge and up until lunchtime the next when it went on charge, 1 hr charge.

Just for clarity the 150mm screws were the type with a self cutting tip (very marginally more expensive), but the 100mm screws I also used do not.

Comes a nice blown hardcase, I'd buy one again. But do your self a favor and buy some impact rated screwbits, the ones that came with it were cheese and crumbled on the first pass.

Can't speak for longevity, but 2 (or 3?) year warrenty as standard.

this one - brushless and 160 N/m
https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-eid1 ... iver/162fv

it says "single speed" but the trigger is pressure sensitive so will go slower if you are a light touch.

 

[gregmcateer]

Makita for me, though not used Milwaukee, (heard they're pricier end, mind). FFX are very helpful suppliers

 

[banjerbill]

Another vote for Makita, bags of power and never failed me yet.

 

[MJP]

Looks like Makita is going into the lead so far!

Though I'll keep the Erbauer one in mind, depending on how much a nice Makita is - I'm only going to use this on the odd occasion....Thanks Raf.

As for bits, I've already ordered a set of Wera Impaktors, following what's been said on the "Impact driver" thread.

Martin.

 

[Deadeye]

I got a baby Milwaulkee, on the advice that it's the only mass market brand that has metal, rather than nylon, gearing. Now, I don't know if that's true, but it's been magnificent. I went for 2Ah batteries to maintain lightness. It's fab.

 

[AJB Temple]

I have two Milwaukee drivers: both 5amp hour Fuel 18volt. One is a normal impact driver and the other is the oil type.

I can easily drive 8" Timberfix bolts into oak with either of them (no pilot hole). Over and over again. I have even snapped a bolt with the oil one (pulling it out). It has driven longer bolts through railway sleeper sized oak, when I made a pond surround out of oak.

I bought the oil one when I needed the other one serviced a couple of years ago. If I only had one, I would buy the oil again, as it is a lot quieter and more comfortable to use as it vibrates less. I find it very usable even with the 5aH battery: it's quite compact.

I originally bought the Milwaukees as a kit of drill and driver with two five amp batteries about 4 years ago and they have had heavy use.

My electrician uses Makita 18v. His struggled with driving big coach bolts into Iroko gates (he was fitting electric automation - I had made the gates), even though pilot holes were drilled. The oil Milwaukee driver did the job. Maybe his batteries were below par. I am not saying one is better than the other, just what I use.

 

[Sideways]

I chose the bosch one the Americans call the "freak". Brushless, has a 1/2" square drive and a hex socket for bits right in the end. It's super comfortable, has a great light and 3 power settings so it adapts to light work through to medium heavy. Not the most powerful on the market but I like the versatility and it will torque up m16 bolts good and tight
Shop carefully and you will piece together a set for £40 each the charger and the latest 4AH core battery and a bare tool for £80-90

 

[MJP]

My head is spinning after hours of looking at impact drivers -

A Makita or Milwaukee with battery and charger are both well above my £150 limit so they're out sadly.

Rafezetter's Erbauer looks a likely one, though the reviews mention duff switches.

I rather think it's a matter of waiting until I can visit Screwfix in person and try one out before leaving if I go for one of these.

No-one's mentioned DeWalt drivers - I read that DeWalt stuff isn't as good as it used to be - is this why? Screwfix have the DCF787 for £139.99 which would fit the bill, but if DeWalt stuff isn't that hot these days...

Sideways - just seen your post, thanks ....I'll go take a look at Bosch drivers.

Martin.

 

[gmgmgm]

I have the Makita 10.8V pack of impact driver, drill and 2x batteries, - it's usually well under £150. Very good for most screwing jobs.

It's now been re-branded 12v and is £145 here: https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/makita ... XQQAvD_BwE I suspect lots of tool prices have increased, as everyone is buying DIY kit.

When it admits defeat on rusty lawnmower bolts I have a cheap air impact driver which is a thug (and only gets used once a year).

Edited to add: worth going for 18v kit if you want to expand into garden equipment in the future (e.g. strimmers, chainsaws, mowers).

 

[cookiemonster]

I'm also in the market and favouring the 3 speed Ryobi with 220nm. This can be had bare for 70quid; a 4ah battery and charger will set you back another 50 or so. I already have other Ryobi drills and drivers and batteries, hence my choice. The tools are the old blue vintage and have lasted really well for me (12 years and counting). Hopefully the impact driver will have similar longevity.

 

[MJP]

I've never had much to do with Ryobi tools and have to admit that I dismissed them as cheapie stuff.

Clearly I'm wrong, the reviews I've just read seem to value them a lot higher than I did!

Off to check all the Ryobi stuff now. I'll get there eventually.

Thanks all.
Martin.

 

[MJP]

Well, you're all going to laugh at me for this but I've just bought a Parkside (Lidl) impact driver.

£106, with charger and two batteries.

New stock, from an ebay seller.

If the drill turns out to be rubbish, the two batteries and charger are useful (I've already got other Parkside gear using the same batteries) and worth around £50 anyway.

I can sleep tonight now, without dreaming of impact drivers!
Martin.