Using an impact Driver for Screwing?

[Phil Pascoe]

Some impact drivers like the Milwaukee Fuel have a setting for drilling which stops the impact. Useful on occasion. They are very useful, but I wouldn't use one for repeated screwing and unscrewing of screws e.g. in faceplates, as they tend to strip the heads.

 

[Spectric]

I had a KH250 in 1978

I can remember the dealers used to sell sets of replacement screws because of this problem, why the manufacturer did not fit as std is a mystery. I loved the old strokers, had a GT500 Suzuki and later a well tuned GT750 and they sounded great when fitted with proper expansions. They were the days of the old RD250 / 400's when we could put L plates on a 250 and there was still a teenage period between leaving education and becoming a sensible working man.

 

[TheUnicorn]

also be aware that you always need to buy impact bits for an impact driver, a lot of items are listed as impact rated but are not at all, normally impact bits are black, others will work but will break easily.

 

[robgul]

Yep - I use an impact all the time. ProperDIY on YT did a video on exactly this a day or so ago

 

[baldkev]

also be aware that you always need to buy impact bits for an impact driver, a lot of items are listed as impact rated but are not at all, normally impact bits are black, others will work but will break easily.

In theory that's correct, but not in reality..... my makita destroys weak bits and ive gone through all sorts of 'impact rated' bits, milwakee, irwin, dewalt etc, yet a box of 50 , which i considered to be disposable, is lasting AGES, and they were cheap! In fact about the same price as the 5 irwins i smashed in 2 days of light trade.....

 

[Doug71]

Handy for some things but very overused by many people, definitely a builders favourite.

Mine hardly ever comes out as I don't do much bigger stuff to warrant it, also the noise they make is just rude!

 

[TheUnicorn]

also the noise they make is just rude!

definatly true, I wondered if mine was broken when I first got it and heard it clattering away

 

[TheUnicorn]

In theory that's correct, but not in reality..... my makita destroys weak bits and ive gone through all sorts of 'impact rated' bits, milwakee, irwin, dewalt etc, yet a box of 50 , which i considered to be disposable, is lasting AGES, and they were cheap! In fact about the same price as the 5 irwins i smashed in 2 days of light trade.....

odd that everyone has different experiences, I found the milwaukee impact bits to be excellent, much better than the dewalt. what brand is your box of disposable tips? also are they 25mms or 50s, just wondering.

 

[Adam W.]

I seem to have had mine stolen by the thatcher when he bodged the roof...Pox on his house.

 

[baldkev]

odd that everyone has different experiences, I found the milwaukee impact bits to be excellent, much better than the dewalt. what brand is your box of disposable tips? also are they 25mms or 50s, just wondering.

Yes, im sure they even vary per batch made. The disposable tips are 25mm makita cheap / standard
https://www.buyaparcel.com/makita-x...BEzPToYYWg8moZvQ-SAToEAijvYqiPRhoCHIIQAvD_BwE
( although my pot has 50, not 100 )
The irwins, which were the worst, were a set of 5 50mm impact tips

 

[ChaiLatte]

I still have one, can't seem to find the bits for it.

The end on them is a standard 1/2" square (to take a 1/2" drive socket). You can buy a 1/2" square female to 1/4" hex female and use all your standard screwdriver bits.

The native bits are 5/16" or 8mm hex. and are available all over the place (eBay, Zoro: Kennedy 5/16 x 1.5/8" Slot S/Dvr Bit 5/16" Hex Sta| at Zoro)

 

[LaurenceCarr]

Clearly I'm doing it wrong because I use my impact driver for almost everything
It's convenience as much as anything - my combi drill is for drilling and the impact is for driving, saves switching bits so much. I also like the smaller form factor of the impact, you can get it into tighter spaces than a combi.
As many have said they can be a bit aggressive and wreck screws, but you soon get used to how much pressure to put on the trigger. For smaller screws and anything that shows, I prefer to drive it most of the way and then finish off by hand. Slotted screws are always done entirely by hand!

Just for reference my impact is a Makita 18v lxt - I think it was the cheapest they sell so definitely nothing fancy, I bought it for building my workshop but I've found myself using it for pretty much everything since.

I must admit though, I'm very tempted by the Bosch 12v flexiclick drill/driver with the interchangeable heads, so I can easily see that replacing the impact for the finer work.

I’ve had this for over 5 years. Bought to fit a kitchen and it was invaluable for getting close up to panels (offset head) and for working on top of the cupboards (90 degree head).

 

[frankendoodle65]

I’ve had this for over 5 years. Bought to fit a kitchen and it was invaluable for getting close up to panels (offset head) and for working on top of the cupboards (90 degree head). View attachment 152676View attachment 152677

Thanks! Funnily enough I just started a new thread asking for opinions on this and other options.
How do you find it for day to day use? I'm not expecting it to totally replace my 18v Makita but where's the line where you'd put the Bosch down and reach for something bigger? Is the handle and trigger comfortable for extended use?

 

[Stevekane]

Makita LXT is a great tool, I wouldn't use it on very short or small screws though, but its also superb for Removing screws, it easily removed a couple of 2inch 8 slotted head screws that were nicely rusted into a concrete lintle that wouldnt budge with my big screwdriver, its one of those things that you think you will not need it untill you have one.
Steve.

 

[Speedy23]

Shows how things have moved on, we assumed an impact driver is a power tool for driving in screws but the original impact driver was for removing stuborn screws in engineering, any of us who have worked on motorcycles will recall those pozidrive casing screws that would not budge with a driver.


View attachment 152596

That is because those stubborn little bu**ers weren't "phillips" or "pozidrives", they were JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) heads and needed a proper driver - which are, these days, quite readily available on the interweb.

A Philips driver did not fit the screws properly and just cammed out, usually destroying the screw head in the process.

The JIS tool has got a much deeper profile on the flutes of the tip and can transmit more force.

Just try a JIS driver (on a JIS screw, naturally) and see the difference.

But interesting to note that Yamaha went over to hex head fastenings at quite an early stage.

 

[aet1]

Yep - I use an impact all the time. ProperDIY on YT did a video on exactly this a day or so ago

Surely you use a Yanky Handiman most of the time.....

 

[Dynamite]

I use a very powerful ryobi which has variable settings on. Its really good but i only tend to use it for heavy work. I dont use for fine woodworking or anything light duty where too much torque would break the thread on the wood and make a worse fixing.

Regards... Rob

 

[robgul]

Surely you use a Yanky Handiman most of the time.....

. . . I did use the larger of my Yankee screwdrivers today - I had to reach quite a way into a small space and a power tool wouldn't fit. Old style grey steel pozi screw to remove, must have been there for years!

 

[LaurenceCarr]

Thanks! Funnily enough I just started a new thread asking for opinions on this and other options.
How do you find it for day to day use? I'm not expecting it to totally replace my 18v Makita but where's the line where you'd put the Bosch down and reach for something bigger? Is the handle and trigger comfortable for extended use?

I tend just to use it for drilling/screwing in awkward spots and maybe as a pilot, countersink leaving the impact free for screwing. It small light and comfortable, but at 12v does not have the oomph to drive anything large.

 

[gmgmgm]

Impact drivers are great. If you need them to be silent, Makita (and probably others) do "oil pulse impact drivers" which are much quieter. You'll pay for the privilege (which is why I've never seen one).