Impact Driver

Josh

Josh

Josh

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Joined
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Location
Guildford
Forumites,

I'm after an impact driver, so started looking at the 18v battery ones which got me thinking about getting a new SDS drill next year as mine is very old and has a short, next to useless power cable. Then I started seeing battery operated lawnmowers and strimmers and well, everything became about 18v battery powered DIY stuff.

Age old question but are they are swap and change, for instance if I got a Ryobi 18v Impact Drill but a Mikata 18v SDS Drill can I use the batteries across both? I know some people will hate mix & match but I'm not really fussed if it works.

Sure this will separate the masses but, which brands do you all recommend - I usually buy (read borrow long term) whatever my old man has but he's too far away to loan tools now sadly and it's time I got some proper tools, I usually attempt DIY with the wrong tools, ruin the project then go and get the right tools and more materials and do it correctly a second time, I'm looking to improve this next year!

So...Makita, Ryobi, Dewalt, Black & Dekker, Einhell, Parkside, Others?

Ta
 
I find Ryobi has a much larger range of tools if you want things like garden tools, cleaners and other stuff rather than just power tools like drills, saws etc.

I also have a pretty large selection of Parkside tools. Can't beat them for the price and the 3/5 year warranty is great. The biggest downside to Parkside stuff is you can't buy it when you want as it's only available when they have them in Lidl.
 
How much use will it likely get? If you're going to be using it daily then you'll want something better quality but if its just for occasional home use you could get away with a cheaper brand.

As i'm only a home DIY'er i have quite a collection of Ryobi stuff, i might only use my impact driver once a month and then only in anger on a bigger project once a year or so so it's been fine for my needs. Probably wouldn't stand up as well as a DeWalt or Makita if you're using as a professional.

Ryobi stuff as has been said is generally a fair bit cheaper and has a much larger range of tools for things like gardening. I've got a hedge trimmer and strimmer for example.

For me the difference in price of bare tools swayed it for me, for example i paid about £65 for my Roybi angle grinder i think but the equivalent Makita or Dewalt is over 100. For me that'd make the difference between buying it or not.

I know a lot of people really look down their nose at Ryobi and yeah it is lower quality but it's designed for a home DIY audience and not a pro tradesman, i think a lot of people really overestimate how much they will use their tools and 'over buy'
 
Josh said:
Forumites,

I'm after an impact driver, so started looking at the 18v battery ones which got me thinking about getting a new SDS drill next year as mine is very old and has a short, next to useless power cable. Then I started seeing battery operated lawnmowers and strimmers and well, everything became about 18v battery powered DIY stuff.

Age old question but are they are swap and change, for instance if I got a Ryobi 18v Impact Drill but a Mikata 18v SDS Drill can I use the batteries across both? I know some people will hate mix & match but I'm not really fussed if it works.

Sure this will separate the masses but, which brands do you all recommend - I usually buy (read borrow long term) whatever my old man has but he's too far away to loan tools now sadly and it's time I got some proper tools, I usually attempt DIY with the wrong tools, ruin the project then go and get the right tools and more materials and do it correctly a second time, I'm looking to improve this next year!

So...Makita, Ryobi, Dewalt, Black & Dekker, Einhell, Parkside, Others?

Ta
Click to expand...

There are impact drills and there are impact drills!

You are definitely going in the right direction to get an SDS. They tend to be slower rotation and much higher impact energy, which is exactly what you need. The non-SDS general purpose drills are low energy and high rotation speed, which just deafens you, doesn't do much, and wears out bits faster.

At the moment I have a mains powered SDS, but the battery powered are just as effective. Being battery powered, though, it's going to be a lot more expensive. Unless you have other uses for the battery then I would be tempted to just get a mains drill.

One feature you definitely want is rotation stop. Some of the better drills also come with a replaceable chuck, which is less handy than you would think.

Most large SDS feature a safety clutch which is fairly important. They can put a huge torque on your wrists if the bit jams.

I would just match the quality to how often you will use it. If you use it all the time then I would personally go for DeWalt. They make nice motors, which is mostly what it's about with a drill. But if you intend to go battery then look at the wider range of tools they do so you can stick with one brand so you can use the batteries on everything.
 
I use the Einhell range of cordless power tools. I have the drill, sds, multi tool, impact driver, sander and then the lawnmower and strimmer.
All have been faultless and the ability to swap batteries between them is great.
Some sites tend to haver offers on the bare tools as well, which can make it a lot cheaper.
 
Honestly they're all much of a muchness. If you want a drill and impact driver. All of the big 3 do a 'starter pack' of an impact driver, combi drill, battery and charger. Just go for one that has the best offer at the time and stick with it.

I use Makita because my Dad gave me his old 18v drill and that's it. I now have a lot of Makita 18v tools: (another) combi drill, impact, circular saw, angle grinder, torch, blower, chainsaw (sure I'm forgetting something else...) I don't have any complaints, they're all very nice quality.

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(shop around check Screwfix and others too)

On your point about an SDS. Do you need a dedicated one? High end combis hammer is more than enough for drilling holes in walls for occasional fixings. I have a Titan 230v SDS, and only bust it out for core drilling and breaking up concrete. It is immensely powerful, but heavy and loud af.
 
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I'm in the Ryobi family and they're all decent enough for my needs, I have got the brushless lawn mower that takes 2 batteries and she's a monster, takes both my lawns on with 1 charge
 
SpellowHouse said:
There are impact drills and there are impact drills!
Click to expand...
Think OP is after an impact driver for now, rather than drill.

I'm personally on DeWalt as they had a great deal on a drill and impact when I bought my house and committed to buying proper tools. I love the tool quality but the bare tools and batteries are both on the pricier end. Still, I have the above plus an impact wrench for car work, circular saw, drywall screw gun, maybe something else. I'd love to get battery adapters for other systems, might look into Ryobi.

I have fully bought into only using brushless tools also. Quieter, less strain on the battery and generally more efficient.

I'm also tempted to buy into a 12V system separately for smaller/lighter tools I'd use around the house. Maybe for a portable toolbox too. For this I'm either going Milwaukee for quality and power, or Parkside because I can buy the entire lot without worrying about price :P
 
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aVdub said:
I only use Bosch Pro, which have ranges to suit most pockets.
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Same. Absolutely no complaints. They often have offers on too where you buy the skin only and can get a couple of batteries and a charger via redemption online. Two batteries is enough for me. Grinder, drill, hedge trimmer and leaf blower. Gave away all my corded power tools except for my large drill (that I seldom use) as they all seem a bit silly and old fashioned in comparison.
 
LuckyBenski said:
Think OP is after an impact driver for now, rather than drill.

I'm personally on DeWalt as they had a great deal on a drill and impact when I bought my house and committed to buying proper tools. I love the tool quality but the bare tools and batteries are both on the pricier end. Still, I have the above plus an impact wrench for car work, circular saw, drywall screw gun, maybe something else. I'd love to get battery adapters for other systems, might look into Ryobi.

I have fully bought into only using brushless tools also. Quieter, less strain on the battery and generally more efficient.

I'm also tempted to buy into a 12V system separately for smaller/lighter tools I'd use around the house. Maybe for a portable toolbox too. For this I'm either going Milwaukee for quality and power, or Parkside because I can buy the entire lot without worrying about price :P
Click to expand...

Oh, I was just talking about SDS because OP mentioned SDS.

I don't bother with impact drivers. Well, I have one, but I rarely use it. They are a First Fix tool and I'm almost exclusively Second Fix. I sort of bought one because it sounded like the thing you should do. A bit like buying an electric plane which, these days I consider to be First Fix not Second. I had one of those too, but sold if after three of four years of absolutely no use, lol.

Getting back to impact drivers, they are useful for removing stubborn screws in masonry, but apart from that they are too brutal for the work I do.

In the main I use 240V corded tools, the only time I use battery is for light drills. Later that expanded to garden equipment.
 
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