Learn to use the tools properly (not a dig at the OP) and it will be a while before they wear out. I have a friend who uses and impact driver and helped him put a horse shed together. Watching him use the driver was painful, as he wouldn't press hard enough and then let it spin and spin in the screws until he was stripping the bits themselves. To be honest, lucky we finished the job (I took over most of tool use lol).
How long do screwdriver bits last in an impact driver?
- Thread starter Mark A
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Its the DCD925. I think it's basically the exact same gearbox, motor and chuck as the 985, but on the old battery system. It's had 4 years of abuse and been dropped out of a bedroom window onto concrete, so looking a bit tatty.
I've got the DCD785, the main reason I liked it was the handle design.
Considering getting a 985 to go with it because it's boring changing from drill bit to screwdriver bit all the time when I'm working. I'm so lazy
Its a good, heavy duty and powerful drill. It has served me well for the past 4 years of daily use. Plus if you already have the batteries and a charger then you can pick up the body only for around £75.
The 3 speeds are useful and it will comfortably drive screws on the middle speed (1350 rpm), up to 100mm in softwood.
Also the metal self tightening chuck is brilliant. You don't have to tighten it up with all your might in order to stop the drill bits slipping. You just click it once to tighten and unclick it to remove the drill bit. I have never had a drill bit slip yet!
Or you could get one of these impact drivers and use your current drill for drilling. The brushed model goes for around £65 on ebay for the bare tool and is supposed to be good. Just had a play with this and I'm impressed with it. It's not quite as fast at driving screws as my DCD925 drill, but it's almost effortless. Plus the smaller size and weight make it perfect for the job.
The 3 speeds are useful and it will comfortably drive screws on the middle speed (1350 rpm), up to 100mm in softwood.
Also the metal self tightening chuck is brilliant. You don't have to tighten it up with all your might in order to stop the drill bits slipping. You just click it once to tighten and unclick it to remove the drill bit. I have never had a drill bit slip yet!
Or you could get one of these impact drivers and use your current drill for drilling. The brushed model goes for around £65 on ebay for the bare tool and is supposed to be good. Just had a play with this and I'm impressed with it. It's not quite as fast at driving screws as my DCD925 drill, but it's almost effortless. Plus the smaller size and weight make it perfect for the job.
Mark, if you don't mind, if you get a chance could you take a frontal picture of your new driver with the chuck facing the camera. Any images I googled where all side shots but I'm interested in how the bit is held in. You say it has something to do with the yellow button on the front?
@Scougar, lol, I hate seeing people doing that, usually an apprentice if you lend them a drill to put a few screws in.
@Scougar, lol, I hate seeing people doing that, usually an apprentice if you lend them a drill to put a few screws in.
It's just got a bit holder on the front rather than a chuck. You just push the bit holder or bit into it and then to release it you press that yellow button.
You can also just put a 25mm bit straight into it, to get into very small spaces, but they are hard to get back out again
.Nice, first I've seen one like that. I've a Panasonic but I don't think it would be as short as that one due to the design.
Aye, I know what you mean about putting the 25mm bit in and being a bit hard to get out. I thought mine was supposed to be able to take a 25mm bit but in all honesty I don't really know how it does. It would take a 50mm bit no bother but that's only because the hex end is the same shape as a bit holder whereas a 25mm bit isn't that shape if that makes sense. If I put a 25mm bit into mine there's only a tiny part poking out and it isn't held securely due to not have the proper indentation to keep it there but to get it out I have to turn the drill face down and shake it as there isn't really much left to pull out.
Anyways, have to say I like the look of that.
Edit: Oh, and thanks for posting the image, appreciated.
Aye, I know what you mean about putting the 25mm bit in and being a bit hard to get out. I thought mine was supposed to be able to take a 25mm bit but in all honesty I don't really know how it does. It would take a 50mm bit no bother but that's only because the hex end is the same shape as a bit holder whereas a 25mm bit isn't that shape if that makes sense. If I put a 25mm bit into mine there's only a tiny part poking out and it isn't held securely due to not have the proper indentation to keep it there but to get it out I have to turn the drill face down and shake it as there isn't really much left to pull out.
Anyways, have to say I like the look of that.
Edit: Oh, and thanks for posting the image, appreciated.
You can also just put a 25mm bit straight into it, to get into very small spaces, but they are hard to get back out again
Borrow a Makita impact driver,had same problem
, solved it but cutting some 50mm pozi bits down to about 35mm.
Soldato
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I think the fact that even top brands like Milwaukee supply impact bits in bags of 25 for £6 shows that they aint built to last.
That said, i use the bits i got in my little bosch box and haven't broken any yet.
I'm not really a heavy user though.
I have a Dewalt twin set of XR2 drill/driver and impact driver, 18v, 2 x 3.0Ah batteries, cost be £297 last year from ffx.co.uk. Not brushless (don't even know what that diff is), but they've been brilliant for me.
That said, i use the bits i got in my little bosch box and haven't broken any yet.
I'm not really a heavy user though.
I have a Dewalt twin set of XR2 drill/driver and impact driver, 18v, 2 x 3.0Ah batteries, cost be £297 last year from ffx.co.uk. Not brushless (don't even know what that diff is), but they've been brilliant for me.
Ah sod it, who am I trying to kid, I'm ordering one of these on payday
Didn't last long
DCD785 combi drill behind it to show the size difference.
Grip/handle etc is identical to the drill so this is really comfortable to use and switch between the two.
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I'm no expert, but I think a brushless motor is more efficient and creates less heat and no friction from the brushes. According to DeWalt they offer 57% more runtime. I haven't had a proper chance to try it out yet so cant vouch for it yet.
it only seems to be this impact driver and their new 90mm nailer that uses it. Milwaukee and Makita have a brushless combi drill as well, so hopefully deWalt will add some more brushless tools at some point. Will be great coupled with the 4ah batteries!
Have a look at this link for some more info on brushless motors
http://www.dewalt.co.uk/powertools/cordless/xr-system/brushless/
http://www.dewalt.co.uk/powertools/cordless/xr-system/brushless/
Associate
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Bosch max grip are the ones that I use, they don't always break when I chuck them. More often they wear out and slip, as I tend to use screws with very hard heads like spax.
A week is probably the average, sometimes they last a couple of weeks and sometimes only 2-3 days if doing a lot of framing work.
A week is probably the average, sometimes they last a couple of weeks and sometimes only 2-3 days if doing a lot of framing work.
Wow, this impact driver is amazing. Can't believe I have not bought one before now. I always thought they were a bit slow after seeing one in action a long time ago, but they have certainly moved on since then.
The concrete bolts we use to secure window frames would often tighten up too much in really hard brick, but this just put them in with ease.
Did a kitchen on monday and fit 7 windows and a door today and still on the first 3ah battery, so very impressed so far. Plus the Milwaukee PZ2 impact bit seems to be holding up well.
The Wera Impactor bit isn't great for my needs though. I've stuck my old bit holder in there as there is no magnetism to hold the screw on the Were one, so screws just fall off the end. It does have a magnetic screw holder that slides up, but its a pita to keep doing that.
The concrete bolts we use to secure window frames would often tighten up too much in really hard brick, but this just put them in with ease.
Did a kitchen on monday and fit 7 windows and a door today and still on the first 3ah battery, so very impressed so far. Plus the Milwaukee PZ2 impact bit seems to be holding up well.
The Wera Impactor bit isn't great for my needs though. I've stuck my old bit holder in there as there is no magnetism to hold the screw on the Were one, so screws just fall off the end. It does have a magnetic screw holder that slides up, but its a pita to keep doing that.
Mark: Are those the bags of Milwaukee PZ2 impact bit I linked to.
And Wera bit holder, there are two versions of Wera bit holder, the Impactor holder & Impaktor Ringmagnet.
http://www.wera.de/catalog_de.html?..._adaptors_connectors_impaktor_bit_holder.html
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I used mine to do all the battening and supporting braces for some built in wardrobes last week and it did a sterling job. Normal Makita bits holding up well so far.
I might even end up using this more than the drill for general assembly and dismantling, it's so compact and powerful. The cat doesn't like the noise though!
Can't wait to try it out on the car with some rusty nuts and bolts.
I might even end up using this more than the drill for general assembly and dismantling, it's so compact and powerful. The cat doesn't like the noise though!
Can't wait to try it out on the car with some rusty nuts and bolts.
Yeah they are, the Wera ones were too expensive, but these are holding up well and if they don't last as long they are not expensive anyway.
Gah, looks like I should have gone for the bottom one in that link
.