Impact Wrench Options

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jeff43222

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Location
Minneapolis, Minnesota
I'm thinking about investing in a cordless impact wrench and am not sure which one to choose. My original thought was to go with the Bosch 18V since all my other cordless tools are Bosch 18V, but apparently they no longer make it in that voltage.

My next thought was to go with the DeWalt 18V since I'm also looking at DeWalt's 18/120V vacuum, and the vacuum doesn't come with a battery.

I'm open to other suggestions, as well.

Pros/cons?
 
I can't comment on an impact wrench, as I don't have one. I do have the dewalt 18V/ 120V vacuum, and it is well worth buying. So, If you were going to buy the vac, it makes sense to buy the dewalt impact wrench to me. FWIW, iwire raves about his 14V dewalt impact wrench.
 
j_erickson said:
FWIW, iwire raves about his 14V dewalt impact wrench.
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Yes I do, but I also think I would like other brands as well. One of the guys I work with has a Mikita 18 and is very happy with it.

I went with the 14 as my primary reason for the buying it was to have a light compact powerful tool, it is all of the above.

I used it last night and snapped 1/4" bolts without even noticing it. I used it last week to drive 5/16" x 4" lags into fresh pressure treated lumber with out predrilling it was no problem. It is also good at backing out stuck screws.

I should mention that battery lasts a very long time, the motor draws little and does not bog down.

The down side....you will strip and break hardware till you get the hang of it, you do not feel the torque in your hand.

It is loud when it switches into impact mode.
 
jeff43222 said:
..my other cordless tools are Bosch 18V, but apparently they no longer make it in that voltage.
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Tomarrow, a used Bosch 18V impact will be gone at Ebay for ~US $76.00, another brand new kit for $142.00 will be gone in 4 days. A google search finds plenty more at Toolbarn, Yahoo, Amazon, & other online retailers for around $250.00. These will be there until the shelves are empty. You might find a Bosch 18v vacuum if you look.

I've seen people lose 3 Dewalts in 2 weeks, they keep replacing it with another bright yellow target. The thing about the bright-yellow Dewalts is that everybody else notices it, and it's gone when your back is turned. My beat-up ugly looking Makita always makes people puke, when they look at it and say, "What the hell is that." I say, "ya I'm stuck with this piece of crap today." I can leave it laying anywhere, its like wearing birth control glasses. No body wants it, and they leave it alone.

The problem with impacts is the broken chuck adapters, used for STD drill bits, unibits, and whole-saw arbors that don't come with a 1/4" hex shaft. I spent more replacing keyless-chuck adapters, than that tool was worth, before finally settling on a keyed Makita impact chuck #1918814, special ordered from their svc.ctr in La Mirada, CA.
 
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So, many brands of impact driver are good. DeWalt vac is great, IMO, so I'd say buy both the vac and impact in DeWalt. I've had a few brands of cordless tools, and I think the DeWalt 18V is the best value.
 
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